Run problems

[Screamapillar]

This is a bit of a complex one, so long story ahead. I have two bonded males who are approximately 1 year old now. They are just about over their teenage arguing and generally get along well. One is definitely dominant and the other has accepted his place as beta piggy. They coexist very well in their cage and on my lap, as long as they have some distance between them (otherwise they squabble).
My problem is that they have another cage (a run really) in my living room, completely separate from their home cage in their room. As soon as they are put into it, they immediately go into fight mode and argue incessantly. I have to remove one of them to stop it coming to blows. This ONLY happens in this run and only since they had a fight in it about 2 months ago.
It is a C&C style clip together plastic and metal wire run, about 2m by 1m. Underneath is a camping tarp and then fleece and towels. They have many toys and hides.
I have dismantled the entire thing and washed it to take away any "fight smell". I have washed or replaced any toys and hides. I even expanded it to give them more space. They still immediately start arguing.

What can I do?

 

[ThePotterPiggie]

Maybe give them some more space? Your run sounds more than enough, but if it is smaller that the main cage especially, your boars might feel like they don’t have enough personal space?

If that isn’t the case/doesn’t help, you may have to put them into the run individually, or split the run.

Good luck either way!

 

[Screamapillar]

Maybe give them some more space? Your run sounds more than enough, but if it is smaller that the main cage especially, your boars might feel like they don’t have enough personal space?

If that isn’t the case/doesn’t help, you may have to put them into the run individually, or split the run.

Good luck either way!

It is actually bigger than their home cage, but not by much. I wondered if it was somehow smelling like new territory that they had to re establish their dominance in?

 

[ThePotterPiggie]

That’s possible - maybe try putting some of their old bedding in the run? Just a suggestion!

 

[Bill & Ted]

Yes, put in a fleece or a bit of dirty hay from their cage. I think you are right, they feel they have to establish who’s boss all over again. My two can be a bit like that if they run around our lounge, they get over excited and then it leads to fallouts!

 

[piggieminder]

Behaviour, Bonding & Bereavement Guides

Lots of helpful information in the above thread, particularly look at all the ones about boars. Yes moving the to the play pen will cause them to re-establish their relationship. Use some bedding from the cage as already said. I find letting mine walk into a carrier themselves in the cage and walk out again into the pen helps when moving them around. I also make sure there is some food in the middle of the pen to distract them, usually a handful of grass, once they've eaten they've forgotten they are somewhere else!

 

[Screamapillar]

Thank you all! A bit of slightly gross soiled hay and some of the hides from their main cage (the smelliest) - they now sit happily in there without any fights at all. I suppose I should be careful about how clean I keep things?