How To Introduce Boars?

[Emily Limm]

Tomorrow, I'm adopting a baby boar. I don't know how to introduce my older boar to him when I get him. I'm planning on introducing them during floor time. Does my older boar go on the floor first or the younger? Do I have to mop the floor (With hot water of course)? What does positive behavior look like? What do I do if fighting occurs? What is normal?

(Photo of my current boar)

 

[Swissgreys]

Welcome to the Forum.
You will get loads of good advice here.
I would start by reading this thread;

Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

And then re-read it!
You need to be careful to introduce them in totally neutral territory, and then if it goes well (which hopefully it will) return them to a fully cleaned out and neutral cage.
I think it is easy to underestimate the importance of doing everything perfectly during bonding, but by investing time at this crucial stage you give everyone the best chance of success.
Good luck and please let us know how it goes - your current boy is beautiful. I hope he likes his new friend.

 

[The3LittlePigs]

Oh, he's so cute. I don't have any helpful advice (I think Swissgreys has sorted that!) but I thought i'd say that your boy looks JUST like my new boy!

 

[Flamestriker]

I don't know what bonding boars is like, but I am three or four days in to my girls bonding, and all I can say is...nerves of steel.

It always looks worse to us than what it really is, and I would not interfere unless there is a fight and blood is drawn.

I was watching my girls in the pen, oven mitt in one hand and brush in the other...and a neighbour walked passed the front window and gave me a funny look

 

[Ms.Piggy]

I don't know what bonding boars is like, but I am three or four days in to my girls bonding, and all I can say is...nerves of steel.

It always looks worse to us than what it really is, and I would not interfere unless there is a fight and blood is drawn.

I was watching my girls in the pen, oven mitt in one hand and brush in the other...and a neighbour walked passed the front window and gave me a funny look

I am currently doing the same thing, but it's my husband staring at me lol. I have two young boars that had a great 'neatral territory' experience (one hour). One seems dominant and the other submissive. Do I now return them to separate cages? Or should I let them spend the night in the same cage? On Monday when I head to work (day 3) should I separate them while I am gone? Thank you soooo much for the help!

 

[Mother Hubbard]

@Ms.Piggy
Once bonded then keep them together, ensuring that their bonded cage has been thoroughly cleaned to remove individual scents. I prefer to monitor them whilst in their new home for a while longer. Again, making sure they don't have any spaces whereby one feels they can't escape, cardboard box with 2 holes cut in either end work great too. Food obviously is a great distraction for them too.

Good luck.

 

[Wiebke]

Tomorrow, I'm adopting a baby boar. I don't know how to introduce my older boar to him when I get him. I'm planning on introducing them during floor time. Does my older boar go on the floor first or the younger? Do I have to mop the floor (With hot water of course)? What does positive behavior look like? What do I do if fighting occurs? What is normal?

(Photo of my current boar)

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Hi!

When you introduce piggies on neutral ground (i.e. a place that is not usually part of their territory), it doesn't matter too much who arrives first. I prefer to split the introduction pen, so the piggies can settle down and interact through the bars first; if necessary overnight if they are very skittish or fear-aggressive before I remove the divider on a day I have reserved all the time to watch the bonding.

Babies are very rarely the subject of fighting from a boar if you follow our guidelines; that usually happens only if you plonk a baby directly into a boar's too small cage and he feels invaded. Most often, babies can end up as the subject of a bit too much enthusiastic humping from an overjoyed boar. That is why we recommend to have a little refuge with two opposite baby-sized doors that the older boar cannot get into, but no other furniture in the bonding area and the cage until you are sure that they get on. Not all boars and babies click; as social as guinea pigs are, they also have very distinct ideas as to who they get on with!

Please take the time to read our bonding and behaviour guides at the top of this section. The biggest issue for first time bonders is to refrain from interfering. Babies are usually very vocal and dramatic; it is easy to mistake submission squeaking and dominance behaviour for pain and bullying. If you wish, you can divert them by adding a bit more hay to the bonding area, but otherwise, stay off and just observe.

Once you have committed, you have to sit through the whole bonding. It is NOT a start and stop process. Guinea pigs have an instinctive manual to work out a hierarchy and constitute a group; the dominance phase it absolutely vital, but never nice to watch for us humans.