Please help me - COnsidering my options for the boys going forwards

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zez

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Hi everyone.

Well following my previous post outlining my stupidity in introducing them to girls I have decided to split up Dansak (submissive) and Max (dominant).

I am considering my options for them going forward.

The reason they have been split is not due to them fighting but due to Max not letting Dansak move about freely, get food etc...in short, bullying.

I am happy that I will be able to get Dansak a new friend - there is a rescue centre near us who have a submissive boy that we may be able to take D on a date with. Failing that will will try and find D one of the babies to live with when they are born.

Our options for M are

1) Turn him into rescue - I hate the idea of this and my son has just sobbed, so I think that's a no
2) Let him go and live with my friend who has the girls. He would be neutered. Putting him through an operation scares me, and my son really doesn't want to let him go.
3) have Max as a lone pig.


My hutch is a big 6 ft by 2 ft hutch on 2 levels that can be either 2 hutches, or one giant one, so I can use that to put max and dansak in separately. I can sort out 2 runs I think, if i just accept they have to be a little smaller. This way the boys could be near to each other, but not sharing.

My question is this....is it cruel to keep max as a lone boy? I don't think I can afford to have 4 piggies - 3 would be ok, but the risk of vets bills etc for another 2 on top of what i have now isn't wise. And now max is dominant and has known a female i'm worried about a future pairing not working out.

If Max were a lone boy, he wouldn't be next to the others due to space, but would be downstairs. Would that be ok. He could hear them and smell them. If they were in runs next to each other, would max's presence next door still upset D....could M bully D through the bars of a split run?

Please help me make my decision. I really really want to keep my Max, and it broke my son's heart when i explained to him that mummy had done a bad thing and we might have to rehome max. But if its cruel to keep max as a single i won't do it.

I am sick to the stomach at my own stupidity and so so sorry I have put them through this. Please please help.
 
If it were me I'd split the double hutch into two separate hutches and pair both boys up with babies, or youngsters. They could either have separate run time or you could find yourself a cheap second run on ebay.

and to be honest, when you're paying for 3 it really isn't that much of a difference money wise to be paying for 4. I used to spend £80 a month on 3 boys, I now spend around £60 a month on 17 - it's just about sourcing the cheapest stuff you can whilst still keeping the quality.
 
The only issue with keeping the 2 boars and getting them friends is sometimes boars fallout hormonal teens unless it's adult boars in which case once they are bonded they should stay friends.

In regards to vet Bills if you budget for it - it is possible, just put some money aside each month so if anything does arise you have the money there.

I wouldn't keep him on his own though - You know he can live with a boar so he's not chosen a lonely life he just no longer likes his current friend.

I must say you've learned a hard lesson but you can only beat yourself up so much. What's done is done, all you can do is learn from it which I think you have done.
 
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