Holiday cover

[asdash]

We have recently got 2 boys - our neighbour also has 2 boys and we are going to provide holiday cover for each other.
They will have seprate sleeping places (we have a 2 level hutch and will just seperate them).

Will we have to keep them seprate at all times ? Can they go in the run together for short times (under supervision) and come out for lap time, or are they better to take turns ?

Thanks

Andrea

 

[Claire W]

I personally wouldn't put them together and take it in turns when it comes to lap time. Boys generally get on better in pairs so I wouldn't risk introducing them to your neighbours pigs.

That's just my opinion though

 

[melody]

no i wouldn't put them together at all, i have 4 boars and keep them seperate, they don't even like seeing each other in passing!

 

[asdash]

Well we've just come back and the neighbour reported they got on fine - each pair had their own hutch/cage for most of the time, but she put them in the run with a divider and they kept breaking through and then just grazing happily with each other !
Useful to know for future as we will each by babysitting each others pair's - obviously it would only be for short spells and under supervision

Andrea

 

[PAMELAKT]

I'd say you possibly got quite lucky there! inbreeding

 

[zombieprincess]

Id also you got off lucky! How old are they out of interest? Personally id keep them separate, it really isn't worth a fight breaking out and potentially ending up with 4 wound up piggies who wont live together. They may be fine now but fights can start in a snap! I had a pair of adult boys who were happy for 5 months and then one snapped and grabbed the other by the neck and shook him about (then bit him on the boy bits! :0 )

 

[gogoguineas]

also, i have to add, by mixing them you run the risk of breaking the bond between your own pair and your friends pair. If something kicks off you can end up with 4 single boars who won't tolerate each other any longer.