Aggressive alpha

[GPboymom]

Hi, new to this forum so hope this is all ok.

I’ve got 4 male GPs housed together in a large 2 story hutch with generous outside space to explore at their leisure.

They all came together from a rescuer who was poorly and could no longer take care of them. 1 pair is just over a year old and the other pair are almost 4 months.

The 2 younger ones and the smaller 1 year old get along brilliantly, no problems there. The issue is the biggest of the 1 year olds. It was clear from the beginning that he is the boss and I expected some fights etc whilst they figured themselves out as a 4some in their new home but he seems to be getting worse rather than settling. He particularly picks on his brother who he seeks out to chase and intimidate. I would say that he shows a normal level of dominant behaviour towards the other 2 but really does show a particular dislike to this other 1.

Is it because he’s bigger than the younger 2 so a more obvious rival? It’s been almost a month, will they sort it out or do I need to separate? He doesn’t appear to have drawn blood yet but I hate the thought of one of them being subjected to bullying whilst I stand and watch!

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

Hi,

Unfortunately it sounds like they cannot establish a herd order (not uncommon with boar groups). I have a rare group of 4, but this is due to having one (sympathetic) leader and 3 very submissive characters. I am very lucky, as it is rare that boars will live in groups. On the whole they tend to work best in pairs. If you were to separate, would your boys work as two pairs? This may be the best solution for all.
The majority of boars I have kept have had to be in pairs, as groups just don't tend to work unfortunately. They struggle to establish a settled hierarchy

 

[Piggies&buns]

A group of boars is very unlikely to work.
A two storey hutch still isn’t going to be big enough for four boars together - they need a single level space measuring 4 metres by 1 metre and that is still not likely to make any difference if they don’t have compatibility

 

[Piggies&buns]

Sorry I meant to add the guide which explains more about why boars don’t work if anything more than a pair.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

It would definitely be best to separate them back into two pairs if and while you are still able to do so. Unfortunately the outcome of a boar quartet is often that you are left with a functioning pair and then two single piggies who won’t go back together but at worst all four need to be as kept as singles when all bonds break .

 

[GPboymom]

Thank you for the replies everyone! I feared that that would have to be the outcome. I will get another hutch and stagger outdoor time in the short term whilst I figure out what to do with them long term! It’s a shame the 3 smaller ones can’t stay together as they seem to rub along quite nicely I think the important thing is separating the 2 bigger ones asap so I need to figure out who he’ll go with best!