Help - lunging and teeth chattering during intros

[garfieldette]

I am introducing Colby to my three girls.
They are in a 3x2 grd corral as neutral territory. I have put two open ended houses in and a bowl of food to distract.

All was going well then just went back to them (OH was watching) and Lara the dominant girl is puffed up, teeth chattering at him.

While I was watching she has lunged at him twice and he is running away scared. Shes just done it again.

Girls are now in the houses, Colby is standing outside. Should I take the houses out?

Not sure I can take this. Do I carry on unless blood is drawn, she looks like she means business, teeth out, chattering loudly

Help

 

[flintstones]

Oh my! I would say bear with it and have a towel ready incase they do fight. Sorry I couldn't help more my boy/ girls pairings were fine.

 

[Lisajazz]

I'd leave them for now and be on standby with the towel to throw over them if they actually fight, but they have backed off from one another for now - that's good!

The houses - they have an entrance and an exit right?

 

[Wiebke]

It doesn't look like it's going great. Make sure that any houses have two exits.

Have you got accommodation to keep Colby next to your girls so that Lara can warm to him more before you put them together again in one or two weeks (or whenever you notice Lara coming into season)? In any case, I would NOT put them together in a cage; rather stick to introductory sessions on neutral ground until signs are better.

Some rather dominant sows will not accept any rivals in terms of running the herd. Sometimes, the softly softly approach works better in cases like that.

 

[garfieldette]

yes, both houses have two doors so no-one can get trapped.

He's braver than me, he has just gone into Lara's house, she snapped at him to get out. He then started his wiggly dance round the house.

She is sitting in the entrance to the house like a dog in a kennel, watching him. She will tolerate him until he comes to within two inches of her then she teeth chatters and lunges for him. The other two girls are in the other house keeping well out of the way.

I can put this 3x2 next to their 4x3 but its going to me I can't get to the curtains or anything so cannot keep that up for too many days.

What do you think about taking the houses out and forcing them to come out in the open?

Have just added a load of hay and he went crazy popcorning round the place which has brought them all out in the open. She has lunged at him but allowed him to get in the house with her, briefly.