Behavior New Recue Pig Barbering.

[hayley411]

So recently took in an american sow for my neutered puruvian boar. Well they get on great. Buut she has butchered his amazing surfer-boy hair do. LOL. My poor poor shredder man. I feel so sorry for him. He use to be beautiful now he is goofy looking. Is there anyway I can get her to stop? Or am I never gonna have my pretty boy back? Cause they really do seem to love each other and he doesn't care at all when she chews his hair off. I got her as a friend for him so thats all that counts I guess. But really would like to find a way to solve this. Any ideas much apreciated.

Here are some pics so you can see the differance.... Keep in mind they have only been together a whole wopping three days... hmy:

Before:




Now:

 

[Hhbean]

that is one buzz cut piggy! Maybe she just prefers her men with short hair. Maybe he told her in guinea pig chatter that it was driving him crazy and he really hates the brush catching in his tangles! I think he is still a little cutie.

 

[Riviir]

Lol, he kinda looks like a sheep now .

 

[Duffinvt]

Oh my !! I doubt there is anything you can do, so I guess just be thrilled that they are a happy couple and let her barber away !

 

[pinky]

You know, it's funny because I adopted a texel mom and daughter. The mom has really long hair but I couldn't figure out the little one. She has curls under her belly but her hair is blunt cut and curly. I wondered if the previous owner cut it. Then, I was watching them yesterday and thought I saw mom licking her. I think she trims her fur, too. I've had a barberer once before that would grab out tufts of hair from her sister. She'd buzz it to the skin. But this is different. It seems like she's just trying to groom her..

 

[Thumper27]

I suppose she's styling his hair lol I've never seen it before......

 

[Duffinvt]

If you ever thought of taking a trip North, (broken link removed) has many gps, including some Abbys. A weekend in Vermont??? Why not !

Pinky.......your new baby is sooo cute! I keep looking around for a little sow for my neutered boar, but so far not much luck. I keep in close touch with the the nearby cavy rescue, but she rarely gets any young Abbys.

 

[pinky]

Pinky.......your new baby is sooo cute! I keep looking around for a little sow for my neutered boar, but so far not much luck. I keep in close touch with the the nearby cavy rescue, but she rarely gets any young Abbys.

Thanks! She looks like an abby with that short cut but she's actually a long haired texel with her haircut. Her hair is really curly.

 

[RubyRain]

That is pretty amazing that she can barber that much! Just wait for that hair ball to come out :eye-poppi :yuck:

I feel your pain though because I also have a barber! At first I thought the previous owners gave my long hair a really bad hair cut. But over time it never really grew much longer or evenly. I finally figured out that my dominant pig was barbering her. I read about it but didn't find anything I could do about it. I thought maybe she had a poor diet before so it was some way to compensate for that but she's had a wonderful diet from day 1 here so that's not it.
So my pretty long hair pig always has uneven locks and it looks very "choppy" as yours does, though not as short-I'm still amazed at that.

So you are no alone!

ETA: Kidding about the hairball. Tasha has been barbering for over a year and she's never had any digestive problems or hair balls. LOL

 

[pinky]

That is pretty amazing that she can barber that much! Just wait for that hair ball to come out :eye-poppi :yuck:

I feel your pain though because I also have a barber! At first I thought the previous owners gave my long hair a really bad hair cut. But over time it never really grew much longer or evenly. I finally figured out that my dominant pig was barbering her. I read about it but didn't find anything I could do about it. I thought maybe she had a poor diet before so it was some way to compensate for that but she's had a wonderful diet from day 1 here so that's not it.
So my pretty long hair pig always has uneven locks and it looks very "choppy" as yours does, though not as short-I'm still amazed at that.

So you are no alone!

I think the uneven cut is the giveaway that the other one is barbering. I saw photos of my younger one when she had longer fur so I knew it's shorter than it was before. It just amazes me how the barberer trims it all over. When I had my other barberer, she was really nervous and would nip at the other's fur. This one sits next to her and looks like she's licking her all over and is just tending to her baby. The previous owner sold the other baby and the neutered male so I wonder if the mom is just overattentive. The daughter will be a year this month but she still acts like a baby; very attached to the mom. If I take either one out of the cage without the other, they cry both.

 

[RubyRain]

Pinky-yes, I've had them for a yr now so I know it must be barbering. Bad hair cuts don't last that long LOL
I never see it though which is interesting to me. They do use the same hidey most of the time though so it's probably in private

 

[pinky]

Pinky-yes, I've had them for a yr now so I know it must be barbering. Bad hair cuts don't last that long LOL
I never see it though which is interesting to me. They do use the same hidey most of the time though so it's probably in private

My senior female is always licking the others around the face and ears but doesn't bite fur. I wonder if there a maternal instinct connection. The one similarity with my barberer and groomer is that they both had litters. My senior female was rehomed when she was five and I adopted her and her neutered mate. The prior owner said she had multiple litters. Her mate passed away in 2008. I've had her four years and she mothers every single guinea pig she meets. The one I just adopted is very similar in disposition to my senior. She dotes on her daughter. The grooming seems to be an act of affection.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

Back to the first post--

It's very unusual for a pig to barber to uniformly all over the pig. It's usually a very messy job--chewing here and there and ending up with a very uneven hair cut. That Peruvian looks like someone has given him an all over trim. Are you sure someone isn't messing with you, and has given him a haircut on the sly?

Do they have more than one house? Are your houses open-ended so that he can escape from her if needed? Usually pigs who are barbered don't like it, because the chewing pulls on the hair. Have you heard any squeaks or whimpers from him?

Is she eating the hair, or just dropping it? I would be concerned if she was ingesting all that hair.

Some people have had luck with putting bitter apple on the pig. Or maybe you could use one of the hair wipes on the market for cats.

 

[bpatters]

Ditto foggycreekcavy on the haircut. That pig looks like my abby after I've whacked all her long hair off. Usually a barbering pig will miss strands of hair, so that some are left long and some short. That cut looks pretty even.

 

[hayley411]

FoggyCreek-
No no one is messing with me. I live alone so no one else here to cut it. It is definitely her. I've seen her chewing on his hair. And yes all their boxes have at least 2 entry/exit holes. They have gobs of hay at all times, fresh veg, and oxbow pellets so I don't think it's a nutrition issue. Though she is a rescue and no telling how her life was before. She does seem to be dominant. Anyone is over Shredder as he is a very very laid back old man. They are getting a bigger cage today a 2 story 2x4. Hopefully that will distract her a little more and give him a bit more room to get away if he needs to. I really am bummed though. Shredder really was beautiful. But it would be unfair to split them up purely because she was making him look goofy.
I've heard this happens a bit more when its a longhaired paired with a shorthaired. True? Could it be solved by getting the shorthaired barberer another shorthaired friend? Doubt it but.... haha look at me trying to find an excuse to get another one. Geesh. LOL

 

[pinky]

I tried Bitter Apple with my other barberer. Not only did it not work, the one being barbered cried when I would spray it on because I think it stung her skin.

 

[pinky]

FoggyCreek-
No no one is messing with me. I live alone so no one else here to cut it. It is definitely her. I've seen her chewing on his hair. And yes all their boxes have at least 2 entry/exit holes. They have gobs of hay at all times, fresh veg, and oxbow pellets so I don't think it's a nutrition issue. Though she is a rescue and no telling how her life was before. She does seem to be dominant. Anyone is over Shredder as he is a very very laid back old man. They are getting a bigger cage today a 2 story 2x4. Hopefully that will distract her a little more and give him a bit more room to get away if he needs to. I really am bummed though. Shredder really was beautiful. But it would be unfair to split them up purely because she was making him look goofy.
I've heard this happens a bit more when its a longhaired paired with a shorthaired. True? Could it be solved by getting the shorthaired barberer another shorthaired friend? Doubt it but.... haha look at me trying to find an excuse to get another one. Geesh. LOL

My other pair that had a barber/barberer were female teddy siblings which are shorter haired.