Teenager years (further explanation...?)

[naguya]

Hello everyone!

I have been in the forum for a while and I have been reading many threads from @Wiebke (Which helped me enormously to provide a better life for my two boars!)

So here it is the question,

Even though I have read several guides and posts about boar behavior, I still have some questions, I would like to know a little more about "the teenage years of boars" since it seems my youngest is entering in this phase, I read they will get the in the nerves of the other boar, and reach their limit. I would like to know what this means specifically. Will they fight?

I have a 8 months old boy named Momo (who is extremely well behaved and has some disability), and a 3-4 months old boy named Bijou who is quiet but sometimes shows signs of authority (like, expels the oldest from a hiding place and takes food from him, it seems the oldest is very submissive). But they get along very very very well, they both lick each other's fur and also lick close to their eyes, also they sleep together sometimes, they tell each other where is food, they never fought.

I would like to know a little more about what I might witness between these two. Thank you in advance!

 

[Wiebke]

Hello everyone!

I have been in the forum for a while and I have been reading many threads from @Wiebke (Which helped me enormously to provide a better life for my two boars!)

So here it is the question,

Even though I have read several guides and posts about boar behavior, I still have some questions, I would like to know a little more about "the teenage years of boars" since it seems my youngest is entering in this phase, I read they will get the in the nerves of the other boar, and reach their limit. I would like to know what this means specifically. Will they fight?

I have a 8 months old boy named Momo (who is extremely well behaved and has some disability), and a 3-4 months old boy named Bijou who is quiet but sometimes shows signs of authority (like, expels the oldest from a hiding place and takes food from him, it seems the oldest is very submissive). But they get along very very very well, they both lick each other's fur and also lick close to their eyes, also they sleep together sometimes, they tell each other where is food, they never fought.

I would like to know a little more about what I might witness between these two. Thank you in advance!

View attachment 254051View attachment 254050

Hi

As I have told you before, since your older boar has disabilities, the dynamics may be a bit different. Your younger boar is likely going to take over at some point but if he seems himself as much as a carer companion instead of a junior but stronger boar, then the inevitable takeover will be comparatively gentle. You have the very caring side and you have the latent rivalry side in boars. The fact, that your boys are licking each other so much and are so affectionate with each other is making me hopeful that the caring side will ultimately win out in your case.

What we cannot predict is how strong the hormone spikes are going to be and how things are going to pan out specifically. We can never predict which boar pairs will fight; overall less than hald actually do. You can have boar pairs that sail through teenage with hardly any upset and others that start a bloody (separation) fight as soon as the testicles start descending and the first hormone spike is hitting. Most pairs are somewhere in between and often a 2 day separation with a divider and a re-intro on neutral ground do the trick when the endurance of the companion is exhausted.

What is crucial is that you hold your nerve and do not panic and separate at the first sign of shenanigans.

I cannot see Mo fight; but you may have to brace yourself for quite a bit of harmless submission screaming from him.

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

Yes, unfortunately teenage boars can start to fight and fall out.
But it's important not to seperate them at the first sign of a quarrel because they need a chance to work out their hierarchy.
Chasing, mounting, loud squeaking is okay. But if a full fight breaks out, they will need to be seperate and very often it's not possible to bond them again.

It's very important that they have got enough space.
All fingers crossed that your boys won't start to fight.

 

[naguya]

Hi

As I have told you before, since your older boar has disabilities, the dynamics may be a bit different. Your younger boar is likely going to take over at some point but if he seems himself as much as a carer companion instead of a junior but stronger boar, then the inevitable takeover will be comparatively gentle. You have the very caring side and you have the latent rivalry side in boars. The fact, that your boys are licking each other so much and are so affectionate with each other is making me hopeful that the caring side will ultimately win out in your case.

What we cannot predict is how strong the hormone spikes are going to be and how things are going to pan out specifically. We can never predict which boar pairs will fight; overall less than hald actually do. You can have boar pairs that sail through teenage with hardly any upset and others that start a bloody (separation) fight as soon as the testicles start descending and the first hormone spike is hitting. Most pairs are somewhere in between and often a 2 day separation with a divider and a re-intro on neutral ground do the trick when the endurance of the companion is exhausted.

What is crucial is that you hold your nerve and do not panic and separate at the first sign of shenanigans.

I cannot see Mo fight; but you may have to brace yourself for quite a bit of harmless submission screaming from him.

Thank you so much for all the explanation!

Yes, Bijou's testicles are begining to descend! (I made sure to take photos of them weekly to compare as you advised). Also, Bijou has already become the same size as Momo, he only has 30-40 grams difference in weight!

That's good to know, if I hear some "screaming" of submission it will be normal.

I have one more question, I read somewhere (not here), it is good to put a soft plush toy of their size for them to mount, is this right or should I skip this?

 

[naguya]

Yes, unfortunately teenage boars can start to fight and fall out.
But it's important not to seperate them at the first sign of a quarrel because they need a chance to work out their hierarchy.
Chasing, mounting, loud squeaking is okay. But if a full fight breaks out, they will need to be seperate and very often it's not possible to bond them again.

It's very important that they have got enough space.
All fingers crossed that your boys won't start to fight.

Thank you! I will keep an eye on these signs, and it is good to know it will be normal! They have a large cage, so plenty of space. Everything is doing alright for now. I just want to be prepared for future events haha.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for all the explanation!

Yes, Bijou's testicles are begining to descend! (I made sure to take photos of them weekly to compare as you advised). Also, Bijou has already become the same size as Momo, he only has 30-40 grams difference in weight!

That's good to know, if I hear some "screaming" of submission it will be normal.

I have one more question, I read somewhere (not here), it is good to put a soft plush toy of their size for them to mount, is this right or should I skip this?

A piggy sized plush toy can sometimes help with drawing some of the instinctive mounting fire away from the companion.
It is however rather hit and miss whether the toy (minus any solid eyes that can be chewed off, please) will be accepted or - more commonly - ignored. Make sure that you wash it with their bedding before use so it smells faintly 'right'. The scent of newly bought soft toys will put off many piggies who have a much stronger sense of smell than we humans. It can at the best help with a habitually over-sexed teenage boar but it is not a guarantee for stabilising a bond.

In your case, I would not worry about fights but rather about bullying from Bijou - however, seeing how attached the two are, our chances of a stable adult bond are pretty good. You will have to tolerate a certain amount of bullying behaviour and submission. Make sure that there are no huts and things with just one exit, sprinkle feed around the cage and ensure that there are two water bottles (one on each side) and that access to hay cannot be blocked.
A slow but persistent loss of weight or bite wounds around the rump in Mo would be an indication that any dominance from Bijou could be going to far. Otherwise you have to sit out any spikes as much as possible.

Please don't fall into the rabbit hole of the bad press that boars have. Most of it is down to people buying piggies for looks and not for personality compability and keeping them in too small cages. There are plent of very happy and loving boar bonds on here.

 

[naguya]

A piggy sized plush toy can sometimes help with drawing some of the instinctive mounting fire away from the companion.

It is however rather hit and miss whether the toy (minus eyes, please) will be accepted or - more commonly - ignored. Make sure that you wash with their bedding so it smells faintly 'right'. It can at the best help but it is not a guarantee for stabilising a bond.

In your case, I would not worry about fights but rather bullying from Bijou - however, seeing how attached the two are, our chances of a stable adult bond are pretty good.

Thank you as always for answering my questions! I will try putting a plush soft toy with no eyes and give it a try.

Fingers crossed, and hopefully they will be best friends as adults!

 

[fluffysal]

Both of my boys "love" their humping toys but a lot of boars have no interest. I use baby safe toys for them. They also get used as pillows.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you as always for answering my questions! I will try putting a plush soft toy with no eyes and give it a try.

Fingers crossed, and hopefully they will be best friends as adults!

Personally, my feeling is rather positive. Bijou seems to have realised that Mo loves him, needs him and that he needs looking after.

My Nye 'Noble' spent his teenage months with very skittish adult Nosgan 'Nightsong', who managed to badly bash in one eye on the morning of Nye's adoption (so we ended up at the emergency vets first thing in the morning before setting out) and who never regained full sight; Nye was then ca. 4 months old with his testicles just about starting to descend.
Despite neutering at 6 months (a must for all boars in my house), Nye still went through all the teenage stages. He wasn't over the top but Nosgan had a couple of occasions when he couldn't cope so I just put the divider in and allowed both boys to settle down with full contact through the bars for a couple of days. When they met again on the roaming ground, they were like nothing had happened and went straight back ogether again.
The two boars were even able to live next to a pair of normal sows after spayed Nesta (who had refused Nosgan) passed away while Nye was just about coming towards the end of teenage.
Nosgan was not into sows but Nye loved them so there were never any fights between the two boars in the 2 years they were together until Nosgan's death. Nye was very tolerant of Nosgan's tendency to go on overload very quickly and complimented him well with his cheerful, happy-go-lucky personality, not just with his yin and yang looks.


When I bonded Hyfryd and her daughter Hirael with Nye (the two sows from next door) after Nosgan's passing, he went straight up to Hyfi and gave her a big smack on the eye. The rest was more or less a formality... Hyfryd was one of my largest sows and Nye one of my smallest boars. Hyfi never accepted any other boar she was introduced to but she loved Nye until the day he died age 6 and followed him 3 months later, aged 7.


Just as a real life example for a boar pair with a different dynamic where the usual rules didn't apply. Please don't fixate on all the 'what ifs' and the horror stories just because there are so many out there. It is the usual case of nobody being interested in the majority of happy outcomes so the corrective is missing.

 

[fluffysal]

From what you have told us about their behaviour towards each other, I agree. I believe that Bijou knows that Mo needs special care and will provide it

 

[naguya]

Personally, my feeling is rather positive. Bijou seems to have realised that Mo loves him, needs him and that he needs looking after.

My Nye 'Noble' spent his teenage months with very skittish adult Nosgan 'Nightsong', who managed to badly bash in one eye on the morning of Nye's adoption (so we ended up at the emergency vets first thing in the morning before setting out) and who never regained full sight; Nye was then ca. 4 months old with his testicles just about starting to descend.
Despite neutering at 6 months (a must for all boars in my house), Nye still went through all the teenage stages. He wasn't over the top but Nosgan had a couple of occasions when he couldn't cope so I just put the divider in and allowed both boys to settle down with full contact through the bars for a couple of days. When they met again on the roaming ground, they were like nothing had happened and went straight back ogether again.
The two boars were even able to live next to a pair of normal sows after spayed Nesta (who had refused Nosgan) passed away while Nye was just about coming towards the end of teenage.
Nosgan was not into sows but Nye loved them so there were never any fights between the two boars in the 2 years they were together until Nosgan's death. Nye was very tolerant of Nosgan's tendency to go on overload very quickly and complimented him well with his cheerful, happy-go-lucky personality, not just with his yin and yang looks.
View attachment 254067

When I bonded Hyfryd and her daughter Hirael with Nye after Nosgan's passing, he went straight up to Hyfi and gave her a big smack on the eye. The rest was more or less a formality... Hyfryd was one of my largest sows and Nye one of my smallest boar. Hyfi never accepted any other boar she was introduced to but she loved Nye until the day he died age 6 and followed him 3 months later, aged 7.
View attachment 254068

Just as a real life example for a boar pair with a different dynamic where the usual rules didn't apply. Please don't fixate on all the what ifs and the horror stories just because there are so many out there. It is the usual case of nobody being interested in the majority of happy outcomes so the corrective is missing.

First of all, they are beautiful! Each one certainly has a special place in your heart forever!

Thank you for sharing the touching story of Nye and Nosgan. It's truly moving to see how they formed such a bond despite the challenges they faced.

Nosgan's ability to bounce back after his injury and partial blindness is truly impressive (it reminds me of Momo!). The way you used a divider to give them some space while still letting them interact was such a thoughtful move! It’s amazing how they could reconnect so easily after this break. You are a true expert!

Their peaceful life next to the sows, even with their different interests, really shows how animals can surprise us and form unique bonds... When Nosgan passed away, it must have been tough, but Nye’s quick connection with Hyfryd and Hirael was heartwarming. And when Nye gave Hyfryd a smack on the eye, it must have been endearing and funny, haha.

Your point about not getting hung up on the negatives is really so important! Nye and Nosgan’s journey, and then Nye’s bond with Hyfryd, really highlight how, with a bit of patience and understanding, beautiful relationships can blossom. Thanks for sharing such an inspiring example! Hopefully, I'll have a story like that to tell with my boys.

 

[naguya]

Both of my boys "love" their humping toys but a lot of boars have no interest. I use baby safe toys for them. They also get used as pillows.View attachment 254069

How cute he is! Believe it or not, I have the same teddy bear (in size and color) that your boar is using as a pillow at home haha. I'll look for one in that style (or even the same one, when I find it in my closet)!