4boipigs
Forum Donator 2023/24
I have read all the boar/bonding guides lots of time but need input.
Yesterday, I went to the local rescue and my pig Amigo was paired with the guy mentioned here. Amigo is 4 yrs old or more, and "Charlie" is a year and a few months.
The rescue doesn't like when owners stick around to watch bonding, but I was told they were grooming, popcorning, and getting along well. The bonding was 3 hrs. They then send the boys home in separate carriers.
When I got home, I cleaned the cage (2x5 c&c) and put them in. They did okay for a while, pretty uneventful. The only behavior is some chasing, rumbling, teeth chattering. No humping, no yawning, no other big displays of aggression. This morning after I first woke up, the pigs had a fight that lasted a few seconds, and Amigo got a cut on his lip/nose. I had some one-way hides, and Charlie liked to come up to Amigo while he is in them. I think this may have caused problems, so I removed those and only have 2 ways hides now.
They have been having a lot of nose-offs. Amigo will back down, and Charlie will pursue, but compared to his aggressive my puberty boar was, this doesn't seem super aggressive. They don't make active attempts to display dominance, but if one gets too close to the other, there is rumbling and then more of a nose off. While I was typing this, there was a nose off and a short one-second lunge, and Charlie pursued Amigo.
Also, Charlie is very shy/skittish. He hides whenever he sees me, or something moves, or there is a noise. He will run into a hide in fear, regardless if Amigo is in it. Amigo will get upset about it, but no fights in the hides yet.
I'm not sure what to do. I'm concerned because Amigo already got his nose/lip hurt, and blood was drawn. I read this can be a common injury when trapped, not necessarily done on purpose but could have been an accident. I have another boar pair I had to seperate due to a failed bonding (puberty boar), and I desperately don't want to have to split a cage again. I don't want them to live in a 2x3.5 c&c space. Amigo is older and probably doesn't have very much time left due to age and bladder stones, so it won't be a forever situation with them, but I want to avoid it regardless. I just don't have the space right now to expand the cage beyond a 2x7 if I split it.
I did message the rescue about the fight/blood, but it may be a couple days before they respond.
Should I leave them or separate?
Yesterday, I went to the local rescue and my pig Amigo was paired with the guy mentioned here. Amigo is 4 yrs old or more, and "Charlie" is a year and a few months.
The rescue doesn't like when owners stick around to watch bonding, but I was told they were grooming, popcorning, and getting along well. The bonding was 3 hrs. They then send the boys home in separate carriers.
When I got home, I cleaned the cage (2x5 c&c) and put them in. They did okay for a while, pretty uneventful. The only behavior is some chasing, rumbling, teeth chattering. No humping, no yawning, no other big displays of aggression. This morning after I first woke up, the pigs had a fight that lasted a few seconds, and Amigo got a cut on his lip/nose. I had some one-way hides, and Charlie liked to come up to Amigo while he is in them. I think this may have caused problems, so I removed those and only have 2 ways hides now.
They have been having a lot of nose-offs. Amigo will back down, and Charlie will pursue, but compared to his aggressive my puberty boar was, this doesn't seem super aggressive. They don't make active attempts to display dominance, but if one gets too close to the other, there is rumbling and then more of a nose off. While I was typing this, there was a nose off and a short one-second lunge, and Charlie pursued Amigo.
Also, Charlie is very shy/skittish. He hides whenever he sees me, or something moves, or there is a noise. He will run into a hide in fear, regardless if Amigo is in it. Amigo will get upset about it, but no fights in the hides yet.
I'm not sure what to do. I'm concerned because Amigo already got his nose/lip hurt, and blood was drawn. I read this can be a common injury when trapped, not necessarily done on purpose but could have been an accident. I have another boar pair I had to seperate due to a failed bonding (puberty boar), and I desperately don't want to have to split a cage again. I don't want them to live in a 2x3.5 c&c space. Amigo is older and probably doesn't have very much time left due to age and bladder stones, so it won't be a forever situation with them, but I want to avoid it regardless. I just don't have the space right now to expand the cage beyond a 2x7 if I split it.
I did message the rescue about the fight/blood, but it may be a couple days before they respond.
Should I leave them or separate?
