Question About 2 Boars Living Separately

Squeakums

Squeakums

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Hi everyone

I have a difficult situation with my 2 boars -
Short story: is it acceptable for a boar and sow pair to live in one cage next to a single boar in a separate cage?

Long story:
My 2 current boars live in separate cages (next to each other, they can see and squeak to each other) due to an unsuccessful bonding that ended in a bloody fight almost 3 years ago. My younger pig Butternut came from the Potteries rescue at 8 weeks old when Leonard (my older pig)'s brother sadly died. They seemed to bond during their boar date but things didn't go so well at home despite having plenty of space and separate furniture etc. Since then they have lived separately quite happily, however Butternut has never seemed to settle down - he is very nervous and jumpy, for example he'll run and hide if someone sneezes, and doesn't like lap time.

I'm worried that Butternut is unsettled because he needs another piggy to live with him and I often consider having him neutered and finding him a sow. However I do not know how Leonard would react to a new sow living next to him that he can see and smell but can't interact with - would he get frustrated? Leonard is 7 yrs old and has had various health problems for the past few years, so my vet and I both think it is too dangerous for him to undergo extended anaesthetic required for neutering. Butternut is really healthy and 3 yrs old so we think he will be fine with neutering, either surgically or more likely with a contraceptive implant.

Basically I'm trying to find the best compromise between Butternut having a new friend but not upsetting Leonard when his health is already so fragile.
Have any of you had a similar experience?

Thanks!
 
I think poor old Leonard would find it very frustrating having the smell of a sow right next to him.
If Butternut is neutered he could have the sow with him, 6 weeks post op but it would be better for Leonard to be further away from the smell of an enticing female!
You could find Butternut would rumblestrut more too thinking Leonard wanted his lady.
 
Thanks Janice - my problem then would be that Leonard would be lonely if I had to move him away :(
 
Squeakums said:
Thanks Janice - my problem then would be that Leonard would be lonely if I had to move him away :(
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Yes it can be a problem keeping the single one contented but maybe if he could still see Butternut he would cope? It sounds as if Butternut would benefit but I know how hard it is worrying about the other wee man.
 
Do you mean like if Leonard and Butternut could have separated floor time without the sow being there? That could work
 
Squeakums said:
Do you mean like if Leonard and Butternut could have separated floor time without the sow being there? That could work
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Once Butternut has settled with a sow it shouldn't matter about whether Butternut and his sow have the same floor time as he would wonder why she wasn't there.
Leonard should get his floor time first though before you handle the sow so that her smell isn't on you when you pick Leonard up.
 
That's a good idea, thanks Janice! Hopefully it would be enough to keep Leonard happy.
Have you had a similar setup yourself?
 
My boars were brothers and had a massive fight at 9 months old so both neutered and living with their own sows!
 
Squeakums said:
Hi everyone

I have a difficult situation with my 2 boars -
Short story: is it acceptable for a boar and sow pair to live in one cage next to a single boar in a separate cage?

Long story:
My 2 current boars live in separate cages (next to each other, they can see and squeak to each other) due to an unsuccessful bonding that ended in a bloody fight almost 3 years ago. My younger pig Butternut came from the Potteries rescue at 8 weeks old when Leonard (my older pig)'s brother sadly died. They seemed to bond during their boar date but things didn't go so well at home despite having plenty of space and separate furniture etc. Since then they have lived separately quite happily, however Butternut has never seemed to settle down - he is very nervous and jumpy, for example he'll run and hide if someone sneezes, and doesn't like lap time.

I'm worried that Butternut is unsettled because he needs another piggy to live with him and I often consider having him neutered and finding him a sow. However I do not know how Leonard would react to a new sow living next to him that he can see and smell but can't interact with - would he get frustrated? Leonard is 7 yrs old and has had various health problems for the past few years, so my vet and I both think it is too dangerous for him to undergo extended anaesthetic required for neutering. Butternut is really healthy and 3 yrs old so we think he will be fine with neutering, either surgically or more likely with a contraceptive implant.

Basically I'm trying to find the best compromise between Butternut having a new friend but not upsetting Leonard when his health is already so fragile.
Have any of you had a similar experience?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It is perfectly OK for a single boar to live next to sows. They generally like to flirt through the bars and perk up with all the territorial stuff with the other boar through the bars (I call that behaviour 'boar hakas').
All my neutered boars do this - and apart from not being able to make babies, they have retained all their normal boarly instincts and behaviours. ;)

You need to keep boars only away from sows when they are already paired up and you introduce the sows afterwards or if you run into trouble during the teenage months. That is where fall-outs can happen when bonded boars are suddenly confronted with sow pheromones that previously never have. Boars that are divided by grids don't share a territory and can therefore not fall out.

I have currently got a neutered boar pair living in a divided C&C cage next to a sow pair. We had a couple of touchy moments while freshly neutered Nye went through the teenage months as strongly as any normal boy (usually whenever I had several sows experiencing a strong season and causing a pheromone storm), now that Nye is an adult, too, there aren't any problems. They are also happy to roam the ground floor and trot their stuff there with around 20 sows...
 
Thanks Wiebke, this is good to hear - so to confirm, a single non-neutered boar should cope as well with the situation as your neutered boars do?
Leonard is too old to be neutered but would never be in direct contact with the sow of course.
 
I have a sow and boar pair living next to a single boar. The single boar is 11 weeks old and the other two are just over a year old. The single boar (Bean) seems fine next to the other two. He interacts with them through the bars of the cage. It’s obviously not ideal for Bean to be on his own but he doesn’t seem too lonely since he can speak to the other two. They all do a lot of popcorning and rumblestrutting when they speak to each other. Floor time with the two males doesn’t work as they just fight (although Bean rarely fights back), I only tried it once and never will again.
 
Anna Perry said:
I have a sow and boar pair living next to a single boar. The single boar is 11 weeks old and the other two are just over a year old. The single boar (Bean) seems fine next to the other two. He interacts with them through the bars of the cage. It’s obviously not ideal for Bean to be on his own but he doesn’t seem too lonely since he can speak to the other two. They all do a lot of popcorning and rumblestrutting when they speak to each other. Floor time with the two males doesn’t work as they just fight (although Bean rarely fights back), I only tried it once and never will again.
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Thanks Anna, I'm glad it's working out for you. Sounds like they are a happy bunch :) Do you plan to get a cage mate for Bean?
 
Squeakums said:
Thanks Anna, I'm glad it's working out for you. Sounds like they are a happy bunch :) Do you plan to get a cage mate for Bean?
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I’m not able to get him a cage mate right now. He’s Peaches and Zazu’s (the sow and boar pair) baby and I was originally going to rehome him but that didn’t work out so I’m having to keep him for now. I’m still hoping I’ll find him a permanent home but if not I’ll get him a friend as soon as I have time for another guinea pig.
 
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