Aggression Should I separate or change the cage layout?

I would get Dottie checked for possible ovarian cysts.

Does the loft have hay and water? If Hale gets stuck again she needs access to that at least.

I think I would remove the loft for a while, it is one less thing to bicker over. As long as there is no fighting with blood being drawn I would not seperate.

Definitely getting Dottie checked for cysts, I forgot to mention that!! I have an appt set for next week.

The loft does have hay/water. Hale's unable to turn around/back up on the ramp so she gets stuck. Sometimes she'll barrel through but often she'll wait for Dottie to move after nudging or complaining long enough. I waited 5 minutes once before I intervened.

I have had the loft removed for a month when I was treating for mites (last month). The situation didn't change other than Hale couldn't escape. Also they both kept nosing up where the loft had been and sleeping next to the area where the start of the ramp had been.

Is your cage on a stand?
The reason I ask is maybe they like the loft so much because it is higher and could feel safer for them? Maybe raising the cage could help.

You could try widening the cage to a 3x4, more space to avoid eachother.

Honestly.... I would go with what your gut is telling you to do. I had gotten my boar a cage mate, introduced them and all seemed to go as planned with the typical dominance displays. Well, my new boy after being with Benny for a week or two had started just tormenting him. I had two of everything. Food dishes, veggie dishes, water bottles, hay racks with three different hidies for them and Spencer would just try to keep Benny away from absolutely everything.

Well, one night they had gotten into a huge piggy brawl. Locked together in a furry ball of pig fury. Luckily my brother had been over and was able to help me separate them. I put Spencer (who was definitely the instigator) into my emergency cage for the night and checked Benny out, his nose was cut and bleeding. In the morning separated their cage by grids. I had a lot of people telling me after this that they wouldn't have separated or that I shouldn't have and to just let them work it out.

After about two weeks I felt that I had done the wrong thing so I integrated them back together. Once again for about two weeks all seemed typical dominance stuff again. But I had noticed that Benny wasn't acting himself. He used to love to come out and lay by the side of the cage and watch all the going ons of the living room, now he was always hiding. After a little over a week, it had once again escalated with Spencer keeping him away from food and water and a whole area of their 2x6 cage. As a matter of fact, Benny was eventually restricted to a 2x2 area of the cage. One day Spencer had just kept tormenting Benny. Infringing on his space, not letting him eat or drink, not letting him go anywhere. I had to take Benny out several times to let him eat and drink.

Really late that night I heard the most God awful pig in pain screaming coming from Benny. I got up and turned on the lights and Spencer had him cornered. I couldn't see exactly what had been happening because Spencer ran off the second I got there. I took Benny out for awhile, gave him some love and treats and a once over to make sure there was no real damage. I was putting Benny back into the cage, letting him step off my hands to go to his favorite foot stool, when Spencer lunged out of the tunnel, and more than likely meaning to get Benny, bit down on my thumb. He was latched on. I literally pried him off by instinct. He left a pretty big nip in my thumb and took my false nail with him.

Well, after realizing that horrible bite was meant for Benny I decided to separate them, once and for all. I will never try to put them back together. I felt absolutely horrible that I had stuck Benny back in there with him against my instincts because other people were telling me they wouldn't have done that. He spent way too much time being tormented and bullied and it really was all my fault and it was completely unfair to him. It didn't take long for what everyone thought was normal dominance behavior to end up with me almost having a hunk of my thumb torn off.

So, all in all, what I am saying, is that with my experience it can escalate pretty badly, fairly quickly. And that I don't believe keeping them with a buddy in their cage is worth it if they are being beaten up, bullied or stressed. I regret putting them back together because all it did was cause more issues and more time for Benny to be tortured. I would go with what your instincts are telling you to do. If you really feel they should be separated, then do it. Know one else knows your pigs better than you.

Oh, I also meant to add that when I had added new or changed things, hoping Spencer would just stick to what he already saw as his and let Benny have something - It didn't work out. Spencer wanted the new space and the new hidies and the new water bottles, etc. as well.

Usually I would advocate keeping them together, but if it's giving Hale pain because of her arthritis, I'd separate them. Arrange the cage so they can see each other.

I'd consider getting another companion for Dottie, after you check on the ovarian cysts.

@SardonicSmile -- The cage is on a table, so the lower level is right above my hip. There's also a little ledge where the ramp is (to lessen the incline) and they perch on that to look out over the room.

@4cavies -- So sorry to hear about your boys!! It's frustrating to see a pig being bullied especially when he doesn't fight back or instigate anything. I understand where you're coming from with separating them, it should be good to keep them together, but when you see them unhappy it's hard to follow typical protocol of letting them work out their own issues

I do rearrange the cage every other day since they both enjoy the novelty, but Dottie will be very adamant about claiming every space, just like your Spencer.


@foggycreek -- Thank you! If Hale didn't have back pain (she can't stand straight up normal, she kinda hovers forward--I DON'T make her beg/stand for food but if she's too excited she'll do it on her own) I'd lean on the side of letting them stay together.


Thank you guys! I'll be re-configuring the cage soon and hopefully that'll work out better for these girls