Freddie And Snowball, She Still Seems Unsure Of Him

[Critter]

Snowball is a sow who finds it hard to get on with other sows. She tends to feel threatened by their presence and doesn't like it when they get too close.
So long story short I now have a lovely calm and sweet-natured neutered boar (Freddie).

Freddie took an instant liking to Snowball and after the initial humping calmed down into a respectful and gentle boar.
Snowball however makes stressy noises when he approaches her, even when it's just for an affectionate nose-touch or just to share some hay. Snowball does calm down though after whinging for a bit, and she doesn't move out of the way, she just carries on doing what she was doing. I have even caught Snowball approaching him and settling down to sleep right next to him, even once she licked his back as Freddie slept.
It is all on Snowball's terms, but I can see that Freddie really likes her and tries to show affection (not necessarily the humpy kind, but genuine friendship), but it's not returned when he makes the first move.

They've been together for two weeks, so I know it is still early days, but will her stressy whinging responses calm down do you think?
I have never had experience with bonding boars and sows before, just sows and sows, so I am not sure what is normal.

Thank you

 

[Wiebke]

Snowball is a sow who finds it hard to get on with other sows. She tends to feel threatened by their presence and doesn't like it when they get too close.
So long story short I now have a lovely calm and sweet-natured neutered boar (Freddie).

Freddie took an instant liking to Snowball and after the initial humping calmed down into a respectful and gentle boar.
Snowball however makes stressy noises when he approaches her, even when it's just for an affectionate nose-touch or just to share some hay. Snowball does calm down though after whinging for a bit, and she doesn't move out of the way, she just carries on doing what she was doing. I have even caught Snowball approaching him and settling down to sleep right next to him, even once she licked his back as Freddie slept.
It is all on Snowball's terms, but I can see that Freddie really likes her and tries to show affection (not necessarily the humpy kind, but genuine friendship), but it's not returned when he makes the first move.

They've been together for two weeks, so I know it is still early days, but will her stressy whinging responses calm down do you think?
I have never had experience with bonding boars and sows before, just sows and sows, so I am not sure what is normal.

Thank you

The whining translates as "I am not ready/interest in mating - but I will be when I am in season"; it is not stressy, but just the way that sows signal that they are not quite ready for mating yet. It often becomes more intensive shortly before a sow comes into season.

Your two are well bonded, but they are now at the stage where Freddie has to learn not to take any liberties, which for a boar translates to a lot of frustration as sows come into season only about every 15-17 days for a few hours at the end of it.

 

[Critter]

Ah! Thanks Wiekbe (once again) It sounds worse than it is then! That's a relief to know. Yes, I know it's every 16 days or so....poor Freddie! Good job he's quite a patient fella!