Two Boars Suddenly Fighting

Nilesandfrasier

Nilesandfrasier

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So tonight my two 2 year old Boars have been having awful fights. One is dominant and displays usual dominant behaviour, but the other has suddenly become really aggressive tonight. They're really flying around, and while nobody has drawn blood yet, I am worried. It's like 9pm and we don't have another cage to separate them. We've tried different rooms for an hour but they just started back up again.
They've been together for so long, and they're rescues used to a cage half the size of the one they have now, and in the 6 months we've had them we've never seen this. One minute they're eating and cuddling and being affectionate and loving. The next they're trying to kill each other.
I'm legitimately concerned about leaving them overnight. I've had guinea pigs for over a decade and never seen this.
Any advice on how to cool things down?
 
We've got a 1m by 2m cage, and 2 of absolutely everything. They get equal attention, one for me and one for my partner and hugs for the same amount of time. I've had boars before so I know how tetchy they get. These two are always so loving though. When we reintroduced them after an hour apart they cuddles straight up and we thought it was done with. Half an hour later, straight back at it...
 
Please do not separate unless they have drawn blood! Separating before blood has been drawn risks ever getting them back together. How old are they? they could be going through their “teenage years” and finding who’s the leader.
Hope they figure things out and go back to being best buddy’s
 
They're over 2 and there's always been a dominant one (Frasier) and Niles has always been really chill. It's just tonight he's decided to be a nightmare! Typical lol
 
2 year olds fighting unexpectedly could have various causes. Have you changed anything in their set up? Have they been near to other piggies? Sometimes it is because one piggy is unwell.
Is it possible to move them both to a neutral area with plenty of space, somewhere neither of them have been before. Provide them with tunnels and two of everything.
Working out what has triggered this is the key. Maybe get them both vet checked.
Let's hope they settle down soon.
 
Nilesandfrasier said:
So tonight my two 2 year old Boars have been having awful fights. One is dominant and displays usual dominant behaviour, but the other has suddenly become really aggressive tonight. They're really flying around, and while nobody has drawn blood yet, I am worried. It's like 9pm and we don't have another cage to separate them. We've tried different rooms for an hour but they just started back up again.
They've been together for so long, and they're rescues used to a cage half the size of the one they have now, and in the 6 months we've had them we've never seen this. One minute they're eating and cuddling and being affectionate and loving. The next they're trying to kill each other.
I'm legitimately concerned about leaving them overnight. I've had guinea pigs for over a decade and never seen this.
Any advice on how to cool things down?
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Hi!
I am very sorry. Unfortunately, you have give your boys at least 1-2 days' time to cool down before you can re-introduce.
Have you got a carrier or laundry basket etc you can keep one of the boys, ideally the underboy who is less likely to want to go back?

How big is your cage and have you got only hideys with two exits etc. to minimise the risk of bullying and fights and give the boys space to get away from each other. Adult boars can still suffer from the odd sudden spike of testosterone. thankfully this usually dies down after a couple of mad days or so. Whether the boys will go back together after re-introduction on neutral territory once things have calmed down again depends on how stable the bond and how bad the fall-out has been; the majority of adult boys will however go back together if you give them that breathing time right now.

Please take the time to read these guides here:
Bonds In Trouble
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Cage Size Guide
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I was watching them and we realised that all the fights seemed to stem from one specific play tunnel. I literally took that away and it seems to have calmed. Now I'm thinking it was just something as stupid as a fight over that specific bit of tunnel space. They're sleeping calmly next to each other as we speak. Silly boys1541542847239731874779128750016.webp
 
Glad it has settled. Welcome to the forum :) Hope you enjoy being an active part of the community and we see lots of your boys.

Cool names by the way :)
 
Veggies Galore said:
I've just caught up with this thread and have to say your boars have very apt names :))
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You have no idea! Frasier is bigger and a little older and the dominant one, with darker hair. Niles is smaller and paler and pretty quiet and nervous. They're rescues and they were a gross smelly matted mess when we found them. They're such good boys, they'd not even been handled when we got them but now they're generally super happy and relaxed, which is why I was shocked to see them fight like that!
 
Bill and Ted have had an occasional spat, they have spent a night apart a couple of times, a large plastic storage box on one occasion which worked fine, the bath the first time. They went back together with no problems the following morning as though nothing had ever happened - time out worked fine. I know what was the problem, we put them into a huge ex rabbit cage from my step daughters and I think the smell drove them wild! Quite literally, despite cleaning and disinfecting it, so we sold it after moving it down 270 odd miles!
 
I love your walking wigs! Pleased to know that you worked out what the problem was and removed it and they are now getting along again.
 
Nilesandfrasier said:
Thanks for the advice everyone. I was watching them and we realised that all the fights seemed to stem from one specific play tunnel. I literally took that away and it seems to have calmed. Now I'm thinking it was just something as stupid as a fight over that specific bit of tunnel space. They're sleeping calmly next to each other as we speak. Silly boysView attachment 99782
Click to expand...
They are stunning!
 
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