What's he up to?

[Nic bee]

Hello, can I have some advise please about my new piggie!
I had 2 boars from young for 3 years, they never cuddled up but tolerated each other and stayed close when somewhere other than their cage. I lost one to rainbow bridge before Christmas and got my lonely piggie a buddy from a local rescue but my new piggie "Spud" is crackers! Hes 3.5 yrs old and is a neutered boar, he's so so brave but Hayes to be touched (although with patient handling is improving). However he rumbles all the time! In a freshly cleaned out cage he'll walk round and round rumbling, in his run, when I put him back in his cage after a cuddle. I can't let him run round my bedroom like I can with "tink" because he constantly rumbles, sprays and wipes his glands on my carpet! He even starts rumbling at a handful of fresh hay and teddies in his cage. He rumbles when he's alone in his cage and when "tinks" there. Tink ignores spuds rumbling almost completely, if spud gets in his face he will chase him off chattering and spud runs away like crazy.. I'm certain tink is the dominant one but no idea why spud acts so dominant but doesn't actually ever challenge tink?
They've been together 3 months now and most of the time seem happy together but I'm worried they'll have a big blow out one day?

 

[Deleted member 131797]

My boy rumbles all the time, shoving things out of the way, turning pigloos upside down, you name it. He does it when he’s happy but he doesn’t popcorn a lot anymore as he got a bit older. He doesn’t have to be dominant towards his cage mate as she doesn’t challenge him at all, but he does it anyway, usually as soon as I walk into their room. Maybe he’s trying to dominate me, I don’t know, but it seems happy behaviour rather than anything to worry about...

 

[Betsy]

Christian rumbles almost constantly. He is saying to the girlies "look at me I'm a big handsome boar and I love you. do you love me too?" To Dennis he is saying "I am a big handsome boar and don't challenge me" I have the highly unsual (and not at all recommended) situation of 2 boars living happily with 3 sows mainly cos nobody has told them it shouldn't work. It only works cos the Top piggy is VERY dominant and at any sign of trouble she is there sorting it and the boys are so laid back they are almost horizontal.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, can I have some advise please about my new piggie!
I had 2 boars from young for 3 years, they never cuddled up but tolerated each other and stayed close when somewhere other than their cage. I lost one to rainbow bridge before Christmas and got my lonely piggie a buddy from a local rescue but my new piggie "Spud" is crackers! Hes 3.5 yrs old and is a neutered boar, he's so so brave but Hayes to be touched (although with patient handling is improving). However he rumbles all the time! In a freshly cleaned out cage he'll walk round and round rumbling, in his run, when I put him back in his cage after a cuddle. I can't let him run round my bedroom like I can with "tink" because he constantly rumbles, sprays and wipes his glands on my carpet! He even starts rumbling at a handful of fresh hay and teddies in his cage. He rumbles when he's alone in his cage and when "tinks" there. Tink ignores spuds rumbling almost completely, if spud gets in his face he will chase him off chattering and spud runs away like crazy.. I'm certain tink is the dominant one but no idea why spud acts so dominant but doesn't actually ever challenge tink?
They've been together 3 months now and most of the time seem happy together but I'm worried they'll have a big blow out one day?

Spud is just a boarly boar, and obviously of the kind I call 'rumble-singers'.
Rumble-strutting is not just dominance/measuring up with other boars/impressing sows, it can also be just an expression of being a happy man.

He also loves to mark any new territory (since he is the new kid on the block), which all piggies do, sows too to add his scent to the group smell that shows who lives there. Testosterone is excreted via peeing, so even a neutered boar can still generate quite an impressive stink when meeting girls. The scent gland is located on the underside near the genitalia, that is why you see piggies wiping their bottoms on any freshly cleaned surfaces as well as having little pees everywhere in order to put up house number and garden fences again.

 

[Nic bee]

Thank you so much everyone, it's great to know it's just normal healthy piggie behaviour! After having a pair of unneutered boys for 3 years who hardly ever rumbled this seemed so strange to me. I'll relax a little now and enjoy listening to them!
Hes healthy, seems happy and is putting on weight.
Thanks again X