Male neighbours for my two older ladies?

[mothear]

I have two sows, both about 5.5 years old, who live indoors in a C&C cage in the spare room. A friend has two boars, a bonded pair, about 4 yrs old, but because of their housing situation, they can't keep their pigs anymore. I'd like to be able to give them a home but don't want it to cause stress to any of the pairs.

From what I've read, it's tricky but doable to keep them in the same room - the boys' cage would need to be higher, extra secure, and I'm guessing I'd have to be careful about hair and bedding etc.

I was wondering if anyone specifically had experience of housing older sows/boars in the same room? Not sure if it's silly to think that older sows might be producing less pheremone...

 

[Wiebke]

I have two sows, both about 5.5 years old, who live indoors in a C&C cage in the spare room. A friend has two boars, a bonded pair, about 4 yrs old, but because of their housing situation, they can't keep their pigs anymore. I'd like to be able to give them a home but don't want it to cause stress to any of the pairs.

From what I've read, it's tricky but doable to keep them in the same room - the boys' cage would need to be higher, extra secure, and I'm guessing I'd have to be careful about hair and bedding etc.

I was wondering if anyone specifically had experience of housing older sows/boars in the same room? Not sure if it's silly to think that older sows might be producing less pheremone...

Hi

While in boars of that age the testosterone output has mostly petered out (but not their ability to make any babies), female hormone output and the ability to become pregnant never does - and that also applies to the production of seasonal pheromones which is going to 'wake up' your boars so you have to brace for some stronger initial seasons as they are still very much aware of each other.

But unless there is an underlying rift in the relationships, they should hopefully hold up.