Adding a third boar

PoppysPiggies

PoppysPiggies

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Hi everyone,

This is a hard decision to make, but I think I need to add a third boar into my bonded pair (I have attempted this before, with a different pair, resulting in me getting another pig so I had two separate pairs as it didn't go well).

Bramble (2ish yo)is very sick. He currently has a bacterial ear infection. He had another last year and also seems like he's had a stroke, with weakness on one side of the body.

He's been to the vets and is on antibiotics, but realistically, he is going to die before nutmeg (3yo, very healthy). When he's feeling a bit better, after this course of antibiotics, I think I need to add a third so that nutmeg will feel a bit less lost without bramble (they are an incredibly tightly bonded pair. They cry for eachother when they're apart).

Do you have any advice? I know a rescue near me that did boar dating to pair them in the first place, but the lady who runs it is very ill atm. I will ask, but the chances are that she won't be up to it. I'm in the north west if anyone knows any other good rescues.

I know three boars is a tricky combo, but I don't see another option. I hoped that if I got a very placid, younger one them they might get on. This is such a hard decision to make, because it is quite morbid, but it's what's best for nutmeg. Any advice at all is greatly appreciated

Thanks
 
My piggy had to wait a bit for a new friend last year after losing her sister and I was worried she'd become depressed. I hugely stepped up my interaction with her, patting her endlessly in the cage which she likes. She was fine, and she and I became very bonded which is nice.
 
PoppysPiggies said:
Hi everyone,

This is a hard decision to make, but I think I need to add a third boar into my bonded pair (I have attempted this before, with a different pair, resulting in me getting another pig so I had two separate pairs as it didn't go well).

Bramble (2ish yo)is very sick. He currently has a bacterial ear infection. He had another last year and also seems like he's had a stroke, with weakness on one side of the body.

He's been to the vets and is on antibiotics, but realistically, he is going to die before nutmeg (3yo, very healthy). When he's feeling a bit better, after this course of antibiotics, I think I need to add a third so that nutmeg will feel a bit less lost without bramble (they are an incredibly tightly bonded pair. They cry for eachother when they're apart).

Do you have any advice? I know a rescue near me that did boar dating to pair them in the first place, but the lady who runs it is very ill atm. I will ask, but the chances are that she won't be up to it. I'm in the north west if anyone knows any other good rescues.

I know three boars is a tricky combo, but I don't see another option. I hoped that if I got a very placid, younger one them they might get on. This is such a hard decision to make, because it is quite morbid, but it's what's best for nutmeg. Any advice at all is greatly appreciated

Thanks
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Hope Bramble pulls through 🤞
 
I’m sorry to hear he is unwell.
Has your vet said that bramble is not going to survive?

You are highly unlikely to find a reputable rescue who will help you attempt to bond a boar trio due to the incredibly high risk of failure.

If you plan to try this, you will most likely need to do it alone via getting a piggy on spec which would be a risk. You would need to ensure the cage is big enough for a boar trio - which is a cage giving each piggy at least one square metre of territory, so that is a cage measuring at least 3 metres by 1 metre. Plus a separation plan.
The issue is going to be that nutmeg may not want a new friend while bramble is still around coupled with the fact that a boar trio pretty much won’t work. You are likely to find that the newbie won’t be accepted while nutmeg and bramble are still together so you will still be in a position where one of them ends up having to live alone - likely a new piggy and if bought on spec from a pet shop he will be too young to be alone, so you could end up needing a fourth piggy, meaning if bramble does pass you’ve still got nutmeg living alone as he won’t be able to be bonded in with what may end up being the separate pair. Even if a new piggy you are considering getting now did not have his own new friend and lived as a neighbour to bramble and nutmeg (which if a new piggy is young and if bramble is likely to live quite a while yet, would be unfair on the new piggy), there is no guarantee nutmeg would bond with the new piggy after bramble passes If they were not to have character compatibility. If you attempted a trio (bramble, nutmeg and the new piggy) and nutmeg and the new piggy were to fight then they would never be able to be bonded at all in future, even after bramble passed.

I understand why you are considering this but in reality the safest thing to do is to bond nutmeg with a new character compatible friend after bramble has passed (if he is likely to pass) via bonding at a rescue, so that he can choose his own new friend.

I hope bramble recovers
 
Last edited:
Black piggies said:
My piggy had to wait a bit for a new friend last year after losing her sister and I was worried she'd become depressed. I hugely stepped up my interaction with her, patting her endlessly in the cage which she likes. She was fine, and she and I became very bonded which is nice.
Click to expand...
Piggies&buns said:
I’m sorry to hear he is unwell.
Has your vet said that bramble is not going to survive?

You are highly unlikely to find a reputable rescue who will help you attempt to bond a boar trio due to the incredibly high risk of failure.

If you plan to try this, you will most likely need to do it alone via getting a piggy on spec which would be a risk. You would need to ensure the cage is big enough for a boar trio - which is a cage giving each piggy at least one square metre of territory, so that is a cage measuring at least 3 metres by 1 metre. Plus a separation plan.
The issue is going to be that nutmeg may not want a new friend while bramble is still around coupled with the fact that a boar trio pretty much won’t work. You are likely to find that the newbie won’t be accepted while nutmeg and bramble are still together so you will still be in a position where one of them ends up having to live alone - likely a new piggy and if bought on spec from a pet shop he will be too young to be alone, so you could end up needing a fourth piggy, meaning if bramble does pass you’ve still got nutmeg living alone as he won’t be able to be bonded in with what may end up being the separate pair. Even if a new piggy you are considering getting now did not have his own new friend and lived as a neighbour to bramble and nutmeg (which if a new piggy is young and if bramble is likely to live quite a while yet, would be unfair on the new piggy), there is no guarantee nutmeg would bond with the new piggy after bramble passes If they were not to have character compatibility. If you attempted a trio (bramble, nutmeg and the new piggy) and nutmeg and the new piggy were to fight then they would never be able to be bonded at all in future, even after bramble passed.

I understand why you are considering this but in reality the safest thing to do is to bond nutmeg with a new character compatible friend after bramble has passed (if he is likely to pass) via bonding at a rescue, so that he can choose his own new friend.

I hope bramble recovers
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Just an update, thanks so much for the advice.

Unfortunately he died last night. The infection spread to his brain, he was having seizures and I had to let him go, such a hard decision to make.

Nutmeg will have a new friend by the end of the week (the rescue that I know is downsizing and not taking any more, she has no boys but does have a spayed sow who I will probably take). I feel like I'm replacing bramble far too fast, but it's what I need to do.

Thanks so much
 
Aw that's so sad. Fly high Bramble 🌈
How is Nutmeg? That's amazing you've maybe found him a friend so quickly, even if your heart isn't with a new piggy yet.
 
I’m so sorry for your loss it’s so hard losing a loved pet, I hope that all goes well with the bonding. Please keep us updated, sending hugs 🌸
 
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