2 Boars Suddenly Fighting

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AllyNS

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Hi everyone, I'm looking for help from some of you more experienced guinea pig owners.

Our boys have started fighting. By suddenly fighting, I don't mean they just started fighting out of the blue, but rather they've lived together in harmony for 10 months and over the past few weeks have been at odds. Teeth chattering and raised fur. Raising noses.

They breezed through their first few months with barely any aggression. The past 8-9 months have been great, they lived together very peacefully. Not sure what has brought this on, maybe the heat, or maybe because we moved their cage from my daughters room to the living room. Either way, things have escalated until today they had a real fight. No one was hurt but one of them (didn't see who started it) jumped the other and they started to wrestle. I was in the room at the time and separated them quickly but not sure what to do now.

Their cage is 9 sq ft on the bottom with a little 1'x1' loft. The space under the loft is enclosed on 3 sides with the front open. They have 1 hidey castle that only has one opening so I removed that and added a tent shelter open at both ends. Added another food dish/rack and water bottle. Is there anything else I should try or should I just separate them?

I could put another cage on top of this one and they could lead separate lives, but I'm just puzzled why they got along so well for so long and suddenly don't :(

Thanks in advance for any advice
 
Hi and welcome!

Your boys are still going through the teenage hormones. Obviously, they are some of those who the hormones hit late, but hard.
You may find the tips in this link here helpful: Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

As we have members from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can tailor any advice to what is available and doable where you are straight away and can adapt to your local climate and access to vets, medical brands and rescues etc. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location.Thank you!
 
I've decided to build a second cage and they can lead separate lives. From what I've read here, it's probably a good idea if they can't see each other from their cages?
 
AllyNS said:
I've decided to build a second cage and they can lead separate lives. From what I've read here, it's probably a good idea if they can't see each other from their cages?
Click to expand...

Unless you can pair up each boy with another character compatible mate of their choice, they need to stay in contact for constant mutual stimulation. Guinea pigs are group animals and not wired to be on their own. Unfortunately, as pets in a confed cage, they can't simply get away from each other and find other company.
Please read the link I have given you!
 
I've read the link a few times, but I also read somewhere on this site, must have been another thread, that if the boys are to the point of fighting it's not a good idea for them to see each other. Is this true, or only true for the first few days? Or not at all?

I've spent quite a bit of time watching them in their cage the past two days and have determined that it is the non-dominant boy that is instigating the fights. He's become territorial over part of the cage and the dominant boy has been mostly backing off into a safe place.
 
I don't have a ton of space but maybe I could build a new cage 2x3 with 3 levels, one boy having the whole bottom and half the middle level and the other boy having the whole top and half the middle? It would be a to clean but if it would make the piggies happy so be it. They are sweet boys and we love them to bits!
 
Once you have separated for sure, they will usually calm down anyway and get used to each of them having their own territory. It is VERY rare that you have got such an aggressive piggy that it will not tolerate others of its kind even nearby.

It is important to keep two bonded boars out of sight and reach of any sow pheromones unless they have grown up with sows around.
 
Unless the sight and smell is causing visible distress then no, not always true. I have found some pigs won't live together, but WILL live happily in either a big enough cage with a mesh divider or in their own sperate cages pushed together so they can talk to each other through the bars. Like people, they all have their own personalities and like us, we find there are often people we can tolerate but wouldn't necessarily want to share a living space with ;)
Good luck and keep us posted!
 
AllyNS said:
I don't have a ton of space but maybe I could build a new cage 2x3 with 3 levels, one boy having the whole bottom and half the middle level and the other boy having the whole top and half the middle? It would be a to clean but if it would make the piggies happy so be it. They are sweet boys and we love them to bits!
Click to expand...

That would be a good idea, especially if you can turn the shared level into their hay loft.
 
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