One piggy left out in trio

[Grabbipig]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if I could have some advice please?

I had a trio of piggies Sandy, Bertha and Martha (Sandy neutered boar, B & M sows). This worked well with Sandy being the dominant piggy, Bertha 2nd and Martha bottom. Unfortunately we lost Sandy to pneumonia last year, so eventually I introduced another neutered boar, Coco, to Bertha and Martha.

It has been a couple of months now and I am a bit worried because Bertha is now at the bottom of the trio and Coco and Martha spend a lot of their time together, but B seems to be left out and I have noticed she has lost some weight. She shrieks at the other two a lot and I don't think I see her out of the house as much as I did before. She is eating and drinking etc. and when she is out of the cage with me she seems happy and spontaneously wheeks while she runs up and down the sofa.

My question is: should I introduce a fourth piggy to the trio to balance things out or could this make things worse? Or, should I separate B completely and get her a friend of her own?

Thanks in advance

 

[Toffee321]

This happened with my 3 and I bathed them together so they all smell the same. This worked and now the live happily together, although there is always going to be dominance. Good luck!

 

[Nassala]

I would be tempted to try introducing a new piggie as part of the herd and having the option to separate two as a back up. Either way you are getting a new piggie as a friend for Bertha. That said, I've always had boars and am new to sows so maybe a quick read of the bonding section might have some useful info, or someone with more experience might be able to give you advice regarding possible dynamics.

 

[Merab]

Have you read through the Behaviour and Bonding threads?
There may be something there to help you.
As I only have sows I’m not the best person to advise.
Both @Toffee321 and @Nassala have offered good tips.
There will be others who have experience of boars and sows who may offer other tips too.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if I could have some advice please?

I had a trio of piggies Sandy, Bertha and Martha (Sandy neutered boar, B & M sows). This worked well with Sandy being the dominant piggy, Bertha 2nd and Martha bottom. Unfortunately we lost Sandy to pneumonia last year, so eventually I introduced another neutered boar, Coco, to Bertha and Martha.

It has been a couple of months now and I am a bit worried because Bertha is now at the bottom of the trio and Coco and Martha spend a lot of their time together, but B seems to be left out and I have noticed she has lost some weight. She shrieks at the other two a lot and I don't think I see her out of the house as much as I did before. She is eating and drinking etc. and when she is out of the cage with me she seems happy and spontaneously wheeks while she runs up and down the sofa.

My question is: should I introduce a fourth piggy to the trio to balance things out or could this make things worse? Or, should I separate B completely and get her a friend of her own?

Thanks in advance

Hi!

Trios are unfortunately the constellation most prone to outsider problems. When they work, they are great; but my own experience is that more fail than succeed.

Please have Bertha vet checked in case she has an underlying health issue. Switch from the regular weekly weigh-in and health check up to weighing daily and stepp in with additional syringe feeding support as soon as she has lost more than 50g/2 oz. Before you address any potential bullying/behaviour issues, you always need to exclude the health angle!
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

This guide here will tell you how you work out whether you are dealing with potential bullying issues; these can also be the result of a health problem and not just down to group dynamics going wrong. If you find that Bertha is happier away from the other two and stressed as soon as she is back with them, then please find her a gentle new friend of her own once you have eliminated the health angle.
The loud squeaking is likely submission squeaking. The trial separation method is the closest we can come to ask the piggies of their own opinion and get an indication of their own feelings.
You can find the explanation why we do no longer recommend bonding baths in the bonding guide. They are one the supposed miracle measures that have not stood the test of time.
Bonds In Trouble
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[Lady Kelly]

I can't really add to Wiebkes great advice other than to add that bonding baths are not really the recommended thing to do anymore. I had a similar situation with an outsider when I introduced a netuered boar to my two sows and ended up getting a 3rd sow. I stick to 4 now as I find they are less likely to be left out

 

[Dill&Pepper]

No help but I have a similar problem - 3 girls, leader/underpig love each other, middle pig spends her whole time winding the other 2 up and never really seems to settle. Seriously considering finding a husboar or another sow and then seeing if they’re happier as a 4 or two pairs...

 

[Grabbipig]

Thank you all, I will have her vet checked and will go from there. She's definitely happier away from the other two, so I think it is the stress, but best to make sure I think.