Rumblestrutting One boar rumblestrutting all the time around other boar

[KristenMatejka]

We just got a 3 week old boar 3 days ago and introductions went great. Had them in a large gated off area for well over 8 hours and had no fighting, teeth chattering, or biting. But my older male (10 weeks) rumble struts everytime the younger one gets near him. And I saw this morning the younger one has this mark on his face. Is it anything to be concerned about?

 

[DonkeyBrainz]

How big is your cage?

 

[KristenMatejka]

I have them in a 2x5 cage.

 

[bpatters]

Sounds totally normal to me. Did you expect them not to rumblestrut?

Make sure the cage is as clear of furniture as you can make it. All hideys have two doors, and there's no place for a pig to get trapped. Hang some fleece forests so each one has a place to "hide" without being in the other's line of sight.

Just watch the mark on the little one's face to make sure it doesn't get infected.

 

[KristenMatejka]

I was planning on making them a better fleece forest and two tunnels are on the way. I have two small wooden arches. Will that do for the time being? I already have two seperate hay racks, pellet bowls, and water bottles.

I did expect some rumble strutting but not all day lol.

 

[DonkeyBrainz]

That sounds good for now. Some people add a third water bottle, bowl, and hay rack, but I would only do that if they fight over the ones they have. The less furniture the better!

 

[KristenMatejka]

I have been watching them closely and haven't heard any teeth chattering or squealing. But I noticed the baby has a bit more on his face. I checked him all over and he is okay.
Is this still okay?

 

[elewis618]

I have been watching them closely and haven't heard any teeth chattering or squealing. But I noticed the baby has a bit more on his face. I checked him all over and he is okay.
Is this still okay? View attachment 82069

Those almost look like scratch marks to me, but I'm not that familiar with skinny pigs so don't take my word for it. Are his nails clipped? Also, I know skinny pigs need to have their nails filed so there are no rough edges to catch their tender skin when they do scratch.

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[bpatters]

If there are other pigs in the cage, their nail need to be filed also.

And those don't look like real bites to me. Adult guinea pigs nip the pups to teach them to behave -- that's how the sows wean the pups. The nips are just a lot more visible on a skinny than on a haired pig.

 

[KristenMatejka]

I just clipped both of their nails the day before yesterday but they are still sharp. Can I use a regular file for my nails. Can I use that on their nails?

I am just worried they wont get along. And ive never had any piggies with scratches/bites

 

[bpatters]

Yes, you can use a regular nail file.

 

[CavyTV]

Rumblestrutting is normal. Boars will do this frequently. Some will do it more then others. Maybe that's just the older one's personality. You've got nothing to worry about. They'll keep doing it for weeks, months, years. Again, normal. Rumblestrutting isn't really a sign of aggression. It's more like showing the other pigs whose boss. Right now they seem like they're gonna be okay. Those marks are probably just from his own nails, or a few nips from his cagemate. Once they both hit puberty, that's when you should keep a close eye on their behavior.

 

[KristenMatejka]

When exactly do they hit puberty? We are moving May 21st from New Orleans, La to Houston, Tx. Should I worry about moving them in a small area? I would immediately set their cage up once we get to Houston but I am worried about the stress of the move on them.

 

[bpatters]

It depends. There's no set timetable for pigs to hit adolescence than there is for people.

It's not that far from New Orleans to Houston. I'd use two cat carriers, or go to someplace like Petco and get two cardboard carriers -- they're about $7 each.