Messy cage and blood!

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rainbowstarsx

rainbowstarsx

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I have my piggies in my bedroom, in a 2 story cage and they've been perfectly happy. They're about 5 months old and the pair I'm talking about have been together since I bought them and they were together in the store too. Oh and they're boars.

Now today when I got home from university, the cage was an absolute tip! There was sawdust ALL over my floor and the pigs looked sheepish.
When I looked them over, Damon seems to have a little bit of blood on his fur! This concerned me, so I split them up, 1 upstairs and 1 down.

Now me and my mum have just have a closer look at Damon and his skin is covered in marks! :o I feel just awful!

Why has this happened?! They've been fine and happy since the day I got them?!
I'm so upset 8... 8... 8... I really don't know what to do for the best? I'm taking him to the vets tomorrow for a quick look and make sure he is okay!
 
It sounds like your boys hormones have hit & with both being the same age it's doubled. You've done the right thing separating them & it could've been much worse than a few bites.

You could try to re-bond them but from my experience rarely do they re-bond once blood has been drawn (wounds have been inflicted).

If they won't re-bond they may share run-time together & if you can house them side by side where they can see/interact with one another but not harm one another they should be fine. :)
 
Do you think any kind of strange noise could have set them off into a frenzy?

Just thinking, when i first put mine outside and theyd never herd a car go past before they were whipping about all over the place
 
Same story for me
I got 6 week old Dylan as company for year old Tim, which worked really well and was lovely to watch, until baby Dylan hit puberty at about 5 months, got overwhelmed by testosterone and ever since hasn't let Tim anywhere near him without launching himself into the air like a big ball of fluff at an attack attempt. Poor Tim didn't know what he had done wrong.
My advice is to keep them seperated until they've grown up (being about 14 months old +) which is when their hormones should have calmed down by. They can then be introduced in a non-smelly, unknown (i.e changed around) environment, preferably after a bath themselves so they dont smell too strong, and see how it goes.
I guess there's a small chance it could have been a one-off started by something odd, but more than likely its going to be a slightly more long term issue :\
Good luck
 
Well this is a huge problem for me now then.
I haven't the space for another cage for 1 or 2 to go in to, and I'm moving into a new university house in September and it'll be hard with the 1 huge cage.

Really not sure where to go from here now then.
I put the two who had been fighting on my bed, and Stefan launched at Damon for no reason :'(
Seems I have a bigger issue on my hands than I thought.
 
Where are you exactly? Perhaps it might help if you contacted a good rescue and sorted out something with them as you are constrained on the space you can provide?
 
Wiebke said:
Where are you exactly? Perhaps it might help if you contacted a good rescue and sorted out something with them as you are constrained on the space you can provide?
Click to expand...
I'm in Southport.
Do you think that having them rehomed would be for the best?
I really don't know what to do here now, as of course I want them to be in the best care and I can't have them upset.
I took Damon to the vets yesterday, and he was given an injection of pain meds and anti-infection. I just feel awful, and keep thinking I've done something wrong?
 
Do you have 4 boars that live together?

i've been having a nose at your other threads :))

Just so we have a bigger pigture of who lives with who and what age they all are so we can give our advice?

:)p
 
Salt n Peppers mum said:
Do you have 4 boars that live together?

i've been having a nose at your other threads :))

Just so we have a bigger pigture of who lives with who and what age they all are so we can give our advice?

:)p
Click to expand...
Yes, 4 boars that live together in a two story cage.
Stefan and Damon (The two who are the problem) are about 5 coming to 6 months old. And then I have Eddie and Cookie who around about 3 months.
 
rainbowstarsx said:
Yes, 4 boars that live together in a two story cage.
Stefan and Damon (The two who are the problem) are about 5 coming to 6 months old. And then I have Eddie and Cookie who around about 3 months.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately it is very uncommon for a group of boars to live together happily although it can be done. It is usually best to have a boar to boar pairing or a sow to boar pairing or a single boar living with a group of girls.

Please do not blame yourself for what has happened xx
 
Claire W said:
Unfortunately it is very uncommon for a group of boars to live together happily although it can be done. It is usually best to have a boar to boar pairing or a sow to boar pairing or a single boar living with a group of girls.

Please do not blame yourself for what has happened xx
Click to expand...
I'm guessing that my only option is to rehome them then?
I want to do what is best for my boys, as obviously them being unhappy is the last thing I want!
 
Yes, at the moment I have taken the ladder out of the cage, therefore 3 of them are in the bottom and 1 at the top.
I have kept Damon on his own because with him being full of scratches I thought he'd enjoy the peace and quiet.

I do take the ladder out at night, as Stefan (the bully!) likes to run up and down and annoy the others.
Just trying to think of a good solution, obviously having Stefan and Damon anywhere near each other is a big no! So that makes floor time hard.
I don't want to make my life hard, and the guineas unhappy.
More than likely, if rehome had to be done, I think I'd keep Damon and let go of the other 3. I'm too attached to him already and it'll be even more heartbreaking than it already is to see him go!
 
The problem is that you have virtually no chance of making it to adulthood with all four boars hitting the big hormones over the next months. The very few successful quartets that I know of have all been mixes with at least part or completely adult boars and they are from people who have quite a few boars anyway so they can switch around and take any boars out that do not work out. Or you have to have about 1 square metre per boar to be in with a chance! mallethead

If you can't provide any spare accommodation, it may be best to rehome Damon so that he can be rebonded with a new little friend and find a new good home checked home. I know how hard and heartbreaking this will be for you! Anybody can end up in a situation where they are forced to give up piggies because they love them and want the best for them. I had to rehome my surprise babies when they were born at the most awkward of times, so I know personally how it feels.

Here is a list of rescues in your area. Sadly, we have lost a couple of good rescues in your neck of the woods run by forum members who had to close for personal reasons. Kidsgroviemad in Stoke-on-Trent is currently the closest "forum" rescue to you.
http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/centres.asp#Lancashire
http://www.kidsgrove.info/main/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=36051
 
BUT if I was to rehome Damon, and keep the other 3, what would happen if Stefan turned against them or one of the others turned and they fought? I'd be down to 2 and 1 on his own anyway?
My young 2 who are with Stefan at the moment are about 3 months old, so they are getting close to the 'hormone' stage?
 
woah 4 young boars in the one cage? You are lucky you made it this far with only minor injuries! I think the best bet would be to keep the two who are bonded the best and then put the other two up for rehoming if you can't get the space for another cage. And even then you have to be prepared for the other pair falling out :(
 
There are sadly no guarantees for boars during the hormonal months. You have provided your boys with a lovely big cage and plenty of room.

It would be best if you spoke to a rescue about your options and tried to find a solution that would help you and your boys.
 
I've split the cage up, and have 2 of them in each bit and they seem happy.
Just cage cleaning that is going to be difficult!
Thanks for everyone's help!
 
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