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Merab's Slave

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I have a new little boar who I plan to bond with my 3 sows after he’s been neutered.
From what I have read in the bonding guides I can put his cage next to the girls to allow them contact until he’s safe.
Is that ok?
I don’t want to stress him out.
He’d been labelled as a pig who was always bullied and so couldn’t be bonded.
At present he’s in the same room as the girls but after we move there will be space to put his cage next to them.
I’m told he’s about 12 weeks old and I’m sure he’s desperate for companionship- he’s certainly livelier since moving into the piggy room.
I just want to get this right for him and my happily bonded trio of sows
 
Its sensible to do a 2-week quarantine in another room or opposite side of the room (or at least until after his vet check, but ideally 2 weeks in case he has the dreaded ringworm or mites or a URI that flares up with the stress of being rehomed!) But then meeting his ladies through the bars will be very helpful for the bonding.
When we introduced Theo he had been the boy next door to Piggle and Puggle for 10 whole weeks, and when suddenly there wasnt a partition in the playpen anymore they didnt react at all- total anticlimax- it was like, "Hi Theo, see you got rid of your fence now! Want to share some hay?"
Jezzy and Clover were much more spooked as they hadnt known him very long as a neighbour (plus neither of them really like boys in the way many ladies do, so they didnt really see the point of him) though he quickly became an accepted "annoying little brother"!
I think Micah's youthfulness may work in his favour, as long as he's willing to be reasonably submissive to the girls, which he probably will be if he's been bullied in the past :)
Its always a balance between strict quarantine hygiene controls vs making a lonely single piggy happy!
 
Thanks.
That fits with what I thought.
The timing should work out well in that he’s in the same room but not next to the girls for the next month until they come to visit you.
Hopefully we will have been able to get him neutered.
When we move he can do what Theo did and live next door until it’s safe to remove barriers.

The reassurance is appreciated
 
You can start the introductions at a distance straight away by putting a handful of the girls' poops and some well used hay or bedding they've peed and sat in, in his cage- that will be plenty of entertainment for a saturday evening and give him lots of sensory enrichment and pheromone clues about his exciting future ladies!
 
I have a new little boar who I plan to bond with my 3 sows after he’s been neutered.
From what I have read in the bonding guides I can put his cage next to the girls to allow them contact until he’s safe.
Is that ok?
I don’t want to stress him out.
He’d been labelled as a pig who was always bullied and so couldn’t be bonded.
At present he’s in the same room as the girls but after we move there will be space to put his cage next to them.
I’m told he’s about 12 weeks old and I’m sure he’s desperate for companionship- he’s certainly livelier since moving into the piggy room.
I just want to get this right for him and my happily bonded trio of sows

Hi!

If your boy is not quarantined, please do this first.
After that, he can be moved next to the sows for company, as long as he cannot in any way get into the sow cage. The initial excitement will die down after 2-3 days and only flare up during strong seasons (which you may experience in the presence of boar pheromones).

Next door companionship generally enhances acceptances chances as the piggies have had time to interact and to get to know and become comfortable with each other. It also means that your little boy has got vital company throughout his 6 weeks post neutering recovery.
 
Hi!

If your boy is not quarantined, please do this first.
After that, he can be moved next to the sows for company, as long as he cannot in any way get into the sow cage. The initial excitement will die down after 2-3 days and only flare up during strong seasons (which you may experience in the presence of boar pheromones).

Next door companionship generally enhances acceptances chances as the piggies have had time to interact and to get to know and become comfortable with each other. It also means that your little boy has got vital company throughout his 6 weeks post neutering recovery.
Thanks
He is quarantined at present and it’s good to know that as soon as I possibly can put the cages side by side I will without causing him too much stress.
 
Thanks
He is quarantined at present and it’s good to know that as soon as I possibly can put the cages side by side I will without causing him too much stress.

He is likely going to be somewhat overexcited, but it is much better to get that out of the way well before any bonding!
 
I let Cufflinks live next to his sows to be after his quarentine period. I put double c and c bars and a kind of roof on his side. The all used to take it in turns to squeeze up to the bars nearest him x

It was a wonderfully easy intro once the time came. Hope yours will be too.

Here is the lucky boar

4js0b5.jpg
 
He’s living in a cage at present and given your advice he may have to stay in the cage until it’s safe.
I have 2 spayed sows but Priscilla isn’t so won’t risk any direct contact.

He’s certainly very vocal, especially when Jemimah starts up.
Pics for you @Swissgreys . He’s still settling in so won’t be out the cage until his vet check tomorrow
 

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I let Cufflinks live next to his sows to be after his quarentine period. I put double c and c bars and a kind of roof on his side. The all used to take it in turns to squeeze up to the bars nearest him x

It was a wonderfully easy intro once the time came. Hope yours will be too.

Here is the lucky boar

4js0b5.jpg
Cuff links is such a gorgeous boy. Hope my bonding goes as well.
My little Micah is desperate for company
 
Micah has passed his health check with flying colours.
No sign of any fungal, mites, ringworm it other nasties.
He’s 635g and has fully descended testicles.
Everything is in good working order.
He has bits nibbled out of his ears from when he was bullied but no other war wounds.

The vet is going to let me know about neutering as soon as she’s spoken to her colleague who has experience of neutering boars. He’s borderline in terms of age and weight.

Can I put his cage next to the girls now or would it be better to wait a bit longer?
 
Just make sure he can’t jump the bars! Boars can be very motivated when it comes to doing the deed...
Micah has passed his health check with flying colours.
No sign of any fungal, mites, ringworm it other nasties.
He’s 635g and has fully descended testicles.
Everything is in good working order.
He has bits nibbled out of his ears from when he was bullied but no other war wounds.

The vet is going to let me know about neutering as soon as she’s spoken to her colleague who has experience of neutering boars. He’s borderline in terms of age and weight.

Can I put his cage next to the girls now or would it be better to wait a bit longer?
If you’re going to, make sure he definitely doesn’t have any way to get into their cage
If it seems to distress him move his cage further away as soon as you can
 
Glad his vet check went well!
Technically the most sensible and cautious health advice is still to observe the 2 weeks quarantine as that is the usual incubation time for lurking ringworm spores etc.
But emotionally of course you want him to meet his ladies, and there are also good welfare arguments for a lonely youngster having piggy company as soon as possible.
I think we lasted 10 days with Theo in quarantine before we just had to let him meet his ladies through the bars!
Its a small risk he's harbouring anything nasty, but there is still a risk.
So up to you really! Head vs heart, infection control vs loneliness, risk-reward balance...
 
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