Bonding neutered male with 3 bonded sows

*Roger*Jasper*

*Roger*Jasper*

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Hi everyone!
Just a quick question.. I currently have 3 bonded sows in one c&c and a neutered boar in a cage next to them. I am now wanting to put them all together, so can I just connect the cages together once all cleaned and fresh bedding is in or do I have to put them somewhere completely new/neutral?

Any advice appreciated!
 
Always somewhere neutral.
You cannot just connect the two cages. Allowing the piggies to wander into each others cages will be seen as a territory invasion and will cause fights and potentially ruin their ability to bond.

All introductions must be carried out in a neutral space - somewhere no piggy sees as their own territory. They need to be in the neutral area for many hours, potentially overnight in some cases with only hay and water, don’t add any hides..
While they are in the neutral territory bonding area, you can then connect the cages, thoroughly clean them out. Once they have been in neutral territory for several hours and if all goes well; then you can move them all to the cage other and add some open ended tunnels. It will then take two weeks for them to fully form their relationship and hierarchy

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
Piggies&buns said:
Always somewhere neutral.
You cannot just connect the two cages. Allowing the piggies to wander into each others cages will be seen as a territory invasion and will cause fights and potentially ruin their ability to bond.

All introductions must be carried out in a neutral space - somewhere no piggy sees as their own territory. They need to be in the neutral area for many hours, potentially overnight in some cases with only hay and water, don’t add any hides..
While they are in the neutral territory bonding area, you can then connect the cages, thoroughly clean them out. Once they have been in neutral territory for several hours and if all goes well; then you can move them all to the cage other and add some open ended tunnels. It will then take two weeks for them to fully form their relationship and hierarchy

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
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Does it matter who is in there first? Should I put the girls in first then add the boar, or other way round?
 
I have the boar in with the dominant sow at the moment, lots of teeth chattering, humping, rumble strutting and now a couple of lunges with nipping at each other! There was fur in their mouths.. should I separate now or let them continue to assert dominance or has this gone too far now?
 
The more time you give them in the bonding area (if needed overnight), the more time they have to get the roughest bit of the hierarchy and group establishment out of the way and the calmer the move to the cage with much less risk of a dominance bust up in the cage. It is well worth taking your time over that not rush your piggies. Bonding is a process that takes around 2 two weeks; the introduction and acceptance is only the first step.

Please also be aware that the bonding success is not guaranteed and that it can wrong at any stage if acceptance doesn't happen or the leadership claim cannot be resolved. You will find that in that case the sows will increasingly form a front against the boar. Once a sow has decided that they do not want a piggy to be part of their group, they are not going to change their mind for the next few years.
Our bonding guide link in a previous post contains all the tips of what to look out for at every step.

Please make sure that there are no huts or dead corners with just one exit for the first 2-3 weeks until the dust has fully settled.
Reacting to group or territorial changes: Dominance and group establishment/re-establishment
 
*Roger*Jasper* said:
I have the boar in with the dominant sow at the moment, lots of teeth chattering, humping, rumble strutting and now a couple of lunges with nipping at each other! There was fur in their mouths.. should I separate now or let them continue to assert dominance or has this gone too far now?
Click to expand...

It depends opn how they react next. If the confrontations continue, then the bonding has failed.
Lunging is a very strongly 'stay out of my space' from a fear-aggressive piggy; it is a defensive behaviour.

Why haven't you bonded the group as a whole?
 
*Roger*Jasper* said:
OK thank you, and how long do I wait till I add the other two girls into the bonding pen?
Click to expand...

Please always group bond with the whole compartment and not just one piggy; it adds an extra stress factor. If the top sow is not accepting the boar, then you have had it.
 
You need to add them all at the same time but who you add first didn’t matter - sorry don’t think my comment came across clearly - I didn’t mean to add some and then add the others later
 
Oh damn OK, well they are all in together and seem to be doing much better! I shall just keep an eye on them now, thank you all for your advice!
 
*Roger*Jasper* said:
View attachment 241974

The male is the smooth ginger and white.. his name is Punkin.. from left to right of the girls, Crumpet (tri colour) Sausage (smooth brown) and Bramble (grey and white)
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All the best. Bonding happens in rounds with rests in between, a bit like a boxing match. If your boy is not challenging the top sow, then he will be handed down the hierarchy ladder until he has found his place.
 
One of the girls is making a very loud chirping sound I've not heard before, does anyone know what this means?
 
*Roger*Jasper* said:
One of the girls is making a very loud chirping sound I've not heard before, does anyone know what this means?
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Can you take a video, upload it on a public setting on youtube and copy across? Assessing sounds without the situational context, body language (we sadly cannot smell) and just from your description is very much in the way of a guessing game.
 
Wow, that genuinely sounds like a bird! I've got no idea what it means, sorry, but I'll be interested to find out. :)
 
That is chirping. Rather a rare sound and I’m afraid nobody really knows why they do it
 
*Roger*Jasper* said:
18 February 2024
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Hi

Thank you.

This is called chirping. It's the big mystery behaviour that we haven't figured out fully yet but with my piggies it is often associated with tension within one of my groups and a general feeling of unease and unsettleness in the piggy room that has transferred to the neighbours as well.

Please do not play chirping videos in the same room as your piggies. It can spook them when it is played out of context, including a replay of their own chirping. And most definitely not during a bonding.
Chirping
 
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