Aggression Day of Fighting Pigs

[PrttyChngaderas]

I have a total of 5 pigs. I have two older boys in one cage and three babies in another.

My big boys are Carlos and Allen. Carlos was a pig I acquired from Freecycle and Allen I got later. Allen had a friend, Pedro, that passed about two months ago. They had been together for 2 years. After much vet care and being quarantines, Pedro just couldn't hold on. So it's just Carlos and Allen. Today, they have been a-fighting. I separated them for awhile but there was hair and a little blood. No major wounds but, they have been really chasing one another. This is unusual behavior from them. At the moment, they are fine. We put another hidey-house in there and all is well. On to the babies.

I have two (almost) 4month old brothers, Guillermo and Ricardo. I also have a 4 week old baby, Sancho. Ricardo and Sancho are sweet as can be but Guillermo is being a total snot. He is constantly chasing the other boys out of the kitchen, blocking them from entering the ramp and being a total bully.

Earlier today I went to pick up Ricardo and he has scabs on his nose! I questioned the group but no one's talking! *laughs* But seriously, I think he and Guillermo got in a tussle. For such a small little guy, it's a big scab on his little nose. I cleaned off the crusted blood and it's only superficial but WOW!

Everyone seems fine now but, I have to ask, do your pigs go through this, too? Some days they are best friends and then they have a day where it's a Guinea Pig UFC competition?

 

[Paula]

What size are the cages they are in? It can make a big difference with boys.

 

[PrttyChngaderas]

Carlos and Allen are in a 2x4 cage with a little side 1x2 kitchen. The babies are in a 2x3 with a 2x2 upper deck cozy area and Kitchen. I know, I know, That cage is seriously pushing it. I got the baby a week ago from a friend and this cage is baby proofed. It has the higher coroplast walls and as soon as Sancho is too big, I planned on expanding it to 3x3 with a 2x3 upper deck. If I expand it now, The sides will be too low for Sancho and he could sneak out a grid hole. As it is, Guillermo is still small enough to get his head caught in the grids.

If the "good boys" are downstairs, he goes down and fusses with them. If they are upstairs, he goes up and fusses with them. I am out of room to put up another cage. I could separate the upper and lower decks for a bit. It's just been a UFC Guinea Pig day.

AARRGGHHH!

 

[foggycreekcavy]

Your young boys are going through normal dominance stuff. As soon as you can, expand their cage. Did you take out all the houses with only one entrance? Until things settle down, put food on both levels of the cage, and water bottles, too.

Are your older boys in the same room? Sometimes the chasing and activity in one cage can affect the pigs in another. Sometimes, in my rescue, pairs that normally get along great will get agitated because they hear what's going on in the other cages, and it riles them up.

 

[PrttyChngaderas]

Yeah. I really want to expand that cage. Sancho just needs to get a bit bigger then baby proofing won't be a need.

They still had their huge hidey house in there. It's gone now, though. I will set up another water bottle and feeder on the lower deck. I have never had tiny pigs before. I always end up taking cast-offs from other people so they are usually quite a bit older.

As for where the cages are... they are in two totally separate parts of the house. The babies are in my studio and the big boys are in my husbands home office separated by a living room, kitchen and bedroom. You can sometimes hear the wheeking but not often.

I do believe that Guillermo is the trouble maker, though. He is way naughty and even a little bitey. He has bitten me twice and drawn blood. Cujo Pig!