Bonding Introducing two boars and floor time questions

[HerschelPickles]

I got a lone 7 month old skinny boar about two weeks ago. I have a breeder coming over tonight to try an intro with a younger 1.5 month old boar this evening. Im worried about my skinny as clearly he has no fur and less protection. They will be housed in a 5 x 2 C & C cage.

I also have a question about floor time. Is it okay to take out one of them at a time, assuming they get along and stay together? What about floor time, will they fight for dominance during floor time too?

 

[bpatters]

Before you do anything, read the bible on introductions: https://guinea-pigs.livejournal.com/3002707.html

Your skinny can get along perfectly well with another pig. You should probably file the tips of the nails of the other pig so the skinny isn't as likely to get scratched.

Don't separate them for floor time. Once you complete introductions, leave them together unless there's blood flowing.

You're going to have some dominance squabbles. You've got one pig in puberty and another one coming along.

 

[HerschelPickles]

So just to be clear, once they are bonded I should never separate them? Not even to snuggle on the couch etc?

 

[Snugglybutt]

Of course you can. I think bpatters meant they shouldn't be seperated in terms of living arrangements until there is blood flowing. You can still take them out seperately to snuggle and do other things.

 

[bpatters]

I meant don't separate them for floor time. Sorry that wasn't clear.

 

[HerschelPickles]

No problem, thank you for the help.

We introduced them on neutral ground. There were some minor squabbles and things settled down. Some air puffing, rumble strutting, yawning, and teeth chattering. This all calmed down and the older cavy began ignoring the younger. I put them in a brand new C & C and the new cavy seems terrified. He sits in the corner and doesn’t move. My older cavy still largely ignores him but small squabbles are still occurring abot 3 hours in. When can I walk away and not keep sitting here?

 

[bpatters]

I wouldn't leave yet. Introductions can take a long time. I won't usually leave until both pigs have had at least one nap.

Make sure all hideys have at least two doors. If you don't have any, use upside-down shoe boxes with holes cut in the ends. Drape some fleece across a couple of corners of the cage so they can't always see each other. Tomorrow, make a couple of fleece forests to hang in different places. You don't want a pig to ever get trapped, but they need to get out of the other's line of sight.

 

[HerschelPickles]

Okay, I just left them. It’s been 4 hours. I have two bendy logs in their cage and made a fleece forest. When I left the baby was laying in the forest and my older cavy was sleeping in the forest. They still are having intermittent spats but also have groomed each other and eaten together.

 

[bpatters]

They're probably good.

 

[HerschelPickles]

This morning everyone looked good and I slept next to the cage all night just in case. They continue to huff at one another intermittently and my larger boy (the skinny) has two small marks on him but they don’t look like they broke skin.

This bonding thing is stressful!

 

[bpatters]

This bonding thing is stressful!

Yep!

 

[HerschelPickles]

Another question!

I changed the boys cage out yesterday and since then there has been an increase in chattering and chasing, my hairless boy has even been doing some mild lunging to which the younger runs. I tried sprinkling some old bedding in the cage to keep a familiar sent but they are still more agitated than before. Is this to be expected? I feel like I set them back.

 

[bpatters]

It's totally normal.

 

[Snugglybutt]

My boars fight every time I clean their cage. After an hour they calm down and are back to normal!

 

[HerschelPickles]

I swear, the stress never ends.

Today I was spot cleaning the boys cage and gave them their nightly veggies when something spooked them (I have no idea what). They proceeded to run in circles and jump on one another wide-eyed and freaked out. It looks like my hairless pig got a bite mark or a scrape in the chaos. It isn’t bleeding but it’s fairly red. They are both hiding and neither will eat their favorite veggies.

Please tell me this can be normal?

 

[bpatters]

Totally normal. Pigs get weirded out over totally unknown things.

 

[HerschelPickles]

I did my weekly whole cage clean out yesterday which often causes the boys to bicker a bit. This morning I noticed my hairless boy has some bite marks on his bottom that did slightly break the skin. It doesnt look too bad and both boys are getting along and sharing their veggies this morning. I know I should expect some of this given they are 8 months and 4 months but Im not sure when to separate considering I dont think this is blood being drawn.

 

[Snugglybutt]

I think they're fine, I totally wouldn't separate my boys over a shallow scratch like that. My skinny had many scratches like that, but I only separated when I noticed that he had a visibly wet and dripping wound.