Guineas not really getting along, better alone?

[bluetrooth]

I've had two boars for about two years now, a father and a son. In all this time they have never seemed to actually enjoy each other's company or gravitate towards each other in any way. They only ever seek each other out in times of acute perceived danger (sudden loud noise and such), but other than that stay pretty far away from each other most of the time. They tolerate each other and rarely fight, but the father is constantly moody, dominant, and regularly bullies the son away from food or a hidey. The son never fights back, never bullies, and is generally just the sweetest thing. The son used to also be perky and happy, popcorning and zooming, but over time that has gone away entirely.

It's not like they're trying to kill each other, but I clearly feel like they truly don't benefit from each other's company at best, and that the father is stressing out and bullying the son at worst. I regularly also find plucks of hair from the son after the father has needlessly chased him around for half an hour. I just feel like the son deserves better than this, and might genuinely be happier alone.

Do you think this is reason enough to separate them and perhaps give away the father?

 

[Bill & Ted]

As long as they can live side by side in a good sized cage each then you could do a trail separation and see if the son (and Dad) are happier separated. If you suspect that the son is being bullied by the dad and not getting his fair share of the food/hay then it may be he is being bullied and that is a cause to separate. If blood has been drawn/injuries that’s another reason to separate. I would weigh both piggies and keep a note of their weights on separation and keep a spreadsheet or diary of their weights. That way you may see an upward trend with the sons weight increasing.

One word of caution, with any trail separation, this may turn into a permanent separate as one boar may not want to go back with the other. Make sure if you do introduce them back together it needs to be done in neutral space (see the bonding guide before you attempt that)

It sounds rather like they tolerate each other and keep by enlarge out of each others way. Before separating I would actually try and increase your cage size and see if that makes a difference. Boar pairs need at least 160 x 60 at the very minimum, is your cage big enough? Fo you have two of everything, water bottles, scatter pellets, two hay trays/areas, two + open ended tunnels/beds. This is what I would be looking at firstly

Do not give the Dad away, his son needs company of his own kind and will be extremely lonely as a single

 

[Piggies&buns]

It is fine if they don’t snuggle up and mostly stay apart (even very well bonded piggies are like this - my four year old boad are very well bonded but I never find them choosing to be in the same hide) and it is normal for the dominant piggy to get first pick of the best hides and food.….Provided all this stays within normal dominance and they otherwise get on well and want to be together then it isn’t an issue.
If it slips over into actual bullying, then it is a problem. Bullying can some times be harder to spot than other times so it is important to be sure it isn’t normal dominance you are seeing. Bullying often comes along with a few signs such as the submissive piggy becoming withdrawn, losing weight through not being allowed to eat enough, being chased constantly and relentlessly, not being able to rest.

If you recognise these signs, then a separation should be carried out. Give them a few days apart and then carry out a neutral territory reintroduction so they can make their final decision about whether they want to be together.
If they don’t then the separation needs to be permanent. They need to then live side by side so they can interact through the bars at all times. As Bill&Ted has mentioned, giving the father away will mean the son will become lonely.

Here is more information on how to work out whether your piggies want to be together or not: Bonds In Trouble

 

[Seven7]

You have very good advice from other members already. I just wondered about the size of your cage because boys need more space to run around.

 

[bluetrooth]

Thank you so much for the advice, everyone! Neither piggy is losing weight or being withheld from eating/drinking, so it's not that severe. I do occasionally find plucks of hair of the son when they've been going at it, but he looks healthy; no scabs or wounds or anything like that.


The cage is slightly over 160 x 60, cause they don't make them bigger here, but I'm looking into making a bigger space for them somehow, especially for autumn/winter when I can't put them outside during the day.


I think I will definitely be leaving them together after this advice, unless things should truly escalate.