Have A New Boy - Welcome Your Tips For Settling Him In And Getting Him A Wee Friend

[smileyface:)]

i already have Spud and Freckles, two rescue boars who happily live together and will continue to do so.

I have been keeping an eye on a boar that was at pets at home for a while now, and recently he went into their adoption area - which I know is just an area where they put mostly animals that aren't selling. Once in the adoption section I told myself if he continued to be there until the start of July then I would take him home, something about him just wouldn't let me ignore him like I do the other piggies in the shop. So when I went to get my supplies last night I checked him out properly.

So giving in to my no-purchase from pet shop policy I made an exception for him, and I am glad I did this time as he is now bouncing around on the grass (only for a short time) in a run next to my boys and he is chirping away at them and Freckles keeps coming over to interact with him through their bars and they seem to find him a novelty as he is so fast.

He is great once caught though,very happy to be stoked but I am trying to give him some space to settle in so not annoying him too much.

He is 6 months old so after he is settled with me, and more used to the other piggies, when would be best to try to get him a male friend. And am I best trying to pair him with an older more relaxed boar or one his age? - the rescue we have in Northern Ireland has a 2-3 year old male at present that needs a buddy.

I don't want to neuter him and get a girl as I put them in the local kennels when I go on holiday and wouldn't want any mix ups and also a girl would probably set Spud and Freckles off too!

will post a pic once he's settled. thanks in advance

 

[Wiebke]

What a lucky boy! I am sure that he is so happy to have a good home and company again! If the rescue will allow you to date your new boy to see whether the two boars get along, then it is well worth trying. The longer I have piggies and the more bondings I do, the more I find that it is all in the specific personality mix, much more than age or gender.

At six months old, he is currently at a rather difficult age to bond, but it is still worth trying with both adult or sub-hormonal youngsters; the one combination that I would not recommend is a similar age boy also right in the middle of the worst of the teenage months. However, it very much depends on how dominant he is and how he reacts when meeting another boy, and that is something that you can never predict.

As long as he can be next to your other two boys and interact with them, his most urgent needs for company and stimulation are taken care of until you can find him more potential friends - not at all as easy where you are compared to over here.

 

[Moo]

Wow, what an exciting time for you all, would love to see some piggie pictures. When I was bonding my boys, Dom my newly adopted Boar would always rumble strut around Tubby my other boar during floor time, then after 7 days of them being neighbors, I completly rearranged their cage ensuring there was nowhere for the boys to get trapped. I added new toys, 4 tunnels and 2 of everything, water bottles, hay racks, biscuit bowels, veggie bowls, i put in clean towels and blankets, and gave the cage a really good clean. I then put both my boys in the cage without a divider and they were the best of friends from that moment on. I even call Dom Tubby's wife as Tubby is obsessed with Dom, Dom only has to make a single wheek and Tubby popcorns everywhere out of control. I believe part of the reason my boys get on so well is because of Tubby's exceptional kind and caring nature.

Good luck with your bonding session and please keep us posted

 

[smileyface:)]

What a lucky boy! I am sure that he is so happy to have a good home and company again! If the rescue will allow you to date your new boy to see whether the two boars get along, then it is well worth trying. The longer I have piggies and the more bondings I do, the more I find that it is all in the specific personality mix, much more than age or gender.

At six months old, he is currently at a rather difficult age to bond, but it is still worth trying with both adult or sub-hormonal youngsters; the one combination that I would not recommend is a similar age boy also right in the middle of the worst of the teenage months. However, it very much depends on how dominant he is and how he reacts when meeting another boy, and that is something that you can never predict.

As long as he can be next to your other two boys and interact with them, his most urgent needs for company and stimulation are taken care of until you can find him more potential friends - not at all as easy where you are compared to over here.

I think my rescue would be happy for my boy to date, but they are a good 2 hours drive away, so would need to make sure they had a boar they think would be suitable. I bought him knowing I would need to do that so I am happy to. The rescue do have some piggies at the moment but only ever have a few at any time, and some are already paired so wouldn't want to break those up.

The pet shop did say they had problems with him after the rest his age sold, as when they additional younger 'stock' he wasn't having any of it (no wonder!).

Will let him settle in and get the school holidays out the way and then commence dating for him - that way I can just take him down without my kids moaning about the long drive and no fun at the end!

 

[smileyface:)]

Wow, what an exciting time for you all, would love to see some piggie pictures. When I was bonding my boys, Dom my newly adopted Boar would always rumble strut around Tubby my other boar during floor time, then after 7 days of them being neighbors, I completly rearranged their cage ensuring there was nowhere for the boys to get trapped. I added new toys, 4 tunnels and 2 of everything, water bottles, hay racks, biscuit bowels, veggie bowls, i put in clean towels and blankets, and gave the cage a really good clean. I then put both my boys in the cage without a divider and they were the best of friends from that moment on. I even call Dom Tubby's wife as Tubby is obsessed with Dom, Dom only has to make a single wheek and Tubby popcorns everywhere out of control. I believe part of the reason my boys get on so well is because of Tubby's exceptional kind and caring nature.

Good luck with your bonding session and please keep us posted

That's sounds great - I am hoping if I can settle him in first he will be more accepting of a new arrival - my two older boys keep napping close together in their own run as if to show him they are not for splitting! hilarious!

Will get pics on soon as his coat is a mix of long and short so will need to check out grooming threads too! Think you will all see why I couldn't leave him once you see the pics.

 

[Wiebke]

That's sounds great - I am hoping if I can settle him in first he will be more accepting of a new arrival - my two older boys keep napping close together in their own run as if to show him they are not for splitting! hilarious!

Will get pics on soon as his coat is a mix of long and short so will need to check out grooming threads too! Think you will all see why I couldn't leave him once you see the pics.

You have to be aware that if you bring an unbonded boar home, you always have to have a plan B at the ready in case the boys don't click. The average dating experience is that it takes most boars of any age 1-3 boys to find a compatible mate, but that a few (and especially dominant teenagers) may take longer. Moo was lucky that his two boys clicked straight away when he adopted Dom unbonded from a rescue.

if you date at a rescue, you initiate the bonding process there and then. If you bond at home, then it pays to give the newbie time to settle in and get to know his neighbour first in order to take all other stress factors out of the way, as you can't rely on the most important success factor - mutual liking.

 

[smileyface:)]

I am lucky in that my shed is big enough for two large hutches and room to spare for an indoor run if raining. And there is a space for another cage (which I have) above the two hutches for during the bonding process. I think I will chat to my rescue after the kids go to school and see if any piggies are available and whether I can borrow one for a while to try out bonding - then they may consider taking the other piggie back if they really don't get along?
That will be some craic!

 

[smileyface:)]

As promised here is a picture of my newest arrival - wee Chewy. You can't see from this photo but he does have long hair at the back too, he looks like a mop when he runs and the hair on the front won't flatten down - its like a mohawk! Thats how I kept noticing him in the shop and maybe why he didn't sell - maybe people thought he'd be too much work? He loves getting brushed and has been purring a few times when I do it so thats a good sign!

 

[Flutterby]

So exciting! Congrats, he's gorgeous!

 

[smileyface:)]

So exciting! Congrats, he's gorgeous!

thank you, it's great watching him gain confidence - he loves being stroked when held but still won't take food from me - but he is starting to not run away from the hutch door now until I open it - will be great once he is settled in and I can look to getting him a friend.

 

[Flutterby]

That's great!

 

[smileyface:)]

My wee Chewy is getting on well, starting to stay in the main area of the hutch and not running of till I open the door - but still quiet when I am around.
His new hutch is coming this week hopefully so I can put the other boys back in the old one (they are in the cage and run at the moment till then).
Just wondered how long I should wait till I start looking for a friend for Chewy? Would having company now help to settle him in better? Or would the stress of a new home/owner and a new friend to suss out be too much for him at this early stage?

Just wondered incase it would actually be an easier process for him if he had another piggie in with him to boost his confidence!