Bonding..again! Pls reply even if to answer just one question! :-s

[Alan&Barry]

Hey all,

As some of you know I am trying to bond Alan and Oscar....

Can anyone tell me if what's happening is normal?

Oscar and Alan are still chasing each other round in circles and Alan, I think, gets a bit fed up as Oscar is younger and has so much energy. He won't nibble him as he is so gentle but kicks him off. Then Oscar tries to put his mouth/nose right up is Alan's as if he is smalling his mouth then Alan lifts his head right up and opens his mouth (but no teeth are showing).

So I sit there watching all anxious and then they both slump down next to each other and sort of cuddle up.....

What the heck is going on?! They have been in together for about 3 weeks now and the other wheeks when the other comes out for a bit.

Alan has always been vey placid and laid back but is slightly more so. I don't think Oscar is bullying him but he is definitely getting more happy to come out of the cage.

Is it OK to have them out for an hours or so separately to give them a break from each other? Only each time I do this Oscar mounts Alan straight away trying to gain dominance!

To be honest I don't even think I know who is the dominant one yet. Alan kind of won't back down and kicks Oscar off but Alan can't even get a leg up on Oscar, oh is this normal and when will it, if ever, subside?

 

[flintstones]

I can only answer based on my experience, I had a boy called Marvin he was introduced to Fred at 10 weeks old, Fred was 18 months.

After the initial introduction they seemed to get on well, I never saw any mounting and I was fairly certain Marvin was dominant. Fred never mounted him. The lifting the head is nose off's, by opening his mouth he is showing his teeth - a reminder he's not scared to use them. The pig who get his head highest wins the nose off.

Marvin and Fred would lunge but it would quickly settle down. I then noticed scabs appearing on Fred - his flanks and rump there was no chattering from the cage and at this point they had settled right down.

I then noticed Fred would jump out Marvin way, and it became apparent Marvin was stopping Fred move freely round his cage. It ended with a full scale attack, luckily I was there to stop them after that it was game over.

During the whole time they where together I rarely heard a chatter but that was because Marvin just chose to bite and miss out the normal dominance routine.

Please do keep a close eye - because sometime's all is not as it seems.

 

[Sharon.Mackay]

Hi, it all sounds normal to me. My 6 week old annoys the heck out of 4 month old Jem, all the things you mention and more but then they play chase and curl up together. The baby is learning and curious about everything Jem does, if Jem is eating spike wants to know what he is eating, if Jem is sniffing spike wants to know what he has found, etc etc. I'm not sure about the mouth sniffing thing but it sounds innocent enough, possible just curiousity.
Having them out seperately is fine, so long as the other doesnt seem distressed whilst they are apart. And the humping when he goes back is fine too, my 2 year old boys still do this. When Ted has been away fom Dougal he gets a good humping when he gets back! Its just to remind him who's boss.
Try not to worry and enjoy your piggies