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Pigs fighting :(

11 replies

QueenBonkeyMollocks · 01/06/2012 10:43

HmmThey were bonded about a month ago. No pros but I did seprate them at night because in the cage they tended to get on each others nerves. Fine together in the day.....until yesterday!

Big pig (normally the dominant one) got arsey and went for Little pig, which ended up with Big pig having a bloody nose.

Tried them back together today and they have gone for each other twice. I have now separated the pen into two for now so they can chill out a bit.

Little pig is coming up to 9 weeks and i have noticed that he has started strutting and rumbling which i think is what is pissing Big pig off. Is it teenage arseyness starting?

What should i do? Keep them separate then try them back together later? Leave them to it? (not keen on this, scary stuff GP fight Shock )

Argh they are little buggers ! They love each other really, but they are still doing their best rattlesnake impressions through the bars to each other Hmm

OP posts:
QueenBonkeyMollocks · 01/06/2012 10:49

Sorry about typos.
Phone has a mind of its own! Confused

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/06/2012 11:02

Little GP is most likely becoming mature (there's an oxymoron, a mature male) and testing the boundaries.
Is it just indoors that they get on each others wicks?
What are they like out in a run?

Could be that they are terratorial over certain areas and Little Pig is starting to overstep the boundaries by defiantly invading Big Pig's 'space'.

I've never worried about seperating the boys indoor cage- yes they have less room, but they only sit and eat in it.
Outside they are usually in different houses (they have 3 houses +the haybox) Even in the haybox they are in seperate corners. They do sit nicely in an outdoor box (again I give one each).

A water spray might be enough to stop the immediate brawling, but it sounds like they've got a Leadership battle ongoing.
It's not always the biggest or oldest pig that's alpha.

My first ever GP was very bossed by his mate (a pinkeye sow) but he learned his 'place' quickly (He was a she when we bought him. They had piglets ). She was twice his size and 3 months younger.

QueenBonkeyMollocks · 01/06/2012 11:11

They are separate at night anyway, huge indoor pen together in the daytime. Normally fine. I have chucked a towel over them twice to stop it. Water spray is a fab idea. imagines stopping wet pigs by the end of the day

If Big pig has been the dominant one until now, would he let Little pig take over? Don't know if i can see it.

What I can see though is Little pigs balls! They have sprung up,or down Confused, defiantly a boy! Grin

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/06/2012 11:19

He might not have a choice of handover of The Crown.
Little GP might make a bid for supremency.
The water spray should annoy them enough to stop them in their tracks (for a while). Tell them they're lucky it's June, not -10 c in January Grin

Good news about the balls though- definately not female Wink

KRITIQ · 01/06/2012 11:28

Congratulations. You are now the pig parent of a teenage boar! They have a tendency to sulk, to stomp, to shout, to make pathetic attempts at what they think is "manly" behaviour, to argue and pick fights with other boars, to be fussy about food, occasionally resistant to cuddles, then want cuddles, to smell pretty awful and not be very fastidious about grooming.

The only good thing is it tends to last only a few months in boars, not years as in humans! :)

I'm on boars 7 and 8 and only once have I had to actually separate two - that was boar 6 who was nearly four when boar 7 arrived, aged only 3 weeks. Initially, the arrival of a new bub brought out boar 6's maternal side, which I never expected as he'd always been quite a spikey and bossy pig. No, he adored his young protege, until he did a Harry Enfield Kevin The Teenager Transformation into "Teen Boar."

Eventually, the arguments escalated until teen boar got a nip on the ear (probably deserved,) so I wired up two grill racks as a temporary barrier down the middle of the cage. I swapped their sides each day so they would still have each other's smell and still see and hear each other. They stayed like that for a few weeks and then I went through the full ritual of reintroducing them - thorough scrub of the cage, new toys, food dishes, etc. and a serious bath for both pigs. They were actually find after that, apart from the odd argument.

So, it might be that the separation won't have to be permanent. Give them a bit of time to "cool down," and try reintroduction?

Boars 7 and 8 still get into set to's occasionally, and sometimes there is teeth chattering that sounds pretty awful, but doesn't erupt into actual violence. Boar 8 is younger, but was "top pig" from the moment he arrived at age 9 weeks, full of confidence and assertiveness. (He's an Aries you see.) Although it's not very "fair," what usually happens is if they've had a bit of a spat, Boar 7 backs down and goes to sit in his basket rather than carrying on with the argument. Boar 8 feels satisfied that he's "won," and it all blows over.

Good luck!

QueenBonkeyMollocks · 01/06/2012 11:43

Well Big pig is sulking and Little pig is going mad round the pen...like he's got his own way Hmm

Good idea about swapping sides so they still have each others scent.

Im going to try them together again later...armed with a water spray...and we will see how it goes.

Interesting about the food. Little pig did not eat his carrot last night. Scoffed the rest but left the carrot. Carrot is normally a fave !

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/06/2012 11:50

Little Pig sounds like he's doing a Victory Lap.
Is he holding his front paw to his forehead like an L shape (Looo-ssseeerr)

Fussiness with food is normal. At least he's eating.That's the main thing.

You could maybe give them a bath later? To make them smell the same?
It might soothe then, .Or give them something different to grumpy about Grin

QueenBonkeyMollocks · 01/06/2012 12:00

Grin Yup its a victory lap!

Never done a bath before Confused. Big pig will love it but Little pig is skittish. Im a bit worried about hanging on to him. But might give it a go. Is baby shampoo ok for them?

OP posts:
KRITIQ · 03/06/2012 02:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KRITIQ · 03/06/2012 02:10

www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=47314

With linky!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 03/06/2012 02:23

YY Gorgeous Guineas- I got a selection of the Hog Shampoos.
Just for Boars has Sandlewood to make them smell lovely and maaaanley.

I haven't washed them for about a month because I did a mite/lice/tick/worm drop treatment early May.

Too cold to wash GP2 but at least he doesn't smell of his brothers pee now Hmm

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