So my girls are not the best of friends. Dottie (2) and Hale (6) can tolerate each other at times, but it seems like Hale is getting bullied. Or she might just be too old to handle Dottie's antagonizing ways. Here's some things that have been happening and increasing in the last few months or so.
~Dottie will follow Hale around and guard water bottles/food/pigloos. Even if one water bottle is free Dottie will harass Hale to move and not even need to drink.
~Hale will complain/whine when Dottie wakes up from a nap, rumblestruts, or enters the loft/Hale's line of sight. Often Dottie will circle around her and then start chasing her. This happens 1-4x every hour.
~The loft is a big concern. Hale used it to escape Dottie in the past. But Dottie's learned to use it a few months ago. Both pigs will guard the base of the ramp. They pee/poop all over it and it requires daily cleaning. Last night I woke up to Hale chirping. I went to the cage and saw her trying to go down the ramp, but Dottie was at the bottom and refused to move. I had to move Dottie out of the way and Hale kept chirping even when she got off the ramp.
~Hale does have calcifying on her spine and arthritis. She's on Metacam, but Dottie mounting her likely causes pain. Also, the ramp has a gentle incline since Hale really likes going up and down.
I understand pigs have dominance/herd hierarchy and reaffirming their pecking order happens constantly. Dottie's doing this everyday, every hour, and Hale rarely challenges her. I was thinking of separating them with the option of being able to see each other or keeping Hale in the loft and out of sight. The loft is 2x3 and the lower level is 2x4 by 2x3 (L shape). Or if side by side the cages would be 2x3 with no loft. They both LOVE the loft and spend a lot of time up there.
Or I could keep them together but remove the loft.
Any thoughts??
~Dottie will follow Hale around and guard water bottles/food/pigloos. Even if one water bottle is free Dottie will harass Hale to move and not even need to drink.
~Hale will complain/whine when Dottie wakes up from a nap, rumblestruts, or enters the loft/Hale's line of sight. Often Dottie will circle around her and then start chasing her. This happens 1-4x every hour.
~The loft is a big concern. Hale used it to escape Dottie in the past. But Dottie's learned to use it a few months ago. Both pigs will guard the base of the ramp. They pee/poop all over it and it requires daily cleaning. Last night I woke up to Hale chirping. I went to the cage and saw her trying to go down the ramp, but Dottie was at the bottom and refused to move. I had to move Dottie out of the way and Hale kept chirping even when she got off the ramp.
~Hale does have calcifying on her spine and arthritis. She's on Metacam, but Dottie mounting her likely causes pain. Also, the ramp has a gentle incline since Hale really likes going up and down.
I understand pigs have dominance/herd hierarchy and reaffirming their pecking order happens constantly. Dottie's doing this everyday, every hour, and Hale rarely challenges her. I was thinking of separating them with the option of being able to see each other or keeping Hale in the loft and out of sight. The loft is 2x3 and the lower level is 2x4 by 2x3 (L shape). Or if side by side the cages would be 2x3 with no loft. They both LOVE the loft and spend a lot of time up there.
Or I could keep them together but remove the loft.
Any thoughts??