Bonding help please

[MrPiggles]

Hi,

We took our recently bereaved sow speed dating and we have reserved a neutered boar who she seemed the most matched with. After a failed bond with another sow we really want this to work out. Would you suggest we keep them in separate cages for a couple of days first? We have two 6x2 C&cs. With gradual short interactions? I have read the guides but just want to make sure I do everything right. I have also read about fully neutralising the spaces before attempting bonding. Thanks!

 

[Siikibam]

Gradual interactions can be stressful for piggies. So you need to introduce - on neutral territory - and see it through to conclusion. Whether it’s a pass or fail. Also bear in mind that bonding can continue for up to two weeks.

Is your girl now back home alone, or is she at the rescue and being housed with the boar she chose? If she is then they need to go in together once home. If not then you may need to do the bonding again on neutral ground (I think). Either way the cage needs thoroughly cleaning out before you put them in together.

It’s not what you want, but if it fails then they can live side by side in separate cages.

I’ll tag @PigglePuggle @Piggies&buns as I’m not too sure on the circumstances of speed dating and whether they need to be put together straight away or re-introduced.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,

We took our recently bereaved sow speed dating and we have reserved a neutered boar who she seemed the most matched with. After a failed bond with another sow we really want this to work out. Would you suggest we keep them in separate cages for a couple of days first? We have two 6x2 C&cs. With gradual short interactions? I have read the guides but just want to make sure I do everything right. I have also read about fully neutralising the spaces before attempting bonding. Thanks!

Hi!

If they have met before and they have vibed well, I would give them a few hours or a night in a divided bonding pen to allow the boar to get his bearings and then do the full bonding on a day or weekend you have all day to observe. I have found that it is better to leave piggies overnight in the bonding pen with or without (boar pairs always without) a divider than to transfer them to the cage too soon.

Gradual intros with meetings lasting only as long as a piggy with fear-aggression issues can bear are just for the case an insecure piggy has a tendency to overeact but they require ability to read and judge the body language very well in order to make the right judgment; otherwise they are rather counterproductive as a negative response is generally rather firmed up than softened in subsequent meetings in my own experience. Once you have decided to ride the tiger, you have stay on board!

Please take the time to carefully read our illustrated step by step bonding guide, which is taking you through all stages of the complex bonding process with the attendant typical behaviours and dynamics from the run up until the end of the post-intro dominance phase, which lasts around 2 weeks with pictures and some videos. It is about as comprehensive and practical as we could make it!
Here is the link: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[MrPiggles]

Thanks so much! Our girl is home and we hope to collect Eddie on Weds. Gives me time to sort everything out. When you say bonding pen, you mean a cage that won't be there normal cage? So glad I have ample c&c grids and bases to play with :o !

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes a bonding pen needs to be neutral territory - somewhere your girl doesn’t normally go.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks so much! Our girl is home and we hope to collect Eddie on Weds. Gives me time to sort everything out. When you say bonding pen, you mean a cage that won't be there normal cage? So glad I have ample c&c grids and bases to play with :o !

As stated in our bonding guide (it IS comprehensive and worth reading!), you can use anything to make a pen from using a lawn run (especially a panelled one, to spare C&C grids, to a small room with no nooks and crannies to your bathtub or shower base (with a large towel or two for grip in a pinch.