Barnyard, billy goat, butt funk | My Boar, Nigel

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C_Creature

Post   » Wed Apr 25, 2018 4:49 pm


You are most likely reading this with your nose wrinkled and upper lip slightly raised *laughing face* (how do other people use emoticons?!)

My boar, Nigel Thornberry, came to me as a foster with his very unbonded cage mate, Luke, whom, I was able to rehome. Nigel and his adorableness has persuaded me to keep him;
  • However, I have two and a half questions:

    1. He weighed 1300 kg when I got him. He now weighs 1200 kg. 1000 kgs in a month doesn't seem normal to me. He has not changed eating habits that I can tell. He happily eats veggies, hay and pellets. Is the weight loss due to him being lonely? My two other boars do not get along with him and it upsets their own relationship so the idea of them being a trio is kaput. I've read that finding a baby boar (vs an adult) is an easier and more sure way to establish dominance?

    2. HE SMELLS LIKE A BILLY GOAT. He has since I got him. Initially I thought maybe he was impacted or something, but nope! His secret sac (as I call it *vom*) was just regular/healthy stinky. I then found his grease gland...from this unassuming, benign looking spot was where the ripe, billy goat funk was coming from. It was matted/grease-glommed down. Our friend Dawn dishwashing liquid helped and since, his grease gland looks/feels normal so I don't think it's called for to wash it again just because it's working properly albeit, smelly. I think overwashing is a bad idea and may even cause over production? Am I to accept that this is simply his smell and get used to it? I already have an air purifier by his cage so that line of defense has been taken...what else can I do?
Thanks and I am sorry if I rambled a bit. First post (thanks for having me!!)

Best, Christin :)

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:05 pm


You SURE he weighs 1200 kg? That's 2645 pounds! I think you mean 1200 grams...

Are you feeding him exactly the same he was fed with his previous owners? If they gave him unlimited pellets and you're limiting them (as you should, to 1/8 cup per day), that could account for the weight loss. Or if you're giving him fewer treats.

Did you also clean his anal sac? It can also smell pretty gross even if there's not a lot of stuff in it.

I agree that frequent washing of the grease gland probably isn't a good idea. But you can keep the gunk for piling up by rubbing a bit of cold pressed virgin coconut oil into it to soften things up, then wipe with a damp cloth.

C_Creature

Post   » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:21 pm


Omg 😂 yes!!! 1200 g/1.2 kg

I did check his anal sac and like I say, it was fine. I will try the ole coconut oil and see if that helps. Thank you!

P.s. not sure about the snacks but will ask former owner

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:21 pm


Is the smell at all like infection? I didn't think the grease gland smelled particularly - but I have never had a boar.

p.s. I really laughed when you caught that 1200kg/2645 pound error, bpatters!

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lisam

Post   » Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:05 pm


Is he dragging his bottom around, perhaps because he smells the other boys?

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CavyDad
Supporter in 2018

Post   » Thu Apr 26, 2018 11:32 am


I've had a total of six boars and the grease glands have never been particularly smelly. The sacs can get pretty bad depending on the pig. But I'm with Lisam, watch if he's dragging his bottom around. This will often be accompanied by him rumbling, and possibly even making his sac flare out a bit, for lack of a better description. The smell that goes along with this is about the worst smell you can imagine! I've seen it referred to as "boarfume" or "boar stink."

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mmeadow
Supporter 2004-2022

Post   » Thu Apr 26, 2018 12:20 pm


(I wrote this, then realized it repeats what lisam, bpatters, and cavydad say.)
The only times that my boys' boar stank has been obtrusive were times that I would see them rumble-strutting around and flaring their butts, which releases that astonishingly rank smell. Do you see him doing that often?

(Butt cleaning is stinky, however for mine, the smell never extended beyond the butt in question. None of my pigs has ever had a smelly grease gland, even when gross and matted. This is just my experience.)

If he doesn't have a health issue, I agree that the 1300 to 1200 gram weight loss could be a readjustment to new circumstances. Keep checking and watch if it stabilizes.

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Kimera

Post   » Thu Apr 26, 2018 3:57 pm


I would think that there is something wrong physically with a boar that smelly. I have had tons of boars, currently I have six, and none were really stinky. They could stink up the air by flipping they butts and rumblestrutting, but a moment later, after airing the room, they were sweet smelling as always. Also their grease glands were never stinky, even when they were neglected. They could be sticky and dirty, but not gross. Healthy, clean grease gland secretion smells like wax or resin, and it is not an unpleasant smell.
There might be some infection going on somewhere, or there is a problem with the boar's diet. A guinea pig of any sex shouldn't be stinky.

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CavyDad
Supporter in 2018

Post   » Thu Apr 26, 2018 6:19 pm


As to whether or not it's easier to bond a male with a baby or an adult, the initial introduction with a baby usually goes easier than with another adult, but once the baby reaches adolescence, all bets are off. We just had to separate an almost two-year-old and 6 month old because once the baby started trying to mount the older boy, that was the end of it. This was after getting along great for several months.

C_Creature

Post   » Tue May 01, 2018 12:40 pm


UPDATE: Nigel, is in fact, not 1200kgs but 1250g :-D He is stabilizing and officially saw three popcorns yesterday!!

I smelled his grease gland and there was no smell. I put him closer to my other two boys...rumblestrutting + horrific smells ensued. I think whatever I was smelling on him originally was due to boarfume. As I said, he and his now rehomed cagemate did not get along so there was probably constant butt flaring and I just didn't see it.

@lynx and @bpatters I will not be making that mistake again ;-P

@Lisam @cavydad @mmeadow he has been dragging his bottom. My other two younger males are worse about it (hormones?) Is there anything to feed them/not feed them that reduces that smell??

@Kimera it doesn't have a sick smell, just a very unpleasant one but I will keep that in mind!

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CavyDad
Supporter in 2018

Post   » Tue May 01, 2018 11:29 pm


I think the smell has more to do with the individual boar than anything they eat. There seems to be a wide range in the potency of the boarfume. I'd describe my oldest boar's as moderately unpleasant, but my adolescent's as "makes your eyes water." Mine have also seemed to drag less and rumblestrut less as they get older--especially if they get along well with their cage mate.

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