Help! Are my piggies fighting???

[MicoNyan]

Hi, so...
I currently own 3 skinnies. All of them are boars.
These two [left: Micos; Right: Min-min] I've owned the longest:

And, I have introduced to them a third member [I named him Monay] last week:

They live in a 2x5 c&c cage, so they have space to get away from each other if needed. Now, there have been some dominance issues with these pigs. Micos and Min-min seem to be bullying Monay. Though they have never nipped Monay, they are constantly on Monay's butt [literally] following- or it looks as though they're chasing him around the cage. In the loft/kitchen area, Min-min would sometimes block the ramp whenever Monay would try to go down :-/ I don't know if it's their way of establishing dominance but...
And no, Micos and Min-min haven't hogged the hay and the pellets [yet] so Monay is getting the food he needs. But he is constantly left out! The duo would be on one side of the cage and Monay would be on the other side by himself I've only introduced them since Saturday, so it's been 3 days. Maybe they haven't established who's the boss yet? Although before Monay came, Micos was the boss.
When I was introducing them, there were no signs of agression really. Just A LOT of rumble strutting and treading. But soon, Monay would go into the corner and stay there, even though Micos and Min-min never bit him or anything. And neither of the pigs have drawn blood against each other or bit anyone.
Should I be worried? Is this normal for new pigs??? I'm so confused. Please, advice would be appreciated!

[Zuidy]

Dominance as usual.

Also, a 2x5 is too small for 3 boars. I know it is the recommended size for 3 piggies, but a little bigger would be nice for the boars.

As long as the Piggies are all still eating and you don't notice any MAJOR changes in behavior/health, and as long as no blood is shed, you will be fine. Just monitor them.

I know it is hard, but you can get through it. Just dominance, and it's natural.



There are a lot of threads like this....... Huh. Oh well! Good luck!

[MicoNyan]

Thanks so much for your reply! I'm relieved that I don't have to separate them!

[GuineaPigs530]

Hi, so...
I currently own 3 skinnies. All of them are boars.
These two [left: Micos; Right: Min-min] I've owned the longest:

And, I have introduced to them a third member [I named him Monay] last week:

They live in a 2x5 c&c cage, so they have space to get away from each other if needed. Now, there have been some dominance issues with these pigs. Micos and Min-min seem to be bullying Monay. Though they have never nipped Monay, they are constantly on Monay's butt [literally] following- or it looks as though they're chasing him around the cage. In the loft/kitchen area, Min-min would sometimes block the ramp whenever Monay would try to go down :-/ I don't know if it's their way of establishing dominance but...
And no, Micos and Min-min haven't hogged the hay and the pellets [yet] so Monay is getting the food he needs. But he is constantly left out! The duo would be on one side of the cage and Monay would be on the other side by himself I've only introduced them since Saturday, so it's been 3 days. Maybe they haven't established who's the boss yet? Although before Monay came, Micos was the boss.
When I was introducing them, there were no signs of agression really. Just A LOT of rumble strutting and treading. But soon, Monay would go into the corner and stay there, even though Micos and Min-min never bit him or anything. And neither of the pigs have drawn blood against each other or bit anyone.
Should I be worried? Is this normal for new pigs??? I'm so confused. Please, advice would be appreciated!

Monay is adorable But this is Normal. My 2 females did the same. Lilly blocks Quinn so she can't go in the igloo. And Lilly takes away Quinn's Food/drink. ​What you need to do is, Give them a bath. I know this sounds funny, but when you wash them, they will smell the same. And now since they smell the same, they won't fight as much. My girls haven't been fighting. I stay in my room a bit, and no fighting. So give them a Bath, and I hope it works out! And like 'Zuidy' said, if there is no blood, don't separate them. If you do, you will have to let them bond again when you feel the need to put them back into the same cage together.

[Zuidy]

Monay is adorable But this is Normal. My 2 females did the same. Lilly blocks Quinn so she can't go in the igloo. And Lilly takes away Quinn's Food/drink. ​What you need to do is, Give them a bath. I know this sounds funny, but when you wash them, they will smell the same. And now since they smell the same, they won't fight as much. My girls haven't been fighting. I stay in my room a bit, and no fighting. So give them a Bath, and I hope it works out!

I have never heard of this, and wouldn't try it. Baths are stressful for Guinea Pigs, not to mention ones going through dominance issues, and if it is just dominance, which is NATURAL, why try and solve it if they can on their own?

I don't recommend giving them a bath. Just be PATIENT, not PUSHY.

@MicoNyan

You shouldn't HAVE to separate them, but if the issues get out of hand and blood is shed, I would consider it. Consult here if you have any worse problems, because then we can help you get it figured out and if you should separate them or not.



Glad I could assure you!

[GuineaPigs530]

I have never heard of this, and wouldn't try it. Baths are stressful for Guinea Pigs, not to mention ones going through dominance issues, and if it is just dominance, which is NATURAL, why try and solve it if they can on their own?

Your going to have to give them a bath sometime? They do get very messy, and poop gets on them, and in their nails. And it does work when their fighting, going to see who is boss. My 2 little girls get along fine now

[Zuidy]

Your going to have to give them a bath sometime? They do get very messy, and poop gets on them, and in their nails. And it does work when their fighting, going to see who is boss. My 2 little girls get along fine now

Yes, you have to give them a bath SOMETIMES. I never said you don't have to EVER give them a bath.

You don't have to give them a bath if it is unnecessary, which in this case would be, as Guinea Pigs solve dominance issues right quick.

You can continue to use your method, if it works, good for you. I know I would never put my Guinea Pigs through stress when I myself can prevent it. Not being mean, here.

Also, Guinea Pigs don't get "very messy" If they eat a messy veggie and it looks appalling to you, you can take a warm, slightly damp wash cloth and wipe it off their chin. They shouldn't get poop in their nails unless they are too long, also.

So, @MicoNyan , do whatever you would like. Good luck no matter what though!

[GuineaPigs530]

You can continue to use your method, if it works, good for you. I know I would never put my Guinea Pigs through stress when I myself can prevent it. Not being mean, here.

Also, Guinea Pigs don't get "very messy" If they eat a messy veggie and it looks appalling to you, you can take a warm, slightly damp wash cloth and wipe it off their chin. They shouldn't get poop in their nails unless they are too long, also.

First off, I'm not trying to start a fight. I gave them a bath because they never had one. I'm a first time owner. So this is all new for me. They were very dirty and stank. AND Like I said, I'm a first time owner.. This is all new for me, so I don't know if there nails are too long? And I don't think they really are, there nails aren't to far from the pink.

[Zuidy]

First off, I'm not trying to start a fight. I gave them a bath because they never had one. I'm a first time owner. So this is all new for me. They were very dirty and stank. AND Like I said, I'm a first time owner.. This is all new for me, so I don't know if there nails are too long? And I don't think they really are, there nails aren't to far from the pink.

Don't worry, I'm not trying to start a fight at all either. OK, so, you didn't give them a bath to stop them from fighting, you did because they stank. So, you don't know if that is what calmed them down. So it was out of the blue that it happened.

But don't blame anything on being a first time owner. Enough research can make a "first time" owner into a veteran owner in no time.

[jowasaurus]

A "Buddy Bath" is actually one of the introduction methods suggested on THIS site. It's main theory is putting the pigs through a few minutes of a stressful situation that can bond people. [Weird, but kind of like in a horror movie when people start liking each other. . . The stress of their current situation brings them together.]
Cleaning everyone and getting their sacs so fresh and clean, trimming nails, actually does help as well. It clears some of their scents and makes them less of a threat.
One of the things that was suggested to me a while ago, and which has proven useful many times, is bathing them together, then wrapping everyone up tight together in a towel for like 20 mins. Helps them dry a little and forces closeness. It isn't necessarily "pushy" and in my belief, maybe 10 minutes of a stressful situation of a bath is better than a consistently stressful situation in a cage in terms of bullying and constant humping.
Yes, this is all normal behavior. You should pretty much leave them alone until bloodshed or someone is being kept away from food. But a "buddy bath" is a proven tried-and-true method.

[GuineaPigs530]

A "Buddy Bath" is actually one of the introduction methods suggested on THIS site. It's main theory is putting the pigs through a few minutes of a stressful situation that can bond people. [Weird, but kind of like in a horror movie when people start liking each other. . . The stress of their current situation brings them together.]
Cleaning everyone and getting their sacs so fresh and clean, trimming nails, actually does help as well. It clears some of their scents and makes them less of a threat.
One of the things that was suggested to me a while ago, and which has proven useful many times, is bathing them together, then wrapping everyone up tight together in a towel for like 20 mins. Helps them dry a little and forces closeness. It isn't necessarily "pushy" and in my belief, maybe 10 minutes of a stressful situation of a bath is better than a consistently stressful situation in a cage in terms of bullying and constant humping.
Yes, this is all normal behavior. You should pretty much leave them alone until bloodshed or someone is being kept away from food. But a "buddy bath" is a proven tried-and-true method.

EXACTLY! That's what I said/meant but she didn't believe me.