Bonding

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rushy

Hi everybody,

I would like some advice please, here it goes:

About 2 months ago my pig Toffee died so we got another one from the RSPCA called Pebbles and they seem to have bonded together ok, they show there teeth every now again but nothing to worry about really, well we decided yesterday to have a go at
introducing a baby she is 12 weeks old and the children have names her Pepsi.

I introduced them yesterday in the run in the garden because it was lovely and sunny and we had no problems (but lots of room in the run and a couple of bowls of food out, so all busy really) then I seperated them at night because Pepsi just looks so small.

The weather today is awful so I've kept Pepsi away and I've put them all together for a bit of a bonding session, and it's got me a bit worried Pepsi is so small compared to Fifi, they have been smelling her a lot and nudgeing her, I can't put them in the run cos of the weather and I don't want Pepsi getting cold!

Can anyone else offer any advice please. does anybodys elses pigs fight a little bit?

Thanks
 
I definately don't think this is fighting, if all they're doing is sniffing and nudging her then it's fine :)

Don't put pepsi into the other girls hutch, it will most probably cause issues and they will all fall out :( Continue bonding them the way you have been, by putting them all into the run together. Have you got an indoor run or a space where they can all run together?
Eventually (I find after about 2/3 days depending on the pigs!) I clean the main hutch throughly, put all the girls in the run together, then at the end of their exercise session, put them all back in the hutch together.

Different sizes of pig shouldn't really matter, it's easy to feel sorry for the baby, and they do usually get bullied, but this should settle down after a couple of days :)
 
I agree, sounds like you're doing the right thing... when I put my little sow in with the older ones she looked TINY and they kind of barged her around a bit and kept telling her off but it was mostly noise rather than anything else and the settled down after a day or so.

Neutral territory is best, like you've been doing... they should be fine. Good luck with them!

Sophie
x
 
Thanks for the advice both of you, will just keep doing as I'm doing for a couple more days then maybe try them in together.
 
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