Bonding Re-bonding two boars

[Extraterrestrial]

Hi all,

Recently my skinny and werewolf had a falling out and had to be separated. They were both, unbeknownst to me, having a terrible allergic reaction to Oxbow Ecostraw bedding. I believe this fight had reasoning behind it and I am going to attempt to rebond them now that they are both better and their skin has cleared up. Previously, their skin was extremely, extremely sensitive and painful to the touch, and I feel they believed they were being attacked if the other pig so much as brushed against them.

Here is my gameplan:

1. De-grease the grease glands of both pigs using coconut oil.
2. Apply vanilla extract to the snout and grease glands of both pigs.
3. Introduce both pigs in my kitchen. Neither has been in this space before and it is very easy for me to pig-proof as there isn't anywhere for them to run under, and the kitchen only has one way in/out that I can easily block off.
4. Observe for 1 hour. If there is nothing to call off the bonding at this time, proceed to 5.
5. Completely clean their 2x5 C&C coroplast, grids, and wood components of the cage with 50/50 vinegar/water. Clean water bottles and food bowls with soap and hot water. Any fleece components in the cage currently will be replaced with washed ones. Fresh bedding will replace old bedding.
6. Remove the ramp to their 2x2 loft, temporarily. This ramp creates a one way access point, and I don't want them to corner each other there.
7. Completely rearrange the interior of the cage- the kitchen and hay locations, how I use hides, etc.
8. Assuming success to the point they can go in the same cage, only use hides with two point entry/exits. I'd like to leave them in my kitchen for ~3 hrs before reintroducing them in the cage.

Thoughts/critiques? Does anyone have experience with successful reintroductions? I am fully preparing that this could basically be the end for them living together, but I'm really hoping it isn't since their fight wasn't exactly out of "nowhere" if that makes sense. They rumble at each other through cage bars and my werewolf boy bites at bars between them.

 

[TinyPiggy]

Hi
Good luck! Boar re-bondings are stressful! One of my boars, taffi, scratched Cookie in the eye during their teenage months, leading to a pricy surgery and a couple weeks of separation. Luckily, by the time they had become good, sensible adults, they rebonded and are currently living happily together. For some advice, keep a towel on hand in case things get nasty. I’m not super knowledgeable yet so other than that, all I can tell you is good luck. Keep us posted!

 

[bpatters]

The only thing I'd suggest is to do a buddy bath before you put the vanilla on the butts. The shared terror may make them fonder of each other.

 

[Extraterrestrial]

The only thing I'd suggest is to do a buddy bath before you put the vanilla on the butts. The shared terror may make them fonder of each other.

I've been debating on this. They're hairless pigs, and I always thought they were not supposed to be bathed at all. Maybe just a warm soak and a rubdown with some water would give them a little fright without being harmful to their skin?

 

[bpatters]

Yeah, you don't have to shampoo them. Just being in a warm bath will probably do the trick.

 

[CavySpirit]

A few things to also consider if you haven't already:

• I would consider adding a second ramp to your wide loft. It can go a long way towards making it a better environment for two boars. They can then do full-circle zoomies. They can't catch or corner the other upstairs because there is always an escape route. When they are doing more running around like that, they are burning off energy they might otherwise use to pick on each other.
• Also, make sure that all of your hidies have an ingress and egress so that trapping and "territorialness" is minimized. Tunnels and fleece forests work well for that. Pigloos are the worst.
• Make sure hidies aren't all up against the walls or corners. Allow them to be able to do figure eights around hideys. It allows more places to go, less trapping and more interest for them.

 

[Extraterrestrial]

Great news, all... The boys have had a successful re-introduction. I was really nervous as there was a lot of chattering and lunging at the beginning, even while I was doing the buddy bath. But by the end of it they were both laying down in the bonding area so I moved on to the cage.

For now all is peaceful again. I couldn't be happier to have my boys together again.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Great news! Happy to see the boys together and enjoying each other's company. Here's to many years of buddy bliss!