[Gpdd] [BEHAVIOR] Keep in same cage with divider beforeintroductions??

[Penny Charlesworth]

Hi Ginger and piggies,

Have a look at a lovely website called barmy4boars.co.uk which has a lot of 
info on introducing boars.

If I have a new boar come in this is what I do. If it is a baby, I shampoo 
him and  put him in with a friendly boar and a big pile of grass. I can soon 
tell if all will be OK. Most times they settle in together without any 
problems.

With older boars, which I assume you have, I shampoo them both and introduce 
them on neutral ground. Often they will be friends right from the start but 
if there is any aggression I put in a divider in the pen so that they can 
get to know each other through the wire and I can safely go out and leave 
them in the knowledge that they will not be fighting.

As long as you thoroughly clean Nosophorus' cage you can use this for the 
intros.

Put in lots of food to distract them.

Sometimes I have to leave the divider in for some time - it all depends on 
the character of the piggies involved. They are all different.

Even if the divider has to stay in place, as I remember you saying you had 
to do with Nosy and Wallie, the boys are still great company for each other.

Two of my boars live in a divided cage. I was asked to give Sam a home as he 
was fighting with his brother and he now lives next door to Roscoe with whom 
he chats and cuddles up to against the wire but he will not share his cage. 
This works well for them both.

Hope you have success with your boys. Keep us all informed.

Regards from Penny and the Piggyfriends.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ginger Hoffman" <gingera at MIT.EDU>
To: <gpdd at gpdd.org>
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 4:51 AM
Subject: [Gpdd] [BEHAVIOR] Keep in same cage with divider 
beforeintroductions??


> Dear Everyone,
>
> First, many warm and healing thoughts to those of you with sick and 
> recently departed piggies, including slaves of Bilbo, Cocopuff, and Mr. 
> Cooders, and all of the other names I've forgotten.  Please accept my 
> deepest condolences.
>
> Second, it's getting to be about the time when I introduce my new 
> addition, Flaco-paco, to my piggie Nosophoros.  Flaco is still in 
> quarantine, stuck there with a case of lice (eek!!).  I treated with 
> topical ivermectin because i had it on hand (and read on guinealynx that 
> it worked on lice).  He will get dose number 2 tomorrow, and they do seem 
> to be gone now.  So I'm thinking of doing the introductions in maybe 4 to 
> 6 days.  He also has a vet appointment Wednesday, so I'll gage whether I 
> can do introductions from that, too (he's been in quarantine 3 weeks and 1 
> day--the only issue is the lice).
>
> ANYWAY, I've read the cavyspirit.com/sociallife site a million times, but 
> one thing it doesn't talk about is whether it's advantageous to keep the 
> boys in the same cage separated by a divider for a while BEFORE the actual 
> introductions.  Has anyone done this?  If so, how did it work?  I think 
> the only disadvantage would be that the cage that would be divided is 
> Nosophoros' current cage.  Of course I'd wash everything to get rid of the 
> urine scent, but I don't know if that would work.  But, they have to go 
> into that cage anyway at some point, though..
>
> Sorry this was so long!!  Thanks for listening (I posted this question on 
> cavycages, but I only got one reply (which was helpful, but I just want to 
> see if anyone else has had experience with this)).
>
> Thank you!
>
> best,
> Ginger, Nosophoros, and Flaco-paco (and Wallie, forever in our hearts)
>
>
>
>