In need of urgent advise after a night of terror :(

[AnnaB]

Hi guys.*
What a night I've had...
For people who don't know me. I'm Anna. And I have two twenty week old boys.*
I have had to separate them before as I was worrying about one being bullied and under eating.*
But they seemed to be looking for each other and squeaking so I didn't put them back together an they been fine since. For two weeks that is...
Last night all evening they been trying to establish the dominance but nothing out of order. They are in indoor cage in my room (am renting a room in a house so only place they can be)*

Last night about 2am I could hear them going crazy. One was chasing the other one real bad. He wouldn't leave him alone. There was teeth chattering, chirping. And my sure of they bit watch other , it was 2am.*
And they kept going at it. I thought I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and let them work it out...*
At 4.30 I hit my limit. Considering I had work at 6 am this morning. I had to get up. Go get the spare cage. Set it up and separate them. my poor brave boy was so chased up he didn't even move when I went to pick him up. He was scared and stressed. And I hate myself that I let him to be put thought that.
They went quiet right away in their separate cages. *

Now do you think it's time for me to separate them? It kills me to watch them *

*they aren't always bad but I don't want to stresses them out if they not going to work as a pair *

Please advise *

 

[CandyFloss]

OMG - that sounds awful.
Sorry I have no boar experience at all but just wanted to wish you and the boys well and hope you can find a solution for them (together or apart)
Good luck
x

 

[tylerina]

Don't have any advice - so sorry but I know how scary it is as I went through it with my 2 older boars Patchy and Scruff about a year ago.

They had a huge falling out resulting in fighting and blood being drawn. I separated them as I couldn't stand the stress and Scruff was soooo much happier immediately. Over the next couple of weeks, he was much more settled and started to eat more and more till he was a good weight. I hadn't realised how little he was eating due to stress...

I have half heartedly tried to get them back together a few times but it just hasn'ty happened and tbh they are both happier and calmer being in separate cages but next to each other so they can still see and smell the other.

They can't even go in the garden pen together withought hackles being raised, teeth chattering and lunging at each other...so I gave in lol!

Funnily enough though - both Patchy and Scruff get along famously with my other 3 boars and can play nicely on the floor and in the garden with them - just not with each other!

Hopefully someone with more experience will be along to help you with this, my dear. in fact, I think there is a thread here on the forum somewhere about this - will see if I can find it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[paulag]

Personally I would separate them. Although my opinion is coloured by having two boars seriously injure each other some years back. Those two were neutered and given a girlfriend each, but it does require space for two cages.

Paula

 

[LittleEskimo]

I remember having the same with my 2 boars. They both went through their 'teenage years' at the same time. I remember hearing them chasing eachother like made and chattering and hair raised up. I ended up seperating them. One in the bath tub and one in the cage. I decided it might be best to get a new cage. I found one on sale and bought it. At the time I didn't realise that the new cage still wasn't considered big enough (this is before I knew about minimal sizes needed) And although they got on better they still had their scuffles if one was feeling a bit moody and they never seemed to sort their dominance issues out. I would say, if it isn't big enough already, try a bigger cage. If that doesn't work you may just have to have them living next to eahother but can't hurt eachother. Good luck

 

[TamaraMaria]

I had two boars, brothers, that were fighting at the same age as your boars. They also were fighting for dominance, first by chattering, but at a certain moment, just before I wanted to go to my work, they really started to fight, so I had to separate them. They could see and smell each other, but could not fight anymore:

But after half a year, the fighting diminished. First, they could sit peacefully on my lap.

Later on it was peace in the run in the garden. And after some more time they could share there cage without fighting.

This seems to be an exception, but during the time they were in separate cages, they were absolutely not unhappy as long as they could see each other. So even when you have to split them up, it is not the end of the world for them.

 

[gogoguineas]

It sounds like they might both benefit from some time out if they're both very hormonal. It might be worth trying them in seperate cages sige by side so they can learn that neither is a threat and they can rumble away without any harm being done. If this behaviour is sporadic, and not all the while at all, I would keep them together and let them work through it. One of my pairs have days where all flinn does is waddle round in circles because winston is trying to hump him But it will pass, you just need to have faith and commit to the situation. If the behaviour is sporadic and you seperate, then each time you put them back they have to re establish who's boss all over again (cos that's just what boars do) and it can make it worse, so you need to trust your instinct as to whether its hormones (which it sounds like it is) and they just need some time out, or whether it's more and they're a danger to each other. I peronsally never seperate unless there is blood shed, whilst all the chasing and even nipping can look worrying, it IS normal for them so try not worry unless they harm each other. Often they come through it. Good luck

 

[AnnaB]

I had two boars, brothers, that were fighting at the same age as your boars. They also were fighting for dominance, first by chattering, but at a certain moment, just before I wanted to go to my work, they really started to fight, so I had to separate them. They could see and smell each other, but could not fight anymore:

But after half a year, the fighting diminished. First, they could sit peacefully on my lap.

Later on it was peace in the run in the garden. And after some more time they could share there cage without fighting.

This seems to be an exception, but during the time they were in separate cages, they were absolutely not unhappy as long as they could see each other. So even when you have to split them up, it is not the end of the world for them.

Thank you so much for sharing the photos, I am glad everything worked out for your two boys

If only I had enough room for two cages x

 

[AnnaB]

It sounds like they might both benefit from some time out if they're both very hormonal. It might be worth trying them in seperate cages sige by side so they can learn that neither is a threat and they can rumble away without any harm being done. If this behaviour is sporadic, and not all the while at all, I would keep them together and let them work through it. One of my pairs have days where all flinn does is waddle round in circles because winston is trying to hump him But it will pass, you just need to have faith and commit to the situation. If the behaviour is sporadic and you seperate, then each time you put them back they have to re establish who's boss all over again (cos that's just what boars do) and it can make it worse, so you need to trust your instinct as to whether its hormones (which it sounds like it is) and they just need some time out, or whether it's more and they're a danger to each other. I peronsally never seperate unless there is blood shed, whilst all the chasing and even nipping can look worrying, it IS normal for them so try not worry unless they harm each other. Often they come through it. Good luck

thank you for your advise, I do understand this sort of behaviour is normal and believe me i did try and wait it out. they were at it for several hours non stop, and one of the boys was so stressed, he was running away and slamming himself against the cage side, he was petrified when i went to pick him up, he was shaking in the corner. I actually cried seeing him like that.

 

[AnnaB]

I remember having the same with my 2 boars. They both went through their 'teenage years' at the same time. I remember hearing them chasing eachother like made and chattering and hair raised up. I ended up seperating them. One in the bath tub and one in the cage. I decided it might be best to get a new cage. I found one on sale and bought it. At the time I didn't realise that the new cage still wasn't considered big enough (this is before I knew about minimal sizes needed) And although they got on better they still had their scuffles if one was feeling a bit moody and they never seemed to sort their dominance issues out. I would say, if it isn't big enough already, try a bigger cage. If that doesn't work you may just have to have them living next to eahother but can't hurt eachother. Good luck

Thank you for your story and advise.
they live in a ferplast 140. which is pretty big cage, larger than minimal recommended.
unfortunately my room is not big enough for two permanent cages, so i dont know what to do x

 

[AnnaB]

Thank you all for the advise.
This been a very stressful day for me

I think boys been quieter apart and happier to be honest.

Would neutering them both change anything? or would they better off with being neutered and given a female friend instead?

this is so difficult but i want to do what best for the actual piggies.

Its not only the behaviour that worries me but also drastic weight difference in them, considering they are same age from same litter

 

[gogoguineas]

No not really, quite unlikely to make any difference. Could you keep one cage on top of the other? And try what the other person did in future until they're less hormonal maybe?

 

[LittleEskimo]

Is it possible to add space on to the cage so that it can be halved while still letting them get enough space? So not a whole second cage but just expanding the current one and then halving it