Normal Boar Behaviour?

[Claire W]

I like to think that I'm pretty clued up on guinea pig behaviour but Edward has me baffled.

I have had a neutered boar in the past. Enoch lived quite happily with his 3 sows until I sadly had to help him to the bridge

Edward has been with me and living with Emma and Ellen for 2.5 weeks now.

He settled in straight away and is a lovely boy. I have however noticed that he hates being apart from his girls and will follow them around everywhere. Not in a nuisence kind of way but just in a way where he doesn't let them out of his sight.

I have a two tier cage for example and although he uses the ramp which is a relief, he doesn't like being on one level by himself. If he goes upstairs and Emma or Ellen aren't up there, he'll come back down to the bottom level (Emma has cataracts and although she will still use the ramp, she spends most of her time downstairs).

Due to the recent nice weather, they have been spending a fair bit amount of time in their run outside which has two hides, a big one and a small one.
Edward will only leave the hide for a potter if either Emma or Ellen are out pottering around.

I know that Edward was part of a boar trio and he was bullied by the other two so I'm not sure if he's just looking for security or if this is his personality.

Like I say, he is a lovely boy, backs away from the girls when they don't want to be mounted and loves to be handled but is he behaving like this because he's scared or happy? I just want him to be comfortable in his new environment.

 

[Wiebke]

I like to think that I'm pretty clued up on guinea pig behaviour but Edward has me baffled.

I have had a neutered boar in the past. Enoch lived quite happily with his 3 sows until I sadly had to help him to the bridge

Edward has been with me and living with Emma and Ellen for 2.5 weeks now.

He settled in straight away and is a lovely boy. I have however noticed that he hates being apart from his girls and will follow them around everywhere. Not in a nuisence kind of way but just in a way where he doesn't let them out of his sight.

I have a two tier cage for example and although he uses the ramp which is a relief, he doesn't like being on one level by himself. If he goes upstairs and Emma or Ellen aren't up there, he'll come back down to the bottom level (Emma has cataracts and although she will still use the ramp, she spends most of her time downstairs).

Due to the recent nice weather, they have been spending a fair bit amount of time in their run outside which has two hides, a big one and a small one.
Edward will only leave the hide for a potter if either Emma or Ellen are out pottering around.

I know that Edward was part of a boar trio and he was bullied by the other two so I'm not sure if he's just looking for security or if this is his personality.

Like I say, he is a lovely boy, backs away from the girls when they don't want to be mounted and loves to be handled but is he behaving like this because he's scared or happy? I just want him to be comfortable in his new environment.

This is perfectly normal behaviour for a timid underpiggy of either gender that is still insecure about its surroundings, especially if Edward has never been outside before. Gethin is still glued to Tesni when he is on the lawn (which he has never been to in his life) and he was certainly sticking by her in the first weeks here with me, usually hiding behind her! He would only eat what he saw her eating and sometimes still does several months on.

PS: What Enoch and now Edward are experiencing is NOT bullying. They are both much younger than your sows when they were introduced, and are simply at the receiving end of the inevitable dominance as the group hierarchy is re-established to include them. Real bullying is a VERY different kettle of fish with serious social and health consequences if the bullied guinea pig is not separated and found another solution!

 

[Claire W]

This is perfectly normal behaviour for a timid underpiggy of either gender that is still insecure about its surroundings, especially if Edward has never been outside before. Gethin is still glued to Tesni when he is on the lawn (which he has never been to in his life) and he was certainly sticking by her in the first weeks here with me, usually hiding behind her! He would only eat what he saw her eating and sometimes still does several months on.

PS: What Enoch and now Edward are experiencing is NOT bullying. They are both much younger than your sows when they were introduced, and are simply at the receiving end of the inevitable dominance as the group hierarchy is re-established to include them. Real bullying is a VERY different kettle of fish with serious social and health consequences if the bullied guinea pig is not separated and found another solution!

Thank you for the reassurance I think Edward may have enjoyed some outdoors time whilst in rescue and he had a friend living next door but I guess it doesn't beat having two wives to fuss over

 

[pig in the city]

Thank you for the reassurance I think Edward may have enjoyed some outdoors time whilst in rescue and he had a friend living next door but I guess it doesn't beat having two wives to fuss over

Yes, he did enjoy grass time, l used to put 2 runs close together and he would chat to the other piggies nearby. He was so wanting a girlie pig, so l guess he just is making sure that they don't disappear! Bless him, such a lovely boy xx

 

[VickiA]

Aww, he sounds just adorable @Claire W

 

[Claire W]

I can't imagine not having him now xx

 

[VickiA]

I felt that way about Mr Ted. I do miss not having a neutered boar

 

[Claire W]

I felt that way about Mr Ted. I do miss not having a neutered boar

I felt like that after Enoch died but promised myself I wasn't having anymore guinea pigs. However, there is a 3 - 4 year age gap between Emma and Ellen and as Edward is only 7 months younger than Ellen, it made sense.

May be you could have another neutered boar one day when the time feels right? x