Pass the clothespins!

[PiggieMamaKelly]

This pig stinks!!! Why didn't anyone tell me boars smell so much worse than girls?!? I moved him into the girls room a couple weeks ago after a quarantine and a vet check, and lately my husband has been complaining that it smells awful. And he's right! Two days after a cage change the room smells like it used to smell on day 7. How do you guys deal with boar smell? Are there any tricks? I got a plug in air freshener but I don't want anything too strong for fear of irritating them.

And in unrelated news, he never shuts up!! I used to read people's posts that asked how to get a pig to stop wheeking so much, and I always thought, "How sad, I love wheeking, why would you want to stop it??". NOW I get it. I hope he calms down a little as he ages. Right now I think he just hasn't gotten the plastic bag rustling detection down to a science. He wheeks when he hears a plastic bag.... but also when he hears the garbage truck, the phone ringing, birds singing.... it just never ends. It's like having a baby in the house!

 

[Ly&Pigs]

Have you checked his perineal sac to see if it needs cleaning? Sometimes it gets clogged up with bits of this and that and can cause a boar to really smell. If it's not the sac, then he has a very strong scent gland. He's probably also marking his territory with his scent making it smell worse.

I've had boars before but they never smelled any worse than my girls.

 

[PiggieMamaKelly]

I have been checking his sac, and it seems fine, which it ought to be because he is so young. He must be marking his territory. He rumbles ALOT at the girls so maybe he also sprays his stink around just so we all know he is in charge.

I thought all boars were smelly, but I guess I was wrong. I musta picked out the wrong boar!

 

[Ly&Pigs]

Some boars are smelly. I guess I've been lucky to have some that haven't smelled that bad.

 

[fourbwabbys]

My boars don't smell unless they're out for floor time and are marking their scents everywhere. I guess I got 3 lucky boars.

 

[jdomans]

I haven't noticed a change since we got Doolittle. Have you washed his grease gland lately? I don't think it really stinks but hey just a thought. I only notice Doo when I wipe his perineal sac.

 

[cavy-cool-crazy]

Charlie tends to let you know if he's hacked off by stinking the place out! Generally he doesn't smell. He gets his parts checked and - when necessary - cleaned on a regular basis. I'm pretty sure he uses smell as a defence.

 

[tattooyu]

At first, our two boars stunk all the time from marking. Now they only do it during floor time.

 

[salana]

My impression of your boar:

"HEY LADIES! Pay attention to me! ME ME ME! Oh boy! I can smell LADIES!! Look at my butt! I'm going to turn it inside out for you! LOOK! I love you! I love you ALL!! Pay attention to me!"

 

[HowietheGreat]

Ha Ha! That's really funny. I'm thinking that I am happy that have girls.

 

[PiggieMamaKelly]

lol I think you got it right on Salana. His actual self doesn't smell, I love to pick him up and smell him because he still smells like a baby. I guess I didn't realize that male guinea pigs marked territory. I thought that was a dog thing. Now that you have all brought it to my attention, sounds like that is what he is doing. He is obsessed with his future girlfriends.

 

[salana]

It's not even so much that he's marking territory, as that he's trying to impress the ladies with what a foul stench he can make with his butt. At least, that's what Jackie does.

"HELLO WOMENS!! I LOVE YOU!!! Don't I smell SEXAY?!? Aren't you impressed by my BALLS?!? They're HUGE!!! I want to LOVE YOU UP!!!"

 

[jdomans]

Oh poor baby, get him neutered and then turn him over to his women. They will straighten him out pronto!

 

[PiggieMamaKelly]

Do you all think it is safe to do it a month early at three months? I would love to get him in with his girls ASAP, for my sanity and his.

 

[fourbwabbys]

Ha! Good one Salana. I was holding Tarzan today and he always crawls up under my neck and falls asleep. Well, he let out the biggest piggy fart. It was horrible and right next to my face.:yuck:

 

[WEAVER]

Do you all think it is safe to do it a month early at three months? I would love to get him in with his girls ASAP, for my sanity and his.

If you have a very good vet three months should be fine.

Just so you know boars DOOO smell a lot more than the ladies. My two boars housed together litterally stink at times, especially when one of my sows in the cage next door goes into heat. I hate it!!! They also do it when I clean out the cage.

If he is only three months old it is not his sac that stinks, it is his butt while he is flaunting his "stuff" lol

 

[CavySpirit]

And baby to pre-adolescent pigs will wheek up a storm. Very irritating sometimes--at everything. It calms down over time. Then you'll miss it.

 

[cavypaulita]

Hi!
I've got two boars that are now a year old.
They don't generally smell, only when they are marking territory. It is a very strong smell, but it is only in those moments, floor time, or when I change the fleece , or add something new and they want to mark territory.

But in general they don't smell at all.

Good luck with yours,
Pauli

 

[PiggieMamaKelly]

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone! I think I understand now why it smells like a barn in there. I will go ahead and get the nuetering thing going I think. He is 3 months old today, so by the time I get the appointment and everything it should be fine. Hopefully when he lives with the girls he will stop trying so hard to impress them with his funk.

And thank you Teresa for reassuring me that he WILL grow out of this constant wheeking.