boars fighting after switching to vetbed

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KaitRoo

KaitRoo

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As a few of you know I was getting tired of the mess and mass waste of sawdust so I switched over to vetbed at the weekend. The pigs are loving its softness!

My only problem is that my two boars Robin and Pablo have been flying at each other and teeth chattering about 80% more since the vetbed has gone in. They always had moments on occasion but now it's getting pretty serious. The only other thing that is different is that I've given them a new wooden bridge in their cage.

Just wondering if anyone else has experience this with any of their pigs after making a bedding change?
 
Sometimes males can take offence to changes and they have to sort out whose in charge again as their scents gone. I would try taking the wooden bridge out and let them get used to the vet bed see if it quietens things down. Have you any of their old bedding that smells like them?
 
Not really it's all gone out in the waste :( I thought it might be a scent thing so last night I put their hay tunnel back in as that will have their scent, I'll take the wooden bridge out now and see how they get on. Pablo is currently bunking on the plastic ledge and Robin is under it, quiet for the moment thankfully! Will keep you posted, I'm hoping they'll sort it out as I don't really want to split them xx vetbed going well so far, am liking it but we let you know after a week ;) x
 
Thanks, they're both still quite young (5 months) so I think territory is quite a big thing for them, especially as I've got girls too who they can probably smell from time to time. Will keep you posted :) x
 
Update: I've taken out their plastic ledge (which I placed back in after putting in the new vetbed) and there seems to be improvement in their squabbling.
 
Thanks guinea pig slave! it's been years since I've had boars and when we did used to have them we never had problems with fighting. Will keep you updated, I'm hoping they'll settle and let the brotherly love shine through ;) x
 
Young hormonal piggies are stupid so something like a new ledge or toy could set off a strop. Hopefully they will calm down again :)
 
Sorry to hear you've been having these problems. My pair of young boars (7 months & 10 months) had a complete crisis when we put the ledge & some fleece goodies in their cage rolleyes so we had to go back to basics with their environment. Basically at the moment, if they can't share nicely then they can't have it! The only thing they are ok with just now is a great big cardboard roll to run through (that we sometimes stuff with hay when they are a bit argue-ish so they each go at one end & try to eat their way through!) & their little fleece beds made by the very clever bsjlmb on here. They had a wooden ramp made into a tunnel shape but that became a flash-point so that's out too. Hopefully over the next year they will calm down enough to maybe get a more interesting set-up again but for now it's just not worth it for them.

I expect your boys are busy scenting all over ther vet bed & trying to make it smell all lovely of themselves. You might find that every time you wash it & change it over they go through a bit of the same thing again.

Hopefully they will settle down soon xx
 
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