Neo and ash.. fighting again!

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mstori

mstori

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well, i dont know what to do and jst wanted advice. I do not want to seperate the boys as no blood has been drawn and when not fighting they are really close..

My foster boys keep falling out too hence why i havent tried to re-home them yet.

Do you think i should wait until blood has been drawn? Because of course it may never get to that stage and may just be hormonal as they are at that stage.. or do you think i should try and split them and re-bond? ooh decisions!

I now have a bit extra time to devote to them, as we just have the 8 piggies and 4 bunnies now x
 
hmmm thats a tough one,if they repeatedly argue then it would be best to seperate them but maybe try introduce on neutral territory again first?
be sure to make sure you wash hands and change tops in between handling different pairs,i find that works for my more irritable boys and helps prevent fights x
 
Thanks Bonnie.. it has been about 5 fights a day for the past few weeks.. they have a bicker, look as though they are going to lunge, wee on each other then if i open the door to intervene, they run to be together. This is so different to when Stevie and Comanche fell out, as it was a nasty fight, so i knew i had to seperate and whilst they would tolerate each other for 15 mins or so it would start again and i didnt want to risk another injury. They are now happy with their new cage mates.. Neo and Ash though have fought on and off for a few months, without injury but its just getting more frequent

I have tried to keep them in the same part of the garden when in the run, and have a run just for them, incase it was the smell of the others that was starting them off, but it mustnt be as they are no-where near the others and the fighting has increased.. :( x
 
it sounds as though they have had a rough time,
if it were my boys i would **** seperate because sooner or later they will become unhappy if they continue fighting,
maybe a friend each? as it sounds like it may just keep getting worse until you do have to seperate anyway,i hope I'm wrong xxxxx
 
KingBoris&HisFollowers said:
it sounds as though they have had a rough time,
if it were my boys i would **** seperate because sooner or later they will become unhappy if they continue fighting,
maybe a friend each? as it sounds like it may just keep getting worse until you do have to seperate anyway,i hope I'm wrong xxxxx
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I was wondering if i could try them with a foster boy each as i cant get anymore. I'm stretched as it is, even with the baby bunnies and foster girls going :( x
 
mstori said:
I was wondering if i could try them with a foster boy each as i cant get anymore. I'm stretched as it is, even with the baby bunnies and foster girls going :( x
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seeing as they are getting older now i think it would be bets to get two babies 6-8 weeks old to have maximum chance of a good bonding,how old are the rescues?
 
If they haven't drawn blood and they're both at the same hormonally driven age then there's really no need to separate them. Boars bickering really is more distressing on an owner than it in on pigs who are communicating their need to establish a hierarchy. If you separate them, they won't make a decision.

You can help by giving them more room. Most boar fighting is down to the pigs having too little room to grow in. It'll give them space to feel like they each have their own territory while also providing enough room for them to exhaust each other while they're chasing.

If there are favourite hidey holes, now would also be a good time to remove them and to make sure that food dishes and water bottles are at opposite ends of the cage.

I can't remember what cage type you have: if it's a hutch then you'll have to work out how to give them more room on your own; if they're indoor then that's perfect because you can grid, corner off or otherwise twist a room to be your "boy settling" room -- if anything let them have it until their hormones settle down.

Bickering is normal. 5 bickers a day is better than a huge fight -- that they are able to stop themselves before they tear each other apart is a good thing you should also expect to see both pigs drop a small amount of weight during this time...

If you need more help, grab me on msn :P

If all else fails, they can bunk in my livingroom, since i've just realised that I can pen off my flatmates area of the livingroom so his cables are safe.
 
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teadragon said:
If they haven't drawn blood and they're both at the same hormonally driven age then there's really no need to separate them. Boars bickering really is more distressing on an owner than it in on pigs who are communicating their need to establish a hierarchy. If you separate them, they won't make a decision.

You can help by giving them more room. Most boar fighting is down to the pigs having too little room to grow in. It'll give them space to feel like they each have their own territory while also providing enough room for them to exhaust each other while they're chasing.

If there are favourite hidey holes, now would also be a good time to remove them and to make sure that food dishes and water bottles are at opposite ends of the cage.

I can't remember what cage type you have: if it's a hutch then you'll have to work out how to give them more room on your own; if they're indoor then that's perfect because you can grid, corner off or otherwise twist a room to be your "boy settling" room -- if anything let them have it until their hormones settle down.

Bickering is normal. 5 bickers a day is better than a huge fight -- that they are able to stop themselves before they tear each other apart is a good thing you should also expect to see both pigs drop a small amount of weight during this time...

If you need more help, grab me on msn :P
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They are in a double 4 and a half ft hutch, with 2 of everything. Luckily they each have their own favourite spaces. Out of all my piggies, these are the ones i can not handle much. You will probably remember they were ill when i got them, and even though they are better bite me whenever i hold them, yet are fine with other people.

What was concerning me most is the fact their bickering upsets the others, and also the increased fights. As i sit in the conservatory almost all day i watch them alot and its not 1 that always starts the fight..they are good like that they share who is jumping on who :)) Juat do not want a repeat of stevie and comanche as stevie ended up with a nasty cut across his neck. Will keep them together for now, I just worry they arent happy, but you are probably right in that i get more stressed than them..

I got them in april when they were meant to be 6 weeks old, although their weights were more like a 3 week old! so they have hit puberty now.. the foster boys are about 5-6 months old, and are due to hit the trouble, and already they have started having more squabbles.. fingers crossed it settles down cos i can not get anymore :( we are already struggling to find a new landlord to accept any pets at all x
 
The space boys need, in my experience is space on one level - not split into two. That gives them room to flee in one direction. Try to give them more space for now at least. Most hutches that I've seen I would never use to house boys - not even a pair and especially not when they were in puberty.

(Sorry this is taking ages, I'm supervising floor time... well, I'm watching Cashew daring Koda to follow him on the scary laminate floor and Mimic trying to be the boss of the piggie train. Bwahahaha!)

All boys are probably too young just now to even try putting them with a younger boar.

Hell, even if you just give them more floortime in the bathroom or somewhere else safe that you can corner off for half the day should help. Just somewhere for them to exhaust themselves (not to sit on their arses and eat) if you can't make their living arrangements bigger.

Remember to breathe; boar ownership is so dramatic, eh?! :D
 
teadragon said:
The space boys need, in my experience is space on one level - not split into two. That gives them room to flee in one direction. Try to give them more space for now at least. Most hutches that I've seen I would never use to house boys - not even a pair and especially not when they were in puberty.

(Sorry this is taking ages, I'm supervising floor time... well, I'm watching Cashew daring Koda to follow him on the scary laminate floor and Mimic trying to be the boss of the piggie train. Bwahahaha!)

All boys are probably too young just now to even try putting them with a younger boar.

Hell, even if you just give them more floortime in the bathroom or somewhere else safe that you can corner off for half the day should help. Just somewhere for them to exhaust themselves (not to sit on their arses and eat) if you can't make their living arrangements bigger.

Remember to breathe; boar ownership is so dramatic, eh?! :D
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I had them indoors, may bring them back in for a bit, just like them to be out when its so nice. Now i have the bunnies in a bigger hutch I have a spare one which is 4 and a half ft x 3 ft.. may try them in there.. they love the ramp and are constantly fleeing up and down it, I'm sure they time each other :(|)
They get a few hours out in the runs a day too.. depending on weather they can be out all day, and dont move from the one spot..until its time to go back then they run away from me like their butts are on fire! lol

its a good job i love them! had been considering re-homing them, as they dont like me :(

hope playtime is going well x
 
They are always welcome on my floor, especially if they do cute piggie zoomies :)

You might have to work extra hard with these two if they are already associating you with a bad experience -- even if it was necessary for them to get better! Lots of lettuce *cough* poor guys - I can imagine how dishearteneing it is for you to have pigs who try to bite you but noone else and now they're fighting and you're scared that they don't like you and they don't like each other and are miserable.

You're doing good :)
 
Thanks.. ive been a bit emotional today and had a good cry, and this situation just isnt helping. I will continue for now, in the hope they can resolve their issues.. just wish they could understand what i was saying to them.. and that i didnt enjoy sticking syringes in their mouths lol x

i love playtime, just yesterday one of my older boys popcorned as if he had nails in his feet! he only normally does the odd one, it was fab! i grabbed the camera and he stopped.. typical! xx
 
I've got a pair of boars that were doing alot of squabbling up until a couple of months ago. They seem to have really settled down now, but caused me worry for a while. Dibble is now about 1 year 3 mths, and Barney is about 10 mths, so I think (I hope) we have now got through the danger months.

I think the fact that yours are bickering but that it's not developing into a full blown fight (same as mine) is a really good sign. They are sorting things out without the violence. Of course, things can always change but I would stick with it for now.

Keep your fingers crossed (as I am still doing). As TD said, it's worse for you than them.
 
Knocknamuck said:
I've got a pair of boars that were doing alot of squabbling up until a couple of months ago. They seem to have really settled down now, but caused me worry for a while. Dibble is now about 1 year 3 mths, and Barney is about 10 mths, so I think (I hope) we have now got through the danger months.

I think the fact that yours are bickering but that it's not developing into a full blown fight (same as mine) is a really good sign. They are sorting things out without the violence. Of course, things can always change but I would stick with it for now.

Keep your fingers crossed (as I am still doing). As TD said, it's worse for you than them.
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I'm hoping so, I really cannot seperate and find a mate for them, will keep my fingers crossed for yours too xx
 
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