Aggression Adult Guinea Pig Boars Fighting after Baby Introduction

puriti · Jun 12, 2020

Hello everyone! New to the forums but not to guinea piggies

So here's the scoop - I have two male boars that I've had for the past two years and they've had their rumble arguments but no tussling. I recently had to take in a friend's 8 week old male guinea pig because the petstore she bought them from miss-sexed them (she wanted girls and got a boy and a girl) and she didn't want to give the baby back because she loved him so I was trying to help her out by attempting to take him into my little herd. I did slow introductions, got new cages and the pigs are all great in neutral territory and don't have any issues... until they are in their cage. No one is actually bothering the baby (minus butt sniffing/licking), but my two adult boars Gizmo and Meeko are now tussling. They again are fine if I bring them out to graze or if I put them on my lap to pet both of them. It's literally only if they are in their cage together that this is becoming an issue. I'm actually curious if because the baby guinea pigs were in a multi sexed cage (...and were all sexually mature and I'm 100% bothered by this mom and pop store...) that they might just be getting rut crazy and that's what actually started this whole shebang.

The cage is currently two Midwest cages mickey moused together (no middle cage bars are in the center, I have removed them and just combined the bottoms and covered over them so I don't have leaks and so there's no little door issues), so the cage is 4'x4'. There is also a loft and 6 hides, 4 seperate kibble and hay stations at least 2 feet apart...and Meeko still is trying to get into fights with Gizmo and he's getting actually bit now.

So what I've decided to do is to put the middle cage bars back in to separate them and go back to two cages but have them parallel to one another, so they can still socialize but not actually grab one another. I guess my question is a matter of opinion... I'm going to have to unpair one of them. Do you think I should put the aggressor solo or the ostracized male solo?

puriti · Jun 12, 2020

Update: So I did put the bars in between and originally took Meeko (my more dominant male who was actually winning the fights) and separated him and he was more upset about being away from the baby and Gizmo was getting really rumbly with anyone coming near his space (not fighting but rumbling) so I actually ended up swapping him and they both seem way happier... Gizmo seems happier he has his own space and doesn't have to fight for it and Meeko is happy to be with the other guinea pig. They still ar chattering if they see each other through the bars but that ends pretty quickly when they realize they can't touch each other.

Meeko spent the majority of the time trying to figure out how to get back with the other guinea pig when I put him alone and Gizmo just goes "oh look a bed" and just sat and ate and doesn't seem like he could care less that he's by himself lol.

bpatters · Jun 12, 2020

Three males together won't work.

puriti · Jun 13, 2020

bpatters said:
Three males together won't work.

I think I figured that much out on my own that it wasn't going to work, but that wasn't what I asked lol. I asked if it were you would you would you have removed the aggressor or the ostracized pig.
I still find it fascinating that no one fights or has issues if they are like outside grazing or having floor time but you stick them in the cage and it's suddenly chaos.

spy9doc · Jun 13, 2020

puriti said:
I still find it fascinating that no one fights or has issues if they are like outside grazing or having floor time but you stick them in the cage and it's suddenly chaos.

That's actually quite common. Anywhere but the cage is neutral area. Once in the cage they suddenly become possessive of the strangest things.

The most common cause of the infighting is that their cage is too small. Boars require a huge amount of space in order to live peacefully. Try putting up fleece forests to break up the line-of-sight. Sometimes they just need to be distracted or to be able to get away from each other. You may have already considered all of this......just a reminder.

It sounds as though you have the pairing worked out? There is NO right way.......just whatever happens to work for your particular herd.

puriti · Jun 13, 2020

spy9doc said:
That's actually quite common. Anywhere but the cage is neutral area. Once in the cage they suddenly become possessive of the strangest things. The most common cause of the infighting is that their cage is too small. Boars require a huge amount of space in order to live peacefully. Try putting up fleece forests to break up the line-of-sight. Sometimes they just need to be distracted or to be able to get away from each other. You may have already considered all of this......just a reminder.

It sounds as though you have the pairing worked out? There is NO right way.......just whatever happens to work for your particular herd.

I appreciate the feedback

Yeah, when I split the cage into a 4x4 I had so many breaks and hides and stuff but he just...wants to go at him for whatever reason and would make it his mission to show him who's boss. I feel like I'm up in the air right now because the dominant pig WANTS to be with other pigs but he's driving everyone crazy so no one seems particularly happy in his presence and the other less dominant male who's getting picked on just seems like he wants his space and is constantly rumbling if people take something he wants... but the baby loves him more because he's not really pestering anyone. I'm kind of at the point where I'm like even if I give the baby back to my friend, I don't think these two can be reintroduced, he sometimes is even getting chattery in neutral spaces now.

bpatters · Jun 13, 2020

That's the big problem with trying to add a third boar to an established pair. You can wind up with three solo pigs, none of which will live with either of the other two.

puriti · Jun 13, 2020

bpatters said:
That's the big problem with trying to add a third boar to an established pair. You can wind up with three solo pigs, none of which will live with either of the other two.

Yeah, I knew I ran the risk of that when I tried to introduce him. As much as I hate that it broke my boys up, I also would rather that be the case than he go back to that really irresponsible pet store or potentially causing pregnancies for her girls >_<

Candalalala · Jun 13, 2020

Have you thought about adopting a fourth male piggy and having two pairs? Or maybe finding a spayed female to put with the solo piggy?
Totally a suggestion! It's not always doable to get even more piggies.

puriti · Jun 14, 2020

Candalalala said:
Have you thought about adopting a fourth male piggy and having two pairs? Or maybe finding a spayed female to put with the solo piggy?
Totally a suggestion! It's not always doable to get even more piggies.

I totally appreciate it! I have actually. I have a friend looking to rehome another single male baby pig because of a family allergy. I totally don't mind having multiple cages if I need to, I have the space and my 8 year old loves the pigs anyways. But we'll see if I decide to do another favor for another friend with a baby cavy lol. Problem I know is having the right personalities that just blend with one another and the babies still have to come into their own.

Soecara · Jun 14, 2020

Personally I would split off whichever boar was the least aggressive in the initial spat. It will be easier to re-pair the less aggressive boar as they are less likely to be overly aggressive with fresh introductions with a new potential cage mate. The more aggressive boar has already adjusted to the new baby so they shouldn't have too many issues unless the baby grows up to be very dominant. Two separate pairs is the only clear path forward if you want to keep all three existing boars.

puriti · Jun 14, 2020

Soecara said:
Personally I would split off whichever boar was the least aggressive in the initial spat. It will be easier to re-pair the less aggressive boar as they are less likely to be overly aggressive with fresh introductions with a new potential cage mate. The more aggressive boar has already adjusted to the new baby so they shouldn't have too many issues unless the baby grows up to be very dominant. Two separate pairs is the only clear path forward if you want to keep all three existing boars.

Thanks, that's what I'm thinking too <3

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Aggression Adult Guinea Pig Boars Fighting after Baby Introduction

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