Bonding

[Choco-latte]

My male pigs have been together for 3 nights now and 2 day. They still are doing the rumblestrutting, mounting, chattering off and on. I know that this might take some time.
But here is my questions:
1. Do they need free run time separately?

Today they had free run together and did great, actually stayed close together. (I cleaned their cage).

Later this evening, I retrieved La Leche for lap time and he was constantly wanting to be on the move, nipped at me, and seemed aggrivated. He even puffed at me, it was like a loud sound? So I put him back in his cage and I took Choco-Latte out for his time and loved on him and put him in my lap and he bit me, not once but three times, hard. So I told him no biting. I took him in to my husband to discuss thier behavior and he bit me again this time drawing blood. (And he is actually the one that always licking and loving all over me).

2. Should I put off lap time until they have adjusted with one another and give them separate free run time?

I do not want to make this time anymore stressful for them than it already is.

Thanks

 

[cavyowner2007]

You should try expanding floor time and putting veggies in two diffrent spots. They need alot of space while becoming "friendly" with each other. My two boys have not had any problems after 8 months of being together. Good luck. Best regards to your pigs. My girl also bit me three times yesterday. Not drawing blood because shes only 7 1/2 weeks old. But it was only out of fear and aggervation.

 

[Choco-latte]

But should I have them together during floor time or have them do it seperate? I think both are high strung. One is about 9 months and very stubborn(abby) the other is a little over 1 yr. (sheltie).

Thanks

 

[this_lil_piggy]

Once you have pigs together, it isn't advisable to separate them unless absolutely necessary (vet visits and such). If you separate them during floor time, you are only running the risk of them having to re-establish ground rules/dominance when they are back together again. That would be a more stressful scenario than just letting them continue to work things out the way they are. I would just give them floor time together.
It is normal for them to take some time to work things out. My 4 boars have been together for 5 months, and they still rumble around at each other and such pretty much on a daily basis. It's all a part of being a boar in a piggy boar herd.
http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm

 

[cavyowner2007]

edit: Not after 8 months of being together, after 2 years of being together. My bad on their age.

This_little_piggy is right. Do not seperate them unless its absolutly necesary. I keep my girls together in one floor time and my boys together in a floor time an hour later. Works out fine. Just make sure you make two spots, that way if one gets angry at the other they can run. Hope all goes well : )

 

[kristin25]

A little bit on the nipping... my boys who still aren't bonded (well, not all of them), still get aggitated with eachother. If they are, lap time needs to wait. Think of when you're angry with someone, and then someone wants you to be all cuddly and cute. You just wouldn't be in to it. I find sometimes the distraction of food helps. I feed them their vegetables for a bit, in the cage and then do lap time. By this time, they've forgotten the agitated feeling, and love food and you Not a sure thing, but it helps. And remember, they don't have moral reasoning, so distraction is a good technique, letting them have their emotional time, and don't respond to the biting. Remain calm, or they learn that it works. Time will help too. I'm no expert, but that's been my experience.