2 Behaviour related questions.

[Toffeewoffee]

As most of you know, we have a group of 4 which consists of:

Lilly - nuetered boar, 4 years old

Minnie - (Lillys daughter) just over 3 and a half years old

Toffee - sow just over a year and a half, joined M & L in Feb 2011

Scrummy - sow about 8 months old, joined M, L and T End may 2012.

Minnie is top pig and makes no secret of it, she is almost constantly showing her dominance to Scrummy and sometimes Toffee, no fighting atall, but a fair bit of rumbling and following around and sometimes chasing, this is with Scrummy more than Toffee and never Lilly.

I wouldn't say any of them are close, other than sharing a pigloo (plastic step) they dont cuddle up together, they are just cage mates. They happily share food hay etc.

I just wondered why Minnie feels the need to be like this all of the time? And if there is anyway of getting them to be closer to one another?

They are in a 2 x 5 cage, and did have a 2 x 3 second level, but i was paranoid it wasn't stable enough so that is an on going project. I am currently getting the bits together to re-make it. (This is the biggest size i can fit into my house and it takes up half of my living room)

Second Question,

They are bedded on thick layer of Newspaper> Thick layer of shavings> Then russell rabbit soft, finely chopped straw, always have been with no issues, for the last 2 weeks Toffee is constantly digging, like that of a meercat, she is driving me insane flicking bedding out all over the room and chewing up the newspaper and making the cage a mess lol, i know its their natural instics to forage, i just wondered why she has started doing this recently and how i can stop her?

Sorry for the long post xx

 

[Sarah from Chucklebunnies]

In my group of four girls there are often dominance issues, sometimes with the top piggie and sometimes as they try to move up the ranks from lower down. A top piggie who feels completely in charge won't bother much, they simply dominate with a well timed head swing or rumble when one of the lesser piggies gets too much.

It sounds to me as though it could be one of two things. Either your top piggie is having some uncertainties, the others are in piggy terms really trying it on, and she feels the need to settle it over and over.

Or she is developing ovarian cysts which can lead to a change in behaviour. I saw a similar increase in aggression from Carmeline when she developed them. Ovarian cysts led to a continued change in behaviour, continued and constant agression day after day. If your Minnie is doing this behaviour occasionally, then a few days off sort of thing, I don't think it would be that. But it could be worth keeping a close eye on her and perhaps a vet visit if there is a change in weight at all.

I hope I haven't worried you, I'm glad you are keeping an eye on behaviour as it does give clues to possible problems.

Also the digging could be a simple reaction to Minnie. It could just be that Minnie is getting too irritating to Toffee but Toffee won't/can't return the irritation, so it comes out in other ways.

Can I suggest extra fussing of the top pig. Extra little bits of special treats during cuddles so that the other piggies can smell the food on her mouth but don't get any when she is put back into the group. This reinforces her top pig status and will help her keep control.

You can also try picking up Toffee whenever she starts digging and speaking sternly into her ear then putting her back. Piggies do respond to sound. It could work, it may not!

The very best of luck, remember I am only going by what I have found out from my lot, I hope someone else will help out with advice as well.

 

[Toffeewoffee]

Thank you so much for your very long informative post, very much appreciated, Minnie does have Ovarian cysts, it is still at an early stage, she has been to the vet, we were given the options but advised as she is happy and healthy, to leave her be which we have done, but to be fair, with how she is to the others on a daily basis, if treatment will stop this i would happily have it done, what treatment did you go for? We had the options of a hormone implant, and 2 injections spread out over 2 days, which was preferable if we were going to do it, as there was no anaesthetic involved like there would be for the implant, only problem is our vets do not stock the injection required and would need to order in the minimum qty of 5 bottles, for £90 and we wouldn't even need one bottle, which doesn't seem fair. I rang around ALL of the local vets and none of them stock it either.....

I am not sure the problem with Toffee is irritation as she has now taught everyone to do it, so they are all joining in and completely messing up their cage!

x

 

[Sarah from Chucklebunnies]

Hello. Carmeline had a scan which showed her ovarian cysts were really bad, big and nasty. I know an operation is not necessarily the best way to do things and carries real risks for the piggy, but I decided on an operation for Carmeline.

She came through it well, has not had any problems since and is now effortlessly top piggie without any extra aggression at all. I know piggyme234 lost a much loved piggy through that particular operation though, so there is a genuine risk.

I don't know how effective hormonal injections are - you would need to talk to someone else. I'm pretty certain various piggies on this forum have had them.

As for the increased digging - aaagh! No ideas at all!