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Spaghetti & Noodles

Spaghetti & Noodles

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So this afternoon we bit the bullet and created a bonding pen for Noodle & Mr Pig, there has been some teeth chatting and chasing and Miss Noodle was having none of Mr Pig trying to mount her but all was ok. We left them for a couple of hours.
The shed has been cleaned and the divider removed and they have been returned with clean bowls, brand new water bottles and 2 piles of hay. No pig has access to the hutches and we are keeping an eye via pig cam 😀
If all is ok I think I will keep like this for a couple of days whilst they establish hierarchy and settle before reducing the run size and giving Hutch access.
Anything else I should do?
 
Spaghetti & Noodles said:
So this afternoon we bit the bullet and created a bonding pen for Noodle & Mr Pig, there has been some teeth chatting and chasing and Miss Noodle was having none of Mr Pig trying to mount her but all was ok. We left them for a couple of hours.
The shed has been cleaned and the divider removed and they have been returned with clean bowls, brand new water bottles and 2 piles of hay. No pig has access to the hutches and we are keeping an eye via pig cam 😀
If all is ok I think I will keep like this for a couple of days whilst they establish hierarchy and settle before reducing the run size and giving Hutch access.
Anything else I should do?
Click to expand...

Hi

Just leave them to it. Miss Noodle is obviously the more dominant (allowing themselves to be mounted by a boar at the start of bonding is not just acceptnce but also submission). Mr Pig will have to hold it in until she comes into season but as long as he accepts her dominance and she wants him around (initially at a distance that will gradually reduce).
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

Just leave them to it. Miss Noodle is obviously the more dominant (allowing themselves to be mounted by a boar at the start of bonding is not just acceptnce but also submission). Mr Pig will have to hold it in until she comes into season but as long as he accepts her dominance and she wants him around (initially at a distance that will gradually reduce).
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Click to expand...
Thank you, I have had another read of the guide and I think we are ok, I do think she will be the dominant pig. There has been some chasing but overall they seem happy to be in the same hay pile just munching away. There was a bit of rumbling from both and she was almost bum waving side on to him then they would have a chase and a teeth chatter but nothing more physical (unlike last time with spaghetti!) We'll put some heat pads in shortly under the hay but other than that I'll just keep a check through the cam, they currently have a good space with 2 piles of hay but each time I check they are in the same one, at a slight distance but still the same pile! 🤞🤞
 
Spaghetti & Noodles said:
Thank you, I have had another read of the guide and I think we are ok, I do think she will be the dominant pig. There has been some chasing but overall they seem happy to be in the same hay pile just munching away. There was a bit of rumbling from both and she was almost bum waving side on to him then they would have a chase and a teeth chatter but nothing more physical (unlike last time with spaghetti!) We'll put some heat pads in shortly under the hay but other than that I'll just keep a check through the cam, they currently have a good space with 2 piles of hay but each time I check they are in the same one, at a slight distance but still the same pile! 🤞🤞
Click to expand...

It looks good and sounds normal for the roughest bit of dominance phase. The fact that they are hanging out in the same hay pile is very promising.
 
Morning update.
All appears calm enough in the pig shed this morning.
Watching via cam whilst eating breakfast we could see Noodle in one hay pile and Mr Pig in the other, we then watched Noodle work her way around the run to where Pig was, there seemed to be a bit of a stare off and then she chased him round for a moment then back to eating in separate hay piles.
I'm hoping this is all normal. 🤔🤞
 
Can I please ask more experienced people... How long should I expect it to take for them to settle?
There is no real nastiness, but I keep watching and I see Noodle seem to nip/chatter at Pig which then results in a chase around with him running away followed by being in the same hay piles at a distance but moving closer. I don't want her to be bullying him. Is this normal? Is she just asserting herself?
They are both eating, I've seen them both drinking and it doesn't appear to be happening all the time, I often check and they appear content. I know not to expect them to be all lovey dovey or always next to each other but want to be sure we are on the right track.
Their shed is warm enough and we have heat pads, so they still do not have any beds that could cause an issue, just lots of hay, should I continue like this for a few more days or do I risk adding things?
 
Claire W said:
It all sounds pretty normal to me, Noodle is asserting her dominance. I’d leave it another day or two and then try adding their things x
Click to expand...
Thank you Claire, I appreciate the reassurance. We're washing all the fleeces so hopefully they will smell less of each of them but I hope if I put a mix of both in that will work.
 
When I adopted Pretty Patsy, I was advised to rub something that smelt of her, Silver Fox Christian and Shy Little Meg around their new home to make it smell like all three of them so they were going into "their" territory. It helped to settle Patsy in a new setting.
 
Spaghetti & Noodles said:
Morning update.
All appears calm enough in the pig shed this morning.
Watching via cam whilst eating breakfast we could see Noodle in one hay pile and Mr Pig in the other, we then watched Noodle work her way around the run to where Pig was, there seemed to be a bit of a stare off and then she chased him round for a moment then back to eating in separate hay piles.
I'm hoping this is all normal. 🤔🤞
Click to expand...

That sounds like normal dominance for this stage. Noodle is just throwing her weight around a little but isn't really driving him away - just keeping him at the distance she is deeming appropriate. She'll relax gradually.

Right now, she is just making sure that Pig knows that all hay is hers to choose from and that he is eating it only by her sufferance.
 
Hello,

I just wanted to say I am on the same journey as you, and our pigs sound exactly the same in character.

I am about 4 weeks in my journey with bonding, and my sow still likes to nip & teeth chatter at the boar when she wants her own space, and her pick of the hide.

Ive been looking out for bites, fur pulling, escalating tensions, but it must be sow bossyness. 😅

Keep us updated on how it goes. 😃
 
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