Please can someone read I'm worried!

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Honey15000

Honey15000

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Hi! Desperate need for advice! Ive had my boys for 8 weeks, they are approximately 14 weeks. This last week-10 days things havent been quite right...norman is fine he in the last 4 weeks has come out as dominant piggy! But Kevin...has been off his hay and pellets...he has been having a few nibbles but not eating properly..however he has been eating his fresh food no problems and drinking ok he has been irritable and they have had a few scuffles but nothing major. I have been weighing them weekly since i got them and they have both been putting on 30-50g a week however last week kev stayed the same and norm put on 60g. On Wednesday kev perked up and appears to be making up for lost time and is really eating well, i weighed him today and he has put on 10g since thursday! However today while i was at work hubby put them back in the cage after they had been in the run all day and they bickered and humped each other and generally were pestering each other, they they had a proper fight...no blood drawn thank fully...but hubby has separated them norm is in the cage and kev is in the run for the night until we can get a new cage! I feel awful, when i came in norm was very happy popcorning wheeking and greeted me....kev on the other hand looks so sad...he didnt come and greet me ( i told him it was hubby and not me but that didnt make a difference!) i think I'm just looking for advice and reassurance I'm doing the right thing? X
 
Have they got food and hay each so they don't have to share?

They're getting into the hormonal teen stage so it could just be Norman's dominance behaviour that's putting Kevin off eating, keep an eye on Kev's weight especially and if he's not eating or losing weight get him checked out by a vet.

It would be worth reading through the stickied threads on boar behaviour in this section of the forum - http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?21-Behaviour
 
Yes he has been eating hay and pellets and fresh food since wednesday now! It was a week where he wasnt but i think he stayed the same weight and didnt lose because he was eating his fresh! I feed them fresh by hand so i can bond with them i think that was another reason he was eating his fresh...but everything since wednesday has been normal...they have been fine together kev has been eating everything...just this evening a big fight!
 
I am no good with boars, sorry cant help. I had 2 years and years ago and they were fine. My 2 girls had a bicker a week or 2 ago but they are all lovey dovey now. I find mine are better when they have things to play with.
 
How big is the cage? You need a min of 120 cm anyway, and for boars, it is better to have 140+. Plus you need two of everything - hideys, water bottles, food sources etc. Check out the stickies too.
 
They have had two of everything for about 4 weeks now.....it hasnt made the slightest difference....they still bicker overone item! Hubby is going to get another cage in a minute...we tried putting them together this morning...they are doing the behaviours in the irritated and serious sections of the link above! So to stop it escalating hubby is going to get another cage!
 
I have two pairs of boars, who are both around the same age. Ours are about 20 weeks old, and they have the odd fall outs and mounting, but nothing serious.

Boars tend to need a lot more space than we think - especially during their hormonal period. I'm not sure whether you got your piggies from a breeder or pet shop, but unfortunately they tend to just lump them together in a big cage and then distribute them as the customer picks out the piggies, and it's not based on whether the piggies have a good relationship or not. Sadly, some boars do not get on - especially if they are the same age. We have (so far) been quite lucky with ours that they seem to have no problems in their pairs but we are aware that could change.

If you are thinking of separating them, please know that piggies like to have a companion and should not really be left alone, unless there are extreme circumstances such as ill health or very aggressive behaviour. Most piggies like cagemates. There are lots of threads on here about how to "boar date" - basically you can visit a particular rescue and they can give your piggie a cagemate who is suited to his personality - they will do a series of introductions and monitor the situation. There are lots of threads in the rescue subforum on this, as well as a link to your nearest piggie rescue. Sometimes young piggies really like being put with an older pig.

The only thing I would say about this is that if your two boars need to be separated and you are thinking of boar dating, please be prepared to have to look after four piggies. Obviously this will cost more in upkeep and of course there are the implications if they get sick.

Keep monitoring them with their eating and weights :)
 
Hi, I understand how stressful it is, are they both being dominant or one against the other? I adopted two pigs and one of mine humped my newer pig till he was sqweeling, it made me so angry *** it was a bit like he was raping him constantly (even producing what looked like sperm)... anyhow, i covered them with a blanket and left them too it and they were fine but do get a bit techy even now, they hate being near each other unless foods involved...

If you want to try bonding them again, do it in an large open space which has neither smell of either of them. Place a big plate of veggies in the middle, some hay and monitor them without being 'to obvious' if being in there for a while and they are fine, it's most properly more space they need, if not then I'd pair them at rescues to find new partners. but wait a few months so they get over their teenage years ^^
 
Hello :)

I have 10 boars! 4 pairs and 2 are separate.

With Peppa and Buddy - Buddy is a very little pig and always has. Runt of the litter kind. But he is my baby :)
Peppa is the bigger and used to bother Buddy and when they went into their hormonal stage Peppa used to hump the living day lights out of him and leave all his "Boar Glue" everywhere. I used to have to cut it out on a daily basis. It used to look like quite aggressive but they were never biting and no blood was ever drawn. I left them too it and they are now my closest bonded piggies. Love each other to bits! I was concerned about it but i always use the rule "No blood drawn - let them get on with it".

Another pair I had, they were all lovey dovey for a few weeks and then BANG I came downstairs and there was major teeth chattering from one and a bleeding nose on the other! I separated them and they live side by side and they like to have a little chat together. One of the piggies is Special needs, and is very special to me. He is the tamest of all my piggies and was my first piggy since being an adult. The other piggy is pretty aggressive towards humans, and has bitten both me and my mother! The only piggy bites we have ever had. But they both popcorn round their cage and are very very happy guinea pigs. I MUST add though, it is always better to have guinea pigs in pairs. If I had the room to pair them up I would do it straight away. But I'm very confident that my guinea pigs are happy loved guinea pigs :)

Also the room in the cage can affect the behaviour. 120cm is the minimum for a pair by RSPCA guidelines. If you can get a 140cm that is perfect! But my piggies are in 120cm cages. I keep them in this size as my cages are tiered cages and there isnt a 140cm cage in tiers. Make sure they come out for plenty of run around time.

Good luck to you - Hopefully your piggies may be like my peppa and buddy. They get over it in time :)

If you would like any advice, please let us know! Always here to help!
 
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