Behavior Stubborn boys

[Breezy]

I have 2 male guinea pigs 1 is around 4 5ish( i adopted him not quit sure of the age) and the other is just turning a year old. I had the 5 year old since he was about 2 3ish and the 1 year old since he was about 4- 6 months. They hate each other. No matter what i try doing the baby picks on the older one. So right now they are in a custom built cage over 6 feet long, but are divided, they can see and smell each other but the baby cannot hurt the older one. Any ideas would be great.

 

[LitaRutherford]

What do you mean by picking on? I have three boys together, two 5mo olds and a 2yr old. The younger two like to mess with the older a fair bit, mounting and getting in his way, but they dont hate each other. Its just how they are.

 

[Breezy]

No my younger one has broken the skin on my older one.

 

[lissie]

When you introduced them, did you do it in a neutral area (no pigs have been to)?
How large is the cage when they were together? Was the cage completely cleaned out to remove all scents before putting both pigs in?
Do you have two of everything (food bowls, water bottles, hay racks, hidey houses)?

See these links.
Guinea Pigs Social Life
https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46468

 

[Breezy]

ya when i first introduced them i bought a play pen for them with new food bowls water bottles toys and everything, they seemed to do well. So i built them a cage that would be big enough for the two of them to live in, divided it like it is now and continued on with the play dates daily in the play pen. Thought everything was good. Did a huge major cleaning of the big cage ( to get all scents out) everything seemed to be good,then bam fight broke out. Ever since then every time they get together they fight. And like i stated before the baby has broken the skin on my senior.

 

[lissie]

When you do intros, you shouldn't have separated them if they got along. When you separate them, they have to work on the dominance again over and over and that might have been why they were fighting.

Edit to add:
If you want to start over, introduce them in a neutral area and let them work it out. If there's no bloodshed, do not separate. Then completely clean out the cage and put them in the cleaned cage.

You can also try buddy bath.

 

[Breezy]

They fight the second they get close to one another

 

[lissie]

How are they fighting? Teeth chattering, charging at each other, humping or something more serious? The younger one might be going through his teenage stage. You'll just have to keep them separated.

 

[Breezy]

It starts out teeth chattering, then my youngest charges my oldest. I feel bad because i know they are social critters

 

[lissie]

If they are not harming each other or nobody is losing weight, leave them be. They will sort it out. See the links I posted earlier.

 

[Breezy]

My youngest is hurting my oldest