Splitting my boars up :(

[Stretters91]

Hey guys !
we recently how to take our slightly younger pig around 6 months to vet as he was limping ! So he was on medicine for a week and we was told to separate him from our slightly older 8 montj old male guinea pig ! They was in the same cage but had a divider so they could still see each other !
before this they was together and the older onewas more dominant and didn’t like Monty to get in his way !
We have tried to open the divider now and the young guy Monty sort of cowers away behind his house and they teeth chatter more than ever ! I think the separation has caused them not to get on ! We’ve tried floor time so they get use to each other but they just chase each other and teeth chatter

will I have to keep them separated now ?
Ps Monty is the white and brown
And digby is the black one ! digby walks round like a bruiser

thanks guys !

 

[Stretters91]

My biggest thing is I don’t want them to be bored when I know they normally like to be around other pigs! they can see each other but don’t know if it’s the same

 

[Stretters91]

Now the younger one , I’m trying floor time
Monty just teeth chattered and his hair almost puffs up ? But teeth chattering even when he is not near digby ?
It’s so hard to know what to do ! Just want them to be happy ! :p
Thanks guys !

 

[Lady Kelly]

The problem is each half the cage now belongs to the respective pig. You cannot just remove the divider. They need to be properly introduced on neutral ground and then if they get on they can be put in a thoroughly cleaned out cage. I'll grab the link to our bonding guide

 

[Lady Kelly]

This guide will be most useful for you. Section 3 covers setting up bonding. Best of luck Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[Stretters91]

Thanks !
even if we putt them on floor time
With just some hay , they teeth chatter and Ty e younger ones tries to hide !

 

[Siikibam]

Do they both chatter? Does the younger one let the older piggy mount him? Is there any squeaking?

You have to do the re-introduction when you have the time to see it through to the end. You can’t keep doing floor time then putting them back separately. It’s stressful for them and means each time they will have to restart the hierarchy malarkey.

So make sure you have a day set aside and re-introduce them on neutral ground. You have to see it through to conclusion - whether that’s successful or not. Now is also a difficult time to bond boars as they’re now in their teenage months. I’m not sure why the vet suggested separating them, but in any case that’s been and done.

 

[Stretters91]

Do they both chatter? Does the younger one let the older piggy mount him? Is there any squeaking?

You have to do the re-introduction when you have the time to see it through to the end. You can’t keep doing floor time then putting them back separately. It’s stressful for them and means each time they will have to restart the hierarchy malarkey.

So make sure you have a day set aside and re-introduce them on neutral ground. You have to see it through to conclusion - whether that’s successful or not. Now is also a difficult time to bond boars as they’re now in their teenage months. I’m not sure why the vet suggested separating them, but in any case that’s been and done.

yeah we was a bit taken back when we was told to separate them ! It was because the younger one , his front legs kept going dead , he could put any weight on his front leg so he advised us to separate !
The younger one teeth chatters a lot lot more , and the older one isn’t to fussed but he will teeth chatter now and again ! When we try to put them on floor time , they chase and teeth chatter and younger one hides , so we don’t want him to be distressed is all ! How long do we leave them for floor time as long as they don’t fight ? And then we put them in a fully clean cage and no divider ?
Thanks for the help
We appreciate it !

 

[Lady Kelly]

yeah we was a bit taken back when we was told to separate them ! It was because the younger one , his front legs kept going dead , he could put any weight on his front leg so he advised us to separate !
The younger one teeth chatters a lot lot more , and the older one isn’t to fussed but he will teeth chatter now and again ! When we try to put them on floor time , they chase and teeth chatter and younger one hides , so we don’t want him to be distressed is all ! How long do we leave them for floor time as long as they don’t fight ? And then we put them in a fully clean cage and no divider ?
Thanks for the help
We appreciate it !

Please make sure you read the guide I linked to fully as it does go through behaviours and what to look for in terms of acceptance happening or not. There is no set time and I always try and set a full day aside to monitor them when I bond. I will start in the morning so I have many hours if necessary before I even consider cleaning out the cage to put them together. I would give them a few days separated since you last tried them together before you try again as it can be stressful for them to keep trying and then being separated. If your younger one is in his teenage hormone stage then he will be more likely to challenge the hierarchy than he was when you put them together before his illness

 

[Siikibam]

Do read the guide that’s been linked above. One thing I would say is that you stop giving them floor time then putting in separate cages. It’s stressful for them. Their teenage months are already a tough time and doing play dates is really not something that piggies do.

As Lady Kelly has suggested, separate they for a few days then make sure you have a full day to try the rebonding. Once together, it can take up to two weeks for them to settle into their ‘relationship’. Just be aware it may be tougher because they’re in their teenage months now.