Fighting boars separated - how do we re introduce them?

[millimat]

So gps&2 have been together for 18 months quite happily - gp2 was introduced as a baby and gp1 is just over 2 years old. Two weeks ago there was a lots of squeaking and gp1 was chasing gp2 and constantly trying to mount him.
We bathed them but then realised gp2 wasn't moving properly. Vet confirmed he had hurt his back leg and we suspect it was because the other gp is bigger and heavier than him. So two weeks and a bottle of metacam later, they are still separate but living next to each other with just bars of a run between them.
We let them share some space yesterday and they seemed delighted to be back together, but straight away the mounting started again. I'm concerned for his back leg being damaged again but really don't want to have to keep them separated. Vet said 3 weeks for leg to heal - what do we do after that?

[FernieB]

When Smoothpig (RIP) was still with us, despite him being dominant pig, he still had to endure a large amount of mounting from Scruffypig. He also ended up with a dodgy leg and I did have to separate them for a couple of weeks. It was relatively easy to get them back together. I had a large indoor run which I managed to split in half using a section of bars from their indoor cage which I wedged upright with tunnels etc. They lived in that for about a week - they could see each other and eat next to each other etc. After a week, Smoothpig worked out how to break through the barrier and after a minor scuffle, involving them rolling on the floor biting at each other (towel over the top of them to confuse them), they settled down. I let them have a further two weeks in the larger run before I moved them back to their cage.

I don't think the mounting will stop. Now Smooth has departed and we have Gingerpig, Scruffy still mounts him from time to time, so he's clearly that kind of pig. He does it less often with Ginger, I presume it's because he's now the dominant pig, so doesn't feel he needs to assert himself.

Smooth did find a great strategy for dealing with it. He just lay down and ignored Scruffy! Scruffy was confused by this and backed off every time.

[FernieB]

When Smoothpig (RIP) was still with us, despite him being dominant pig, he still had to endure a large amount of mounting from Scruffypig. He also ended up with a dodgy leg and I did have to separate them for a couple of weeks. It was relatively easy to get them back together. I had a large indoor run which I managed to split in half using a section of bars from their indoor cage which I wedged upright with tunnels etc. They lived in that for about a week - they could see each other and eat next to each other etc. After a week, Smoothpig worked out how to break through the barrier and after a minor scuffle, involving them rolling on the floor biting at each other (towel over the top of them to confuse them), they settled down. I let them have a further two weeks in the larger run before I moved them back to their cage.

I don't think the mounting will stop. Now Smooth has departed and we have Gingerpig, Scruffy still mounts him from time to time, so he's clearly that kind of pig. He does it less often with Ginger, I presume it's because he's now the dominant pig, so doesn't feel he needs to assert himself.

Smooth did find a great strategy for dealing with it. He just lay down and ignored Scruffy! Scruffy was confused by this and backed off every time.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

YY agree with Fernie
the mounting is a dominence move rather than an all out aggression move.

Our piglet boar GP3 grew bigger and heavier than his StepDad GP1. He did the dominence mounting but GP1 just muttered and sloped off, there was no 'fighting' but it was not pleasant to watch.

We did bath them to make them smell the same and render them both furious at 'us'.
I armed DD and myself with water sprays (the garden ones, you can set a fine, thin stream) if they were carrying on.

Slowly GP3 took charge and GP1 was happy to let him.
It is a worry when there's a big difference in size , the risk of injury.

Maybe keep them in chatting distance until the 3 weeks is up and let them have supervised play (stand by with towels in case you need to intervene). Let his leg heal properly before they are unsupervised.

they are a worry these small furries.


Weirdly, I've never seen our neutered boars (GP3 and GP6) mounting the sows. I know it goes on because they sometimes have boar glue [bleurgh] but I think unless they're in season they'd tell him to Foxtrot Oscar .
(Neutered boars stll think they've 'got it' )

[FernieB]

Water sprays are great. I used one (with warm water) to train my previous bunny who was an 'inappropriate chewer'. Worked a treat on her. Whenever she was sprayed she washed herself. Can't see a pig deciding to wash itself though. More 'well, that spray means I don't need to bother for a few weeks'.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Just a caution with water sprays- not to get a jet of water in or near their eyes or ears.
WE aimed at their lardy flanks , and no they didn't go off and wash themselves it was more a Pearl Clutching "How very dare you" look of outrage.

Food. Piles of hay and smallish piles of food spaced apart to avoid squabbles.
Appeal to their stomachs.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Don't know why WE came out capital .

Hairy Trucker Hands win again