Baby Guinea Pigs Fighting?

chocolatemilkshakeguineas

chocolatemilkshakeguineas

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My baby Guinea pigs both female, 1 month 2 weeks old, and are siblings. Whenever they get near each other, they start squeaking and nip at each other and then raise their heads and chirp. Even if the cage is large they fight whenever they meet. No blood is drawn but it’s constant… Does anyone know why? Is it normal for siblings, especially babies, to fight?
 

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This sounds like dominance, not fighting. Nipping is a gesture of power, but doesn’t break the skin

How long have you had them? Given their ages, I’m guessing they’ve not been with you long?
Whenever piggies move to a new home, they go through a period of reestablishing their relationship and sorting out the hierarchy - even if the piggies have always been together - and during this time you see dominance behaviours. This takes around two weeks.

Do all your hides have two doors?

A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
 
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Piggies&buns said:
This sounds like dominance, not fighting. Nipping is a gesture of power, but doesn’t break the skin

How long have you had them? Given their ages, I’m guessing they’ve not been with you long?
Whenever piggies move to a new home, they go through a period of reestablishing their relationship and sorting out the hierarchy - even if the piggies have always been together - and during this time you see dominance behaviours.

Do all your hides have two doors?

A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
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Thank you for the info, I have had them for almost a month so not long. My hutch does have two doors :)
 
chocolatemilkshakeguineas said:
The woman I bought them off said they were 3 weeks and I have had them for 3 weeks :) sorry for confusion
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It’s still a shame they were sold so young. It’s not recommended that they are sold until they are 8 weeks of age.

Do you have another guinea pig? I think I can see a little bit in your picture.

chocolatemilkshakeguineas said:
Oh yes I have two doors and ramps on each side of their sleeping area
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No sorry, I’m talking about all of the accessories in the hutch ie boxes, tunnels, and play hides you have in the hutch and run for them to run through, play in, hide in.
Anyway, all of those need to have multiple exits so that the dominant piggy cannot trap the other inside them.

It may also be that they are in season which can see an increase in dominance - they have their first season between 4 and 6 weeks of age and then every two weeks from then on
 
Piggies&buns said:
It’s still a shame they were sold so young. It’s not recommended that they are sold until they are 8 weeks of age.

Do you have another guinea pig? I think I can see a little bit in your picture.



No sorry, I’m talking about all of the accessories in the hutch ie boxes, tunnels, and play hides you have in the hutch and run for them to run through, play in, hide in
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Yeah I have a 6 year old female Guinea pig. Sorry for the misunderstanding haha yea they have a box in their hutch and tunnels downstairs all with two exits
 
OK, so before we can help properly can you clarify a few things please.
They are currently 6 weeks old and they live outside in a 2 story hutch?
Do they also live with your 6 year old female full time, or do they just share a run with her occasionally?
Can you possibly post a photo of your set up?

It will help us a lot if you can give full details so we can give better advice.

You might also like this thread which talks about bonding and behaviour - it can help you to work out if their squeaking and nipping is normal or aggressive.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
Swissgreys said:
OK, so before we can help properly can you clarify a few things please.
They are currently 6 weeks old and they live outside in a 2 story hutch?
Do they also live with your 6 year old female full time, or do they just share a run with her occasionally?
Can you possibly post a photo of your set up?

It will help us a lot if you can give full details so we can give better advice.

You might also like this thread which talks about bonding and behaviour - it can help you to work out if their squeaking and nipping is normal or aggressive.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Click to expand...
It’s dark out but I found an image of their hutch online. They live outside in it with my older Guinea pig full time I also have a seperate long run cage which I sit with them in it for a while in afternoons
 

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chocolatemilkshakeguineas said:
It’s dark out but I found an image of their hutch online. They live outside in it with my older Guinea pig full time I also have a seperate long run cage which I sit with them in it for a while in afternoons
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The huge problem with this hutch is that the enclosed area looks to be too small. As they should not be left with access outside all night, then when you lock them into the enclosed area, it doesn’t look like it meets size requirements for one piggy, let alone three.
Three guinea pigs need an enclosed area measuring 180x60cm. That does not include the run space as it doesn’t count.
Lack of space can lead to them falling out
 
Piggies&buns said:
The huge problem with this hutch is that the enclosed area looks to be too small. As they should not be left with access outside all night, then when you lock them into the enclosed area, it doesn’t look like it meets size requirements for one piggy, let alone three.
Three guinea pigs need an enclosed area measuring 180x60cm. That does not include the run space as it doesn’t count.
Lack of space can lead to them falling out
Click to expand...
Sorry that was the wrong cage mine is taller more like this one and is 2.3 meters long and 70cm wide
 

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chocolatemilkshakeguineas said:
Sorry that was the wrong cage mine is taller more like this one and is 2.3 meters long and 70cm wide
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The point still stands, the enclosed area is too small for three piggies to be locked into as it isn’t 180x60cm/12 square feet on its own, and its only the enclosed area which counts as living space. The mesh run area does not count as living space.
 
Piggies&buns said:
The point still stands, the enclosed area is too small for three piggies to be locked into as it isn’t 180x60cm on its own, and its only the enclosed area which counts as living space. The mesh run area does not count as living space.
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Do you have any advice then? The cage is new and I don’t know if I can return it.
 
chocolatemilkshakeguineas said:
Do you have any advice then? The cage is new and I don’t know if I can return it.
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As they’ve been living in it, then you may not be able to return it now.
Perhaps you could buy another suitable hutch and then only use this one for their supervised run time? (it’s fine for an exercise space only just not as a permanent living space)

Guinea pigs need a single level enclosed hutch to be their permanent home, locked into it at night or when you arent there to supervise their run time. For three sows that enclosed living space needs to be 180x60cm/12 square feet.
If they are locked into a space which isn’t big enough, then you are going to run into problems and they may fight and fall out because of that
 
Piggies&buns said:
As they’ve been living in it, then you may not be able to return it now.
Perhaps you could buy another suitable hutch and then only use this one for their supervised run time? (it’s fine for an exercise space only just not as a permanent living space)

Guinea pigs need a single level enclosed hutch to be their permanent home, locked into it at night or when you arent there to supervise their run time. For three sows that enclosed living space needs to be 180x60cm/12 square feet.
If they are locked into a space which isn’t big enough, then you are going to run into problems and they may fight and fall out because of that
Click to expand...
Ok I will look for an affordable living space for them. Thanks for the help 👍
 
chocolatemilkshakeguineas said:
Ok I will look for an affordable living space for them. Thanks for the help 👍
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You are doing a great job trying to sort things out for your guinea pigs.
Sadly you are probably going to struggle in Australia - the choice is very limited, and when it comes to small pets like guinea pigs and rabbits the welfare standard are appallingly low.

Not sure what state you are in, but your best bet may be to send an e-mail to one of the few guinea pig/rabbit rescues and ask them for tips on where to buy a suitable size hutch.
But it is clear you are doing your best, and your guinea pigs are lucky to have you as an owner.
 
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