Bonding Two Adult Boars

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Cute_Guineapigs

Cute_Guineapigs

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Hi

I have a single 3yr old boar who I'm hoping to bond with an adult boar from a rescue. Is this advisable? The rescue suggested the boar for bonding but reading articles on the internet, they say not to bond two adult boars. What's the right way to bond?
 
Boars can certainly bond with other boars, it's all about finding the right friend. The rescue's suggestion is the correct one, to try and bond him with another boar at their rescue. It can take several attempts as all piggies are individuals, but there is certainly a friend out there for him! If not, then there is always the option of having him neutered and then try bonding him with a sow?
 
They'll only be introduced at the rescue, and if they seem ok, I'll be bonding at home. I don't want to risk injury to either guinea pig.
 
Boars can be bonded at all ages. Whether it works (and that also goes for boars of all ages!) is down to whether they like each other and whether their personalities mix.
If you buy two babies, you usually find out the hard way whether they get on or not once they hit the teenage hormones; that is the time when the fights and fall-outs with badly matched pairs happen as the boars develop their adult identities.
If you let boars choose each other, your chances for a happy ride increase.

The one big advantage you have got by trying to bond adult boars is that if they work out, their bond will be as stable as a sow bond and fall-outs are rare because they don't have to face the dreaded hormones. The vast majority of well bonded adults can be successfully re-introduced again after a tiff, unlike with teenage boars. As a rule, the older boars are (and the less testosterone is driving them), the more they mellow and become easier to bond. :)

Experiences from rescues that offer residential dating have shown that it takes usually about 1-3 boars to find "Mr Right"; a very few, often still sub-adult boars can take up to 6 candidates. It is very rare that no boar can't be bonded at all or is not interested in the company of other piggies.

All you and the rescue can do is try and see whether it works; in my experience it is well worth trying. You have about 50% chance that the boys click with each other, higher, if you know that your own boy is not dominant. You should know within a few hours whether their personalities clash (i.e. both are too dominant to work out) and within a couple of days whether they settle down well together.

Apart from the obvious dominance/humping issues, the most critical phase during bonding is the boys waking up after their first nap together and finding themselves in company. I would wait until they are past that before you move them to a completely rearranged and totally cleaned cage. leave away all hideys until they have settled, and only use use anything with two exits on opposite sides at first.

Here are our tips:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/boars-a-guide-to-successful-companionship.76162/

Best of luck!
 
Thanks Wiebke, you have reassured my mind. I have a completely neutral cage for them. I'll provide two of everything as well. I hope they get on well.
 
Good luck with your bonding! It is usually more alarming for onlooking owners than the piggy involved;), but a successful and subsequent close friendship is very rewarding.
 
Thanks AuntyC. Sadly, the boar at the rescue wasn't suitable with Elmo. Elmo's quite a dominant boar, and the rescue boar was very dominant so they started to fight, but we broke it up before they bit each other.

I'm currently bonding Elmo to a boar who belonged to a family member who was looking to rehome him. It seems to be going well, they are in a neutral cage with no hideys or anything, just hay and water. Elmo's showing lots of dominant behaviour but the new boar, Fudge is quite submissive and is only showing quiet protests to the dominance, but is showing no dominance himself. Hopefully, this bond works.
 
Cute_Guineapigs said:
Thanks AuntyC. Sadly, the boar at the rescue wasn't suitable with Elmo. Elmo's quite a dominant boar, and the rescue boar was very dominant so they started to fight, but we broke it up before they bit each other.

I'm currently bonding Elmo to a boar who belonged to a family member who was looking to rehome him. It seems to be going well, they are in a neutral cage with no hideys or anything, just hay and water. Elmo's showing lots of dominant behaviour but the new boar, Fudge is quite submissive and is only showing quiet protests to the dominance, but is showing no dominance himself. Hopefully, this bond works.
Click to expand...

Best of luck! That is why dating is so helpful; it prevents you from ending up with two boys that won't get on right from the start.
You can find tips on intros and dominance behaviours at the top of this section and are always welcome to ask for ongoing advice and support.
 
They look very happy and relaxed. Good luck! I have succesfully bonded boars before but currently have one impossible boar who just cant find a friend. He is a bit exceptional though, hopefully yours are more easy going!
 
They are doing very well. They have had several naps and are eating together and seem happy together. I've now moved them into Elmo's cage, all cleaned out and disinfected. Elmo showed a little dominance when moved into the cage, but then they both started eating together, and Fudge is popcorning around. :yahoo:
 
Aww they look so adorable together! :love:

Recently I was going to get both my fallen-out boys neutered (they drew blood so I am not going to reintroduce them), one would be in a trio with two sows, and the other would have one wife. I already adopted a pair of sows for one of my boars, meaning I would look into adopting a single sow for my other boar.

However I have been advised to only neuter one boar to introduce to my sows and simply get a boar for my other one without neutering him, they explained you can introduce boars no matter what age either of them are. See, one of my boars is dominant and the other is laid-back, it was a one-sided fight. I'm thinking of neutering my dominant boar to go with my sows, and trying my submissive boar with some dominant rescue boars. What do you think? :)
 
Ruby Inferno: that might work. That's what happened with Fudge. He's submissive and was previously bonded to a dominant boar called Charlie, but they had a fight. Fudge easily bonded to Elmo, who's quite dominant himself. I now have Charlie, so I may neuter him and bond him to a sow if he doesn't bond to a boar.
 
Thanks! I would have also adopted a submissive boy for my dominant one, but I already have the girlies. Also it would be nice for him to live in his own little trio,
 
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