Change of plans and new piggies!

What A Boar!

What A Boar!

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
May 10, 2020
Messages
139
Reaction score
170
Points
225
Location
Alton, Hampshire
Where do I start?

Okay, so ...
I had planned on getting 2 baby boars from a breeder at the weekend but that all changed.
I went shopping as normal, went into pets at home to get piggie nuggets and treats and the manager pulled me aside. She half whispered that they now have their pets back up for sale and would I take the 2 baby boars that need adopting. They'd been in the store from the second week of lockdown. I'd had my eye on one of them but didn't realise there was a second!
Of course I said yes and they're now home and settled in 😁

Firstly we have Biscuit ... a four month old smooth coat who was bullied by his cage mate and brought back to the store, he's desperately in need of a friend.
I have split my indoor pen and he'll be living beside my 3 bonded boars to see how they get along. After a week I'll remove the devide and see what happens.

Next we have Bourbon... a six month old smooth coat with a rosette on his head. He was also a bring back from another family as he was becoming a bully. Very much a dominant pig. He does also need a friend but my plan for him is if the four boys get along together, he'll then live beside them with a devide. P@H tried to bond him with Biscuit but all he did was nip his butt.
Maybe my older boys will put him in his place.

I'm taking this all very slowly, getting to know their personalities and then deciding what or if this will work.
I'm hoping i get a nice bonded herd but if not then they'll live separately.
It's a long process!
 
My outdoor area.
The piggies don't live in the Bunny Pod. It's just an outdoor base camp.
The area is constantly shaded, it doesn't get sun at all!
Also, the piggies don't go outside unless we're out there with them, we have red kites flying about 😖
Plus it's not covered because my children like to hop the fence and sit with them.
 
Mattsbabe said:
My outdoor area.
The piggies don't live in the Bunny Pod. It's just an outdoor base camp.
The area is constantly shaded, it doesn't get sun at all!
Also, the piggies don't go outside unless we're out there with them, we have red kites flying about 😖
Plus it's not covered because my children like to hop the fence and sit with them.
Click to expand...
Great space, I’d be more worried about cats, foxes and dogs getting in there than red kites, they only eat carrion. but if you are with them then they’ll be fine x Gorgeous piggies 💕
 
Bill & Ted said:
Great space, I’d be more worried about cats, foxes and dogs getting in there than red kites, they only eat carrion. but if you are with them then they’ll be fine x Gorgeous piggies 💕
Click to expand...
My children are pretty noisy when playing in the garden. I'm sure that's enough to scare anything away lol.
Cookie is very vocal if anyone approaches them so we know if there's an intruder (not happened yet). He's like a little guard pig.
 
Have you seen the bonding guides on the forum?
They are very good with what works and what doesn't work as well as how to bond.
I found them to be a sanity saver when bonding my sows.

Sorry I can't link the guide for you - my tech skills aren't that good
 
Merab's Slave said:
Have you seen the bonding guides on the forum?
They are very good with what works and what doesn't work as well as how to bond.
I found them to be a sanity saver when bonding my sows.

Sorry I can't link the guide for you - my tech skills aren't that good
Click to expand...
Thank you.
I've read everything I can find about bonding and what to look for. I'll go have another read just in case I'm missing something.
 
Brought my trio in from the garden and set them up next to Nugget ... Biscuit is now Nugget, my daughter is so indecisive 🙄

Nugget responded as I thought, overexcited, vocal and a whole heap of popcorns 😍 so nice to see him happy!
The trio also responded as I thought, Domino took one look, looked at me then went to sleep in his hidey.
Cookie was interested for a bit but then went and ate hay and Domino was establishing he was boss with a bit of rumbling.

Nugget is bar chewing the devide and desperate to go make friends but he needs to calm down a little bit before that happens. He's proving to be a very excitable little piggy.

Bourbon is happy chilling in his cage. He's very skittish, nervous and shy. Hoping that'll change over time.

So far so good!
 
Are you going to quarantine the new boys? or not bother?
 
I wasn't going to bother. I've given them both a good MOT and I can't find any nasties.

However, I just found Nugget in with the trio. He cleared the devide somehow and was chasing a very worried Cookie 😲
He's living outside in the Bunny Pod for the time being, maybe until hormones have settled. He's a small pig so should be okay in there by himself and I'll let him out every day for a run on the grass.
I've stuffed the bed area full of hay so I'm hoping that will keep him warm and I've got a blanket to cover the pod with at night.

What a day!
 
It’s the bugs you can’t see which are part of the reason you quarantine, so you’ll just need to be prepared for that. He really needs to be alongside others, I’d try to find some way to reinforce the barrier. It’s really too cold outside at night for a piggy who is only used to being indoors, even with blankets. Hormones won’t settle until he is 14 months of age!
 
:agr:Did he jump the divide or squeeze through holes 😬🤣
 
Piggies&buns said:
It’s the bugs you can’t see which are part of the reason you quarantine, so you’ll just need to be prepared for that. He really needs to be alongside others, I’d try to find some way to reinforce the barrier. It’s really too cold outside at night for a piggy who is only used to being indoors, even with blankets. Hormones won’t settle until he is 14 months of age!
Click to expand...
I agree with this although I’m a new owner & don’t know everything I definitely think to cold & lonely without company for him & he’s been inside all this time in a warm pet shop
 
Mattsbabe said:
Where do I start?

Okay, so ...
I had planned on getting 2 baby boars from a breeder at the weekend but that all changed.
I went shopping as normal, went into pets at home to get piggie nuggets and treats and the manager pulled me aside. She half whispered that they now have their pets back up for sale and would I take the 2 baby boars that need adopting. They'd been in the store from the second week of lockdown. I'd had my eye on one of them but didn't realise there was a second!
Of course I said yes and they're now home and settled in 😁

Firstly we have Biscuit ... a four month old smooth coat who was bullied by his cage mate and brought back to the store, he's desperately in need of a friend.
I have split my indoor pen and he'll be living beside my 3 bonded boars to see how they get along. After a week I'll remove the devide and see what happens.

Next we have Bourbon... a six month old smooth coat with a rosette on his head. He was also a bring back from another family as he was becoming a bully. Very much a dominant pig. He does also need a friend but my plan for him is if the four boys get along together, he'll then live beside them with a devide. P@H tried to bond him with Biscuit but all he did was nip his butt.
Maybe my older boys will put him in his place.

I'm taking this all very slowly, getting to know their personalities and then deciding what or if this will work.
I'm hoping i get a nice bonded herd but if not then they'll live separately.
It's a long process!
Click to expand...
They are gorgeous x
 
Mattsbabe said:
I wasn't going to bother. I've given them both a good MOT and I can't find any nasties.

However, I just found Nugget in with the trio. He cleared the devide somehow and was chasing a very worried Cookie 😲
He's living outside in the Bunny Pod for the time being, maybe until hormones have settled. He's a small pig so should be okay in there by himself and I'll let him out every day for a run on the grass.
I've stuffed the bed area full of hay so I'm hoping that will keep him warm and I've got a blanket to cover the pod with at night.

What a day!
Click to expand...
Oh dear how on earth did he get in 😂 x
 
I've no idea how he got in, should have called him Houdini!

My Google home was saying a low of 11 degrees tonight so I didn't think it would be too bad but accuweather is saying a low of 5 degrees. Far too cold for a baby piggy!
I've just cleaned out the devided area where Nugget was, reinforced the devide so he can't climb and put him in next to the trio. This is working much better. Everybody is so much calmer. Bourbon is the same age as Cookie so maybe this helps.
I've also cleaned out the cage that Bourbon was in, fresh fleece and brought him indoors. He's now happily in the cage.

Really hope this way works out better for them.

I'll be keeping a very close eye out for any little hitch hikers and I've got treatment just in case.
 
So you have 3 bonded boars already and are planning on introducing Biscuit, who is now called Nugget to them.?

Also, muesli feed?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top