Lots of Dominance

[Guinea Newbie]

My boys are 2 years 3 months old and have always got on well both being fairly laid back and neither being the overtly dominant pig. Suddenly today one has started incessant mounting, chasing and teeth chattering and won’t leave the other alone. They haven’t had what i’d call a fight but there has definitely been some ‘facing off’. Luckily the other pig has always backed down. Nothing has changed environmentally etc. This has been going on for about 4 hours now. If it’s still going on tonight should I split their cage in case it escalates while we are asleep? They are in a c&c so I could split it if needed but will have to ‘unspilt’ in the morning as it’s not big enough for 2 separate cages.
Thanks

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’d leave them together but monitor. Unless something has gone majorly wrong within their bond, then this is mild dominance so is best to not do anything unless you are forced to ie a fight occurs.
Spring time can do this to boars - my own two have been mounting and rumbling a lot more than normal and mine are the same in that neither is particularly dominant.

 

[Wiebke]

My boys are 2 years 3 months old and have always got on well both being fairly laid back and neither being the overtly dominant pig. Suddenly today one has started incessant mounting, chasing and teeth chattering and won’t leave the other alone. They haven’t had what i’d call a fight but there has definitely been some ‘facing off’. Luckily the other pig has always backed down. Nothing has changed environmentally etc. This has been going on for about 4 hours now. If it’s still going on tonight should I split their cage in case it escalates while we are asleep? They are in a c&c so I could split it if needed but will have to ‘unspilt’ in the morning as it’s not big enough for 2 separate cages.
Thanks

Hi!

Even adult boars can suffer from sudden short-lived hormone spikes; especially in spring when in their wild ancestors breeding season started up again.

You can either leave them together if the boar at the receiving end is not becoming aggressive himself or put in a divider for two days until the spike has died down. Then mix the boys on neutral ground outside the cage. In a functional bond they should go back together pretty much as if nothing had happened.
Bonds In Trouble

 

[Guinea Newbie]

Thank you both for your replies. Yes, at the moment the one at the receiving end is not retaliating for the most part. It’s still going on but seems to have lessened slightly. We have had them 6 months and apart from some very minor occasional rumbling, (from both) neither appears to be the overtly dominant piggie.
I had read in here that Spring can trigger dominance but had forgotten, hopefully it will simmer down without issue.
Thanks again.