Help with introducing boars please

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Alicia

Alicia

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Sorry, I'm sure you get lots of threads about this sort of thing but I wanted to create another one to describe my boars more to make sure I'm introducing them right. I don't know how old Barry is, his previous owner said he was under 1 year old, but she also said he was perfectly healthy but he had badly overgrown nails and mites, and something tells me he's about 3, I'm not sure why I think that. Roy is about 6 and I've had him since he was 6 weeks old. I've had Barry for a year. Roy used to live with a boar who has since died, and this other boar was quite dominant with him, kept trying to mount him etc. but Roy never fought back. Barry got bullied by my other boar, Billy, and kicked out so both Roy and Barry are both quite quiet guinea-pigs. For about a year their runs have been next to each other and they have clicked their teeth at each other a bit, but that quietened down after a little while. I was thinking of tommorow, cleaning out the hutch, then hosing it, then disenfecting it and moving them in. I was going to put 2 of everything in, 2 hay racks, 2 food bowls, 2 water bottles and 2 houses. Is there anything else I can do?
 
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I would allow them to meet on neutral ground first somewere both boars have never been. They may react alot differently once the barrier is removed and they can get to one another.

Then after sometime together, if there has been no agression I would then move them to the hutch together.

Personally I have never bonded older males, and failed at a young male/adult male bonding, but from what I have read Pigs should always be introduced on neutral ground first.

I know another member that has bars between her boars and they are fine but once the divider comes down they lunge and attack one another.

When introducing I would have a towel ready.

Good luck!
 
Hi
I introduced my boars who are 3 1/2 and 2 earlier on this year. We had one false start but the second time went very smoothly. The big difference was they'd had a bath together first. I think it can sometime make a difference if they both smell the same as well as being in a neutral area. We had to adapt our set up so everything had an entrance and exit as we'd found the first time this caused a few problems when they both went in the same space and felt trapped.
There is a good guide in the reference section on what to look out for when introducing boars. I read this after the first failed attempt and realised it was all natural behaviour and it was me that paniced not them! Once you know what to look for it's much more reasuring. I think they can tell if you're nervous as well
Good luck with it all! Keep us posted. Fingers and paws crossed they get on well.
 
I think you need to approach this task with lots and lots of time on your hands! the rescue i help out with do adult boar pairings and they dedicate a whole day to them getting to know each other in a neutral large space before they are put in a cage together. If you have laid back boars then it is easier. You also need nerves of steel not to interfere too early but to also have something like a tea towel to throw at them should they fight do NOT put your hands in! Best of luck and let us know how it is going!
 
That's a good point as well. Introduce them first thing in the morning so you've got lots of time to keep your eye on them before you and them go to bed. It was late afternoon the first time we tried and they got on ok to start with but had a squabble just as Mike was about to go to bed so he got all worried and seperated them again. After reading about boar behaviour it was all normal, just at 1am he paniced as I'd already gone to bed.
 
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