Fighting Boars

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JamesC

JamesC

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Hi there

I've been reading all the advice and threads about fighting boars but just wanted to get some advice on our specific situation.

So, we got two litter mate boars back in May. They were good buddies but despite our best efforts one of them was very susceptible to illness and died in December.

We spoke to our local breeder and took another from her, only about 12 weeks old, she said he'd been with older boars so was confident it would be ok. We introduced them slowly and they have been getting on fine for a couple of weeks. We are trying so hard to give them a nice life but it doesn't quite seem to be working out!

But over the last week we've started noticing scratches on Monty, the older one, and then what looks like a bite on Joey's (the younger one) nose. It also looked like Joey's ear was a little scuffed up. I'd read they can have disagreements as they establish dominance etc so have been hoping they'd sort it but having witnessed a bit of a scrap tonight in their run which resulted in both of them having small clumps of each others hair and Monty doing the teeth chattering thing, I'm thinking I need to separate them.

I've only read on here tonight that we should've given them two food bowls and water bottles, and perhaps 2 x the little hidey house they both like so much. I'm just wondering if it's worth trying that first, or having gotten to this point do I really need to get them apart immediately if they're scratching/biting each other.

I think I know the answer (i.e. the latter) but just want to be sure I'm not overreacting and separating them unnecessarily.
 
JamesC said:
Hi there

I've been reading all the advice and threads about fighting boars but just wanted to get some advice on our specific situation.

So, we got two litter mate boars back in May. They were good buddies but despite our best efforts one of them was very susceptible to illness and died in December.

We spoke to our local breeder and took another from her, only about 12 weeks old, she said he'd been with older boars so was confident it would be ok. We introduced them slowly and they have been getting on fine for a couple of weeks. We are trying so hard to give them a nice life but it doesn't quite seem to be working out!

But over the last week we've started noticing scratches on Monty, the older one, and then what looks like a bite on Joey's (the younger one) nose. It also looked like Joey's ear was a little scuffed up. I'd read they can have disagreements as they establish dominance etc so have been hoping they'd sort it but having witnessed a bit of a scrap tonight in their run which resulted in both of them having small clumps of each others hair and Monty doing the teeth chattering thing, I'm thinking I need to separate them.

I've only read on here tonight that we should've given them two food bowls and water bottles, and perhaps 2 x the little hidey house they both like so much. I'm just wondering if it's worth trying that first, or having gotten to this point do I really need to get them apart immediately if they're scratching/biting each other.

I think I know the answer (i.e. the latter) but just want to be sure I'm not overreacting and separating them unnecessarily.
Click to expand...

Hi! Sadly not all boar bonds work - not even with babies. If you let boars choose a good rescue, you will find that it takes on average two boars to find "Mr Right" whether that is a baby or an adult boar.

Please have your boys checked in a case it is fungal or mites, just to close out that angle. If it is bites, it not likely to work out considering that you still have most of the puberty in front of you. I would recommend a trial separation and see whether one boy is perking up noticeably when away from the other.

Could you please add your country, state/province or UK county, so we can support you most efficiently in working out a solution that does justice to both your boys and you. Please click on your username on the top, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. This will make it appear below your username in every post you make and help us to tailor any advice to what is relevant where you are straight away. Thank you!
 
Hi, thanks. I'm in the UK.

When we first noticed the scratches on Monty we took him to the vets and they gave us some ivermectin (which we'd been doing every couple of weeks as advised before) and told us to give him 17 drops on his back so we did that. We gave Joey the standard two drops on his neck too. But the vets said they couldn't see evidence of any mites or anything else wrong, they were just being cautious.

I was worried that it was mites, but then having seen them have a go at each other tonight and manage to take pieces of each others hair I was pretty certain it was all from fighting.

Thanks for your help
James
 
We've had them separated for a couple of nights now. It looks though as though one of Joey's cuts is a bit infected (not really badly but it does look a little pussy), as all the vets are closed until tomorrow what is good for the short term until tomorrow? We're thinking to clean it up with cotton buds and boiled water and then salon?

Then vets tomorrow for antibiotics?
 
So they've been separated for a week, which is how long it's taken me to put together a 6 x 2 cage with a divider in the middle.

Put them in this morning, there's been a LOT of teeth chattering from both of them and Monty has been knawing at the dividing bars. I'm hoping that's just them settling in, being the first time they've come face to face since the big fight.

Is it likely they'll settle down? The teeth chattering isn't much fun for them or us!
 
Really? Even after they'd drawn blood? Joey had an awful cut on his neck which is only just finishing healing.

I'll certainly give it a go
 
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