[Gpdd] CARE boar pairs next to sows

[Penny Charlesworth]

Debbie,

I was keeping pairs of boars next to sows for years before I ever read about the problems that could occur. I don't believe everything that I read and can honestly say that I have never, ever, had fighting break out amongst my boars.

At the moment my pens are arranged as follows. 1st.pen has a mother and daughter. To their right is a pair of litter brothers, Right again is a father and son pair, then a big pen with four sows. Next is a single boar( I don't have anyone to pair him up with right now). Then a pair of unrelated boars.

In the next room are three sows, three more sows, a pair of boars ( unrelated ) then another big pen with three sows and a neutered boar ( he came that way ).

All the pens are right next to each other and their occupants can chat through the wire with the piggies on either side of them. There is perfect harmony between the sexes. If I put a boar or two out on the floor for a run, they love to visit all the other pens for a chat with either the boars or sows that live there or to steal the hay that is poking out of the front but they then go back into their pens and behave just as before.

I would hate to suggest that you keep all of your piggies in that cosy porch and then find that you have problems and it will be interesting to read about other people's experiences.

Maybe some boars are affected by all those female pheromones otherwise why is it recorded? I can't just have been lucky for all these years.

Best wishes,

Penny and the Piggyfriends.