Why Do Boys Fall Out

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Stewybus

Stewybus

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As a lot of you may know, I run Tees Valley Guinea Pig Rescue.

We get lots of people not wanting to adopt pairs of boys because they've been told that boys always end up fighting & needing to be separating.

There may be a little truth in this but I believe that the main reason that boys end up fighting is that they've been bought from a pet store with an under RSPCA recommended size cage ie 120cm x 60cm. We are more realistic with size stating that 118cm x 59cm is our minimum size for rehoming because this seems to be the industry standard & if you go by the RSPCA minimum you would then have to go out & buy a 150cm or thereabouts cage to be above their minimum.

What do other members think are the main reasons for boys falling out :) x
 
From my experience I believe there are 2 reasons that boars do or may fall out. One is lack of space and the other is that they were not a good match initially anyway. I think if you have 2 very headstrong and dominant characters you have a problem which only becomes worse as they get older. xx
 
Never had boys ,but would be interested in what @Wiebke thinks on this
 
I have 4 pairs of boars so spend a lot of time looking at and sometimes worrying about boy behaviour! Thankfully I have 4 settled pairs at the moment but I have had times of problems. I think hormones have a lot to answer for.
careful boar dating is really helpful though for avoiding problems.
The most stressful fall out I had was probably Sudoku and Tea Cake, they had been together for well over a year but Tea Cake decided to challenge for the top spot as he reached about 15months old and was physically strong enough to challenge. Both found new partners through careful dating.
I think it is important to remember every pairing is different. I also think that perhaps the expectation that boar pairs will live together their whole life is too high. They may do if really well matched but they dynamics might change over time, I try to see that as a new phase rather than a 'failure' . But can be difficult for slaves!

We are a sow free house but other homes do have sow and boar pairs and that appears to be stressful for some boar relationships.
Any other thoughts @pig in the city ?
 
Stewybus said:
As a lot of you may know, I run Tees Valley Guinea Pig Rescue.

We get lots of people not wanting to adopt pairs of boys because they've been told that boys always end up fighting & needing to be separating.

There may be a little truth in this but I believe that the main reason that boys end up fighting is that they've been bought from a pet store with an under RSPCA recommended size cage ie 120cm x 60cm. We are more realistic with size stating that 118cm x 59cm is our minimum size for rehoming because this seems to be the industry standard & if you go by the RSPCA minimum you would then have to go out & buy a 150cm or thereabouts cage to be above their minimum.

What do other members think are the main reasons for boys falling out :) x
Click to expand...

The biggest issues are generally:
- Shop or breeder boars that are not personality matched.
- The old persistent breeder myth that brothers won't fall out.
- Same age boars going through the teenage months at the same time and hitting the typical hormonal crisis points together.
- Lack of space forces boars to fight/bully because they can't get away from each other.

You may find the points raised in this link here interesting. It looks at all these angles.
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
 
I think lack of space. My boys are always rumble strutting around each other but when I put them in a small space when I need to do a full clean they fall out more. They don't fight just strut around I have never been sure who is the boss.
 
Personality is key, its tricky with young boars as they inevitably go through a hormonal stage but usually if you have got the personality match right then they should get through it if they have enough space.
We insist on 150 x 60 cm cages for 2 boars now but accept a smaller cage if piggies have permanent access to a run.
It seems that people often select boar pairs on appearance rather than personality, so its a lottery if it works out.
 
I have 4 boars now as my first pair fell out. Alby and Fudge, I don't know why they fell out but think it was because fudge kept annoying Alby. when I got them they were in a small cage, I moved them to a 6x2 c&c cage they fell out after about 6 months. Then I got Buddy to keep Alby company, they seem fine together, Buddy is a drama queen and always squealing his little lungs out. So maybe Alby feels like the boss now.
I got Peanut to keep fudge company they were in a 5x2 c&c they fell out when peanut reached 9 months of age. We think Peanut tore fudges ear from top to bottom. (Vets visit required) they had shown no aggression previous to this so it's confusing as to what's happened. But they don't want to be with each other anymore. They seem happy living through the bars each in a
2x3 c&c talking to each other when they want to and then doing their own thing. Some rumblestrutting if the other is looking through the bars too long. Lol. I would love to know what causes fall outs as its so confusing to us humans.
 
I've currently got two boys. Mr Crosby (about 14 months old) and Diesel (about 8 months old).
I originally had Mr Crosby and Augustus (Sadly got re homed with a boar he loved). I bought them together when they were both babies, but unfortunately as they hit the hormonal stage they did not get on. Around 2-3 months after Mr Crosby had been on his own, I got a new baby, Diesel. There were a few rumbles to start with as Diesel who was about 1/4 the size of Crosby fought he could be the boss and was quickly put in his place. After that they settled in and they enjoyed each others company.

Now there is a lot of Rumble strutting and the occassional teeth chatter. I added a new bowl, new water bottle, more distractions and since then that has reduced the rumbling. I'm hoping they will continue to get on, however I agree that space is an issue for males. It will be interesting to watch as when separated they are the grumpiest guineas alive!
 
I prefer boars and have never had real trouble with them. I even had a group of 4 that would have lawn time together fine, they lived as pairs though. I'd love another pair at some point. I've used a variety of cages and I'm comfortable with a 120. In other rodents there is a phenomenon that too much space is equally as bad as too little but having tried 6x2 c&c I didn't find that it happened.
 
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