Tips for keeping hob calm

[Rich.h 4]

Got an intact hob yesterday as I will be getting him snipped for taking the jills out of season. Now I realised before hand he will be abit nippy and such at the moment as his hormones are all over the place. Also the fact he can smell three girls is likely winding him up abit.

 

However currently he is a danger to have near open flesh (hands/face) as all he will do is attempt to bite down hard and drag it off for mating. So far have been wrapping my hand in a towel so he can bite and shake it while throwing him an old cushion to mate with, simply so he can get some relief and not be so wound up.

 

He is booked in next week for the snip (vets closed over easter), however this still leaves another two months before he can be in contact with the girlls. Anyone any tips on how else I can try to keep him somewhat calm so he is at least handlable as I've no intention on him semi wild in behaviour.

[Country Joe 1,411]

My Hob is quiet as a mouse, but even when having the snip, and was smelling the Jill,he was getting uptight and would try and give a nip, since going in with the jill for a week he has quietened down, and has returned to his quiet nature, and no more trying to nip.

[Rich.h 4]

Thanks for the repy, he is around a year old (fully grown size wise) so either came from a very early litter last year or a litter from 2010.

 

I got him from some dizzy mare who obviously decided one day that "cute fuzzy things" are fun and then probably got nipped once and never touched him again. When I went to pick him up she wasn't there and her parents informed me they get looked in on every couple of days and thats it. Was kept in a shed in a rabbit hutch.

 

Now I fully realise this boy have serious mental issues with both abandonment and being stuck in small spaces. So far I'm using thick gloves to hold him simply so I don' loose fingers, and I don't want him learning that biting and squirming gets him down.

 

I understand and accept this animal needs alot of work, but I'm prepared to spend the time and effort needed, so it's really just a case of making sure I'm doing the right thing not making things worse. Will holding him in gloves even when he bites cause him to become more of a biter or should he learn hands are not to be feared etc?

 

Also another problem I noticed is feeding. Now I have three girls so I understand they will cause him to eat less as his interests are in his balls right now. but so far I haven't seen him eat anything at all. The folks I got him from said they fed him every couple of days with steaks :-/ (wish I had that kind of cash)

 

My girls are dry food fed and he hasn't touched it. I tried a defrosted mouse to see his reaction, just stashed it. Gave him some egg and he lapped it up and today dropped a lump of pork fat from sunday lunch which he found and demolished, this makes me think they were feeding him cooked cheap meat from a supermarket.

 

What's the best way to wean him onto a dry food diet while at least making sure the poor feker doesn't starve?

[gnipper 7,004]

Try him on soaked complete if that's what your wanting him to eat.