Bonding advive please!

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Claire1973

Claire1973

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I have three sows - A mum called Pigwig - she is about 1 year old now and came to me preganant at only 3 months old she had two little girls - Treacle and Boo. Anyway - all three have an indoor double cage. Boo was the runt - very weak when she was born and Treacle bullies her. I have been given a neutered boar from the rescue my daughter works for to try with them - so see if he can settle thier differences! :)) I introduced them over the weekend and Treacle LOVES him xoxox) lots of very happy grooming and showing off, but Pigwig is NOT happy. She has been squaring up to him, walking sideways at him wiggling her bum and barrring her teeth - they were together all afternoon yesterday on neutral territory of course, and she kept him in a corner all the time. He is a young pig - about a year old if that but very cheeky and confident - he did reataliate and once there was a fight where Pigwig flew at him. No blood was drawn and they seperated quickly, but there was a LOT of noise , clucking and squealing all afternoon so I have now put him in a seperate cage with Treacle.... they seem happy together....

Please someone advise me here ..... should I persevere with them all as a group or be content with them as two seperate pairs? Pigwig doesnt bully her girls at all... but will she eventually settle with the new boy ( no name yet!) and would they be happier overall as a group than in pairs? It was stressfull to watch them all I just dont know how long it would continue. :(
 
I would suggest bathing them together and seeing if that helps at all. If after that they are still the same maybe you could make two groups. Although that sounds sad at least the little one will stop being picked on. Good luck with it all.
 
filmed them together - Pigwig doing a proper rumblestrut!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lno_AJU_G8g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lno_AJU_G8g[/ame]

Pretty uneventful video but you will see Pigwig doing what I explained in the first few mins - she is the big scruffy piggie with a ginger face! New boy is the little brown smooth hair pig with white blaze down his face. Boo is all white with a black face and Treacle is the Tri- coloured smooth hiar girl. :))
 
I think maybe pigwig is feeling like her place in the herd is being threatened and is trying to show shes the boss, i have 8 sows who are very happy together but i think if i added a Boar now it would be extremely stressful for them all, you obviously have a reason to try tho so i would agree bathe them and keep trying if theres no blood then theres no real reason to stop and it sounds like boo is in love x)
 
Thanks - am going to bath them all now! :... Treacle and Boo both seem to like him! Pigwig is keeping them all at arms length for now though - she is hearding them all round like a sheep dog! just put in a heap of fresh dandelion leaves as well.. I agree though - if this isnt going to work I will seperate into pairs. When Treacle was on her own with him she made a cooing noise like a pigeon!? Never heard that before but I guessed it meant she was happy?!?/
 
I agree with piggyfan, bath them and try again. My two boars are always scrapping but in between they get on fine so i just leave them to it. Good luck :)
 
So far so good...

After a bath together in some Gorgeous Guineas shampoo which the all hated ;) and then a hairdryer which they hated even more.... all is going well! put back onto a fresh clean towel without any of the toys or hidey stools and just a heap of leaves and hay in the middle.... lots of contented noises and munching and just an odd teeth chattering by Pigwig at him but seems the bath has helped at least detract from the main event! I have found some lavendar in the garden and rubbed my hands on it then stroked them all so they all smell divine... supposed to have a calming influence.. ;);)

Of to clean the cage with white vinegar solution now... fingers crossed...
 
update!

fantastic news! :)) All four piggies are settled now and Pigwig has really calmed down with the new pig. His name is Iggle! :)) ( geddit? Iggle Piggle!) I am so pleased - he is definatley boss and seems to follow Boo around alot ( nose to her bum?) she doesnt really like this and squeaks her annoyance as she runs away.. but I think its just that he likes her! Its lovely to see them all happily nomming away at thier veggies, I'm so chuffed that I stuck with it! :-)
 
Great news. I just put my neutered boy in with a pair of girlies this weekend, and they ADORE each other. Boy pig got a bit excited at times and followed the girls around nose to bum, but after a few swift kicks to the face he has left them well alone! They are cuddled up together eating hay at the moment :)
 
I am worried about my three, they woke me up at 4 this morning with some kind of argument. The girls won't let Henry under the fleece they sit underneath and he sits on top.....

Henry chases Honey and she turns on him a fair bit, there has been no blood yet tho. How long is too long to let this go on for. They all eat together although Honey is very nervous of everything again (she was getting better)

thanks for any opinions
 
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