Grumpy old man…?

[Wetherill]

I have three boys who have lived together without problems, since I brought home my 1 year old last july and my 5 month old in january. I have a 5 year old who has been here from the start, but surprisingly he was very lenient with the two babies coming home and had no issues with them. All of the sudden, today, he lashed out and was chasing, humping, chattering, rumbling, nonstop for hours. Since they are in my bedroom, I kept a close eye on them in case of any fights. There were a few lunges and he got very close to fighting my 1 year old, but no actual fighting. The baby was so visibly scared that I have him separated for the night, and grumpy 5 year old is nonstop squeaking/wheeking in his new private suite… He rarely even wheeks, and he is going off the rails tonight. No recent changes in care whatsoever. What the heck is his problem? Has anyone else had an issue like this? It feels like he’s been possessed…

 

[Piggies&buns]

It could be that he has just had enough. Boar trios are notoriously difficult to get to work long term. Babies may well be accepted but once the teens and hormones hit things can change and this is why most boar trios won’t make it.
Spring hormones maybe? We see a few posts at this time of year.

What is their cage size? A boar trio need a lot more room (32 square feet)
Do you have lots of two exit hides etc?

If this is a sudden change in behaviour, then it’s also wise to switch to daily weight checks and have him vet checked in case he is feeling unwell as sometimes you can see this kind of reaction

After a few days apart to calm down, you could try a neutral territory reintroduction and see if they want to still be together

Bonds In Trouble

 

[Wetherill]

It could be that he has just had enough. Boar trios are notoriously difficult to get to work long term. Babies may well be accepted but once the teens and hormones hit things can change and this is why most boar trios won’t make it.
Spring hormones maybe? We see a few posts at this time of year.

What is their cage size? A boar trio need a lot more room (32 square feet)
Do you have lots of two exit hides etc?

If this is a sudden change in behaviour, then it’s also wise to switch to daily weight checks and have him vet checked in case he is feeling unwell as sometimes you can see this kind of reaction

After a few days apart to calm down, you could try a neutral territory reintroduction and see if they want to still be together

Bonds In Trouble

Thank you They have exactly 32 sq feet (shelf-like unit of four 8 sq ft levels), so I don’t think that space is the issue. He is actually doing much better today. I had no idea they got hormonal seasonally until I looked into it! Will definitely keep a close eye on his weight just in case

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you They have exactly 32 sq feet (shelf-like unit of four 8 sq ft levels), so I don’t think that space is the issue. He is actually doing much better today. I had no idea they got hormonal seasonally until I looked into it! Will definitely keep a close eye on his weight just in case

I’m afraid their cage is not 32 sq ft.
Piggies, as ground roaming animals, need their cage to meet size requirements on the single, bottom level. One upper level is fine but it’s a bonus space only and doesn’t contribute to the cage size.

Therefore their cage is only 8 sq ft so I’m afraid isn’t big enough for the three of them. It would be considered too small for two boars even as two need a minimum of 10 sq ft but ideally 12 sq ft on a single level. (8sq ft is the minimum welfare size for two piggies but that is more suited to two sows).
As you are dealing with a boar trio, normal cage sizing rules go out the window as their space needs are so much greater. Therefore the additional 2sq ft per additional piggy guide doesn’t apply and this is why they need 32 sq ft (one square metre each) on a single level to give them enough territory each

Space may well be a contributing factor to the issues here, particularly as a trio is very difficult anyway but when combined with teenage hormones a d not enough space, if becomes the perfect storm for problems.

Incompatibilities in character is the main reason a boar trio will fail but lack of space is the next factor given the cage required needs to be considerably larger and will take up a vast amount of floor space

Cage Size Guide

Is he still on his own or have you put them back together?