Fingers crossed to bond

Spaghetti & Noodles

Spaghetti & Noodles

Forum Donator 2024/25
Joined
Jun 16, 2019
Messages
1,988
Reaction score
5,796
Points
1,405
Location
Oxfordshire
As some of you may know I offered another member to take on their single neutered boar in the hope we can bond him with our 2 girls, he is gorgeous and we are completely In love with him already and it's only been 24hrs!
We are going to have them interacting through bars for a week and then attempt to bond on neutral ground next weekend. I have read and re-read the bonding guides and will continue to do so all week! Although work has been full on this week I may not have taken it all in properly.
I know any interaction through bars, however positive, can't give an indication of compatability but can anyone suggest anything else I should be looking out for?
When handling them over this next week, should we handle him first or the girls first or does that not matter?

Thank you for reading. 🙂
 
Aw, I do hope it’s a success for everyone. You are right about the interaction through the bars. My girls seemed to be so made up after Hector arrived, even grooming him through the bars, but that was as far as it went sadly the bonding attempt was a total disaster from the word go.
Good luck 🤞
 
Bill & Ted said:
Aw, I do hope it’s a success for everyone. You are right about the interaction through the bars. My girls seemed to be so made up after Hector arrived, even grooming him through the bars, but that was as far as it went sadly the bonding attempt was a total disaster from the word go.
Good luck 🤞
Click to expand...
Thank you, we have our fingers firmly crossed!
maybe your bonding was meant to be that way so you could have the gorgeous Kiki!
 
Spaghetti & Noodles said:
As some of you may know I offered another member to take on their single neutered boar in the hope we can bond him with our 2 girls, he is gorgeous and we are completely In love with him already and it's only been 24hrs!
We are going to have them interacting through bars for a week and then attempt to bond on neutral ground next weekend. I have read and re-read the bonding guides and will continue to do so all week! Although work has been full on this week I may not have taken it all in properly.
I know any interaction through bars, however positive, can't give an indication of compatability but can anyone suggest anything else I should be looking out for?
When handling them over this next week, should we handle him first or the girls first or does that not matter?

Thank you for reading. 🙂
Click to expand...

Hi

Just give your boy a few days to settle down and get over his initial excitement and allow your girls time to get to know him. This will help with acceptance. Interaction through the bars can be deceptive as it can also be an expression of fear-anxiety and can be very easily misinterpreted. Taking it slowly at this stage can really help.

Here is our bonding guide: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
Spaghetti & Noodles said:
Thank you, I have been reading and watching this guide, I don't want to rush it as we really hope they'll get on.
Click to expand...

Feed them along the divider so they get used to eating together and start feeling like a herd. ;)
I also like to have their hay trays next to each other in order to encourage them to hang out together and to synchronise their lives through the bars.
 
Wiebke said:
Feed them along the divider so they get used to eating together and start feeling like a herd. ;)
I also like to have their hay trays next to other in order to encourage them to hang out together and do synchronise their lives through the bars.
Click to expand...
That's a great tip thank you, will make sure we are doing that.
 
So today we have had lots of rumbling from Pig! He was having a good old strut up and down the divider giving it his best rumbling! The girls have been in and out and all chattering away, some nosing and bar biting and sniffing. We have been giving them their veg either side and they can all access some hay side by side. I'm hoping this is all positive but I know I can't read anything into it yet. The guinea cam is so much better than TV!
 
Spaghetti & Noodles said:
So today we have had lots of rumbling from Pig! He was having a good old strut up and down the divider giving it his best rumbling! The girls have been in and out and all chattering away, some nosing and bar biting and sniffing. We have been giving them their veg either side and they can all access some hay side by side. I'm hoping this is all positive but I know I can't read anything into it yet. The guinea cam is so much better than TV!
Click to expand...
We have an outside night camera for wildlife and some evenings in summer it’s fascinating
 
So in preparation for the weekend, having read and re-read the guides and watched the videos I feel as prepared as I can be.
Just a couple of questions:

Is there a minimum size for the neutral bonding area?

Currently they all have access to the run with their own hutches and a divider in the middle of the run. If we put clean flooring/fleece puppy pads into the run and shut all doors to hutches could we just remove the divider?
Or is it better to have a completely different space?

Could I put them out on the grass? It's not too cold but I'm not sure it's warm enough? Also our grass run has a roof so would make it more tricky to intervene if needed.

I'm just wanting to do the best for them but this is all new to me!
 
I think you are best doing it inside where you can grab them quickly if it goes hay wire. I used a 3 x 4 C&C cage, clean fleece and a big pile of hay in the middle. I think you have to avoid smells as much as possible
Good luck x
🤞
 
Last edited:
When we bonded last week, we used Hannah’s kitchen as no pig had been there before. I then carried on the bonding in my parents kitchen as again, no pig had been there before. If you use a fleece, make sure it’s either a new one or one that has been freshly washed to eliminate any smells.

I wouldn’t use the outdoor run as you need to be able to separate fast if things go wrong. Be aware that your current piggies may turn on each other. That’s what Elizabeth did to Edward when we tried to bond them with a mum and daughter back in October and it was a failed bond. Make sure you have oven gloves or a towel at hand. Hopefully that won’t happen but it’s something to keep an eye on.

Good luck! x

8099943F-A2DF-4E6E-8351-7F008AB42229.webp
 
Bill & Ted said:
If think you are best doing it inside where you can grab them quickly if it goes hay wire. I used a 3 x 4 C&C cage, clean fleece and a big pile of hay in the middle. I think you have to avoid smells as much as possible
Good luck x
🤞
Click to expand...

Claire W said:
When bonded last week, we used Hannah’s kitchen as no pig had been there before. I then carried on the bonding in my parents kitchen as again, no pig had been there before. If you use a fleece, make sure it’s either a new one or one that has been freshly washed to eliminate any smells.

I wouldn’t use the outdoor run as you need to be able to separate fast if things go wrong.

Good luck! x
Click to expand...

Thank you, I was thinking inside would be better, it will be in the shed so I'm just planning my logistics and space.
What are the measurements of a 3x4 c&c?
I will have to make an area so just want to be sure they have enough space.
 
Each grid is 35 cm so that’s 105 cm x 140 cm so about a metre by 1.5 metres. despite all my best efforts it’s was a big fail. My top female attacked the under female because Hector was showing her a little too much affection we think 🤔, it was pretty tense right from the start, I knew it was not going well less than 5 minutes in
Good luck they will probably all get on like a house on fire x
 
When I bonded Betsy with Meg and Patsy I used the run in the garage it's 4' x 4'. They were all used to going in it (they went in every other day) but it's the only space I had so to make it a neutral space, I cleaned the lino then on top of that I put a clean waterproof mattress protector then a clean fleece. Put a HUGE pile of hay in the middle, added the piggies and hoped they all decided they liked each other! I stood by with my oven gloves just in case. I gave the hutch a deep clean too so that when they went in it it didn't smell of anypig. I didn't put any hideys in the run at all for 2 weeks during the bonding period just the hay then only the ones with 2 or more exits went in. Boxes with 3 doors cut out worked well so no piggy could be trapped.
 
@Bill & Ted, Brilliant thank you, I should be able to give them that quite easily, I think that's my worry that the girls will fall out, although neither really shows much dominance over the other, we thought noodle was the dominant one but actually watching them I couldn't say for sure.
@Betsy thank you, I have in my head to create the pen, I can use the sides of the outdoor run and I have some grids to, we can put down some clean puppy pads and a huge pile of hay and hope for the best. It will also mean we can give the hutch a good scrub.
Good tip about no hides once they are all together to start with.

I'm just hoping it all goes smoothly 🤞
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top