Boar Brawl

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Peter

Post   » Tue Feb 05, 2002 12:37 am


I have two boars, Baci and Fabio, who are littermates. They´ve lived together all of their lives, which was a year on Saturday.

I got a new rescue, Czer (it´s intentionally spelled that way) a few months ago. When I got my new Peruvians on the 22nd, I decided to let him meet Baci and Fabio and hopefully they could live togther in the cage. It´s a big cage, 2 cubes x 4 cubes. After two days they seemed they could tolerate eachother, so I put Czer in the cage with his belongings on one end. Creep A and Creep B immediately took over his stuff. I figured, okay, it´s normal. They´re boars and they´ll eventually figure out who owns what. Over the next few days, they had little scuffles. Again, I didn´t think much of it and wanted to let them duke it out. It didn´t seem too bad.

Today, my mom bought this huge tray of wheatgrass. (Anyone near NYC who wants to know where she got it, email me!) She put it in the cage with the 5 sows in it, and they really devoured it. When she went to put it in the cage with the 3 boars in it, they wouldn´t let Czer near it. They were snapping at him and pushing him away. My mom took him out, and was holding him. She was looking over him, and noticed his ear was torn. It´s an open wound, it must of happened days ago, but it´s sliced. I´d say it´s like what happens when an ear tag is torn from the ear of a show pig. He has a little scab on his crest, too. I wouldn´t have noticed this unless my mom took him out. He´s now back in solitary confinement. He´s under the stand of another cage, so I guess he feels like he´s hiding and will feel a bit more secure there for the time being.

What should I do about his ear and the scab on his crest? From what I saw (while scurrying around finding my extra cage and all of my extra supplies, and throwing all of the extras together) nothing is open or bleeding. It doesn´t seem very sore, he let me feel it. Should I just leave it alone and hope it heals good?

Thanks in advance.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Feb 05, 2002 12:48 am


I think this kind of injury often heals by itself -- but I´ve actually never had any of my girls bite anyone but me. From a lay person´s point of view, keeping track of it and just making sure it does not get infected ought to be alright. Too bad they are being such bullies. That wheatgrass can really drive pigs mad, though. A year ago I was picking some wheat that was fairly tall -- the stalks are sugary and sweet. I couldn´t believe how one pig would tear that stuff out of the mouth of the other pig rather than pick up a piece no one else was eating. Neither would let go and they usually ended up eating it until their lips met. Stubborn cusses.

I think your plan sounds reasonable.

kleenmama
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Tue Feb 05, 2002 12:52 am


I agree. Watch for any signs of infection, such as swelling, pus, or the areas being warmer to the touch than other non wounded places. Other than that, boys will be boys......
I hate it when they don´t get along. I´m just such a wuss and want everyone to "play nice".

pigpal

Post   » Tue Feb 05, 2002 1:08 am


Both my Peruvian boys came to me with torn ears.

They´d been in a small cage with three other boars and some pretty serious fighting had been going on. The wounds healed up on their own, but they now have V shaped notches in the edge of the ear flaps.

Were you going to show your pig? Is a notched ear a problem in a show pig?

Scratch that question, I misread your post - it´s the rescue who got torn, not one of the Peruvians. Duh.
Last edited by pigpal on Tue Feb 05, 2002 1:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

pinta

Post   » Tue Feb 05, 2002 1:29 am


Even sows get into it. I was startled to discovered a 1 cm mouth-shaped triangle missing from the diabetic, Taffeta´s, ear. It was so large a missing piece I hunted around the condo for it. Gone.

Taffeta seemed pleased as punch and feeling no pain. No other pigs were wounded. Since I´ve seen Taffeta in action bossing everyone else, I didn´t feel overly sympathetic. Ear healed just fine with no intervention, but it´s a heck of a chunk missing.

No further incidences with Taffeta have occurred.

Peter

Post   » Tue Feb 05, 2002 1:50 am


Thanks for the advice. I´ll keep an eye on him.

Czer is like Taffeta, he can be bossy; but he can´t take it I guess. He seems pleased to be living alone again. I´m glad he´s not showing any signs of pain.

I´m very happy that they bit where they did, though. The bite is very close to his head, so a few more inches to the side and he could have been blinded, and it would have been a lot messier. It´s really not very visible unless you move his ear a little to the side.

Edit: I wish they all played nice too, KM!
Last edited by Peter on Tue Feb 05, 2002 1:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

pinta

Post   » Tue Feb 05, 2002 2:48 am


By the time I discovered Taffeta´s ear loss there was no point in separating anyone. All pigs were pretending absolutely nothing had happened. Code of silence thing. "Who us? Bloodshed? Pshaw!"

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