Group Dynamics

[BertisKing]

Something very strange happened over the weekend. In my mixed shed there are two hutches with two groups of sows living with their husboars. They take it in turns have the hutch doors opened and run around the bottom of the shed, but at some point- I don't know whether I didn't shut the hutch door properly or the catch was loose, but all the pigs ended up mingled togther- two neutered boars and five sows- with the two boars sitting together in the doorway of one hutch sharing hay and watching as all the girls ran around on the floor.
I've not left them alone like this again, but have had both boys out at the same time since with no signs of aggression or posturing at all.
Both are mature males, being about 3 years old, and neither has ever been particularly dominant.
Is this something anyone has ever come across before?

 

[Wiebke]

Two laid back boars can get on in a group, provided you have got the space and provided they like each other and neither of them is a group leader and provided that the leading ladies can also come to a friendly agreement as to who comes top. It is one of those things that you cannot bank on when building up a group - if it doesn't work out, things can go horribly wrong and it is not something I would recommend people to try on purpose!

I have had two of my husboars ending with multiple bites when I once accidentally left a pen open overnight, as the group had turned themselves in before opening the usual night time roaming group pen (we'd been out that evening and were coming much later than planned, so I was VERY tired). Both boars were group leaders, so I guess that a fight was inevitable. Maelog is known to be vicious when is on the defensive even though is not an aggressive pig by nature; that is why he was finally neutered.

Count yourself very lucky!

 

[BertisKing]

Two laid back boars can get on in a group, provided you have got the space and provided they like each other and neither of them is a group leader and provided that the leading ladies can also come to a friendly agreement as to who comes top. It is one of those things that you cannot bank on when building up a group - if it doesn't work out, things can go horribly wrong and it is not something I would recommend people to try on purpose!

I have had two of my husboars ending with multiple bites when I accidentally left a pen open overnight, as the group had turned themselves in before opening the usual night time roaming group pen. Both boars were group leaders, so I guess that a fight was inevitable.

Count yourself very lucky!

I felt so sick when I saw both hutches were open- I can't believe I was so careless! I'm very lucky that Chester and Trevor are so laid back. It seemed like Dotty established herself as top sow very quickly- she's much older and larger than any of the other girls and much more dominant- it looks like the other backed down sharpish

 

[Wiebke]

I felt so sick when I saw both hutches were open- I can't believe I was so careless! I'm very lucky that Chester and Trevor are so laid back. It seemed like Dotty established herself as top sow very quickly- she's much older and larger than any of the other girls and much more dominant- it looks like the other backed down sharpish

It sounds like you have all the right ingredients. But it is an anxious moment. You could consider keeping them as a single group with plenty of space and access to both hutches.