Needing help with bonding consisting of boars!

[Guineatoes]

I feel quite worried at the moment, and I always see very nice posts on this site with very useful information! but I didn’t really see anything helpful to my situation so I thought why not try this

One of the boars had to go away about a week after getting him. He was already introduced properly into the group and was getting along very well with the others. His absence in the group was sudden mostly thanks to really freaking out!

I learned a bit more about bonding, he is coming back home very soon and just found out he might not be accepted back in! Its been about a month and I'm very worried they wont be able to all get along now, any advice to stop this from happening? It would be very much appreciated, thank you!

 

[sport_billy]

How many piggies is he going back into? Ages and sexes of the pigs please? How big is your cage?

 

[Wiebke]

I feel quite worried at the moment, and I always see very nice posts on this site with very useful information! but I didn’t really see anything helpful to my situation so I thought why not try this

One of the boars had to go away about a week after getting him. He was already introduced properly into the group and was getting along very well with the others. His absence in the group was sudden mostly thanks to really freaking out!

I learned a bit more about bonding, he is coming back home very soon and just found out he might not be accepted back in! Its been about a month and I'm very worried they wont be able to all get along now, any advice to stop this from happening? It would be very much appreciated, thank you!

Hi!

How many boars do you have in your group and what ages are they; especially what age is your boy?
What was the reason why he has been elsewhere temporarily?

There is a huge difference whether you are planning to re-introduce an adult long term companion in to an adult group (in which case he should just find his place again) or whether we are dealing with a baby or teenager who is coming back and has changed quite a lot in the intervening time, and so will his mates. In this case, thing could be rather trickier as the bonding could derail the existing hierarchy that doesn't include him and tensions could come down between not just the returnee but also between your boys.

Unfortunately there is no magic trick in the world that can make piggies get on when they clash. When the chips are down, they have to want to live together and they have to be character compatible. Those are not things you can influence or change. Any tricks that make the rounds online like buddy baths (mostly counterproductive in our experience) or smearing stuff on the nose simply delay (BIG NO NO) the onset of the bonding process and add as added stress factors in an already somewhat fraught situation.

NEVER stick a piggy just back into cage; that is a recipe for disaster. Always conduct any re-intros and bondings in an area that is not part of their usual territory.

Please take the time to read our comprehensive and detailed bonding guide: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Here is our boar guide with more information on the various ages and boar no nos: A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[Siikibam]

Can I also ask why he had to be away for a month?

 

[Guineatoes]

Can I also ask why he had to be away for a month?

He had a really bad case of a ringworm infection, it was so bad! Vet kept him to make sure he was healing properly and since I wasn’t so experienced and could easily get sick from him as well He was in very good hands though!

 

[Siikibam]

Ok. Was he one of a pair or one of a trio?

 

[Wiebke]

He had a really bad case of a ringworm infection, it was so bad! Vet kept him to make sure he was healing properly and since I wasn’t so experienced and could easily get sick from him as well He was in very good hands though!

Can you please tell us the ages of the boars involved as well and how long they have been together? It is a very different kettle of fish when you re-bond a stable trio of older boars that have been together for years or if you try to re-introduce hormonal teenagers where trios have a very high fail rate anyway.

I am very sorry about the ringworm. Please confirm with your vet whether he has had a sing-off bath to remove any potential spores sitting in the coat or not. In my own piggies ringworm has always been carried in like this, either by ringworm sufferers or by piggies in a group of quarantined piggies with ringworm that wasn't affected itself.
Here is our very detailed practical hygiene guide: Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

 

[Guineatoes]

Can you please tell us the ages of the boars involved as well and how long they have been together? It is a very different kettle of fish when you re-bond a stable trio of older boars that have been together for years or if you try to re-introduce hormonal teenagers where trios have a very high fail rate anyway.

I am very sorry about the ringworm. Please confirm with your vet whether he has had a sing-off bath to remove any potential spores sitting in the coat or not. In my own piggies ringworm has always been carried in like this, either by ringworm sufferers or by piggies in a group of quarantined piggies with ringworm that wasn't affected itself.
Here is our very detailed practical hygiene guide: Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

Sorry for such a late reply. My boars are around the 1 year mark and there is another one that is a few (about 5) months old. I guess I am very lucky because the ( re )introduction went very well! they are all content and happy. The vet confirmed that he is 100% clear of ringworm, I hope that answers your questions? and the other piggies are not infected as well and it is very unlikely since it has been three months

 

[Wiebke]

Sorry for such a late reply. My boars are around the 1 year mark and there is another one that is a few (about 5) months old. I guess I am very lucky because the ( re )introduction went very well! they are all content and happy. The vet confirmed that he is 100% clear of ringworm, I hope that answers your questions? and the other piggies are not infected as well and it is very unlikely since it has been three months

Boar trios have very high fall-out rate - and you have three of them. That makes for a rather unstable constellation in view of sudden hormone spikes and weeks of higher hormone output.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

Please also be aware that the whole bonding process takes much more time than most people are aware. A group isn't fully established and settled until about 2 weeks on average after the initial introduction. We generally call the post-intro phase 'dominance phase' as that is the most visible sign of your piggies working out the small print of how their group is operating. A bonding can still fail during this time if it is not possible to come to an agreement between piggies.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Please take the time to read the guides. Your youngest is coming up to some of the most difficult teenage periods.

Keep an eye out for ringworm; the spores can stay alive for up to 18 months and even longer. It only takes for one invisible spore somewhere to be picked up... You need not worry but be aware of this; it can happen again despite the best of care. Ringworm is a long term concern because of this. Just be prepared to step in at the very first sign of it and you should be able to get on top of it quickly.