Neutered boar & sow

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Pigs2024

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What is normal amount of rumbling and sitting together in a neutered boar and sow pair?

My boar rumbles a lot and the sow just tells him to go away. They don't lie together or spend much time. The sow is more in charge and he does back off. But he does seem to irritate her. Is that just how a boar and sow relationship works?

I thought they may lie together. Or is it in the early few weeks they rumble more?

I know rumbling with boars is normal but thought they may sometimes enjoy company. While currently my sow just tells him off.
 
What you are seeing is totally normal. They sound to have a very good relationship. Often the sow is in charge, rumbling is a mild dominance behaviour or the boar showing off and it will continue lifelong.

It is also a bit of a myth that they will cuddle up together - most bonded pairs of any sex will never share a hide or cuddle together. Most prefer to rest on their own but it is absolutely no reflection on the stability of their bond
 
Pigs2024 said:
What is normal amount of rumbling and sitting together in a neutered boar and sow pair?

My boar rumbles a lot and the sow just tells him to go away. They don't lie together or spend much time. The sow is more in charge and he does back off. But he does seem to irritate her. Is that just how a boar and sow relationship works?

I thought they may lie together. Or is it in the early few weeks they rumble more?

I know rumbling with boars is normal but thought they may sometimes enjoy company. While currently my sow just tells him off.
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Hi

That is normal behaviour for a mixed gender pair with a dominant sow. Outside of season, sows are generally not very interested in boars. The rumbling in this context is display. In the guinea pig world it is the sows who call the shots in terms of mating when they are ready at the end of their season and any boar needs to be accepted by the sows, not the other way round.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

That is normal behaviour for a mixed gender pair with a dominant sow. Outside of season, sows are generally not very interested in boars. The rumbling in this context is display. In the guinea pig world it is the sows who call the shots in terms of mating when they are ready at the end of their season and any boar needs to be accepted by the sows, not the other way round.
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Thank you. So sows are perfectly happy in that relationship?
My boar seems very happy. While my sow seems irritated 🤣
 
Pigs2024 said:
Thank you. So sows are perfectly happy in that relationship?
My boar seems very happy. While my sow seems irritated 🤣
Click to expand...

Having a girl to practice your wiles on is a boar's dreams come true...

But heart to heart: would you want to spend your whole day, every day watching grown boys peacocking around and getting in your way when you have to keep the piggy world to running? :D

Wiebke

Thread 'The Herd, the Group and I: Investigating Guinea Pig Identity and Society'

Introduction
1 A Look at Social Identity
- Identity and Self-awareness
- Herd and Group: Juggling social identities
2 Herd Behaviours
- On the move
- Shared herd feeding
3 The Group and I
- Group identity vs. individual identity
- Group establishment and affirmation
- Use of the denning...
 
Sorry to join the conversation late, but this is exactly what my pair are like too. Bobby (boar) is super chatty and active, and it feels sometimes like he's constantly mithering Gloria (sow). She is quite quick to tell him to clear off...but if he disappears for too long she goes looking for him, so she likes having him around really! Even when they've had a little grumble at each other, there's always plenty of popcorning, so I think they're quite happy together ❤️
 
Wiebke said:
Having a girl to practice your wiles on is a boar's dreams come true...

But heart to heart: would you want to spend your whole day, every day watching grown boys peacocking around and getting in your way when you have to keep the piggy world to running? :D

Wiebke

Thread 'The Herd, the Group and I: Investigating Guinea Pig Identity and Society'

Introduction
1 A Look at Social Identity
- Identity and Self-awareness
- Herd and Group: Juggling social identities
2 Herd Behaviours
- On the move
- Shared herd feeding
3 The Group and I
- Group identity vs. individual identity
- Group establishment and affirmation
- Use of the denning...
Click to expand...
I'm not convinced they are happy. My sow rumbles a lot and tells him to back off a lot. He rumbles at her a lot. She has been spayed so it's not even hormonal.
I was expecting them to like lay together. But he can't seem to manage going near her without rumbling. I just don't know if it's too stressful for them or not.
 
FrenchFan said:
Sorry to join the conversation late, but this is exactly what my pair are like too. Bobby (boar) is super chatty and active, and it feels sometimes like he's constantly mithering Gloria (sow). She is quite quick to tell him to clear off...but if he disappears for too long she goes looking for him, so she likes having him around really! Even when they've had a little grumble at each other, there's always plenty of popcorning, so I think they're quite happy together ❤️
Click to expand...
Mine aren't popcorning or zooming. He did to begin with but that has stopped. They just seem irritated with each other.
 
Pigs2024 said:
I'm not convinced they are happy. My son rumbles a lot and tells him to back off a lot. He rumbles at her a lot. She has been spayed so it's not even hormonal.
I was expecting them to like lay together. But he can't seem to manage going near her without rumbling. I just don't know if it's too stressful for them or not.
Click to expand...

Rumbling is a normal, manly behaviour! It’s a dominance and showing off thing. She is standing her ground with him which is absolutely fine.

It is incredibly normal for them to never lay together - most pairs will never lay together or share a hide but it does not mean there is an issue in their bond.
A lot of the myth that they lay together all the time comes down social media - it’s shown for entertainment but it’s not the realities of piggy keeping.

My pairs have only ever been in the same hide by accident! If something startled them and they both ran to the same one. They are never in the same hide by choice and they never lay next to each other.

Unless there is fighting, bullying (ie never being allowed to rest, depression, losing weight through not eating enough), then their bond actually sounds rather normal!

Regarding the popcorning and zooming - How old are your piggies?
 
Piggies&buns said:
Rumbling is a normal, manly behaviour! It’s a dominance and showing off thing. She is standing her ground with him which is absolutely fine.

It is incredibly normal for them to never lay together - most pairs will never lay together or share a hide but it does not mean there is an issue in their bond.
A lot of the myth that they lay together all the time comes down social media - it’s shown for entertainment but it’s not the realities of piggy keeping.

My pairs have only ever been in the same hide by accident! If something startled them and they both ran to the same one. They are never in the same hide by choice and they never lay next to each other.

Unless there is fighting, bullying (ie never being allowed to rest, depression, losing weight through not eating enough), then their bond actually sounds rather normal!

Regarding the popcorning and zooming - How old are your piggies?
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Thank you. They are 1 & 5. But even the 5 year old was zooming until they were bonded.

They teeth chatter at each other too and a lot of squeaking like bickering. Is that normal too? They go up to each others faces and chatter.

They allow each other both to sleep and eat. My boar leaves her alone when she's asleep.
 
Bill & Ted said:
Kiki is the boss! She is always telling Hector off for strutting his stuff 😆 and Hector takes it all in his stride. They make me laugh so much, just normal married life for them
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Thank you. Do they teeth chatter at each other in their faces too? I was worried they were stressing each other out. Don't want health issues from stress.
 
Pigs2024 said:
Thank you. Do they teeth chatter at each other in their faces too? I was worried they were stressing each other out. Don't want health issues from stress.
Click to expand...
they do very occasionally, it’s usually when Hector tries to get into her bed, but on the whole they are fine
 
Bill & Ted said:
they do very occasionally, it’s usually when Hector tries to get into her bed, but on the whole they are fine
Click to expand...
Mine do it quite a lot. But not always sure what they are arguing about. They do it with their chins up so I wonder if it's a still sorting dominance thing.
 
Pigs2024 said:
Mine do it quite a lot. But not always sure what they are arguing about. They do it with their chins up so I wonder if it's a still sorting dominance thing.
Click to expand...
Yes, probably, scatter all the food and give plenty of hay in piles in the cage floor. Two beds with two exits so no piggie is cornered and trapped
 
Bill & Ted said:
Yes, probably, scatter all the food and give plenty of hay in piles in the cage floor. Two beds with two exits so no piggie is cornered and trapped
Click to expand...
All my beds have two exits or more. And I have hay all over the cage. So they can keep separate.
 
Pigs2024 said:
Mine do it quite a lot. But not always sure what they are arguing about. They do it with their chins up so I wonder if it's a still sorting dominance thing.
Click to expand...


See chinning in this guide.
If they’ve been together for longer than two weeks then it’s not necessarily that they are still sorting dominance, it’ll be more likely to be maintaining and reinforcing their hierarchy and relationship.

Wiebke

Thread 'A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours'

1 Introduction
2 Entries in alphabetical order
A
- Attention seeking and begging
B
- Back foot swipe
- Barbering (eating hair)
- Bar biting and rattling
- Begging: see Attention seeking
- 'Biting' Behaviours: Biting, Nibbling, Nipping, Tweaking
- Body language
- Border watch/lie-in
- Bullying
- Bum digging: see Poo stealing
-...
  • Like
 
Piggies&buns said:
See chinning in this guide.
If they’ve been together for longer than two weeks then it’s not necessarily that they are still sorting dominance, it’ll be more likely to be maintaining and reinforcing their hierarchy and relationship.

Wiebke

Thread 'A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours'

1 Introduction
2 Entries in alphabetical order
A
- Attention seeking and begging
B
- Back foot swipe
- Barbering (eating hair)
- Bar biting and rattling
- Begging: see Attention seeking
- 'Biting' Behaviours: Biting, Nibbling, Nipping, Tweaking
- Body language
- Border watch/lie-in
- Bullying
- Bum digging: see Poo stealing
-...
  • Like
Click to expand...
Thank you. Yes they've been together more than 2 weeks. I've had previous pigs that would chin but not had the teeth chattering af the same time. It sounds angry to me as a human.

I like this guide it's useful.
 
If you are genuinely worried that their bond is not functioning and they are really unhappy, then all you can do is carry out a separation for a few days. After those few days then carry out a neutral territory reintroduction and see if they go back together.
You have to be sure you have grounds to doubt their stability though because separating a well bonded pair will cause them stress.

Wiebke

Thread 'Bonds In Trouble'

1 Causes for bonds to fall apart
2 Bonds in Crisis
- What are the signs of a dysfunctional bond?
- Bullying
- How can I test whether a bond is no longer working?
3 Failed bonds and what next?
- What to do if my piggies have had a major fight?
- When rebonding doesn't work out


1 Causes for bonds to fall apart

Every fall-out has of course its own...
  • Like
 
Piggies&buns said:
If you are genuinely worried that their bond is not functioning and they are really unhappy, then all you can do is carry out a separation for a few days. After those few days then carry out a neutral territory reintroduction and see if they go back together.
You have to be sure you have grounds to doubt their stability though because separating a well bonded pair will cause them stress.

Wiebke

Thread 'Bonds In Trouble'

1 Causes for bonds to fall apart
2 Bonds in Crisis
- What are the signs of a dysfunctional bond?
- Bullying
- How can I test whether a bond is no longer working?
3 Failed bonds and what next?
- What to do if my piggies have had a major fight?
- When rebonding doesn't work out


1 Causes for bonds to fall apart

Every fall-out has of course its own...
  • Like
Click to expand...
Thank you. I think I will give them a bit more time as it was worse when they were first together.
 
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