Successfully Bonded?

[chazzabarn]

Hi

So I have two boars that I've been working on bonding for months now. They are housed in side by side runs and I've been getting them out in a neutral area for play sessions.

They are finally showing signs of being happy together (i.e laying down together, sharing hay etc), but I don't know whether I can keep them together constantly. They still rumble strut and chase each other but it never breaks out into anything more. The sessions go through phases where they seem happy and then it switch's to the dominance behaviours.

I just want to know whether I can keep them together all the time. I'm worried that when I'm not there to monitor them a fight could break out, but this has never happened when I am monitoring them.

Any advice would be great! I just want my boys to be happy.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

So I have two boars that I've been working on bonding for months now. They are housed in side by side runs and I've been getting them out in a neutral area for play sessions.

They are finally showing signs of being happy together (i.e laying down together, sharing hay etc), but I don't know whether I can keep them together constantly. They still rumble strut and chase each other but it never breaks out into anything more. The sessions go through phases where they seem happy and then it switch's to the dominance behaviours.

I just want to know whether I can keep them together all the time. I'm worried that when I'm not there to monitor them a fight could break out, but this has never happened when I am monitoring them.

Any advice would be great! I just want my boys to be happy.

Hi and welcome

Your boars are behaving perfectly normally. Why are they not together all the time? How old are they and how long have you had them exactly, and when and why did you separate them?

It is a human myth that guinea pigs sleep together and are inseparable. In fact, there is usually an emotional need with one of the piggies that are inseparable. Most piggies like to spend time apart, including the night.

 

[Lorcan]

Guinea pigs don't do playdates - every time you separate them, even into adjoining cages, they go through the bonding rituals all over again during the next playdate. If they're going to be together they need to be staying together full time.

My boars annoy the crap out of each other, all day. I have rumble-thons at 2am, they constantly turf each other out of beds, nick each others food, body check each other out of the way at food time, chase each other, all of it. And they're still in the same cage. It's normal behaviour for them, it's not something I worry about being a problem when I'm asleep or out of the room. That's their day and that's how they get on with it.

It's not always nice behaviour for us to watch and listen to but as guinea pig behaviour goes, it's normal.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Dominance behaviours are normal - it is something they will do throughout their lives and it is how they reinforce their relationship forever. It’s not a case of being fine together and then switching to dominance behaviours and then that being a problem. My oldest pair have been together for 5 years and, while it happens less now they are older, they still mount and rumble at each other.

Bonding is a one time thing - you put them on neutral territory for a few hours and then if all goes well in that first meeting, you leave them together from that very first day. It’s not something which is done in multiple sessions over many months. Separating them multiple times interrupts their bonding every time and means they never get fully through the process.

Once they are together permanently it then takes them the next two weeks to formalise their relationship.

So put them on neutral territory leave them for a few hours to sort things out. While they are on neutral territory clean out the cage they are going to live in. After a few hours move them to the cage together and leave them together from then on.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[weepweeps]

Good luck with the bonding

 

[chazzabarn]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Heath is about 6 years who I rescued in 2020, he was on his own for a couple of years due to COVID and restrictions on getting pets. I got a different pig (Hank) to pair him with and their personalities didn't match and they ended up in a scrap which led to Heath getting a bad bite. Fortunately I got Hank from someone who allowed me to try and bond them and was able to take him back after it ended badly.

After this I rescued Jonathan who I got at 6 months old and is now just over a year old. I put them in side by side runs to get them used to each other and then began getting them out in a neutral area. Sadly after the incident with Hank I was terrified to leave Heath and Jonathan alone together in case another bad bite occured when I wasn't monitoring them.

Since reading everyone's advice I've decide I'm going to do it properly today and actually leave them together overnight in their run. They are currently chilling in the neutral space which I'll leave them in for a couple of hours and then place them in the clean run.

This is my first time bonding pigs and the fight with the previous pig really scared me. I hope I can now do it correctly and let my boys live together 24/7.