Urgent help needed!

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Batgirl

I posted a thread not that long ago on how my boys (two boars, Fry and Dexter) had been a bit snippy with each other over the past month or so.

It started seemingly out of nowhere, and I just had to seperate them, as my boyfriend heard a racket coming from their room, and screamed for me!

Fry had apparently pulled a lot of hair out of Dexter, and although there was no blood, they were both shaking and puffing themselves up.
I put them into different cages, but they were still 'verbally harrassing' each other, so Fry has been relocated to my bedroom for the meantime.

I really don't want to have to split them up permanently, as they've been together for a year (brothers), and I don't think I have the space to comfortably house them both, but this is seemingly like the only option.

Help please, any advice is greatly appreciated!
 
Hey, I don't know too much about boars as I have sows but could you not try and reintroduce them on neutral territory e.g. a bath tub and see how they get on? If they seem to get on ok, then I suggest scrubbing out their cage, filling it with new things e.g. toys and fresh bedding and giving 2 of everything like water bottles and food bowls. Unfortunately, some pigs just fall out and never get along with each other again. Don't leave it for too long before trying to re bond them as the longer it is left, the more difficult it will be. Good luck xx
 
I had tried putting two of everything in, as well as the 'buddy bath' method, and we have had them out on the floor together, but it seemed to make them angrier =[

Both the poor wee things look so scared, it's really not like them to be violent!
 
I have had boars as brothers before, had to split them up as they got a bit older though, pecking order thing. How big is their cage? Do you think they have enough room perhaps to get out of one anothers way. I have recently brought a rodent run from Tesco and I set that up for my guineas to exercise in. Only cost £5 so I brought two and conected them together. Don't know if this suggestion will help in any way.
 
I have the same runs from Tesco, only I use them to block off round the TV and under our cabinet, and let the boys roam free around the living room.

The good news is, after another bath (this time together) and being allowed to wander about, with a food bowl and water bottle each, they seem to have really calmed down.

The OH has admitted that he did slam a door upstairs shut, and both the pigs are really jumpy, so they might have just panicked or something.
Or, at least, I hope.

Still a bit of snippyness, but I'm keeping my eyes open and my fingers crossed!
 
if there is no blood or physical fights I wouldnt split them up. Make sure they have plenty of space. If it starts looking like a remake of Fight Club then i suggest you take them apart!

Strip the cage, clean everything thoroughly so there are not indivudual scents and its again neutral ground. then introduce on netural ground in a large place and go from there. i think thats all i can suggest i am afraid!
 
Has there been any change of environment, or females brought in, or if not, has anyone who handles the pigs picked up female pigs? Just the smell of female on a jumper is enough to start some boys fighting!

Doesn't sound like space is an issue if the often have the run of the front room... but it does sound encouraging that they have made up for now, just keep a very beady eye on them as much as you can, and as previously said, if they start seriously fighting again with blood drawn etc, they will need to be separated as they can do some awful damage to each other.

If they have had a scrap, it is not impossible to re-bond them, but it is a long and slow process and not guarunteed that it'll work unfortunately. We have two brothers here who fought REALLY badly after the previous owners brought in females and it set them fighting, and although they seem to really like each other through a mesh divider and will sometimes quite happily share a run together, they often just get on each other's wick, making it extremely unlikely that I will ever be able to get them actually sharing a home together again. But it IS possible!

Does any of the info on here help Behaviour?
 
Things took a bit of a turn for the worst, they were running about the living room no problem for hours, and then we moved them back upstairs.

A litte while, and a lot of noise, later, we had to run upstairs, and practically pull them off each other!

They have been seperated now, one is in a much smaller cage we usually use for popping them in when we're cleaning their hutch, until I can get something larger sorted, hopefully tomorrow.

I'm really gutted, it seems such a shame to have to seperate them after so long, but I don't want to risk coming home to a casulty!
 
What a shame, I'm sorry to hear that :( Are you able to move their normal living area to a completely different place in the house so they are both on clean and neutral territory?
 
aw what a shame. well you cant get along with everyone. keep us posted. xx
 
Unfotunately we don't have the room to have them anywhere else, and we had to plead with the landlord to have them in the house at all!

Took a trip to P@H today, and stocked up on interesting things for each of their hutches, to stop them getting bored in the meantime.

They seem to be happy enough side by side, maybe they are like every other set of siblings in the world, just like their own space!
 
pow-powI too have had brothers who when they reached adolescence decided that they would rather be around anyone they weren't related to! Testosterone does strange things to the quiet placid boys! mallethead Even now (18 months later) they don't get on, however, I had 2 other boys in the cage & they divided themselves up into pairs. I still see Pippin being chased across the lounge periodically by Legolas, but Pippin is pretty speedy & can get into some very awkward spaces!

The other thing is this doesn't happen all the time. It seems to be when their hormones are playing up (that's what I like to think!) & one is trying to dominate the other (even more than usual!) I would love to give a better suggestion, but see how they go & if they settle down again. :)

Michele
 
The size of the space that they are in upstairs could be making a difference. If they get on OK in the living room it may be that you need to provide them with more space upstairs.
Hope it works out for you.
 
They don't really seem to be getting on anywhere.
And I've followed every available guideline on their space, so I can't see that being a problem.

I've noticed a real change in Fry's personality, so I'm putting to down to them maturing. He's become a real wee git to be perfectly honest!
 
Sometimes you are left with no choice and a decision has to made in their best interest despite how hard it is. Only you know your piggies and I am sure that you will do what you feel is right.

I recently had to do this with 2 brothers.

We are all here for support.
 
I think it might have to be permanent, they seem perfectly happy to be in the same room, side by side, but they don't seem to want to share space anymore.

I've seen a change in their personalities over the past few months, both of them were getting a lot less socialable, nosier, and didn't want to be cuddled!
Today though, they both seem to have calmed down, although Fry is still being a bit moody (I got my first EVER nip off him today!)

I'm thinking of getting Dexter neutered (eeep) in the near future, and maybe getting him a girl or two for company, and then I'll decide about Fry later on (he seems to be the bully, as much as I love him, he was taunting poor Dexter!)

I was meant to be getting a wee girly pig addition to the household in the near future, but I think for now it might be better to let the existing pigs settle in to their new situation.

Thanks for all the help!
 
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