Boar puberty?

[tpals]

My three boars have always coexisted peacefully until recently. The youngest (guessing from size, they're all adopted) has begun chasing and mounting the others relentlessly. It seems to happen mostly at night when I'd like to be sleeping. Is this something we just have to get through until they establish a new pecking order?

[gooberific]

I have a similar situation going on. When I adopted my boys, I was informed that one was dom, one submissive, but that it could change as they go through adolescence. They were both in-takes from an underage seizure at a Petco, and are approx. 4 months old.

From everything I've read, yes, you just have to let them figure out their hierarchy on their own... but keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get more aggressive and actually attack each other.

About an hour after I gave my boys their evening veggies, I heard them chasing each other around (which has so far been normal for them to run their laps with each other like a race), then the heavy teeth chatter started. I got up to keep an eye on them, and as I was walking to their cage there was fur flying!

I put their litter box between them and grabbed one of them out of the cage. He was the one who had the missing tufts of hair. I held him until he went docile and then put him back into the cage, took a fresh towel and with a lot of work and help from my hubby picked up the second guy after a half-dozen nips.

He kept chattering while I held him... he noticed some hay stuck to my shirt and then was suddenly calm. He climbed up and tickled my neck like usual. I added an extra hidey box and another scrap of fleece for a corner "tent", and so far they seem to be doing okay except when they both want hay... so off I go to make a second hay rack.

[Ziggy&Herald]

With males, I find it is extremely important that they don't have to share anything and that the cage is very large.

I have 5 boars, 3 living in one cage and 2 in another. They were all but one adopted as adults. I have two that are very dominant and will not be able to be housed together, but all the others get along fine.

If you have a C&C cage try to expand to one more grid width if space is the problem. You can either make it wider or longer, whichever is best for your space. Or you could always try to make another level. If the problem is them sharing, then obviously add more hay racks, water bottles, food bowls or veggies piles.

The running and chasing each other though is completely normal and will probably always go on. The teeth chattering will soon reside once the power struggle is over.