Got New Pig, Some Ear Biting Going On

[funkadelicfred]

We have had a male pig for about a year now so he's pretty well adjusted to us and is overall pretty relaxed it seems, ignores the cats, loves nose petting and chin rubbing and all that. We just got a new male pig, still juvenile, and we introduced them to each other through a cage. The year old boar started nibbling on the young boar's ears and one of them made the rumbling noise(not sure who) but no one was fighting or running away. What is going on here? Can they hang out together or no?

 

[Wiebke]

Ear nibbling or licking is called power grooming. It is the most friendly form of establishing dominance and translates as "I invite you to be part of the group I am leading". Rumbling is also very normal and mild dominance behaviour; it is part and parcel of being a boar!

Right now, everything is going about as swimmingly as could be.

Please read these threads here for more information:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/