Behavior Odd Behavior?

[penance]

Last night I brought home a female guinea pig to add to my other 2 female guinea pigs I didn't know she was older and bigger than my other two until I picked her up.

Some info on Merangue - About 9 months old and had kids

They scuffled a bit last night, during feeding they eat with no fights but this afternoon I noticed some weird behavior with my small black pig named Noir. I suspect that she's the youngest because of her small frame, she will go up to my new adopted Merangue, sniff her and try to mount her behind, at least I think it's mounting - I got some video to show what I'm talking about.

You can see the behavior where Noir is wiggling her butt towards Merangue as if she's saying "Here's my butt..." lol.

YouTube - MVI 1933

Excuse the messy cage, I'm still trying to devise a plan for them to poop in one area lol

So What's going on?

 

[Ly&Pigs]

First of all, you should have done quarantine in a separate room in a separate cage for 3 weeks. But since you didn't, there's no point in doing it now.

Secondly, how did you introduce them? Did you just put the new pig in with the other pigs or did you introduce them in neutral territory?

 

[penance]

I introduced them in a neutral zone (my bedroom floor) on an extra fleece bedding

I adopted her from the Pups and Pals agency where she was being fostered with other guinea pigs including her own little pigs. I'm not worried about disease but I realized I should have quarantined them beforehand when receiving new guinea pigs.

They seem to be getting along there is the occasional scuffle with bottom smelling, noir has stopped with the bottom wagging to merangue but Merangue has begun chasing my other 2 pigs

I'm getting stressed out by my guinea pigs being stressed out, if things don't look better by Friday I might be returning Merangue back to her foster mom

 

[PiggiePaws]

Ditto on what Ly&Pigs said. My girls do the same thing all the time. Mounting, rumblestrutting, chattering, etc. That's how they establish dominance.

 

[NicholsS10]

I also ditto what Ly said. It's also just dominance, they are working out their hierarchy. Also, I see that you are housing them on towels, do you usually have fleece on top off the towels so the fleece can wick away the moisture and keep the pigs dry?

 

[penance]

Since I'm a newbie I'm getting my posts moderated so my replies may seem late ...

Here are new photos of the guinea pig cage - I bought new fleece, donut beds and a hay container for them messy beauties The towel I was using was temporary bedding since I didn't have any fleece but now I do plan on using the towels to absorb the pee otherwise the fleece gets soaked eww...

 

[tehdoc809]

Ditto on what Ly&Pigs said. My girls do the same thing all the time. Mounting, rumblestrutting, chattering, etc. That's how they establish dominance.

So do mine, and usually I can't help but laugh.

 

[meghannmariexx]

Ditto on what Ly&Pigs said. My girls do the same thing all the time. Mounting, rumblestrutting, chattering, etc. That's how they establish dominance.

So do mine, my younger pig max will mount the older one(Henry) but then when I'm not looking Henry will mount Max and will chatter. But I find that Max rumblestruts all the time!

 

[Adorable]

That is normal behavior and it should go away or at least lesson in a couple weeks. I have two that get along really well and they started bickering a little when I put a new pig in the same room, at least 6 feet away.

Is your total cage a 2X3? If so, that is way too small, especially for an introduction. I think 2X5 is the recommended minimum size for 3.

 

[meghannmariexx]

Is your total cage a 2X3? If so, that is way too small, especially for an introduction. I think 2X5 is the recommended minimum size for 3.

Yes It's 2x5 more is better. Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Ditto the above.

You need to let them work it out but you need a bigger cage and add at least 3 to 4 of everything i.e. houses with more than one opening / no pigloos, and hay, pellet, water bottle sources.

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

By the way, it could be dominance but are you sure your other two are females?

 

[claire]

Since I'm a newbie I'm getting my posts moderated so my replies may seem late ...

Here are new photos of the guinea pig cage - I bought new fleece, donut beds and a hay container for them messy beauties The towel I was using was temporary bedding since I didn't have any fleece but now I do plan on using the towels to absorb the pee otherwise the fleece gets soaked eww...

The usual set up with fleece is to put a couple of layers of towels under the fleece. The fleece allows the pee through but doesn't actually absorb it (the towels do that) so the surface stays dry for the piggies to lie on and the towels can be changed whenever they need to be. As they tend to pee where they lie, keeping them as dry as possible helps avoid things like urine scald.

The full low-down on using fleece is here: - https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/bedding/21568-fleece-project-study.html