Would my boars be happier with sows?!

[Gus&Arlo]

Hi guys.

I spose this is more of a general question about what sort of set up would be closest to what is natural for piggies!

I posted a while back that I was worried about my boars who seemed to be displaying some of the more extreme dominance behaviours/bordering on fighting - that lasted about 24 hours and I think was due to a hormone surge! They seem to have been fine ever since, they have the occasional normal boar dominance battles (rumbling, humping and squealing!) but it’s never anything more extreme than that.

But I guess I don’t necessarily notice my two having any positive interactions with eachother? It seems they mostly ignore/tolerate eachother or are displaying dominance behaviours to eachother.

What do 2 guinea pigs with a good bond look like? I’ve read they may groom eachother etc but my piggies don’t do that at all.

Would a boar be happiest with sows? I wondered if they may both have happier lives seperated and I could rescue some sows in need of homes from the rescue so they each have a little herd, as I assume multiple sows to one boar is more akin to what would be the most natural set up for pigs?

I was also reading that bigger groups of boars (8+) work, and I know there are lots of rescues overrun with boars in need of homes but I have real fears of fights breaking out amongst that many boars… would it really work?! Would boars be happy in big groups of other boars?

I’m not desperate for more piggies but I have lots of room and if I felt I could help other piggies in need of a good home, and my boys would be happier that way then it’s something I would absolutely consider. But equally if they would be happiest together just the two of them, then that’s how I would want them to stay.

Any thoughts/opinions?

 

[Piggies&buns]

If they aren’t fighting and are having normal dominance then that is positive interaction and they are happy together! It’s a myth that they groom each other a lot or that they sleep together - most simply don’t! It doesn’t mean there is any issue with their bond at all!

If you wish to neuter them, separate them and get a sow each then that’s fine but it doesn’t sound like there is any need to do so unless you want more piggies.
What you cannot do is keep both boars together and add sows into the cage - that is an utter recipe for disaster, it will cause fights and ruin bonds.

Boar herds - well, they can work but only if every single piggy is character matched. The issue is that you would need around 10 boars and the slightest upset could derail the whole thing - you risk having multiple single piggies who may never go back together again.
You would also need an astronomical amount of space - it’s at least one square metre per piggy, so a boar herd of 10 needs at least 10 square metres plus separation possibilities into multiple pairs or singles if it all fell apart.

My advice - don’t touch what isn’t broken! Your boys sound absolutely normal and absolutely fine!

 

[Gus&Arlo]

Ok, makes sense!

I try and read up as much as possible, but sometimes the more I read the more I see things that make me question their behaviour so glad to clear the myth about them grooming eachother up!

I worry about neutering them regardless because (bless them) they are both such anxious piggies I think putting them through that unnecessarily would really upset them so unless it was a case of them having a bond breaking fight and I want to put them with sows, OR they were deeply unhappy together and would prefer being with sows then I’d rather not put them through that.

Glad they seem happy! Thanks for all your help, as always

 

[Wiebke]

Ok, makes sense!

I try and read up as much as possible, but sometimes the more I read the more I see things that make me question their behaviour so glad to clear the myth about them grooming eachother up!

I worry about neutering them regardless because (bless them) they are both such anxious piggies I think putting them through that unnecessarily would really upset them so unless it was a case of them having a bond breaking fight and I want to put them with sows, OR they were deeply unhappy together and would prefer being with sows then I’d rather not put them through that.

Glad they seem happy! Thanks for all your help, as always

Hi

When it comes to boars, if they get on and there are no fights, please leave be.

What you are falling prey of are social media logarhythms and human interest: who wants to see videos pictures of boars sleeping in different places and just eating together? Yet that is perfectly normal and perfectly fine. With online information you have to always balance your perspective: What you get is all the horror stories, miracle cures and supposedly surefire magic tricks (which usually don't work) and all the 'cutesy' human interest stuff. What you do NOT get is the all the boring normality of problem-free recoveries and every adult piggy life.

What the internet (unlike this forum) cannot do for you is to grade and qualify the available information. Reality online is never reality in life. It is something that is very obvious for us who have grown up without social media and even the internet but it can make life really difficult for the generation who lacks that corrective and cause them unnecessary problems if they are not aware of the pitfalls. There are too many self-nominated 'experts' out there whose credential and depth of knowledge you cannot judge.

What we recommend or warn against on here has been tested out and the feedback is taken into consideration. We are building our own information on precedent and real experiences we see on here. After nearly 20 years of forum existence and - in some cases - personal ownership going back half a century this gives us a width and depth of material to base our advice on that you won't find elsewhere. But even here we have to make allowance for the fact that we are usually contacted over problems.
Our own long term ownership experience does of course help us in that respect with having the necessary long term corrective.

We also have quite a few member blogs (including boar owners) in the Chat section who may help you with gaining this grounding in normality and your confidence as an owner as a part of our friendly and supportive community.

You are of course always welcome to ask any questions on here but I hope that this helps you to understand better where your problem arises from?

Constant grooming is actually often either a sign of an emotional dependency (it is normal for a newly bonded baby) or - if it is an a certain place - as an owner you may want to check it in case there is a problem there. Cavy saliva is mildly antibiotic. Occasionally you see it as moral support in frail elderlies it serves as a mutual affirmation of their bond after a particularly wild season. But is not something that you routinely see in perfectly happy and solid pair or group bonds.

 

[Freela]

I've got sows instead, but I can say in over a decade of piggie owning with multiple bonded pairs I have really seldom seen them groom each other. The times when I have are mainly restricted to new introductions when a new pig has been accepted, or times when a pig has been gone for a significant amount of time and comes home smelling different (usually after a longer vet visit with anesthesia.) I've had some pigs who will share a hidey to sleep at night, but I've also had pairs where one or both is really not into sharing space this way, and even the ones who shared at night typically wanted their own space during the day. Pigs are social animals but definitely also like personal space- my current pair get along very well but if I see them huddled up together, it's because something scared them. I think your boys sound perfectly fine- living harmoniously without fights is piggy affection in action!

 

[Ramia]

I notice my guinea pigs chat to each other but don't really groom each other or cuddle. They rumble strut a lot but they don't fight.

Still, when one is out of the cage, the other looks for him and squeaks like he is worried.

One will sometimes rub his friend with his chin, but Stripe doesn't actually like that, he rumbles.