Bonding Sows

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KatPig

KatPig

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Hey everyone
Quick question, I'm in the process of bounding my 3 14 week old sows with my new 7 week old texel sow.

I have put them in there playpen in nuteral territory with some hay in the middle. They have been bum sniffing and chasing the new piggie around and squeaking at each other for about an hour. No fighting has broken out nor does it seem like any will and they all seem happy enough.

My question is, when do I know that they are happily bonded so I can move them into there cage?

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I've got 6 sows all together so I've been through this a couple of times.

From personal experience it all sounds pretty normal. I usually know they will be ok once theyre happy to eat and relax around each other.
 
Maybe worth keeping them in for a little longer and putting some hideys in too so they can relax

How is it going now?
 
sport_billy said:
Maybe worth keeping them in for a little longer and putting some hideys in too so they can relax

How is it going now?
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It was going really well they had all relaxed and were following each other round the play pen and eating hay together. So I left them for another hour or so and when no fights broke out I decided to move them back into there freshly cleaned out cage. They looked ok at first and stopped to eat some veggies together. But in the last half an hour or so things have gone a bit down hill. One of my older girls has been going up the the new piggie to sniff her, whenever she does this the new sow runs away and squeaks like crazy, she now looks really nervous and unsettled :( I'm scared to leave her in case something happens. Any thoughts?
 
Keep at it, I know it is quite distressing to watch but they are still sorting out the hierarchy. When we bonded our girls Sasspy was harassing like your piggy is doing - this carried on few a few hours on and off. Keep popping some hay in or something to distract and keep an eye. You are doing well.
 
sport_billy said:
Keep at it, I know it is quite distressing to watch but they are still sorting out the hierarchy. When we bonded our girls Sasspy was harassing like your piggy is doing - this carried on few a few hours on and off. Keep popping some hay in or something to distract and keep an eye. You are doing well.
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Thank you for the advice, that's made me feel a lot better about it all :) you're right though it is just really distressing to watch these lovely cute little things treating each other this way. I will keep you updated on there progress :)
 
You may find these two threads here most helpful:
Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow behaviour

Dominance behaviour - once acceptance has happened (which is usually after the first half hour) - can be quite emphatic with youngsters, but you have to get through that. You can generally move piggies into the cage once the hierarchy has been sorted out and they are having a rest together. This can take anything from an hour to two days. I would think that your girls are ready to move anytime; they are already in the middle of the dominance phase, which can last from a few days to on average two weeks.
 
Wiebke said:
You may find these two threads here most helpful:
Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow behaviour

Dominance behaviour - once acceptance has happened (which is usually after the first half hour) - can be quite emphatic with youngsters, but you have to get through that. You can generally move piggies into the cage once the hierarchy has been sorted out and they are having a rest together. This can take anything from an hour to two days. I would think that your girls are ready to move anytime; they are already in the middle of the dominance phase, which can last from a few days to on average two weeks.
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They seem to have settled down for now so I have left them to it and I have removed all of the hideys with only one exit incase anything happens in the night.
I really can't thank you enough for all the advice, it's so nice knowing that I can get such great piggie advise so easily from this amazing forum :)
 
KatPig said:
They seem to have settled down for now so I have left them to it and I have removed all of the hideys with only one exit incase anything happens in the night.
I really can't thank you enough for all the advice, it's so nice knowing that I can get such great piggie advise so easily from this amazing forum :)
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Great idea on the hideys.

When we first bonded Cookie I was a nervous wreck :)) I still would be at any bonding.

It is what the forum is here for :) it is nice to have you as part of the community :)
 
Just a quick update. The pigs all seem very happy and settled now. One of the older pigs is still sniffing the little one and she is running away but it is happening less and she definitely seems less distressed when it does :)
It certainly seems that they all going to live happily together as a quad.
Thank you again for all of the advice, it helped me to realise that I wasn't doing anything wrong and it was natural for them to behave this way :)
Also Wiebke it was your advice on my previous post about them living better as a quad than a trio that convinced my husband to let me get my texel. So thank you for that. Even though we have only had her for a few days she has fast become an important part of our family. :) :wub:
 
Pleased it is going well. Remember to post some photos as they settle together. We have a quad and they are great fun to watch although seasons can be a little disruptive and noisier :)) then when we just had a pair
 
sport_billy said:
Pleased it is going well. Remember to post some photos as they settle together. We have a quad and they are great fun to watch although seasons can be a little disruptive and noisier :)) then when we just had a pair
Click to expand...

I know that feeling! :P




Martha one of my youngest girls tried to stand up to my dominant pig Mabel when they were first introduced. Mabel soon knocked her down a few pegs and now she's settled into herd life. Although for a few days she would squeak loudly and run away when Mabel came near her. It's their way of saying 'it's ok I don't want to be boss , leave me alone!' Which Mabel soon understood and all is well now. :)

Glad things are going well. It will take up to a week or so before they fully settle I've found :)
 
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