Fighting NEW PIGS - FIGHTING?! Don't seem to enjoy eachother AT ALL??

[guineamominCA]

Hello all!
I am an extreme newbie. I got 2 guinea pigs the other day - today is our 5th day having them. Firstly - I recieved the pigs from a lady who rescued the pregnant mother from a parking lot. They are 11 weeks old. I was told they are both females (however I'm not sure if she is right I have not checked) The first day I brought them home, I put them in a cage in the room in a low traffic area. Immediately the one bullied the other out of the hideaway (I only bought one hut thinking they would be best friends)
They share a rabbit cage- they were nervous the first day so i didn't bother them. The second day they started to come out of the hidey and came to the door to get some lettuce & carrot - I have picked them up two seperate times briefly the last few days. Daily we interact and they are trusting me and my son slowly but surely. Now they allow me to pet them softly while i give them treats. Occasionally the one sister OPAL, she makes a row boat noise. She seems to do this when she is aggitated or nervous. People seem to say its happiness but i feel from her body language she is afraid or warning me.
The other Pig we named SANDY - she doesnt really make that noise at all. However today when i was tidying the cage she chattered her teeth at opal 2 times. opal went and nipped her on the face and she squeaking one time really sharp. No blood.
They DO NOT seem to enjoy eachothers company ever. They are constantly pushing eachother around , scuffling, they do sit in the hideaway together now after i hear some scuffling in there, when they are out they are chattering etc to eachother. What am I to expect this to subside? is this something that will go on forever. I would love for the pigs to get along. at this rate i dont think they will. Would another guinea pig get along with one of my girls better?
How to I verify the sex of them? Since Ive only had them for a few days - and dont know how to hold one to examine what sex they are -or even if i should do this since they are new and i dont want to scare them.
Im such a newbie its not funny. However i realized when i came home they need more space. I just bought a c&c cage - its being delivered next week. Will more space help? I figured it might. I want my pigs to get along! That was the whole point of getting 2!
Anyone else have this problem???

 

[pinky]

Make sure you have two of the same sex or you'll end up with a lot of guinea pigs in very little time. At 11 weeks, they are old enough to breed. There are links on here to help determine sex. The most important factor for compatibility is cage size. For two guinea pigs, you'd need a 27 x 56" cage. Coroplast and grid cages are easy to make and inexpensive but would need "child proofing because youngsters like yours can get caught in the grids. Rabbit cages with wire bottom are not appropriate for a guinea pig because the wires can tear up their foot pads and cause bumblefoot.... Guinea pigs have rank. They work out who's the boss. Chasing and mounting are how they decide who's the boss. As long as there's no biting, let them work it out. I'd love to see photos!

 

[allmypiggies]

To add to pinky, make sure there is atleast 3 places to hide so that they can have a neutral place also.

 

[guineamominCA]

because i have only had them for a few days and have not picked them up much (ive fed them and pet them many times daily) is it ok to pick them up to identify the sex. I don't want to scare them! The cage does not have wire bottom so I guess its just an oversize cage - The one did bite the other one or as i observed it looked like a nip to the cheek/eye and then she squealed loud which i have never heard that noise before. Thanks for the quick reply!!!!

 

[guineamominCA]

My current cage is too small for 3 hiding places - but i can put in 2. My C&C cage is coming next week ( I bought one on ebay)
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pinky]

because i have only had them for a few days and have not picked them up much (ive fed them and pet them many times daily) is it ok to pick them up to identify the sex. I don't want to scare them! The cage does not have wire bottom so I guess its just an oversize cage - The one did bite the other one or as i observed it looked like a nip to the cheek/eye and then she squealed loud which i have never heard that noise before. Thanks for the quick reply!!!!

A quick nip really isn't a problem. If you see fighting and bloodshed, then separate them. The dominant one can trap the other in the pigloo so you might want to take it out. Be sure that one isn't keeping the other from eating and drinking. You can add an extra water bottle, food dish and two mounds of hay. Since they're under six months of age, you need calcium in their diet to build strong bones. You can either offer a alfalfa based pellet or supplement with alfalfa. Once their over 6 months of age, you can switch to a timothy pellet and discontinue the alfalfa. You should also be feeding them unlimited hay such as timothy or orchard grass..... The more you handle them, the more social they'll become. I'd try and determine their gender now.

 

[bpatters]

If your cage is too small for three hideys, it's probably too small for two pigs. You may have to separate them until you get a larger cage.

Also, please pick them up and identify the gender, or you'll have more pigs in no time. See Sexing Guinea Pigs: How to Sex a Guinea Pig for how to tell them apart.

They may squabble for a while and then settle down, but you definitely need enough room for them, or they may wind up injuring each other. Click the Home button at the top of this page for more information on recommended cage sizes.

 

[zaylea]

Two or three fleece tunnels might make better hideys for them, so that they can still be warm and secure, but there's always an out if one gets bullied. I find that they're also useful for picking the pigs up (hold one end closed.) If you don't know how to sew, you can find them on etsy for around $10.

 

[guineamominCA]

I am going to order a tunnel on ebay or etsy. When my big cage comes in I think it will help and like most of you have mentioned, to have more places to hide and more room in general.
I have just picked up both girls and since they are new i really have pet them and spent alot of time feeding them and them getting used to me - so i was happy that when i picked them up they were just fine!
The one i can clearly see it is a female.
The other looks like a female however there is a little bump that kind of looks like a male. i couldnt get the penis to come out - so i still think its a female. Im going to get a better opinion tonight to double check but im pretty sure that yes the lady who rescued them was right - about them being females.

Will update with pics of my girls soon!
Thanks everyone. What a fabulous and informative site.

 

[guinealora]

My girls are about 11 months old, and I got them when they were 7 months old; they're sisters. When we first got them they seemed to HATE each other. I think they were just trying to re-establish dominance in their new cage. They still don't seem to like each other much, but they just have squabbles every so often and seem to tolerate each other at least. I think some guinea pigs just aren't really compatible. They'll get along well enough but won't cuddle up together like some pigs will. Pigs are just as individual as people!

 

[guineamominCA]

My girls are about 11 months old, and I got them when they were 7 months old; they're sisters. When we first got them they seemed to HATE each other. I think they were just trying to re-establish dominance in their new cage. They still don't seem to like each other much, but they just have squabbles every so often and seem to tolerate each other at least. I think some guinea pigs just aren't really compatible. They'll get along well enough but won't cuddle up together like some pigs will. Pigs are just as individual as people!

Thanks for the advice. I think you are right about some aren't as compatible as others and they are individual!

 

[FuryanGoddess]

I have three boys. Our first boy, Gumball, the one we got the other two for, seems to want to be a bully, even if Mr. Dad is bigger, stronger and more of a scraper. He starts the trouble w/ his butt shaking and not backing down, then he's the one that gets hurt... So, right now, he's alone and the other two are in the open, added on part of the cage. They get along pretty well, Darwin and Mr. Dad, some occasional rumbling, but no fighting. Darwin knows when to back down. This is how they will stay for the foreseeable future, until they've all gotten past their hormonal bitchiness and perhaps even after that... We shall see.

Good luck.