Fighting Was it bad enough?

[idramaxx0]

I separated my pigs awhile ago because I thought they were fighting bad enough to do so. Now the more I'm reading up on it, the more I think I made too quick of a call. My one pig, Fiyero, fights with both Princeton and Seymour, although he gets along fine with Chip. All of the boys are around 5-6 months old. They would fight and attack each other, like little balls of fury just locked together running around the cage. I'd find tufts of hair shattered about and 3 very frightened guinea pigs but no blood. They currently live peacefully separated 2 and 2 (Fiyero with Chip and Princeton with Seymour), but does anyone think it would be alright for me to try and allow them to live together again?

 

[Shurrim]

Maybe wait until they all are over puberty? Since they already live peacefully by pair. The maybe it will be easier to introduce them all together. I dont have much experience with intros though. Made only one and was rather nice.
Maybe it depends on size of your cage. Boars need a lot of space to live together.

 

[pinky]

Take it slowly and first bring them out for introductions outside the cage and distract them with snacks. Before you permanently put them together, completely disinfect the cage with vinegar and water and do the same with the food dishes and bottles. I'd take out any hidies with one opening so one won't trap another in it. Put multiple food dishes and water bottles in and only have hiding things that have multiple openings like tunnels, etc.

 

[pinky]

Maybe wait until they all are over puberty? Since they already live peacefully by pair. The maybe it will be easier to introduce them all together. I dont have much experience with intros though. Made only one and was rather nice.
Maybe it depends on size of your cage. Boars need a lot of space to live together.

I completely agree about cage size. I'd say that a large cage is the number 1 thing boars need.

 

[Kiwi2]

I was told once that when you introduce them they shouldn't be taken apart.
I have three boys
at first they all would fight and it disturbed me greatly.
I took the advice I was given and let them settle their differences and now if I take just one out of the cage the others walk around weeking at me wondering why I took their brother.
Just introduce them carefully and make sure that your cage is big remember bigger is better so they have room to get away from each other!
Good luck and I hope all goes well!

 

[skinnypigs]

I would wait until they are all around a year old to try again. If you have a big cage I would try again but if you can't make a cage big enough for all four to be in, having them in pairs is great. They have a buddy and you say it is working well.

 

[Shurrim]

Yes once introduced they shouldnt be separated unless there is blood. But if it gets very bad, I know some owners here got their pigs apart a while, until puberty passed and then did intro again. But it's not good to do it repeatedly.
They need to settle things down. Establish who will be first, second, third and fourth in your case. Until everyone agrees, they will rumble and fight.

 

[idramaxx0]

Thank you so much for all the advice everyone! I just have a few more questions. Although Chip gets along fine with Seymour and Princeton, I haven't let them play together since the separation. When eventually I do try to re-introduce (which I've decided I will do) it's going to be like a quadruple introduction. Should I just, not literally of course, but let all four of them just go at it and figure things out or should I introduce them in stages?

The cage without a divider is 4x3 with a 4x1 loft for kitchen (it's divided so each pair lives in a 2x3 with a 2x1 loft). I know this is slightly smaller than what's recommended but I did not intend on having a fourth pig (he was living in a disgusting, dirty pet store and was living in a bug infested cage I just had to rescue him!). There's lots of hideys and multiple food bowls, water bottles and veggie dishes, as well as a huge hay feeder. When the pigs were little (I got them all between mid July and early August this year and they were each about a month and a half old) they lived in these dimensions (4x3) in perfect harmony until early September when Fiyero started to pick on the other 2. Will this be big enough? I could possibly expand the loft to a 4x2 if harmony is once again restored.

In about 3 weeks I'm home for winter break for over a month. I was thinking of maybe re-introducing then. Would it be a bad idea? Should I definitely wait until puberty is over?