Bonding

piggl

piggl

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Hi everyone i’m currently bonding my 4 and a half year old boar with a baby.

He did not see it at first and then eventually sniffed his bottom, did one tiny rumble strut and has licked his ear a couple times.

My older boy is more comfortable standing and eating but the baby won’t move. What can I do to make him more comfortable?
When win gets scared he runs back to stand next to it but that’s as far as it goes.
Saying that the baby has just moved a little and done a tiny little rumble strut.

I have added one wooden bridge and a blanket hung over one area. Now the baby has moved around a little more with little rumblestruts from both of them.

I’m being patient but they seem to be fine, i’m just worried they aren’t doing any normal bonding dominance or anything. They just stand about each other
 
Although there has been a fair bit of face humping from my older boy, they have groomed next to each other and the little one has just came out for a look around and headed back into cover.

No hay eaten yet from him
 
It’s all sounding absolutely fine to me. How old is baby?
He will just want companionship and you may not see much in the way of dominance.
 
He is only around 7 weeks I believe.

Will this cause issues when he becomes a teenager? I’ve done this with a baby before but there was much more “hustle and bustle” in the initial introduction
 
Their bonding now won’t cause issues as he becomes a teenager (it’ll be whether any issues come to light at that point)
 
Sorry for all the silly questions but how do I ensure he is eating, he has had around one bit of hay and no water since he got here, and I have no idea how to manage that.
I have had babies before but never as scared as this boy, they usually just fit right in.

I think he is just frightened but obviously I need him to eat so. I have put hay at the two most hidden places so I am just hoping for the best.
 
No such thing as a silly question!

Are they still in the bonding pen or moved back into the cage?
Things like covering the cage and, once they’ve gone to the cage, ensuring lots of hay filled hides (I’d put hay in more than two places for now). He just wants to feel secure and my guess would be that, with most scared piggies, he will eat when nobody is watching.
The only way to know he is eating enough is with the weight checks.
 
Piggies&buns said:
No such thing as a silly question!

Are they still in the bonding pen or moved back into the cage?
Things like covering the cage and, once they’ve gone to the cage, ensuring lots of hay filled hides (I’d put hay in more than two places for now). He just wants to feel secure and my guess would be that, with most scared piggies, he will eat when nobody is watching.
The only way to know he is eating enough is with the weight checks.
Click to expand...
They have just been moved into the cage, after 3 and a bit hours and a couple naps later.

I’ll give him some time as is and then perhaps give it some more coverage later when it cools down.
There is three piles of hay, in the normal hay area and two separate piles next to the most covered hides.
My cage isn’t that big, it is only the minimum size as it was meant to be temporary for extreme weather last November that stayed when my boy got sick.

I plan to have a week of observation and getting to know him and then moving them into their hutch which is currently in the garage.
They will have some time in the outside before that move but it is so warm and sheltered it shouldn’t be much different.
Thanks for your help!
 
piggl said:
They have just been moved into the cage, after 3 and a bit hours and a couple naps later.

I’ll give him some time as is and then perhaps give it some more coverage later when it cools down.
There is three piles of hay, in the normal hay area and two separate piles next to the most covered hides.
My cage isn’t that big, it is only the minimum size as it was meant to be temporary for extreme weather last November that stayed when my boy got sick.

I plan to have a week of observation and getting to know him and then moving them into their hutch which is currently in the garage.
They will have some time in the outside before that move but it is so warm and sheltered it shouldn’t be much different.
Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

Bonding wise it all sounds fine.
I’d just give him some time to settle.

Don’t forget that it takes up to two weeks for them to fully form a relationship. Also that a new environment will mean they need to re-establish their bond.
 
I guess they’ll just have to stay inside a week longer… oops :inn:
 
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