Would lots of change make 2 boars fight?

[chilliandcoco]

We've got two boars who are 9 months old. They've always been fine, and were outdoors all through summer. We went away for a fortnight and they went to a guinea pig hotel (!) for two weeks. (They went there in the summer for a week - outdoors - and were fine. This time they were indoors because it's getting blinking cold!) They've been back home for four days, and we've got them in an indoor cage. It's not as big as the upstairs/downstairs outdoor hutch that they're used to, but still, it's quite a fair size.

This afternoon they started really squabbling; jumping on each other and generally strutting around trying to be top dog. That'll last a couple of minutes, then they'll settle down (either together or apart). It's very weird. I read the sticky message about boars (which is EXCELLENT, and completely invaluable to a first time pig owner like me!). We've borrowed a friend's dog cage and cleaned it up and linked it to the pigs' cage, to make a bigger cage; it's very temporary of course, but we're hoping that the extra space will help. We've also doubled up on food bowls, water, etc, as the sticky recommended!

Is it best just to see how it goes? Could it be the smaller space, the guinea pig hotel, lots of change going on?

Based on what I've read on here it seems that we've done what we can and shouldn't be too freaked out by our fighting boys. But still. We're new piggie-parents and are a bit worried at these teenage boys!

Thanks

Maria

 

[Beautifulmess]

I adopted two well bonded boars from Doncastor and within a week of having them they'd fought, drawn blood and were seperated for life. It might be that the traveling in a small box (it was quite big but still not a cage lol) and then being transferred to somewhere with new pig smells and new human smells disturbed them, not to mention Mali was coming into his own. I do hope you get everything sorted, ours were in what i think is the biggest cage you can get for indoor. x

 

[katiepops]

When boars are put into a new environment it's a neutral territory so they have to start all over again to work out who's boss. They will hopefully settle down soon. Two of everything helps, two bowls etc and an entrance an exit to everything!
Good luck x

 

[chilliandcoco]

Thanks!

Thanks - I came downstairs this morning worried about what I might find! But they seem OK: they've been rumbling at each other a bit, but mostly they seem fine. I think having the extra big cage has helped, and doubling everything up; funny boys. So, fingers crossed, and thanks for the advice/reassurance!


Maria