Bonding help

[laura_dungar]

I got a new Guinea pig for my boar as his other companion sadly passed away, I didn’t want him to be a lonely piggy as he is only 10months old.

On 21st December I started the bonding process with a new young piggy (male) in a neutral environment and it went really well. They were getting on, and they really enjoyed each others company, until a few days ago.

My 10month old is really hating the younger one, he keeps chasing him, teeth chattering and blocking him in a corner, the little one has become so terrified of him. We had to separate them as it got so aggressive (no blood was drawn) It’s so unlike him as he’s normally really friendly.

The new younger piggy keeps wheeking making noises as he really likes another pigs company, and obviously now they are separated it won’t happen.

I need advice on what on earth to do, as at the minute I have one in a ferplast cage and one in a bluebell hutch. We have tried to get them back together but he’s not having any of it.

Is there any signs I need to look out for if the 10month is unwell? Or could he have just turned and suddenly not want company from another pig.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.
If you have tried to reunite them and it has failed, then sadly that is him giving his answer and he does not want to be with him.
It does not mean he does not want company at all though - it means these two are most likely incompatible.

How old is the younger piggy?

Sadly it happens like this. My two youngest piggies were together around 10 weeks and suddenly turned on each other. They also live separated side by side now.

 

[laura_dungar]

I’m sorry to hear this.
If you have tried to reunite them and it has failed, then sadly that is him giving his answer and he does not want to be with him.
It does not mean he does not want company at all though - it means these two are most likely incompatible.

How old is the younger piggy?

Sadly it happens like this. My two youngest piggies were together around 10 weeks and suddenly turned on each other. They also live separated side by side now.

I’m unsure of his exact age but around 4-5months.
I don’t understand what could have changed in him so much, as I’ve never seen him so feisty.
What hutch/cage do you have for both your pigs ? And do they go outside in the summer at all?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m unsure of his exact age but around 4-5months.
I don’t understand what could have changed in him so much, as I’ve never seen him so feisty.
What hutch/cage do you have for both your pigs ? And do they go outside in the summer at all?

Ok, so you’ve got two teenage boars. Around 9-10 months there is another hormone spike, so this may also explain his feistiness.

When a pair of boars get like yours have, we advise a separation. With teens it can allow hormones to settle.
If there has not been a full on fight, a neutral territory reintroduction can be attempted to allow the boys to make their own decision about whether they want to be together. (If a full fight has occurred, you would not want to attempt reintroduction).

Bonds In Trouble

I have four pigs - a bonded pair of 5 year old boars and the two youngsters (around 19/20 weeks) who are now separated.
They all live out in my insulated shed.
The two bonded boys live in the top half of a hutch.
One of my singles lives in the downstairs of the hutch and the other single now lives in a ferplast plaza which is butted up sideways to the hutch so the two single boys have through the bar interaction.

All my piggies get lots of lawn time in summer.
I will have to split the younger boys run in half now so they can remain side by side during their lawn time.

 

[laura_dungar]

Ok, so you’ve got two teenage boars. Around 9-10 months there is another hormone spike, so this may also explain his feistiness.

When a pair of boars get like yours have, we advise a separation. With teens it can allow hormones to settle.
If there has not been a full on fight, a neutral territory reintroduction can be attempted to allow the boys to make their own decision about whether they want to be together. (If a full fight has occurred, you would not want to attempt reintroduction).

Bonds In Trouble

I have four pigs - a bonded pair of 5 year old boars and the two youngsters (around 19/20 weeks) who are now separated.
They all live out in my insulated shed.
The two bonded boys live in the top half of a hutch.
One of my singles lives in the downstairs of the hutch and the other single now lives in a ferplast plaza which is butted up sideways to the hutch so the two single boys have through the bar interaction.

All my piggies get lots of lawn time in summer.
I will have to split the younger boys run in half now so they can remain side by side during their lawn time.

so what kind of set up do you recommend, a side by side cage so they can still interact or just one up top of the hutch and one at bottom? I’m honestly gutted that it hasn’t worked out especially after nearly a month of them being really good together.
Do I risk getting another pig for the younger one who really likes being around another pig or just leave them as singles as I don’t want him to get lonely.

 

[Piggies&buns]

so what kind of set up do you recommend, a side by side cage so they can still interact or just one up top of the hutch and one at bottom? I’m honestly gutted that it hasn’t worked out especially after nearly a month of them being really good together.
Do I risk getting another pig for the younger one who really likes being around another pig or just leave them as singles as I don’t want him to get lonely.

i know, it’s upsetting when a bond breaks down.
The break down between my own two only happened two weeks ago.

They must be side by side. Single pigs cannot live one up/one down because they lose all their ability to interact And then you will have lonely piggies.
Unfortunately hutches do not lend themselves to side by side living easily.

As long as they have constant side by side interaction then living as a single is absolutely fine provided he is happy with that. Side by side living provides plenty of stimulation and is the route a lot of owners take when bonds break down. Neither of them will be lonely.
I myself will not get another piggy for each of my singles (six pigs and two rabbits is too much!)

If however, you find he is struggling not having a live in companion, then you may need to look to bond him with another.

Finding a new friend with the help of a rescue centre would be safest. Bonding teenage boars can be trickier due to the hormones being in play and dating at a rescue will tell you if they want to be together before committing to another piggy. You don’t want to find yourself with another failed bond and then having to have three separate cages all side by side.

If you do get a new friend or the youngster, you need to make sure the cage is big enough - a 180x60cm cage is recommended for a boar pair, but no smaller than 150x60cm. The bluebell hutch is 150cm and may also be a factor in their fall out (albeit character clashes being the main issue) in being a little too tight on space. 150cm is fine for some boar pairs, but tight for others.
The ferplast cage - you don’t say what size it is or which piggy is in it, but most commercial cages aren’t big enough for boar pairs so don’t assume you can add a new friend in the ferplast with him.
Even if you do get a new friend for the youngster, your older single boy will need to live side by side with the then pair.

 

[laura_dungar]

@Piggies&buns - sorry for so many questions. But what cage would you recommend as ideally I would want them to live outside in the summer months
Thankyou so much for the other advice you have given, very helpful!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please don’t be sorry for asking questions - we are here to help.

Unfortunately living out in summer will not be an easy solution. Hutches cannot be put side by side because they won’t be able to see each other. You may be able to get two hutches and have them facing each other but for them to be close enough to interact (piggies cannot see very far in front of them), you won’t be able to open the doors.
Your current bluebell hutch simply won’t work outside now the boys can’t be together.

It may be much easier for you to have them living inside permanently, and then put them outside in a divided run for supervised playtime.
I say this also because of the challenges of having piggies outside in summer. Hutches can quickly become dangerous due to heat. With my boys being outside, I find winter much easier than summer. I can keep them warm enough in winter but what I cannot do is keep them cool enough in summer and they come inside every summer because of that.

Indoors set up very much depends on your plans going forward.
They can continue as they are one in the bottom of the bluebell and one in a commercial cage.
You can get another commercial and move the one in the bluebell to a commercial. The issue here is that if either does need a new friend, the commercial cages are not likely to be big enough for two boars to live in.
If you do get a new friend for one (or both), then it would be best to get c&c cages.