Is this the end of a friendship?

[Niki]

Here's the update on the H's - They were in the "drying off" hutch all last night. Huxley was chattering at Hamish at every opportunity, which meant Hamish stayed in one corner, Huxley in the other as far away from each other as possible. There was no fighting and Hamish did eat. Today i put them back into a nice clean hutch but with a mesh divider in between, Hamish went into his half first & seemed happy until i put Huxley into his half, Hamish copped for him and dived for cover into his pigloo (not realising there was mesh between them).
He came out later (to eat his veg) but when i looked in on them again they both seemed really sad, both hidden away in their pigloos. I thought i'd made a mistake separating them so i re-introduced them (they'd been "apart" approx 4-5 hours by this time).
They head nudged each other first, Hamish opened his mouth really wide & then they started chasing each other round with teeth chattering, rather than a full blown fight start i went to separate them and i got chattered at, in the end i had to scoop Huxley up in a pigloo to return him back to his half of the hutch. Now i don't know if i've done the right thing.
Do you think their friendship is over or do you think i should try again and let them sort it out or should i leave them as they are? Will they be happy on their own?
They can see each other and they can hear the other piggies, what would you do if you were me?

 

[starshine]

I would keep them apart Niki - it sounds like they have decided they like the single life! It is not fair on Hamish to feel picked on all the time!

You have done so well to notice the change in their relationship - big pat on the back for you.

 

[Niki]

I would keep them apart Niki - it sounds like they have decided they like the single life! It is not fair on Hamish to feel picked on all the time!

You have done so well to notice the change in their relationship - big pat on the back for you.

Thanks Kate, that makes me ;D after my recent piggie probs! and you're right it isn't fair on Hamish, he did seem "inhibited" somehow. Thinking back i now wonder if that was the reason he was always on the bottom floor when they had their 2 storey hutch :-\
I have mixed feelings on this, happy that Hamish can now be who he wants to be and sad that they've "fallen out."
Is it normal for this to happen? they've been together since babies, Huxley was approx 8-9 wks, Hamish 6wks & Hamish happily accepted his role as "under-pig."
Lately Huxley's become grumpy - he chatters his teeth at me whenever i go in his hutch, i'm hoping it's because of the change again or maybe it's the male menopause! ;D ;D ;D

Update: Hamish is sooo happy, after feeding them all dandy leaves, he was popcorning all over, bless

 

[starshine]

I bet Hamish is feeling a whole lot happier now!

I think a lot of boars are just happier on their own. I know some people try and keep their pigs together at all costs but my honest opinion is that sometimes it just isn't the right thing to do.

I have 10 pigs of my own now - one pair of neutered male/sow, one single sow who lives in a divided cage with one of my boars, and all the rest are single boars. They are the happiest, friendliest, cheekiest pigs you could ever wish to meet so I refuse to try and pair them up. They can all see and hear each other and spend many a happy hour wheeking at each other and winding each other up. The racket is unbelievable but I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[Niki]

Happy news on the H front. Yesterday they had a sniff thru the mesh at each other & not a chatter to be heard. Today i could swear they were kissing, well they were nose to nose for about a minute, hurrahthey're friends again ;D ;D

 

[kellyandpiggies]

awww

 

[kayjay]

Sounds like they just need their own space, glad they're happier

Kathryn xx

 

[Barmy4boars]

Aw sad to hear this Nikki. I do wonder if your Hs had a mega problem with new territory because obviously the drying off hutch is not the usual cage, plus after baths they might smell different. After the 4/5 hours apart did you intro them slowly? If no blood was drawn there is a possibility you could reintroduce them at some point and it could still work.... you know your pigs best of all. Was it a bullying situation or just regular sorting out the heirachy that went a bit far?

 

[Niki]

Aw sad to hear this Nikki. I do wonder if your Hs had a mega problem with new territory because obviously the drying off hutch is not the usual cage, plus after baths they might smell different. After the 4/5 hours apart did you intro them slowly? If no blood was drawn there is a possibility you could reintroduce them at some point and it could still work.... you know your pigs best of all. Was it a bullying situation or just regular sorting out the heirachy that went a bit far?

Hi Susie,

They weren't apart apart, there was only the mesh between them and No, No blood was drawn just lots of nudging, chasing & almighty chattering from both of them. I went to separate them & i got chattered at, the only way to stop them going too far was to scoop Huxley up in a pigloo.
I did have hopes of them being friends again, but when they were in their big hutch Huxley was definitely intimidating Hamish, the poor man daren't come out of a pigloo to eat. Or he'd leave one and dive for cover in another while Huxley seemed to delight in swaggering from one end of the hutch to the other.I swear i could fair see him laughing to himself.
I have also since wondered, when they were in 2 storey hutches, if that was why Hamish was always on the bottom, huddled in a corner.
In the drying off hutch they just stayed in different corners, that was more bickering/bullying. Hamish obviously hasn't been starved, he's the biggest of them all.
They both seemed sad at first & i have never seen ANY of them popcorn before until i made their hutches 10ft they were all at it. Hamish does it now in "his half" & does seem a lot more contented in himself. I feed them their veg up against the mesh so they can see/smell each other.
Of course my dearest wish would be to have them properly together again but i don't know if it's worth it and I'm a chicken, i don't want to wait for a ripped ear, at the first sign of unreasonable behaviour i panic

 

[Barmy4boars]

Sounds like your set up at the moment is good anyway, if they can still interact and both are happy possibly happier even single then it sounds like the right decision to me anyway Boys!!