Re-introduce fighting boars

[lazarette]

Hi, I have had a bonded pair of boars for 16 months. The younger one is about 16 months old. We think the older one is about six months older, and he has been the dominant one. We got them when the younger one was still a baby.
They had been getting along well, but then a few months ago we noticed new aggressive behavior - teeth chittering and rump-swaying. Two weeks ago we discovered scabs on the dominant pig, and the exotic pet vet says that the younger pig is biting the dominant pig.
My children are very attached to both pigs and we don't want to re-home either one. We also don't have the space for two cages in the long term.
Last week we bought a larger cage (a 2x4 C&C. The previous cage was MidWest). For now we have the cages next to each other with one boar in each cage. They seem to miss each other. They "talk" to each other, bite on the bars of the cage to try to get to each other, and the biter popcorns if the older pig is out of sight and then comes back.
Last night we tried putting them both in the C&C cage together, and they were acting aggressively toward each other within seconds, so we took the biter out again. Maybe it was too soon.
Do we have any hope of re-introducing these former buddies? Detailed advice would be helpful.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Chattering teeth and the swaying (rumble strutting) isnt aggressive behaviour - its normal dominance and in itself is not of concern. However, if you are finding injuries and they have been fighting, then reintroduction will not be possible. Fights and injuries are a clear sign their bond is no longer functioning and any attempt to reintroduce them will result in further fights.

Lack of space can cause problems between boars and a midwest (120x60cm) is too small for a boar pair. Unfortunately a 2x4 C&c (150cm) can still be a little too small for a boar pair, and instead a 2x5 (180cm) is recommended. Boars need a lot of room. However, if you had already had one of the boars living in the c&c and then tried to put the other piggy directly into it to reintroduce them, then it would have been seen as a territory invasion which would cause a problem. Any reintroduction must be done in entirely neutral territory - somewhere neither piggy lives - but as I said above, if fights have occurred, then a reintroduction would not be possible anyway.

Living as neighbours in side by side cages is the usual course of action following a broken bond. They will talk and interact through the bars (which is good as it prevents loneliness in separated piggies) but it doesnt mean they can live together in the same cage again.

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