Advice for a newbie!

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ros

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I got my two new piggies a week and a half ago, they are both female and 1yr old. The first week passed fine but have noticed a def change in behaviour the last day or two. Maisie who is normally the quiet submissive one has suddenly started showing strange signs of what I can only describe as dominance, puffing up fur, making a noise that sounds like a helicopter hovering (sorry not great description) and following peppa around in a strange manner, she actually tried to mount her, I would be grateful for any advice.

thanks- Ros
 
Are you sure they are both sows? Sometimes one sow can try to exert dominance over the other. Make sure they have places to hide and they should sort themselves out.
 
are you 100% there both girlies...
if you dont know indefinatly how to sex piggies then you can always put a pic up for some members in the know to have a mooch at and they will be able to tell you...
girlies have there seasons and my lot squabble when its there time of the month...rolleyes
when my group of 6 females and a neutered male have there season theres some serious piggie pmt going on and poor oliver ends up with the short end of the stick having to peace keep and split up scraps between the girls...
it could also be becuase you not long got them...?!? and there just trying to sort out the pecking order...
as long as theres no blood drawn i wouldnt worrie too much about the scraps....
the helicoptor noise is it like a brrrrr-ing noise...?
does she wiggle her bum when shes doing it...?
x
 
ahhh typical signs of asserting whos boss! most people assume it is only boars who do this but females do it too. The noise you describe as a helicopter (hadnt thought of it like that but its true) is what is known as rumble strutting, sounds a bit like low purring too and you migth notice they sway or wiggle their bums! All is quite normal, like all animals there needs to be a heirachy. Teeth chattering is also normal as long as its the quiet chattering and not the loud ear splitting kind (you'll just KNOW the difference if you hear it). Major teeth chattering, attacking, drawing blood and furballs are bad signs and will probably lead to them needing to be seperated.

So far that doesn't sound likely, I think they're just maturing and establishing who rules the roost. All guinea pigs will squabble occaisonally, mainly over food or space. Give them as much room as possible and seperate hidey holes/ beds so they have their own 'places'. Like I said, if theirs serious blood shed and attacking do seperate but hopefully that wont be neccasery. I've had pigs live together for years and still have the odd spat but remember they are ANIMALS and this is all normal, they cant argue like we would so thats how they show they're disgruntled! :)
 
Lol, first thing I did before getting them is to find out how to sex them but after today I googled it again and double checked! I had just been looking up and come across rumble strutting and this sounds exactly like it, they were winding each other up for about an hour but now tucked up in same bed? I wondered if one of them was in season too, thanks for replies r x
 
Some people do say the warm weather stirs up hormones and makes them a bit fiesty! but again, it comes down to personality. Yep the rumbe strutting is funny, and all normal, its good to hear their interacting well!:)
 
They are probably trying to set up the hierarchy and to determine who is the boss. Unless there is serious fighting involving bloodshed and biting, I would leave them alone to rumblestrut and even to mount one another :^- My dominant sow did the rumblestrutting, walking very slowly business for nearly two weeks before she quit and has never done it again ever since! Both of my girls are now living together with no fight whatsoever, though it is clear that Ginger is the queen of the cage :)p
 
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