Good Plan?

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

GuineaPiggea

Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
81
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
USA
So I finally got my two boars I've been talking about. :(|) They are going through their hormonal stage (10-11 months old) and fight. Right now they are separated in the cage by a storage cube. So, here's the Plan of Probation: inbreeding

1. Everyday [for about 2-4 days] I'll take them out into the playpen outside (neutral territory) so they can munch on grass and be re-introduced.

2. At the end of the re-introducing technique, I'd give them a "bonding bath".

3. Straight after the "bonding bath", I'd pop them right into their brand new C & C cage. (I'm going to build a 2x5 cage since their current one is only a 1x5 :o) This way, there will be no scents and it will be new to both of them.

Today was the first day for me to put them in the playpen. It went pretty good. There was quite a bit of teeth chattering at moments and a few chin ups, but overall, they munched on grass and followed each other around. (P.S. Sorry, I couldn't manage to snap pictures of my new piggies to show you all. A storm was coming so I had to hurry and bring everything back inside. :p) Will keep you posted and also post some pictures of them and a poll to help me pick their names :))
 
Last edited:
Things are never easy with boars :(

The problem with boars is that every time you put them together and the separate them again they have to start at the beginning each time - this long term makes bonding more difficult as dominance is never fully sorted out and the process must be re-started each time you put them back together.

The advice i was given is if there have been fights (and blood was drawn) that they should be separated permanently - if no blood has been drawn then there is a chance they can be re-bonded - but this must be done very carefully. I was told that once you've put them together and 'commited' to the process, then however agonising and hard it is, you must see it through to the end.

Good luck :)
 
Hows the bonding going? Have they had their bath?

If this doesn't work you might have to seperate them permantly, but you can have them living as neighbours so they can still talk/shout abuse at one another :)
 
Thanks for your reply, really appreciate it. Today will be day 2 of the probation plan but I haven't put them in their playpen together yet. They'll get their bath probably in the next day or two. I sure hope it works. I would love a bonded herd, but hey, I love them just the same :) I'll keep you guys posted but any other comments would help. :)
 
Sorry guys. My computer crashed. So Day 2 and Day 3 were just moments where they'd teeth chatter and rumble strut. It was very intense for me as an owner to just sit back and watch hoping they wouldn't bite. But, then again, I want to see the worst of them so I can really know if this will work out. I don't want to leave them one day and come back with blood. Are there any other techniques that you guys know of besides what I'm doing already (the neutral introduction, bonding bath, and new cage with no scent. Though I'm waiting until I make the new 2x5 cage to give them a bath. I want to pop them into the new cage right after giving them the bath). Any tips or comments would be very much appreciated.
 
Day 4 of Piggie Probation (yesterday): Immediately started to teeth chatter, show teeth, pricked up their hair, and rumble strutted right as I put them in the playpen. They marked and peed everywhere. Me, as a nervous first-time-owner, separated them by a dustpan when they got in a wrestle. I didn't know what to expect. Hair was pulled out (not certain if there was skin attached) and one of the pigs had teeth bite marks imprinted on his skin. I thought the one that gets bullied was the dominant one until this time when the other usually started the fights and nipped him. I really don't know whether this will work out. Tomorrow I'm planning on giving them the bonding bath and sticking them right into a new C & C cage. If they're just that kind where they'll never go back together, I'm totally fine with that. Though, if not now, maybe I'll try again when it's certain they're not in their teenage stage. Please give me any tips, techniques, or comments.
 
Very helpful. Thanks a ton Glynis. :) I know they are going through their hormonal teenage stage (11 months old) so maybe I just need to wait that out until they're around 15 months. Today I'm going to get my coroplast and make the 2x5! So excited for that as I've heard lots of cage space helps with boars. Then I'll give them a bonding bath and stick them right into their new cage. I hope nothing serious happens.....
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top