Behavior: My Boars Are Causing Me Sleep Deprivation

[MissFormosa]

I'm not sure if my boars are normal. I read that guinea pigs are diurnal, but now I'm not so sure.

Let me set this up for you...

We have three boars. One is older (Alton), one is about 6 months old (Byron), and one is about 3 months old (Carlton). All was fine in Pigsville until Byron hit puberty about two weeks ago. We tried letting them work it out, but it got really violent. It got so bad, we separated Byron from Alton and Carlton (who get along great). We did this by putting grids right down the center of the cage. I know this is not good at all so now we have to expand the cage. I have a question about this later in this post.

Anyways - about the sleep deprivation - Byron can still see and talk to Alton and Carlton and vice versa. Every night I am awoken to the sounds of squealing, rumblestrutting, and burbling. This goes on for hours. Byron is rumblestrutting in front of Alton and Carlton's section and Alton is humping the heck out of Carlton. I am seriously getting no sleep. The bedroom is the only place we had to put the c&c cage, so I really can't move my set up to a different room as our apartment is pretty small. Our bedroom is not pitch dark at night because there is a street lamp outside our window. So now I ordered black out curtains thinking maybe since it is not pitch dark in our room, that it causes the pigs to stay awake and carry on. Hopefully that will work. Here is what we have tried already: We put towels over the grids that separate the pigs so no one could see each other, and that didn't work. Then we threw a blanket over the cage thinking it might have the effect of covering a bird cage at night. That didn't work either. What am I to do? I'm desperate.

One more question about the cage set-up and if it will help...

Because of the current situation described above I need some advice on my cage. I know the pigs have no room now and this is not healthy. I have a 2 x 5 c&c cage and am in the works of expanding it by adding a second 2 x 5 section to form an L shape with the original cage and also an upper loft on each. I am going to replace the coroplast and de-stink everything else with vinegar. I am hoping that once done, I can try putting Byron back with Alton and Carlton. Anyone have success with this when their boars are behaving badly? I thought maybe with enough space, the guys might not have as much stress with territory and Byron's puberty. I figure if all doesn't go well, I can just separate the two 2 x 5 cages and everyone will still have plenty of room.

Anyone have advice?

[akstrohm]

First of all, guinea pigs are active day and night. So covering the cage is not likely to have an effect on their behavior. It will just reduce air flow.

Secondly, I would wait until the pigs are past puberty before reintroducing them. The last thing you want to do is introduce them and then separate them over and over again--that will just make them less likely to get along in the end. The new cage you have planned sounds excellent!

Guinea pigs don't rely too much on sight. They have a much better sense of smell, so as long as they are near each other (which is best for them), the dominance behavior will probably continue.

I wouldn't bother getting new coroplast unless you want to. Vinegar will work well enough for cleaning it.

Are you sure there is no way to move the cage to another room? That seems like the only way you are likely to get more sleep.

[NicholsS10]

I know all about sleep deprivation because of my pigs. I have 4 girls and a neutered boy. All my girls go into heat back to back, so like 4 or 5 days/nights straight there is lots of displaying, rumblestrutting, mounting (girls mounting girls and my boy mounting the girls), and LOTS of wheeking and squealing. It's like guinea pig mardi gras every 2 weeks. The only way I have been able to sleep, since I am in a small one bedroom apartment most of the year as well, is to sleep in the other room, with the door shut and TV on. They are pretty loud, so the TV being on helps me drown them out.

[QuackXP]

Might want to look into some of these.

The Howard Leight brand offer very good noise reduction and but are still comfortable. I have found that if I use the cheap generic earplugs they irritate my ear canal after a few days.

This is to keep the noise of my girlfriends Darth Vador breath from driving me crazy.

While on the topic of noise reduction. I highly recommend these earphones. They provide 34db of noise reduction and excelent performance for music reproduction. Site says MSRP $150 but you can routinely find them for $70-80. I use them all the time riding my motorcycle and on airline flights among other times.


Etymotic Research, Inc. - ER•6i Isolator Earphones

[SheriMartini]

Originally Posted by QuackXP

This is to keep the noise of my girlfriends Darth Vador breath from driving me crazy.

This made me laugh really, really hard!

I'm always scared to use ear plugs at night. What if I can't hear my alarm?!

[MissFormosa]

LOL...yeah...I do need some earplugs!

Nope, no moving the cage. We live in NYC and space is at a premium (I know fellow NYCer's know how ridiculous living space here is and will totally understand). The bedroom is the same size as the kitchen and living room put together, so when we built the C&C cage, there was only one place to put it. It wasn't very noisy at night so it didn't bother us to put it in there until Byron's hormones kicked in...ugh. Now it is loud and smelly! Very smelly.

NicholsS10 - you made me laugh! What is with all the humping anyhow? I understand it is a dominance thing, but they seem to take it to another level. It is like Mardi Gras! LOL!

Thanks for the advice! I'll keep trying to think of ways to live with this while waiting out puberty.

[Cavy_R]

I'm new to guinea pigs and only have one for the moment (sort of a rescue), but I had no idea it got that bad!! Everything he does fascinates me right now so that I catch myself watching him unchecked. I usually get the feeling I'm bothering him more than he could ever bother me.

[blackarrow]

Originally Posted by NicholsS10

I It's like guinea pig mardi gras every 2 weeks.

LOL! I now have this visual of staggering guineas wearing strings of cheap beads. . . .

[blackarrow]

Originally Posted by Cavy_R

I usually get the feeling I'm bothering him more than he could ever bother me.

It takes a while for them to decide they're comfortable enough around you to "let it all hang out." At first, that's all you wish for. After a while, you might kind of wish that they weren't quite so uninhibited any more, LOL.

[PiggieMom]

It also depends on the personality of the pigs. Some are much quieter than others.

[MissFormosa]

Originally Posted by blackarrow

LOL! I now have this visual of staggering guineas wearing strings of cheap beads. . . .

And flashing too!

[blackarrow]

Yeah, isn't that what they get the beads from doing?

[NicholsS10]

Originally Posted by MissFormosa

NicholsS10 - you made me laugh! What is with all the humping anyhow? I understand it is a dominance thing, but they seem to take it to another level. It is like Mardi Gras! LOL!

Well it's just the girls going into their estrus cycle. And since the cycle can last up to 48 hours, there is lots of mounting and pig on pig action. I've even caught my girls mounting my boy when in heat. They get very vocal during this time. Also if displaying can be the equivalent of flashing, then yes, I might as well throw some beads at them too. It doesn't help that they all go into their estrus back to back and there is 4 of them...It gets VERY loud.

I have also never considered ear plugs, but I would also be scared of not hearing my alarm, especially since next semester all my classes start at 8am or 8:50am everyday, and I'm not a morning person.

[QuackXP]

Originally Posted by SheriMartini

This made me laugh really, really hard!

I'm always scared to use ear plugs at night. What if I can't hear my alarm?!

Higher pitched sounds tend to be the most noticeable. I made sure to put my alarm as close to my pillow as possible. I also get into a regular sleep pattern and routinely wake up 15 minutes or so before my alarm goes off. Even if I don't wake up before my alarm my body must be ready because it does not take me much to wake up.

Now actually getting out of bed is a whole other story.

[Sponge]

Wow, I really feel for you!

My boars usually keep noise to a minimum between 11pm and 5am. I normally go to bed around ten and get up at six. But the noise can be irritating especially when I know I have a busy day coming up.

I find that clicking my thumb and middle finger to alert them that I am awake and need some silence usually works. I've got them used to this though over three or four weeks. If it gets too bad I'll click my fingers and say their names firmly. They know then that I'll give in in an hour or so and get them their veggies.

My boys haven't hit puberty yet, but they'll get it at the same time and I am hoping against hope that they don't start fighting. The vet told me to consider getting them neutured if they do (even though I've read on here that neutering doesn't alter behaviour?)

How long does guinea pig puberty last?

[tehdoc809]

Originally Posted by NicholsS10

I know all about sleep deprivation because of my pigs. I have 4 girls and a neutered boy. . . .rumblestrutting, mounting (girls mounting girls and my boy mounting the girls), and LOTS of wheeking and squealing. It's like guinea pig mardi gras every 2 weeks.

After getting our boar fixed and putting him in with our three girls this is the exact same situation. Albeit not as crazy as when we first put him in there, but it's quite the ruckus when one of them is in heat. Although we got very lucky in that we have a two bedroom apartment and now they are in the spare bedroom, which we turned into the computer room so it's still well traveled. So if they are getting loud we just close that door and/or (depending) our bedroom door and we can't hear it anymore.

Originally Posted by QuackXP

This is to keep the noise of my girlfriends Darth Vador breath from driving me crazy.

I have the same problem with my wife, of course I even the playing field by seeing her Darth Vador breath and raising her a saw mill.

In all seriousness though, if you really can't float the cage in any other room I don't really know what to tell you. Sorry.

[tehdoc809]

Originally Posted by Sponge

The vet told me to consider getting them neutured if they do (even though I've read on here that neutering doesn't alter behaviour?)

How long does guinea pig puberty last?

Absolutely true, neutering a boar doesn't change behavior. Atleast nothing significantly enough to warrant it being done for that reason. Our boar is a good example of this, it's been 2 months now since he was neutered and he still trys to be romantic with the sows he's in with now.

There's a good chance if you got a vet that see guinea pigs but tells you this, he's not a small animals expert and certainly isn't very cavy savvy and I personally wouldn't take my pigs back there.

[Sponge]

Originally Posted by tehdoc809

Absolutely true, neutering a boar doesn't change behavior. Atleast nothing significantly enough to warrant it being done for that reason. Our boar is a good example of this, it's been 2 months now since he was neutered and he still trys to be romantic with the sows he's in with now.

There's a good chance if you got a vet that see guinea pigs but tells you this, he's not a small animals expert and certainly isn't very cavy savvy and I personally wouldn't take my pigs back there.

I agree with your last statement, I was sorely disappointed when I went in with an emergency situation last week (at least it was to me). The vet kept comparing them to rabbits etc. Sadly around here I'm completely stuck for vets, I'm hoping to find one within the city for future visits but wont hold my breath. Luckily, information on here and guinea lynx has helped considerably and my boars are back to full health.

(Sorry for going off topic there)

[NicholsS10]

Originally Posted by tehdoc809

After getting our boar fixed and putting him in with our three girls this is the exact same situation. Albeit not as crazy as when we first put him in there, but it's quite the ruckus when one of them is in heat. Although we got very lucky in that we have a two bedroom apartment and now they are in the spare bedroom, which we turned into the computer room so it's still well traveled. So if they are getting loud we just close that door and/or (depending) our bedroom door and we can't hear it anymore.

You're lucky. During the school year I live in a one bedroom apartment. So they are out in the living (the temperature is more stable there and I'm out there more often) and for a while I had to sleep in the living room because my boyfriend and I were having problems. So when they were in heat, I got no sleep. This coming school year, I'm living by myself (plus the pigs!) so I can sleep in the bedroom, but I can still hear my pigs with the bedroom door shut and the TV on! They are crazy.

[NicholsS10]

Originally Posted by tehdoc809

Absolutely true, neutering a boar doesn't change behavior. Atleast nothing significantly enough to warrant it being done for that reason. Our boar is a good example of this, it's been 2 months now since he was neutered and he still trys to be romantic with the sows he's in with now.

My boy is the same way, but he was neutered over a year ago! Even when the girls aren't in heat he struts around all the time and tries to romance them and mount them. They of course want nothing to do with him when they aren't in heat so they: bite his face, kick him in the face, and pee in his face. All of those things have yet to deter him. I've compared him to a Terminator before- nothing can stop him when he's on a mission!