Bonding boars

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Emmaclay95

Emmaclay95

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Not sure if this is the right section for my querie but I'm going to go for it anyway,

I currently own two single boars, who were once a pair but fell out when the hormones kicked in! They're now 6 month old and have lived alone since June time this year. At the moment I'm in construction of a 6 foot by 8 foot shed which is going to be split down the middle and made into a guinea pig palace! When this is finished and my boys are settled in, I want to get them a new companion each as I don't believe they should have to live alone with such a long life ahead of them! Also there will be plenty of space in each side to house a pair of boars, so I figured why not add to my furry family! I was considering neutering and getting them a girlfriend each, however I'm nervous of them having an operation when it isn't medically necessary. So I have a few questions about introducing a new friend to my current lads!

Firstly, when doing my research I read that 'most pigs of all ages will accept a younger same sex friend between 6 and 9 week old'. Just wondering if this is the case or are my boys still dealing with too many hormones to accept a new pig?

Secondly, if I was to go ahead and bring a little one home, would I have to give them a settling in period before introducing to my boys or would it be better to introduce them straight away so they have a piggie to get comfort off when they're scared in their new surroundings?

When actually introducing, my common sense would tell me put them together with a divider between them to start with so that they can smell and get used to eachother? would this be the right thing to do? And in a place where neither pig has been before, right?

And that's everything for now I think! Any other advice is obviously more than welcome! Appreciate any replies in advance :-)
 
Boars are tricky characters i only have boars and till they reach 15-18 months they can be a nightmare. I have had no problem with introducing a baby to an adult but obviously you need to be aware that as the baby matures they could fall out, happened to me and the baby just doesn't like other piggies, prefers his own company. The general consensus is an older boar will readily accept a baby of 6 weeks old, obviously there are exceptions but it usually works.

Obviously it depends where you get the baby from rescue is best as they have been quarantined and will be disease free, from anywhere else you run the risk of passing on infections. If you haven't done it before you would be better off going to a reputable rescue and let them pair the boars up either with a baby or with a young or older adult, they will put them together in a neutral area and know if its going to work. I know what i'm doing when it comes to males as only ever had males and introduced a fair few over the years but in that time I've experienced a lot and trickier piggies I take to a rescue to date them. You don't need a divider just a neutral area, a large pile of hay and patience. You can read body language when you know your boys. You can expect rumbling, mounting and occasionally a little teeth chattering but it should die down after a short period. After half and hour if there has been no fights its a good sign but you need to keep a close eye on them. After a few hours I will try then in a neutral cage and again watch them, the first night is the test, I always put two of everything in to save arguement. Again I advise going to a rescue if you can saves you a lot of stress in the long run :)
 
Thank you so much! I would LOVE to give boar dating a try but there are no guinea pig rescue near where I live! As far as I am aware, anyway, there are none close by on the approved rescue list on here. It's a shame as I would also love to give a piggy a second chance and a forever home! I had boars as a child and have done countless research on boar behaviour now I have sooty and sweep, I believe I can read their body language quite well! Thanks again for the help very useful info :)
 
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