Should I separate my boars?

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Squee

Post   » Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:55 pm


I have two boars and I bonded them a little less than a month ago. Snoopy is 2 years old and Benny is 8 months old. I got Benny when he was mostly a baby, but I didn’t introduce them for another two months because I found out that Benny had ringworm, and I had to get that cured, and then make sure he didn’t have it anymore.

I have noticed a change in Snoopy’s behavior since introducing them. He is usually a very friendly pig who’s always very excited when I enter the room and loves to be pet, but lately, he’s been on high alert and his fur is always standing up.
He has three scabs on his nose and lip, and Benny has a scab on his muzzle.
They are often chasing each other around and teeth chattering, but they always want to be near each other, not in an aggressive way, which throws me off.

Should I separate them? I’m at a loss on what I should do. Should I separate them permanently, temporarily, or not at all? Please help!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:08 pm


If there are scabs, they are drawing blood. If they are under a significant amount of stress they may not eat enough. How big is your cage? Are there places to go where they can't see each other?

From what you describe, it sounds like separating them might be a reasonable thing to do?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:59 pm


How big is their cage? Cage size has a LOT to do with boar aggression.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Fri Nov 01, 2019 2:31 pm


My paired boars get along great, but they do have disagreements from time to time. They never draw blood on each other. They are both the same age. They are in a 4 by 2 foot cage with a tunnel and a fleece forest in the corner (doesn't take up space but allows for a place to hide). It usually starts when Sammy, the more impetuous of the two has to get scolded because he won't leave Dean alone or when the veggies are served. It ends with a lunge from Dean which Sammy dodges and moves away into the tunnel or under the fleece forest.

In your case being separated in age by nearly a year and a half, might make for several months of squabbles. Snoopy is old enough for his hormone levels to have calmed down some while Benny is not. It usually happens around the age of two. Agree on the cage situation. 2 by 4 foot is the minimum size for two guinea pigs. Without places for both of them to go hide, no cage is big enough.

I think the smart thing to do is put them in separate cages, yet in view of each other; maybe even butt the cages together so they can touch noses and be close to each other. I did that with my other two boars, Mr Bubbles and Scruffy. They are 6 months apart in age and would not pair up. That worked out great for them. They like each other and get along great as long as there's a see through barrier between them. Perhaps you can try to pair them up at a later time after both are out of the hormonal stage. I've been contemplating trying to pair those two up again since they are now both over the age of two, but Scruffy has been sick off and on for the last couple of months.

You definitely don't want them inflicting wounds on each other.

Squee

Post   » Mon Nov 04, 2019 1:10 pm


My cage is approx. 20 sq. feet. It’s a c&c cage that I built myself, so I don’t think territory is an issue

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Mon Nov 04, 2019 1:40 pm


All the hideys have at least two doors? No place for a pig to get trapped?

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