Friends Now Fighting

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ProudPiggieMom

ProudPiggieMom

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I have had both my boars for some time now. They use to get along great but the last couple months haven't been very good for them. Buddy we had about 2 months before getting Russel. Both from different pet stores. Recently Russle has been aggressive towards Buddy. Chasing him around and upsetting him. He seems to be very pleased after getting him upset. He starts popcorning and acting very happy. I'm not sure what to do. We have been trying to wait it out as they were friends and got along great but the fighting is becoming quite bothersome and severely upsetting my son as they are dis pets. I don't know what to do. Anyone had this problem and any success straightening it out?
 
Never experanced this with boars


Have you got any other pigs?
Have you changed there cage ?
Are they nuterd?
 
have heard about bonding baths. I have sows but I'm sure someone will be along that can help. Neutering wont make any difference from what I can gather, doesn't change boar behaviour. I think the bonding bath is bathing the boys then thoroughly cleaning the cage and any toys so it has no smell from them before putting them back in. Good luck
 
Does the chasing occur around food? If so, try to provide two bowls of food, two water bottles and two seperate piles of hay.

I have two pairs of boars and mine chase each other, and popcorn afterwards. I see this as play behaviour, as usually the boar being chased popcorns too.

Is there any nipping?
 
Please don't bath the boys - it will do nothing than temporarily 'bond' them, through sheer fear and sticking together. It will do nothing to form a stronger bond.

How old are the boys?
What size is their accommodation?

Chasing is a dominance behaviour, to let the other pig know who is boss. If Buddy is squeaking while being chased, he is being submissive, to let Russle know that he is accepting of it. It is perfectly natural behaviour - it can look aggressive to us, but it really isn't. The time to worry is when the pigs 'face-off' to each other, or if there is any lunging towards each other. Teeth chattering is an alert to us to be aware that something might kick off if it doesn't stop.

Space is a real issue with boys - they need a lot more than girls! (Usually!)
 
Have you had a read of this sticky thread about boars?
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
There is also a good one about boars as companions which I will try and link as well
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
I would have a read of those and decide what kind of behaviour you are seeing. Chasing around, humping and then popcorning away is pretty normal boar stuff to be honest! As Minty and gary has said, you need to be more worried if they are facing one another with teeth bared, yawning, very loud teeth chattering, rushing or lunging across the cage. They are the 'about to fight' signals. But normal chasing and humping is not a problem as long as the under pig still has time to eat and relax as well.
Do you weigh your pigs regularly by the way?
Keep a close eye on them of course and look for any cuts including under the chin but hopefully the info in the threads will give you some ideas and or reassurance.
 
ProudPiggieMom said:
I have had both my boars for some time now. They use to get along great but the last couple months haven't been very good for them. Buddy we had about 2 months before getting Russel. Both from different pet stores. Recently Russle has been aggressive towards Buddy. Chasing him around and upsetting him. He seems to be very pleased after getting him upset. He starts popcorning and acting very happy. I'm not sure what to do. We have been trying to wait it out as they were friends and got along great but the fighting is becoming quite bothersome and severely upsetting my son as they are dis pets. I don't know what to do. Anyone had this problem and any success straightening it out?
Click to expand...

How old are your boys now and how long have you had them exactly?
 
I'm not sure of their ages. We have had them over a year now. Buddy started smaller and grew and Russle was full grown when we adopted him. They are I a 2x4 c&c cage. I have bathed them as Russle needs one with his long hair. I have cleaned and completely changed the cage. This is definitely an aggressive behavior. I know my piggies and there's definitely been a huge change in Russell's attitude and behavior. He has actually grabbed Buddy and shaken him around and despite Buddy's pleases he will continue to do so untilsomeone comes over to stop him. They have plenty of food and hay. This happens all throughout the day but is worse in the evening or when I am not myself home with them. They are rarely home completely alone. They also get plenty of attention and love. I don't want to have to give either of them up. I just at a loss.
 
Ok that sounds more aggressive than your description in the first post. What do you mean by grabbed Buddy and shaken him? Is that humping you are describing or is he using his teeth? Quite a lot of piggies have a 'witching hour' in the evening so that part if not so unusual but I understand you are worried about their bond.
 
He uses his teeth to grab what I'm thinking is his fur as he has no marks on the back of his neck and shakes him. If he knows I am watching him he is fairly well behaved. His behavior is worse when I'm not around. I wish I could get a good video if it.
 
Humping happened for the first month I had him but it has sense stopped and has not been seen sence.
 
image.webp this is their cage right now. It will be getting cleaned tonight sorry about the mess.
 
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