Trio Of Boars Has Resulted In An Injury!

[Daniel Wiebe]

Hi everyone, I'm new to these forums and to boars in general!

I've owned 4 females in the past and they all got along well with each other, but just today I discovered several shallow bite wounds on the rump and side of one of my boys. I feel horrible as they appear to be a few days old (dry and covered over, thankfully no obvious sign of infection), and would explain why he has been mortally afraid of the other pigs. My only excuse is that his Abyssinian fur obscured them from casual observation. Not much of one, I know. Needless to say he has been segregated with a partition in their cage and will be seeing the vet asap.

What I'd like to know is there any way to reconcile these boys back together? I'm fully prepared to accept permanent separation but I'd like to make all efforts to get them back together.

Some information:
All three boars are ~6 months old, give or take a few weeks.
Their cage is fleece lined, roughly 2 feet by 13.
They get daily floor time, run of the house minus 2 rooms with dangerous chewables.
Daily veggies, namely Dole's Spring Mix.

 

[Veggies Galore]

to the forum . I'm afraid it's not going to likely that your boars will ever get on as a trio so you are wise to consider keeping them seperate .

Are you happy to add your location to your profile ? We have members from all over the world and it is really helpful to know whether you are based in the UK/US – or elsewhere. Having an idea of your Country + location can sometimes help us tailor our advice .



Here is a link to help you do this …



https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...cation-and-creating-an-avatar-picture.107444/


There's lots of information in these threads too
" Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners

am I right in reading your cage is 2ft x13 ft ?

 

[Veggies Galore]

Good luck at the vets .

 

[MerryPip]

Hi, sorry you've had a problem and hope all goes ok at the vets...

Unlike girls, three really is a crowd for boys. They are usually much better off in well bonded pairs. As there has already been injuries it's fairly unlikely that your three boys will return successfully to living together. They are at the age where hormones start kicking in and the battle for dominance is at it's height. At this age it's very difficult to re-bond when things go wrong.

I'd advise keeping him separate and thinking about finding him a friend of his own. I can't see where you love but a reputable rescue may be able to help him find a buddy that suits him personality wise, either a boar or a sow if he was neutered. A good match is always about personality, not breed, colour etc. Age plays a part too as older boars are more settled and laid back... The rescue locator at the top of the page gives some great suggestions in the UK and beyond although I realise that not every country has access to dedicated Guinea pig rescues as easily as here in the UK.

Here's a few links that might be useful...
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs would naturally live in a herd with one male and his females and young and any extra males would be roaming looking for the opportunity to start a herd of their own although they do form loose groups of bachelors. A few people have had success with groups but usually only in really large enclosures and with careful attention to personality and almost always with older boars, not teenage youngsters who will throw their weight around.

Good luck!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone, I'm new to these forums and to boars in general!

I've owned 4 females in the past and they all got along well with each other, but just today I discovered several shallow bite wounds on the rump and side of one of my boys. I feel horrible as they appear to be a few days old (dry and covered over, thankfully no obvious sign of infection), and would explain why he has been mortally afraid of the other pigs. My only excuse is that his Abyssinian fur obscured them from casual observation. Not much of one, I know. Needless to say he has been segregated with a partition in their cage and will be seeing the vet asap.

What I'd like to know is there any way to reconcile these boys back together? I'm fully prepared to accept permanent separation but I'd like to make all efforts to get them back together.

Some information:
All three boars are ~6 months old, give or take a few weeks.
Their cage is fleece lined, roughly 2 feet by 13.
They get daily floor time, run of the house minus 2 rooms with dangerous chewables.
Daily veggies, namely Dole's Spring Mix.

Hi and welcome!

Sadly, the fall-out rate for baby boar trios is about 90%. Typical spikes are around 4 months (when the testicles start descending) and 6 months when the testosterone output reaches its highest spike. Sadly, once fallen out, boars will not go back together. it would be better if you tried to keep the two boars that get on best (and are not fighting with each other) together and look for another solution for your other boy so you hopefully don't end up with three single boys that won't get on with each other.
This information link here explains all your possible options at any stage in great detail; you may find it very helpful: Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

PS: As we have got members from all over the world, we find it very very halpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can tailor any advice and recommendations to what is available and possible where you are. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

 

[Daniel Wiebe]

Thank you all for your replies and links! Vet is tomorrow at 10am and I've updated my information.

PiggyOwner, yeah, my cage is 2' by 13'. Thought it would be enough space to keep three boars happy, sadly I was wrong. Also, if you'll allow my ego to rise a bit, I'm not a brand-new owner, as your link suggests . I've had 4 girls before this trio, but they were nothing compared to these tempestuous rascals. Learning every day, I suppose.

 

[VickiA]

Sorry that this has happened to you, but our experience here on the forum is that boar trios rarely work. Sows live better in groups than board, and even they have their personality and dominance issues. You've made the right decision to separate. The only issue is what you do with the one living alone. I see @MerryPip (who is a very experienced keeper of boars) has made some suggestions.
I hope you have a decent vet trip and all is ok.

 

[Wiebke]

Sorry for the mess and thanks for updating your details. Boars and sows have rather different dynamics. The good news is that boars as a rule (and always with exceptions) tend to mellow over the years as the testosterone calms down whereas sows tend to get more homonal and crankier as they age...

Generally, boars have their own little patch and like to keep that. Sows will associate with them (not the other way round). Cage situations where boars can't get away from each other mean that there is a much higher potential for fights. Unless you can reach this one recommended good standard/piggy savvy rescue for your province, I would recommend to keep your single boar as a next door neighbour with interaction/stimulation through the bars. Guinea Lynx :: Canadian Rescue Organizations

Perhaps you might like to look into C&C cages, as they are very flexible and adaptable in the layout and they can be extended into a second storey for haylofts etc. if you are short on space.
All About C & C Grid Cages

 

[Daniel Wiebe]

@Wiebke I'm glad to hear that they might simmer down later on in life.

As for the rescue they have 4 boys all within 45 minutes of me, so my options are large and varied, hooray!

As for the cage it is in fact a C & C cage, 2 x 11, which works out to roughly 2 feet by 13 feet. I built my first C&C cage before I brought my first girls home, and I never kept any of my piggies in a store bought cage longer than the quarantine period. Plus, C&C cages are truly awesome. So nifty and easy to work with!

*edit* make that 3 single boys and a pair up for adoption.

 

[Wiebke]

@Wiebke I'm glad to hear that they might simmer down later on in life.

As for the rescue they have 4 boys all within 45 minutes of me, so my options are large and varied, hooray!

As for the cage it is in fact a C & C cage, 2 x 11, which works out to roughly 2 feet by 13 feet. I built my first C&C cage before I brought my first girls home, and I never kept any of my piggies in a store bought cage longer than the quarantine period. Plus, C&C cages are truly awesome. So nifty and easy to work with!

You won't be able to get boars to go back together once they have fallen out, but once they have reached adulthood (after 15 months), things tend to get a lot easier and fall outs are about as rare as those of sows. 4- 6 months is generally the trickiest time for bonding boars - and the age you have the most fall-outs.

I love my C&C set-up, too. As I have a changing number/configuration of piggies, it is so much more adaptable!

 

[Daniel Wiebe]

I'm sorry for not updating you all on the vet visit! It went well, he's doing fine (still gaining weight! 940 grams and rising!) and the vet sent me home with soaps, ointments and meds out the wazoo. I've taken to cleaning and applying ointment in one session, then putting him back to calm down and giving him meds in another session.

Again, thank you all for your replies, advise, and links. It's nice to have a repository of experience from real people to draw upon!