Questions about newly separated boys

[GrassyPiggies]

Hi everyone,
A little while ago I asked about the state of my two boars bond after their introduction to each other - After a temporary separation, I reintroduced them to each other, and they seemed to do substantially better - up until recently they were happily eating, sleeping and grooming next to each other. In the last couple months they had begun to teeth chatter and rumble strut quite frequently, which I put off as normal behavior, but it began to escalate to nipping - no blood was drawn. I made the cage larger, increased the number of hides and food piles, but it didn't change their behavior. Sparki was now the one turning and trying to bit Elliot, where previously it had been Elliot chasing Sparki - I assume Sparki had become so fed up with Elliot's behaviour that he retaliated after being very subdued - This caused Elliot to get rather quiet, and he had a significant change in behaviour, but this didn't change Sparki's behaviour. I was concerned at this point, but honestly just scared of the possibility of having to separate them.

Just yesterday, while the boys were having floortime, I found two scabbed over bites on Elliot's rump - they weren't deep, but they were very clearly bites. It was a bit of a wake up call for me, that I hadn't been paying enough attention to their behaviour, and I set up a separated cage for them that they have been in since. Elliot has returned to his former self and frequently rumble struts at the separation. Sparki likes to sit right next to the bars, and will tug rather firmly on them, so much so I had to reinforce the separation. They will also squeak for eachother if one is removed from the cage.

1. Can they have floor time separated by a fence, so one isn't left alone in the cage?
2. How can I stop them from chewing and pulling at the bars? (worried they could damage their teeth)
3. Was separating them the right course of action?
4. Is some of this behavior just because they are new to being separated?
5. Will they be happy living separated?

Sorry for such a long post,
Thank you in advance!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.

1. Provided they always have bars between them, then they can be out at floor time at the same time.
2 and 4. Sadly you can’t stop it. This is a territory marking behaviour, as is laying against the bars. They will hopefully calm down in time.
3. Yes if they are injuring each other
5. Yes. One of my pairs had to be separated due to fighting. They’ve lived side by side for just over a year and a very happy.

 

[AidaB]

Hi!
I can share our experience with you.
We adopted Billy to be friends with Hamish when his friend Hectorpassed away.
The boys got along to start with, but after a couple of weeks it was obvious it wasn't quite right.
Billy and Hamish lived happily as neighbours with a grid divide. They enjoyed taunting each other, chatting, rumbling and sleeping near the dividing grids.

When we had floor time, I made up two separate spaces next to each other, it also made cleaning out the main home easier. I have been so grateful for the CC grids we brought and the spare grids, the piggies homes have been adapted many times! The floor time space wasn’t always bigger, but made a change of scenery.
I also used grids in the garden run to divide it into two over the summer.
Cable ties where very useful. If you overlap the grids it helps them be more rigid.

We had lots of bar biting in the beginning, I covered the divide with cardboard, and slowly removed it for longer periods.

Here is a picture of our boys divided home.
Billy can clearly be seen- Hamish was hiding in the hay.

 

[GrassyPiggies]

Thank you for both of those informative replies - It's very comforting to hear your own personal experience. Are there any things you could suggest that will help my boys be happy separated?

 

[AidaB]

Thank you for both of those informative replies - It's very comforting to hear your own personal experience. Are there any things you could suggest that will help my boys be happy separated?

I would suggest time & patience as they settle into their new way of living.
I made sure that our boys always had a place to totally hide away from each other if they wanted too & hay in every hiding spot or near by if they didn't feel like eating near each other.

 

[Piggies&buns]

All my boys are bedded on hay so obviously they eat everywhere but their orchard hay which they use primarily for eating is at opposite ends. They each have a hide near the divider and one at the opposite.
I also make sure they’ve got plenty of enrichment in the hutches

 

[piggieminder]

Mine have hay in piles on the floor by the dividers, they love to pinch each others through the grids. They also have cardboard boxes with doors cut in filled with hay so they can hide away and eat if they feel like it.
When Red and Brillo were first separated they was a lot of bad feeling between them, bar biting, nipping through the bars and generally upset at seeing each other. I covered the bars with spare corex so they couldn't see each other and removed it for a while each day until things settled.

 

[GrassyPiggies]

Thank you for all the suggestions! The amount of bar biting has already decreased, and both the boys are very happy.

 

[AidaB]

Thank you for all the suggestions! The amount of bar biting has already decreased, and both the boys are very happy.

Hope your boys settle into their new homes. Would be lovely to see some pigtures of your boys, if you feel like sharing.

 

[fluffysal]

I'm relieved for you. My original pairing had a bond break so spectacular that they couldn't even be neighbours.

 

[GrassyPiggies]

Hope your boys settle into their new homes. Would be lovely to see some pigtures of your boys, if you feel like sharing.

Of course! Sparki is the agouti and Elliot is the Lilac - I can never get good photos of Elliot because he seems to never stand still