Guinea-pig keeps yawning- weird!

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GP2- he's a quiet little pig compared to his brother.
On Sunday they were lounging about in their run, in the sunny bit (they do have shade). GP1 was on 'watch duty' GP2 was very nearly asleep, eyes just slightly open.
When we cuddle him, he yawns, a really open mouthed, teeth on show effort. It's really sweet, and because he's jet black, his teeth are sparkling white .

I'm not sure how much they sleep either night or day. Presumably as prey animals they can't afford to be sparked out.
I've had 12 guineas before this pair, but never encountered such a lazy little hog habit.
(He eats well, same as piggie brother, but lesser amount as he's smaller)

Maybe its a boy thing. My two yawn all the time, especially Big pig!

Mine sleep alot in the afternoon.
Nutters in the morning, snoozy in the afternoon, nosey and rummaging in the eve, until cuddle time :)

Although Big pig doesn't shut his eye to sleep, they are wide open

- I've no idea what they get up to during the day because they are in their pighouse. Can't think they have much sleeping time with all the eating and poohing that they do.

They are according to my DS 12yo crepuscular (active dawn and dusk) rather than pesky hamster nocturnal.
(Education not wasted on DS there)

So, being a fluffy little boar is really hard work that's why he yawns. I just wouldn't want to put my finger near those fangs

Crepuscular? Is that the name for it?

T'is hard work don'tcha know
They have to poo, and eat, and poo, and eat, look cute, and poo and eat....

On another subject....
I have ordered my C&C cage tonight! So excited!

Bought forward because Little pig escaped and ran riot round the living room, leaving poo everywhere!

Yes he slept vair well that night

C&C look really good, you can customise them - all one level, different layers and ramps a small prison cell for Little Pig and add to them as you need.

There's a YouTube video (Crazy Guinea-Pigs HD) that DD is addicted to. The video maker has 6 GPs (neutered boars and sows) . I don't know if it's a C&C cage but one of the GPs jumps up onto a high bed and pushes another one out yet the sides still seem to keep him in.

There's a few scenes of three of the pigs having a skuffle as well- real heads up lunging at each other- - but they just seem to tussel it out and walk away.

Because piggies are a prey animal, they sleep for just afew minutes at a time and often with their eyes open or only partly closed. Its not until they are really confident and trusting in you that they go spark out with closed eyes. When Old Boy decides to have a lap time kip I feel guilty for even moving.

Yawning is not always what it seems. If a piggie yawns at another pig, he is really saying look what good teeth I have, don't mess with me or else!

I sometimes wonder if they sleep in shifts. They've been with us for 8 months so quite at home in their hoghouse, but the neighbours willow tree makes a heck of a noise against their roof. That would stop me from sleeping .

GP2 does curl up on my shoulder and snooze. DD says he closes his eyes but I can't see them (he's jet black with black eyes anyway)

I'm sure he bares his teeth at GP1, they scrap quite openly (not nasty, just barging the other out of the way).
But the yawning is mainly when he's having a hug, GP1 not near him.
He does: eat parsley, stomp about, get his bum right under my chin, curl up all tiny, then head down, yawn...pass wind

What age is Old Boy tea . He sounds like a fabulous character.

Was it Old Boy who ran amok with your female GP? Any 'signs' of impending piglets?

Old Boy is 5 years and 6 months. The months are important when you're a guinea pig .

No sign of piglets 70, Fatimus girl was too fast for him despite being a big fat agouti crested cross. Together they look like a comedy postcard with a fat wife and a skinny husband . Fatimus loves Old Boy very much. But Shy Girl only wants to talk to him through the wire and has made it clear she is not interested in him .

My boys are very chilled and kind of take my word for it that there are no predators in the living room :). One's usually flat out in his basket while the other is sparked in the bedroom.

Piggie yawns are just amazing though, like their whole face disappears!

Haven't read the thread, but just been reading elsewhere that a yawn is a sign of being seriously pissed off and a possible bite on its way.

So think the yawn would mean me swiftly putting him back in his cage, but that is coming from me, a complete novice and new guinea owner who is terrified of one of the little Blighters biting me!

buns I wouldn't worry too much. Yes if they yawn at each other it could be a 'look at my big shiny teeth' gesture, or it could be a 'bugger! Im tired' yawn.

Big pig yawns right before he sprawls himself out under my chin. He yawns then flops. Definitely a lazy yawn

Ok, just out of interest, do they bite often. We have just got two babies quite skittish one more so, the skittish one looks like it would happily have a nip, but maybe that's his red eyes. Breeder said she has had a pig bite yet and I need to get straight in handling them

As a general rule they don't bite.
By bite I mean a viscous chunk out of a finger drawing blood.

They may have a nibble. Just a 'hmmm...what do you taste like' thing. It doesn't hurt and once you get over the fear of them biting its actually quite sweet.
I used to always jump when mine did it but now I know that they aren't actually going to chomp on me...i love it.

Tbh you sound quite scared of them. Can you go back to your breeder and ask to handle some piggies their. Adults maybe, who are less skittish. It might help to build up your confidence around them.

Most animals have a knack of picking up on nerves and will respond to them, therefore making it a bit tricky to start trusting one another. :)

threecurrantbuns GPs don't bite as a rule (never say never)
I've had 12 GPs before I got my 2 boars (the 12 were from when I was 9 til about 20 yo) . Some we bought, some were unexpected because we bought girls and one was a boy . One was already pg when we bought her.

We had one old sow, a Himalayan, who could give you a nip, but you had to do something to annoy her (like give her a bath).

The only time I've known a GP to draw blood was when one of them was literaaly dying. Their bodies go all floppy.She bit my mum and didn't have the strength to open her jaws. That was the only serious bite.

When my little boy yawns, the whole of the top of his head flips back to reveal these lovely teeth. It's a lazy, stretched out yawn.

2 GPs fighting will bare their teeth, but that's usually after lots of warning. Mine do a push and shove, then heads up- each raises their head higher and they go back on their haunches. If they go up on their hind legs it gets more serious. Then one will try to climb on the other one. (Ours do a side on assault).
Usually one will walk away -or we tell them to stop, like they listen!

post too soon.

most "bites" are a genuine mistake. Usually if they smell food on your skin.
You can almost hear them spitting "FFS I'm a vegetarian "
GP1 -our big bolshy boar- will nibble my nose or DDs nose but nothing more.
GP2 does a little 'bite' when I cut his nails, but it doesn't mark the skin.
If they wanted to bite you, they could

Ok that's good to know, I wasn't nervous until I started googling for guinea info and read something along the lines of, they can and will bite. If the purr or chatter they are pissed off and may bite.

Then I was slightly nervous as I am award they are nervous babies atm so didn't know if they may bite for that reason, but think if they were going to they would of by now!? I'm having them yummy treats in the hope of buying their affection ;)

They don't bite like hamsters do, teeth straight through skin! Just maybe a nibble by mistake if you've just been cutting up veggies for instance. We have one who nips but it doesn't break the skin
With each other they can be vicious though. I've had boars try to kill each other :( but they weren't cage mates and one got through to the other by accident

They don't bite like hamsters do, teeth straight through skin! Just maybe a nibble by mistake if you've just been cutting up veggies for instance. We have one who nips but it doesn't break the skin
With each other they can be vicious though. I've had boars try to kill each other :( but they weren't cage mates and one got through to the other by accident

Our two are boars and living together, but they are brothers, I read that it's best to get two brothers or sisters from babies and boars are tamer.

I think hamsters are naturally crepuscular too.