Boars: Slugs and Snails and Bunny Rabbit Tails

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teadragon

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Love them or avoid them, boys are the rough-and-tumble pairings of the guinea pig world and are often shunned by new and experienced owners who are frightened of finding themselves with multiple pairings or even singles after a disruptive introduction.

I've paired three pairs of boys together without problem, and last night (3/6/09) I added a third boy into my already happily co-existing boar pair.

How I did it:
  • I used the bathroom; neutral territoriy and the bathroom itself is big enough that they could suitably exhaust themselves if they decided to chase each other rolleyes
  • Lots of food spread out over the floor (which was covered in fleece to make it easier to clean afterwards and to stop them sliding on tiles)
  • A huge mound of "good hay" (Orchard Grass - they go nuts for it compared to meadow hay) - both to distract and toss at them if they'd become grumpy with each other.
  • NO hidey holes so there was nothing they could feel a need to defend
  • boyToy who would separate them in feed be :p and laptop for recording

I approached the introduction expecting them to display enough recordable behaviour that would make then entire introduction educational to new owners. boyToy and I both expected an escalation to teeth chattering and perhaps a back-off period. Unfortunately yet fortunately for me who has to live with them, nothing escalated beyond rumblestrutting and "I can lift my head higher than you."

If anything, they can the poster children for a "BOARS BEHAVING GOODLY" campaign. xx>>>

Video One

The first 20/40minute introduction condensed into 5-minutes of mild bickering.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVkqBp3D-Rw[/ame]


Video Three

Note: the cage I am using is UNDER the minimum recommended size for three boars. This cage was thrown together because I had begun to feel ill toward the end of the introductions and wanted to quickly settle the boys before I went to bed. A second level will be added sometime very soon.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq3o1P-5Yz0[/ame]
 
that is awesome i have always believed it can be done Boris was living with Smokey and Bandit for a whole day happily until he got his splint on with no fighting or grumpiness,welldone to you for finally proving it so new owners can see it does work xxxxxx
 
Lucky you! I hope the peace is still holding.

It depends on the character mix of the boys, I guess. The problem is that you should only try it where you have the facilities to separate permanently, if necessary, or do the bonding for long enough BEFORE you take the new boy home!

But that was one of gentlest bondings I've ever come across!
 
Vickyt said:
Lucky you! I hope the peace is still holding.

It depends on the character mix of the boys, I guess. The problem is that you should only try it where you have the facilities to separate permanently, if necessary, or do the bonding for long enough BEFORE you take the new boy home!

But that was one of gentlest bondings I've ever come across!
Click to expand...

Today Cashew is being a little bit grumpier than usual, he's normally quite a skittish pig but has taken to walking out from hiding whenever he feels the need to put everyone back in their place even if I'm standing by the cage. Still no teeth chattering which is great! Everyone seems to be humouring Cashew and moving on when rumbled at, newPig seems to be doing the right thing and staying out of his way and Koda is doing what he normally does and nipping at Cashew's sides whenever Cashew decides to mount his face. BOYS!

I must admit that I feel quite sorry for those who post woeful messages about their two boys who are bickering since I've never had problems with pairing. Perhaps I just attract the perfect boys who will get along together -- perhaps I've just been super lucky... or maybe it's the Scottish whisky I keep lacing into their water BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!**

I think I mainly feel sorry because I have that "Well, I've never had a problem" complex which is fundamentally unfair. Perhaps I should make a note to say: I've never had a problem YET that would warrant separating boars off into pairs. We're always learning :)

**Joke, joke, joke - never put whisky into your piggies water!
 
What handsome piggies you have. The black and white piggie reminds me of my bob who i lost a couple of years ago. I have two boars who most definetly do not get along and I sustained several serious bites trying to bond them. They now live in seperate cages which is a shame but the second they get a whiff of each other they start teeth chattering. I must try the whisky in the water tip!
 
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First of all, I would like to say that I had no idea that I baby-talk to my pigs as often as I do. I remember reading that talking in a higher pitch is better understood by the little wheekers though, so I'm going to hide my dignity behind that uncertain fact ;)

The boys are still getting along. Cashew is a jerk every so often and seems to delight in reminding the other two that he's manlier than them. I think the reason there hasn't been any fights in the cage is that Koda and Mimic (the name of new pig) don't seem to really care unless Cashew attempts to mount them.

Cashew and Koda still seem as bonded as they were before the introduction of Mimic. I'm not sure if Mimic doesn't snuggle up with Koda and Cashew when they're sleeping because he's still unsure of them or if it's because they won't let him... in saying that, he's lying by them just now except hidden beneath the fiddle sticks as opposed to beside them. I guess that's pretty close, though. I just hope I haven't paired Mimic with a bonded pair who just tolerate him.

Anyway, today as I mentioned in another post my boys had floor time in the living room in the sun :) I took a video to show you all the tranquillity of the cage during feeding time... except the hostility directed at me as I made them work (come to me/ take from my hand) for their veggies. This is a taming exercise I use to remind Cashew who is a naturally skitterish pig that he's not yet fat enough for me to cook so really he has no need to fear me ;) It's also helpful to encourage Koda to approach me, something Mimic is demonstrating very well.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEwDzFILu30[/ame]

Note: recognise the fleece, LOL!
 
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I'm another one guilty of high pitch baby talk... Although I call it piggy-pidgin, to preserve my dignity! Could have been me in that video!
 
About two weeks after the introduction and there's still been no bickering. Believe it or not but that's what's concerning me.

The new guinea pig is... strange. He seems very focused on humans and if I speak to him he'll instantly begin to creep toward me. When Cashew is rumblestrutting he doesn't push either Koda or Mimic away from food but does seem to be determined to let the other two know he's there.

Today, keeping in mind I have laced their food with extra vitamin C today, Mimic seems completely disinterested in the veggies. I've already noticed that he doesn't get excited about anything except lettuce and green beans (even last night's apple treat was abandoned in favour of lettuce while my two gorged themselves) he has only just begun to search for veggies to eat after sitting in a corner watching me. Perhaps he just isn't motivated by veggies... he was the same while in quarantine but, I dunno, it just seems odd.

I'm planning on changing their routine and sticking to this one. My current routine for them goes off center since I tend to work until 5am which throws my sleeping pattern off.
 
it still sounds like your doing well despite your worry,most people can't acheive a boar trio so you have done a great job, i hope you sort out little Mimic's vege problem x
 
We're taking Mimic to the vet to make sure that him isolating himself every so often isn't because he's sick. He isn't looking too hot just now, too and is pretty hunched and disinterested.

:(
 
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