Terminate the bond?

JessFerguson

JessFerguson

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Hi!

I have 2, 1 year old pigs which I introduced to each other today (been sat in cages next to each other all week) , the ginger one has constantly mounted the grey one when near him, for 3 hours now. I know this is normal dominance behaviour, but then this happened......(see video)
Should I keep them together or separate them?
Is 3 hours too much of a short time to admit defeat?
I want to separate them as I am worried about injuries, but would like some advice please 😊
 

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Its not allowing me to watch the video without downloading it. It's better if you can upload to YouTube and then post a link to it here

What is it that happened? If there was a fight or seriously aggressive behaviour, then it'll be over between them.
 
Also are they are in a large, open neutral area?
Mounting and squealing sounds pretty normal, but withot having more details it is difficult to be able to say.

Have you referred to the bonding guides?
 
It looks like one is jumping at the other - what happened immediately afterwards?
How are they now?
Also, you dont want to have items in a bonding pen - just a pile of hay. Any toys, beds or hides should not be added
 
They've been on the kitchen floor in an open and neutral area for 3 hours with big pile of hay and veggies and 2 separate bowls of nuggets. Thanks @Piggies&buns I read that in the bonding section and totally forgot to remove!
Initially they were ok but as soon as the veggies were gone the ginger one just pestered the grey one over and over.
I put them into their cage after cleaning everything, at first it seemed calmer as the grey one had more placed to hide, but the ginger one eventually kept finding him and then he pounced on him (in video) after this he chased after him and had a bit of a 'scuffle' it was very fast and only lasted about 2 seconds but as far as I can tell no injuries..... I have placed a mesh divider in between them for now.
 
They need to stay in the bonding pen until any issues are resolved. As you’ve already put them in the cage I don’t know what to suggest aside from removing everything besides hay and two water bottles for a day or two. Once I have done a bonding, that’s all I have in the cage as fighting over hideys and such can happen and I want to remove anything that could make a bond break before it has essentially even begun.
 
I understand your theory, but I don't feel comfortable leaving them unattended until all issues are resolved?
How will I know at which point, that issues may not get resolved?
Is there a maximum recommended time for trying to bond?
 
What happened when he chased him? Did the grey one squeak or face up to him? I Agree and think 3 hours wasn’t long enough time in the bonding pen. But the issue is that the ginger jumped at the other like that. Did it happen again or is that when you separated? Were they in their cage by then? How are they both behaving now they’re separated? And how did the grey react when being humped?

Teenage months are a tough time to try and bond boars.
 
Yes that was my worry that they are both teenagers!
When he chases and mounts him the grey one kicks his back leg to try and get him away from his bum and then spins around. As he turns he looks at him and raises his head ever so slightly but just runs away! Then continues to get followed and mounted.
Now they're separated the ginger one keeps rumbling away but the grey one is just sat in his bed, not interested in him
 
The grey one (underpig) is the one you have to base your decisions on. And it sounds like he’s happy to be on his own. For a bond to work one has to accept the humping, chasing and mounting of the other. And squeak to let them know they accept their position. I’m not sure that happened with them? Did he lay down and accept it at all?
 
No lying down happened, just constant running away/being chased.
I did here his normal 'bag rustle' low level squeek, but not a big submissive squeel that I've read about?
In the end they were both just loud teeth chattering to each other when he jumped onto him on the video.
Do you think the grey one would be reluctant to accept any pigs position? Or could it just be the ginger one?!
(he had a cage mate for 1 year, but lost him last week, hence me trying to bond ginger one)
 
JessFerguson said:
No lying down happened, just constant running away/being chased.
I did here his normal 'bag rustle' low level squeek, but not a big submissive squeel that I've read about?
In the end they were both just loud teeth chattering to each other when he jumped onto him on the video.
Do you think the grey one would be reluctant to accept any pigs position? Or could it just be the ginger one?!
(he had a cage mate for 1 year, but lost him last week, hence me trying to bond ginger one)
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if things aren’t going to work out between them, then it is that they aren’t compatible and aren’t the right piggies for each other.
 
Piggies&buns said:
if things aren’t going to work out between them, then it is that they aren’t compatible and aren’t the right piggies for each other.
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I know it comes down to personalities, but with him being 1 year old am I best to get an adult pig to try rather than a baby?
Or when the baby becomes a teenager could there potentially be issues?
 
JessFerguson said:
I know it comes down to personalities, but with him being 1 year old am I best to get an adult pig to try rather than a baby?
Or when the baby becomes a teenager could there potentially be issues?
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If he wants to be dominant then you need a submissive piggy for him. Getting an adult will mean a rescue centre will know how submissive he is so it’s easier to pair them up but its still not a guarantee as you’ll only know if it works when you try.
Having a baby means acceptance is more likely to occur at the beginning as they can’t challenge for position (but it’s not a guarantee) but there is a risk that baby will get his own ideas when he hits teens and tries to take over which will mean fights if one doesn’t back down.
He is still a teen himself until 14 months old
 
Piggies&buns said:
If he wants to be dominant then you need a submissive piggy for him. Getting an adult will mean a rescue centre will know how submissive he is so it’s easier to pair them up but its still not a guarantee as you’ll only know if it works when you try.
Having a baby means acceptance is more likely to occur at the beginning as they can’t challenge for position (but it’s not a guarantee) but there is a risk that baby will get his own ideas when he hits teens and tries to take over which will mean fights if one doesn’t back down.
He is still a teen himself until 14 months old
Click to expand...

Sorry is this the case for just the ginger one or the grey one too?
Are they both trying to be dominant by the grey one not being submissive?
 
JessFerguson said:
Sorry is this the case for just the ginger one or the grey one too?
Are they both trying to be dominant by the grey one not being submissive?
Click to expand...

Potentially yes. If one is not backing down and showing submissive behaviours (submission squealing, accepting being mounted etc), then it is likely both want to be dominant and then that kind of relationship won’t work.
 
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