Side by side dilemma!

[TheBonkeyMollocks]

Ok so, because the Bonkey Pigs are complete pains they currently live side by side. Always able to nose touch through a grid if the fancy takes them.

Because of winter temps and Christmas I have realised I may need to have a shift around.

While I would love to keep then as they are actually would love them back together, which would sort all my problems..but its.nite looking to likely but would it be ok to have them in the same room but not side by side?? Does anyone do this with happy pigs?

My plan (if by chance it may work) is to make another cage out of C&C grids and have Big Pig in one, Little Pig in the other.
But to do this they would have to lose their permanent day pen. They would both have a full cage rather than half that they have at the.moment for nights. I could easily set up a temp.pen everyday and side by sidea them for a few hours in the daytime and they would still get their romp round the living room.in the evening.
Problems with this plan is that they would either have to be one on top of the other (guinea apartments) or at opposite ends of the room.
Not sure about on top, mainly for the look. Dh already has a complex that pigs are taking over. It would be a 'wow what's that!' as soon s you walk into the room....but then if they can't see each other would they be sad ??

Im bit stuck. Didn't think if any of this when they were bought and tbh i expected them to be together!

Any thoughts?

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I think the main issue is to avoid the extremes of heat/draughts.

When we had our boars inside they side-by-sided and when they saw the Rodentologist she said they have to re-establish their order again when they meet up (they go out together by day).
But even if GP1 goes for a prowl round the house, he still 're-establishes' - ie heatbutts GP2 out the way - when they see each other, so it's an ongoing thing.

They'll know each other is there by smell and sound even if they can't see each other.
But it's better if you can have them in touching distance if possible.
Do they go in the day run together still?

[TheBonkeyMollocks]

No I can't put them together at all!

What's getting me is that they do like being side by side. I worry if I take away that little contact they have then they will get miserable or screech the place down.

I can do a few hours side by side in a playpen on the floor, plus if they wander round in the evening they could visit through the bars
is this enough?

No way I can have two cages side by side I just don't have the room and the only space is in front of the radiator which is what I am trying to avoid!

I would have one down my side of the sofa (little pig prob) and Big pig in the cage (because he doesn't cope with new things well, i figure he would be better 'home' ) which is about 4 m away. Not far but further that they have been!

This way they would be in even temp but not 'together' as theyes are it will eventually be very warm.

[TheBonkeyMollocks]

Or if i try it and it doesn't look horrendous then they can be ontop of one another. But then access to the top to the top one would be tricky...

Or I could just kick dh out and have them in a mahoosive C&C that can take over a whole wall ....

[TheBonkeyMollocks]

Or I could keep them the way I have them and snuggle us in blankets and jumpers, them.in hay and have.no Christmas tree....

[guineapiglet]

Hi all, we had this dilemma when we took on a very agressive and stressed girl guinea, who terrorised the other three initially. I had their cages side by side so even though she didnt want to be with the others, she could see, smell and touch them without being in with them. Eventually I put the ladders of the cages down so they could each get in each others cages. There was a lot of teeth chattering, squeaking, etc over the period of about two weeks, and then one day I came down and all 4 were eating hay meekly together and the rescue girl ( who stayed bossy and grumpy the whole time we had her - she is the one who arrived in a cage which hadnt been cleaned out for a month, full of glass and cigarette stubs, so you can see why) never moved out. I am wondering if this might work with the boars, or have you gone past that point?

What happens if they share a hutch with a grille type thing in the middle, does that mean they have no space? Maybe you could half and half for some time in the day and give them separate hutches at night? I know what you mean about radiators, and you dont want the guineas to be infront of them during the day as they wont be able to acclimatis. What happens when you leave them to their own devices - will they just keep fighting? It was hard with the girls during the initial phase of integration. When they were outside, I had a large double storey hutch, and I would put two girls in each ( they were together in the run during the day,) just to give the gentler girls a break from Little Miss Bossy. They are often better on neutral ground with lots to keep them busy ( eg food!) - how does it work if you do that?

[TheBonkeyMollocks]

Thanks guinea .

Current set up is side by side 24.7. Night time they have a cage split in two so not much space. Daytime they each have a side of the playpen . Grids separate both of these. They can get their noses through uf wanted.

Last time.I tried to bring then back together they had a chatter and a chase and then settled chomping hay. Thy were like that for a few hours then i popped out for 10 mins and came back to a blood bath :( Both pigs were bleeding. LittlePig came off worse with a bloody mouth and swollen cheek and wasn't his usual cocky self for a few days . I was on the edge of a vet visit.

Occasionally they will still nose up at each other through the grids so I am.still very wary.of trying them back together.

I think the problem is whilst they are separate LittlePig like to think he is boss. He is the strutter . However put them together then BigPig (who was the original boss) takes back his role and starts strutting and humping. LittlePig legs it but then tries his luck stupid arse .

I think i may try them side by side during the day and make another cage for night. Then they get more space at night too. I do worry they will be sad away from each other though.

But I can only try and see I suppose.

If they could get on I would have no bloody problems!!

I just don't want them.to feel alone.

Oh its.like having extra kids....

[guineapiglet]

I do know how you feel, our rescue girl and her antics caused endless problems - I dont have much experience with boys, I guess they are always trying to out do each other on the Alpha male chart, but they are brothers arent they so they are used to each other? I think the glimmer of hope comes in what you have written about getting on under your supervision, they know you are there and they were occupied, it is when they got bored they start fighting - so maybe some supervised time together? and gradually make it longer, maybe going into another room and speaking to them from there so they know you are about? You have my sympathy, as the process I explained above took weeks to sort out before I felt comfortable leaving them all together, but I can see that is your ultimate plan, and I think they may be lonely if they cant see each other for at least part of the day. A vet nurse friend of mine came round and told me that I had to leave them all together to sort out the pecking order and go way and leave them to it, she made me leave them for an afternoon, I hated it! I know there was a lot of fighting whilst we did this, but then it just stopped - this happened when I started putting them outside in the run, so they were happy to do something new. I guess they used to get bored inside and thats when the squabbling would start. It is hard to watch Little Pig get beaten up tho, but I guess in the wild he would be put in his place and have to accept it - it is a lot of work for you too - lets hope they see sense!!!

[guineapiglet]

PS another think I used to do was leave the radio on whilst I wasnt in the room, I genuinely think this helped!!! ( Only Radio 4 tho', they didnt like music, just 'serious voices'. Reading back through this thread you wonder how the little sweethearts manage to take over all our lives so totally!!!

[TheBonkeyMollocks]

Well new cage built.
Its close to the tiger cage but not the same height. BigPig can look down on LittlePig

I am going to pop LittlePig in there in the morning and then get them both out fir a few hours in the afternoon side by side and see how we go.

Im still wobbeling though but we will see how we go!

I keep getting pangs of guilt :(

[TheBonkeyMollocks]

Tiger cage

Other cage!!!!!!

[dietcokeandwine]

Bonkey I was just reading this thread not sure whether to feel impressed or that you had tigers in your lounge

The arrangement sounds fine to me. I have previously had to have pigs living not side-by-side but near enough to each other that they can smell/hear/squeak to each other, and whilst it wasn't my ideal the pigs all seemed to adapt. They're still having contact of sorts, after all. All you can do is see how they go. Fingers crossed it works out for you all.

[TheBonkeyMollocks]

Well LittlePig is in his new pig residence and BigPig has the run of the old one.
I sat watching term for over a hour and apart from a deafening 5 mins of wheeking to each other trying to find out where the other one was they seemed absolutely fine.
BigPig seems to like the fact that he is 'superior' to LittlePig and sat with his paws on the bars looking down at him and then zooming round the cage and then going back to his spot .

I think its tonight when i will know if I have problems when they realise they can't sleep next to each other.....but so far so good! :)

Fingers crossed!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Bonkey my boars are going to report you for putting your boys in a tiger cage

GP2 said "Autocorrect my arse"

(I blame the parents)

[guineapiglet]

Hi - hope it is going OK and the darlings have settled into their new'routine' - sounds like they were very excited at the change - I loved it when they got over excited about something new, racing around and jumping, hopefully they will get to like their new arrangement. If they can see and hear each other, they should be fine - I guess if they cant sleep next to each other, they will let you know their dissatisfaction - what happens when you half and half them so to speak, will they fight? I guess if they mark their respective hutches and then you put them together again it will all start over again. Lets hope they appreciate your hard work and concern and start settling in more!! Good luck.

[guineapiglet]

HI 8bonkey* - just wondering how it is all going and if they side by side arrangements are suiting the guineas - any progress?!

[guineapiglet]

bonkey

[MummifiedBonkeyMollocks]

No change really guinea , they are still in separate cages, not side by side but very close. They have seemed to settle ok. they seem to have become alot more vocal....I cant even rustle any sort of packet anymore without "Wheeeeeek Wheeeeek"
When they come out in the kitchen they chase each other up and down the divide and then go on their treasure hunt

I haven't had the bottle to try them back together yet. they still have the odd tiz through the bars, I'm just so nervous about trying again.
But they seem content and happy so for now it will do.

Oh but one plus...I can now have them both on the sofa (one either side of me) without too much drama! they both settle down now and watch tv

Thanks for asking :)

[guineapiglet]

Sounds like you have a good result and the best of all worlds for the guineas - I would so love to be in your house when they are chasing up and down!! They are probably pleased to see each other but too male to say so........ Love the idea of you sandwiched between the two at TV time - what is their favourite programme? I used to have snooze time with three girls, who used to sit round my neck, across my chest and in my lap - they listened to the Archers with me and then fell asleep. Not sure they would want to listen to it now!!!

[MummifiedBonkeyMollocks]

Big Pig like emmerdale!

Little pig is not a Tv watcher, he just chews his way through the blanket