Tricky Situation! Who To Neuter? Who To Bond With Whom?

[Ruby Inferno]

I've been at lost for what to do for ages. Everyone I ask has different advice...

So, currently I have two separated boars (14 months old) in different floors of a double hutch, and a pair of sows (6 months old) in an indoor cage. There isn't really enough space indoors for an indoor cage longterm though, it's not very convenient, but I adopted them in February so it would have been too cold to move them straight outside. Last summer, there was very bad bullying and fighting going on between the boars so I had to separate them. My dominant boar (Caramel) was bullying and hurting my submissive boar (Doughnut). To be honest I think it's mostly because it was very hot and their hutch is not particularly big (at the time I was not aware it needed to be bigger for boars, they are my first ever piggies). The inner dimensions are around 110x50 cm, not big enough for two boars. They lived in the top floor, I used the bottom one for storing grooming tools, food, etc.

Originally my plan was to neuter both boars and introduce them to some sows. I'd buy a big 6ft double hutch from Ryedale; Doughnut would be introduced to my pair of sows and live in one of the floors, and I would adopt a single sow for Caramel. Doughnut is very sociable and always wheeks very loudly when he is brought near the girls' cage, while Caramel doesn't seem too bothered, so Doughnut would probably be happy to live with both of them.

However, someone recently suggested I should just neuter Caramel and introduce him to the girls (as he is quite dominant), and Doughnut can live with a dominant boar as he is quite submissive. I would only have to neuter one boar so that's probably a good plan, but it would mean everyone living in a double hutch might not be an option and I don't really have the space for a second hutch (the hutch I have now is not really big enough for any more than one piggy to live in). The scent of my sows could make my boars fight, and I'm not sure what to do about that.

My first plan would probably be more flexible (unlike the second one), because if one of the piggies passes away and someone is left on their own (such as Caramel, leaving his hutchmate on her own), introducing the lone piggy to the other piggies is possible. I would make sure the single sow I adopt is younger than my boars, just like my current sows are, so they are likely to outlive the boars which means if a sow is left on her own she can simply be introduced to the other piggy(s). If the sows were older and passed first, it would be much more difficult to bond the boars, and impossible if there are any sows because of course you can't have multiple boars living with sows. If any of that makes sense!

Argh what do I do?! Poor Doughnut is really desparate for a cagemate, I feel sorry for him.

 

[zombieprincess]

Ah the age old dilemma! All of them are valid plans/ideas in themselves so really you can only do what you feel is best.

If they were my piggies and I didnt have an infinite amount of space I would do the following - see if i could take Donut boar dating at a rescue. Thos would allow me to see what he is actually like with otjer males. Sometimes although we presume they are nice and placid, they aren't. And they do behave differently with different piggies. So it may turn out that he is a little beast also. But of he gets a new boy friend that's a bonus. Neuter caramel & see if the two sows will accept him. MOST boar sow mixes work, but not all of them, I've found that sows are often very screachy and fussy then first introduced to boars!

 

[Wiebke]

Having both boars neutered and living with sows has two advantages:
- you won't have to keep the boar pair well away from the mixed group at all times (especially on the lawn) and will be more flexible with handling/cleaning/roaming etc.
- you will be more flexible when one of the boars dies.

However, which way you want to go down is up to you and what you feel is most suitable for your set-up and lifestyle.

 

[Ruby Inferno]

I don't actually have a rescue anywhere near me that does boar dating which is annoying, although I'm sure a rescue with a boar would let me simply do the introduction at home. I have used the site's rescue locator, can't find anything close.

Precisely my point, Wiebke, which is why I'm a little hesitant to introduce Doughnut to another boar. If one of them passes away, chances are he will be too old to neuter and perhaps be introduced to the girlies (that is, if Caramel isn't around anymore). The only other option would be to either adopt an old boar from a rescue or, if Doughnut is the first to go, Caramel could be introduced to Doughnut's cagemate. Such cheery discussion...

And the only reason why I am hesitant about neutering both boys is of course because they will have to go through an operation. I am thinking it's possibly better in the long run though, and I would definitely use a vet from the vet locator. My current vet is quite good, but probably not experienced enough for my liking.

Edit: Also, If Doughnut doesn't get along with the girls, I would introduce them to Caramel instead and Doughnut would get a single wife.