Curious about trio dynamics 😄

[aly13]

Hi all!
A few weeks ago I introduced a neutered boar to two of my younger girls and it went great. The girls had a decent bond before so I wasnt concerned about it upsetting that and one being pushed out like I read can happen here.

I'm just curious for those who have had trios or groups with a boy! He and the dominant girl have taken a shine to each other. She is always very gentle with other pigs despite being the dominant one, its actually hard to tell she is. They seem to have a big sister little brother relationship. I havent seen them mate although I know they probably have. They are always beside each other though! Whenever he gets a bit too boisterous towards her she gently tells him off. The other girl is the one who he first mated with when they were introduced so I thought they would have been the closer pair but she seems to be the odd one out Like i said not in a concerning way, they all get along fine and she isnt pushed around at all.

Is it common for a boy to have his favourite out of a pair or group of sows and spend more time with her? Their social dynamics just interest me. I'm glad theyre all getting along though

 

[Pantalaimon]

Congratulations on a successful introduction. I’ve never had a trio but I believe it is very normal for any group of three in most species to have a pair and an odd one out. As you have said, so long as they are not excluding her from food, water or certain areas of the cage then she should be ok.

I think that in cows (very different I know but still social animals!) they will have a close friend within the group, so in a group of three there would be one left out.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes it is common for a boar to have a favourite wife!

 

[Wiebke]

It is perfectly normal for a neutered boar to have a favourite wife, whether she is his First Lady or not. As long as the two sows are getting along well, then that is not a problem. If there is a rift between the ladies, then the boar will eventually side with one of the sows and you end up with the dreaded 2+1 outsider headache.

I currently have got 5 trios, 4 of them husboar and two wives and my fifth a sow with fear aggression issues living with two younger runty sow piggies that cannot challenge her. I had another mixed gender trio but Brathlys passed away in August, aged 6, so they are down to pair now.

A working trio is a thing of beauty but a malfunctioning one can give you real headaches and may end with a separation.