Baby Refusing To Bond

[Bekialice]

Hiya, we have two adult sows (6 years old) and two baby sows (around 6 months).

When we attempted to bond at 3 months old, baby Luna took REALLY well to the adult pigs and brought new life into them. She's going on adventures all the time and cuddling them at night and the adults love her.

Blake did the opposite, she attacked my Wilma a few times leaving her with a infected bitten leg that she almost died from and cost a fortune in vets bills. And then a few weeks later, bite marks in her neck.

So I seperated the adults from the babies thinking she just didn't want to bond with Wilma for whatever reason, or that maybe wilma was bullying when I wasn't there.

But now Blake is going for Luna and bullying her a little. She's making Luna jumpy and noticably more miserable than she was with the adults.

I don't want to condemn Blake to a life alone, but she just refuses to get on with anyone and I don't want to keep Luna seperated from the pigs she prefers.

I've read the thread on biting and what to do, we've been trying with her for a month now and no change. She doesn't seem to bite in defence, my partner has seen her actively try and bite Luna on her side when she was under no threat or surprise. Luna always always backs down as well, so she's not even challenging the dominance.

What's the best thing to do for all piggos involved?

Ta
Xx

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Could you see how Blake is with your top sow (who is hopefully too dominant for Black to pull any shenanigans) and put Luna and Wilma together. At the worst, you may have to keep Blake alone with interaction through the bars or have her checked for hormonal issues (which you will have to see a specialist for)

I have got some piggies that are totally over the top fear aggressive with other piggies that they cannot dominate outright; but they are all either born to still very stressed mums that had been rescued from total hell holes not long before giving birth or they have had a traumatic first home/been kept alone.

Please take the time to read through these guides here, so you can judge how any bonding is going. my suspicion is that Blake is very insecure, so she is either very aggressive when not in control or a bully if she is.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow Behaviour
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next? (some of the advice applies to bullying/fear or really aggressive sows too)

 

[Bekialice]

Unfortunately Wilma is the top sow

I'll take her our exotic to see if there's anything they can do hormone wise.

I adopted her as a baby, the mother seemed alright and in good conditions so I'm not sure about that. Luna seems happy too and she was with the same mama.

Yeah it seems that way, we've been giving her extra love and cuddles and we've been teaching her to come and take veg off us nicely. Hasn't made a difference to how she is around the others though.

I was thinking, and please do tell me if this is a terrible idea, that maybe popping her in a seperate cage and getting her a neutered rescue boar? Would that have a good chance of working and making both pigs happy together or will that just end in disaster?

Thaks for your reply, I'll re-read through the articles now in case there's something I'm missing
X

Hi!

Could you see how Blake is with your top sow (who is hopefully too dominant for Black to pull any shenanigans) and put Luna and Wilma together. At the worst, you may have to keep Blake alone with interaction through the bars or have her checked for hormonal issues (which you will have to see a specialist for)

I have got some piggies that are totally over the top fear aggressive with other piggies that they cannot dominate outright; but they are all either born to still very stressed mums that had been rescued from total hell holes not long before giving birth or they have had a traumatic first home/been kept alone.

Please take the time to read through these guides here, so you can judge how any bonding is going. my suspicion is that Blake is very insecure, so she is either very aggressive when not in control or a bully if she is.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow Behaviour
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next? (some of the advice applies to bullying/fear or really aggressive sows too)

 

[Wiebke]

Unfortunately Wilma is the top sow

I'll take her our exotic to see if there's anything they can do hormone wise.

I adopted her as a baby, the mother seemed alright and in good conditions so I'm not sure about that. Luna seems happy too and she was with the same mama.

Yeah it seems that way, we've been giving her extra love and cuddles and we've been teaching her to come and take veg off us nicely. Hasn't made a difference to how she is around the others though.

I was thinking, and please do tell me if this is a terrible idea, that maybe popping her in a seperate cage and getting her a neutered rescue boar? Would that have a good chance of working and making both pigs happy together or will that just end in disaster?

Thaks for your reply, I'll re-read through the articles now in case there's something I'm missing
X

If she is like that with the top sow AND the bottom sow, I don't think trying a neutered boar at the moment is going to work, unless you get him with the option that he could else live with the other girls. I would however strictly go rescue dating, so you do not end up with a boar on spec and make it clear that Blake is a very difficult customer.

Take your time until there are some suitable neutered boars around.

I feel for you - sows can take tricky to another level compared to boars! I've currently got four bereaved older sows that will not accept another live-in mate, and will not accept each other, so they are going to live out their lives as live-alongside piggies... None of them is pining or depressed, so it is working in that respect, but after about 5 failed bondings each with all kinds of piggies I have given up!

 

[Bekialice]

If she is like that with the top sow AND the bottom sow, I don't think trying a neutered boar at the moment is going to work, unless you get him with the option that he could else live with the other girls. I would however strictly go rescue dating, so you do not end up with a boar on spec and make it clear that Blake is a very difficult customer.

Take your time until there are some suitable neutered boars around.

I feel for you - sows can take tricky to another level compared to boars! I've currently got four bereaved older sows that will not accept another live-in mate, and will not accept each other, so they are going to live out their lives as live-alongside piggies... None of them is pining or depressed, so it is working in that respect, but after about 5 failed bondings each with all kinds of piggies I have given up!

I was thinking of boar dating with rescues around the area. I know the RSPCA have got loads of neutered males so she could come along with me to meet them and see how she feels.
If it went badly, I could pop him with the other three ladies with no problems. They seem to be able to accept anyone happily.

Thing is, I'm going to have to seperate her from Luna now and we have a temporary hospital type cage she can go to but the C&C cage isn't big enough to have a seperate part for Blake and then the three other ladies. I'll have to build an extension upwards for her to live in but that'll completely isolate her from physically seeing the others.

I don't want to give up on her just yet, I'd feel so guilty if she has to live alone and I hadn't tried everything first.

Piggie politics is a tricky game!

Is there a rescue finder type thing for Manchester so I can have a look around and maybe talk to them about a boar?

Ta
x

 

[Wiebke]

I was thinking of boar dating with rescues around the area. I know the RSPCA have got loads of neutered males so she could come along with me to meet them and see how she feels.
If it went badly, I could pop him with the other three ladies with no problems. They seem to be able to accept anyone happily.

Thing is, I'm going to have to seperate her from Luna now and we have a temporary hospital type cage she can go to but the C&C cage isn't big enough to have a seperate part for Blake and then the three other ladies. I'll have to build an extension upwards for her to live in but that'll completely isolate her from physically seeing the others.

I don't want to give up on her just yet, I'd feel so guilty if she has to live alone and I hadn't tried everything first.

Piggie politics is a tricky game!

Is there a rescue finder type thing for Manchester so I can have a look around and maybe talk to them about a boar?

Ta
x

Unfortunately none of the Manchester rescues has made it onto our list of recommended rescues that provide good care and practices at every stage. We only put rescues there that we in can back in good conscience and don't have any major reservations about in any respect. Sadly, two good rescues in the Northwest have closed their doors over the course of the last last years.

 

[Bekialice]

Unfortunately none of the Manchester rescues has made it onto our list of recommended rescues that provide good care and practices at every stage. We only put rescues there that we in can back in good conscience and don't have any major reservations about in any respect. Sadly, two good rescues in the Northwest have closed their doors over the course of the last last years.

Oh that's sad, maybe I should open one in the future when I know a bit more and have a house .

I might drop the RSPCA a message and see if they allow dating