Thoughts please (nuetering bonded boars)

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sars

sars

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As a Rescue, we aim to nueter whenever possible, and when it is in the animal's best interests.

Today I've taken in 2 boars (brothers) who are @18 months old. They have always lived together in not ideal (to say the least) conditions - in an area/enclosure far too cramped alongside 2 rabbits (who are also here).

Physically they are not too bad - nothing a couple of days on grass, with plenty of leg room and good grub won't help - and they have been seperated from the rabbits for the past 2 weeks in foster. Their relationship has been watched closely by their fosterer, and they've had a thourgh Vet check.

The dominent brother is Marlon (black/tan) and the submissive is Shadrack (tortie). I've watched them closely today, and Marlon certainly dominates Shadrach. Shadrack has a couple of small nicks to his body - nothing very serious, and none to face/rump - but he is certainly intimidated by his brother. The nips could have been caused by the rabbits, as they were all in a small area together - but I have observed, and Marlon stalks, taunts and certainly bullies Shadrack. Shadrack always backs down.

When put away for the night (all our piggies go out in large pens on grass for the daytime, away in hutches in a SummerHouse at night), they lay seperately - no nighttime 'argy-bargy' heard/seen. Their hutch (they are in the 'emergancy' small one - 4ft by 3ft)
is in the SummerHouse with three other hutches containing x3 female groups.

I have 3 groups of females here (entire). The boys have obviously shown some hormonal response (verbally!) to their presence, but things have settled very well considering the scent of 7 females.

I have both lads booked in for nuetering on Friday morning.
Now would the best route be to ..
a) nueter both, keep together as a bonded pair
b) nueter ONE, keep as bonded pair (I am thinking Marlon for the Op)?
c) nueter both, seperate and bond individually to a female group each?
d) not nueter, work through the squabbing, keep as a bonded pair?

Sarah - PinkPawsRescue xx
 
We (Walsall RSPCA) neuter all our boars whether they are in pairs or not. If this was us we would neuter both boars, keep them together and move them away from any females to see how they get on. If they got on really well, we would ensure they went to a home with no female pigs.

If that didn't work we would separate them and rehome them with female piggies.
 
At my GP rescue I rarely neuter, I would keep the boys away from the females and see how their relationship goes - they have been through tremendous changes and the stress of all these changes may have caused the dominance problem, given a bit of time they could calm down and have a solid bond.

suzy
 
Very interesting to hear two very different responses from two other Rescues, thank you!

As things stand, I have them both booked in for the Op on Friday morning, with the intent to home as a bonded pair. I feel the bond IS there, and by taking away the testosterone (!) - they have a better 'chance' of a longer, happy, bonded life together.

However...
I then wonder if they would be happier seperated and matched to a group/an individual female(s). For that, they'd obviously need 'nads off' too. So I will keep to the appointment.

I am struggling with the concept of rehomeing an entire male - I can fully understand the risks of the anasthetic (having lost several rabbits this way - and I only use the best Vet care)...
BUT if fully in the animals' interests, I would do. That would only be via a thourghly homechecked, WAITING and trusted home - and I don't know about you all - but these are very scarce for guinea pigs of late:(

It seems they stand much more of a chance of a Forever Home without their boybits..
 
We don't routinely neuter here either - if a bonded male pair comes in, they go to a new home (homechecked!) as a pair. Only if a single boar won't bond with another boar (we'll try them with several boars to find a match if the first one doesn't work out) then we neuter and rehome them with sows.

Unlike in other animals, neutering doesn't change a boar's behaviour - just his ability to reproduce! So behavioural improvements are unlikely just because he's got no balls :))

Good luck whatever you decide.

Sophie
x
 
I haven't had a huge amount of guineas, but hav always neutered the boys. We are a sanctuary so don't rehome, but my way of thinking is that if the bond breaks down or one dies they can then be bonded with girls without having to go through an op when older.

I have never lost a boar to being castrated, and never lost a rabbit being neutered and all our female rabbits are speyed.
 
I am only one person who keeps pigs as pets, so have a lot less experience than the rescues.
I have always had boars, never neutered.
My experience FWIW....I started with a lovely pair of brothers, who lived together happily for four years until one died. Because the survivor (Sam) was not neutered, I had difficulty finding a new friend for him. Two branches of RSPCA which I approached locally told me it was not their policy to re-home boars to a household where there was an existing boar, even to live side-by-side in separated accommodation.
Eventually I found a rescue (RSPCA Medway) who were prepared to let me take a second boar (Rupert) and, after careful introduction, he and Sam lived together very happily for the rest of Sam's life. (hence my username Sammyroo, which I chose to celebrate a happy boar friendship)
In the meantime I adopted another 'bonded pair', Tom and Jerry, but made the mistake of housing them right next to Sam and Roo. This, combined with the stress of moving, was too much for them and they fought. I had to separate them. They remained side-by-side in separate cages until Tom died.
Sam and Tom died within just two weeks of each other. Shortly afterwards, I tried introducing Rupert and Jez. Each seemed to realise that it was a choice of, accept the other as friend or live alone....and a new happy friendship was born.
So, what would I do in your place....?

I would try the two of them together, un-neutered, well away from any other pigs, either male or female. In my (limited) experience, the best recipe for a happy boar friendship is two boars, no other pigs around.
If that works, then I would stick with it....BUT...I would be aware that if one died, you could have difficulty finding a new friend for an un-neutered boar. It depends where you live, and what the attitude is of rescues in your area.
Because I 'specialise' in keeping only un-neuterd boars, I now keep my eyes and ears open for rescues which are prepared to re-home to someone like me, in case I am looking for another boar in the future.
(Although tbh, my existing two are now at the age where if one goes, the other will probably follow - don't know their exact ages but they must both be around six by now)

Hope my ramblings are some help!
 
Your ramblings have been a HUGE help, thank you for posting!

The 2 boys have settled here very well. They do not argue in their hutch (where they are bedded down at night - 7pmish - 7amish) - the rumbling, and 'stiff legged' stuff starts when I put them in their pen on the grass for the day.

Shadrach (tortie, submissive male) has a few scabs/nicks around his collar bone - but they are not fresh. They were originally rescued from a very small enclosure, where they were living with 2 rabbits, food/water was scarse - so the wounds could be from that.
Marlon has no wounds - he is the dominent boar. Both are thin, so I am feeding them up SO much - so their minds are on grub, not sexy stuff! Good food, best enviroment, hopefully the bond will build and any sqyabbles will ease off.
I can't keep them completely away from the girls, as I have 7 females here in total, and they all have to go out in pens on the grass during the day too - the boys' pen is as far as possible from the girls, but they do all sing to eachother :)

I cancelled the appointment.
 
Ho0epfully, it was just the bad conditions - cramped space and not enough food that caused the fights. Quite often, boars coming into rescue with a history of fights and bad behaviour do anything but when they are kept properly!
 
Marlon has filled out alot since being here - Shadrach is definatley the 'under dog' but there is minimal squabbling now (it's always Marlon doing the 'gidder-judder-mutter' mumbling, stiff legs and chasing!). No more bites.
Both settle well together for the night in their hutch, and love being in their outside pen during the day - with Marlon taking charge.

I've had a home offer for them as a pair, but the new enviroment doesn't excell what they have here - so they'll stay here until someone can offer them better than what I can. I might love 'them abit:)p
 
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