New behavior, fighting

Piggiesinablanket

Piggiesinablanket

New Born Pup
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Hello y'all I'm new here just came here to talk about this situation, I just got my piggies new cages (they are like a foot bigger than a 2x6 c&c cage for size reference) the girls seem to be adjusting just fine to it. But the boys broke out into a fight and I had to separate them otherwise blood would definitely have been drawn they got into a pretty good battle with eachother. It's just weird because they have never fought before and nothing much about the cage has changed all I did was add onto it so it would be bigger. There's 2 boys in one cage and 2 girls in a separate cage both are the same size.
 
:wel:

I'm sorry to hear this.

As you changed their cage size, you changed their territory. Changing territory will cause them to re-establish their relationship. This happens even in pairs who have been together for a long time.
Unfortunately changing territories/cages size can sometimes cause bonds to break due to unresolved dominance issues (even if they had previously seemed ok).

I would give them a few days separated to calm
down.
You can then attempt a neutral territory reintroduction to allow them to decide if they wish to go back together. If the reintroduction goes well, then clean out the cage and move them back to it.
If the reintroduction does not go well, then that means they no longer want to be together and their separation will need to be made permanent.

Can you also confirm their ages and whether the boys have always been in the same room as the girls.

Reacting to group or territorial changes: Dominance and group establishment/re-establishment
 
Piggies&buns said:
:wel:

I'm sorry to hear this.

As you changed their cage size, you changed their territory. Changing territory will cause them to re-establish their relationship. This happens even in pairs who have been together for a long time.
Unfortunately changing territories/cages size can sometimes cause bonds to break due to unresolved dominance issues (even if they had previously seemed ok).

I would give them a few days separated to calm
down.
You can then attempt a neutral territory reintroduction to allow them to decide if they wish to go back together. If the reintroduction goes well, then clean out the cage and move them back to it.
If the reintroduction does not go well, then that means they no longer want to be together and their separation will need to be made permanent.

Can you also confirm their ages and whether the boys have always been in the same room as the girls.

Reacting to group or territorial changes: Dominance and group establishment/re-establishment
Click to expand...
Willbur is 3 years and gizmo is 6 months old they have been in the same room as them the whole time I've had them
 
Gizmo being a teenager and at the highest hormone output has possibly not helped.

It’s also not recommended that sows are kept in the same room as a boar pair. The sow smells can cause a boar bond to break so it is possible that it’s all just been a bit too much - sow smells together with needing to reestablish due to new cage size and hormones have just clashed.
(There are ways to keep sows and boars in the same room ie that the cages are stacked on top of each other and the sows are always at the bottom).

As I say, best now to keep them separate for a few days and then to reintroduce them on totally neutral territory - somewhere outside of their cage and they do not see normal territory - and see how they go.
It is sadly probable that they won’t go back together following what sounds to be a serious incident so I’d you do try to reintroduce, be prepared to step in and separate (never put your bare hands in though).
 
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