Behavior Separated pigs - bar chewing??

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I have 2 boars that have had a pretty aggressive relationship since I got them (just over 1 year ago now). At about 9.5 months old I had to separate them after a series of fights where they’d pulled large tufts of fur out of eachother but didn’t have enough space to give them side-by-side cages, so they had cages opposite each other, and then floor time in side-by-side pens for a few hours every day as I knew I’d be moving soon enough and it would only be a temporary solution.

They seemed to really love their floor time in the side-by-sides, and although there was still a lot of rumble strutting (particularly from the originally submissive piggy) there was also lots of chatter and popcorning.

fast forward to this week - they’re now 1 year old (so have finished puberty?) and I’ve finally moved. The first thing I did was build them a 2x6 c&c cage with a divider down the middle and I was super excited to be able to have them properly side-by-side full time, but the rumble strutting seems to be constant now, and the previously submissive piggy keeps aggressively chewing the divider bars!

Do you think he’s likely to settle down?
And would there be any point in me trying to rebond them on neutral ground in the hopes of removing the divider - or is the aggressive bar chewing and indicator that this is a horrible idea?

They have lots of toys for chewing in the cage and massive piles of hay so I’m completely stumped. The formerly dominant pig seems pretty unfazed and does partake in a little rumble strutting but otherwise just does his own thing.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

If you've moved and have more space for the pigs (ideally a 2x5 grid C and C minimum) I would go ahead and attempt a reintroduction. Of course, do it in a completely different and neutral area that smells nothing of either pig. Being a new place that shouldn't be too difficult.

It sounds like they just wanna be together. My current boys (and all of my boys to some degree or other) rumblestrut at each other. Scooter and Punkin were very bonded and would cuddle each other, but they also rumblestrutted and mounted each other. It was more of a game for them than anything else.

Now, Leo rumblestruts at Simon almost every time he sees him. He's an absolute goofball, and Simon couldn't care less.

As long as there isn't any blood drawn then at the very least they tolerate each other, and sometimes that's the best you can hope for.