Barbering...

[ghostbusterbunny]

Our oldest lady Bean has always been a barber but until very recently it was only the odd nibble or her idea of a 'tidy up' on our long haired members of the herd.

However, this last few days she has really gone to town on my two perus, one of my coronets and she's even starting to take chunks out of some of the short haired piggies.

I know that there's probably nothing that we can do to stop her doing it, but it's getting to the point where Tess who previously had such lovely hair is now getting matted and greasy despite me now brushing her twice a day (she only needed a weekly brush most of the time - she had a great coat that rarely even got teeny knots in it), Einstein's the same.

Is there anything that could stop her doing this? It can't be terribly healthy for her eating all this hair (and it really is a lot!) and I think it might be starting to get to Tess who's a fairly nervous piggy to begin with...

*sigh* What to do with my little old ladypig...

 

[twiams]

has anything changed ? anything new, something that could cause stress to them, that can be what makes it get worse ?

 

[ghostbusterbunny]

Nope, there's absolutely nothing new! No new toys, bedding, food... She's just... going rampant!

 

[Sodapops]

i asked this same question a few months back about one of my sows who seems to have taken up hairdressing - general consensus was to just leave her to it - as long as the ones being barbered are not stressed by it - there's no harm :{

My girl currently barbers 3 of her cage mates - a coronet, texel and a peruvian. My texel girl is the worse of the lot, basically she is short haired from her head down to mid-way along her back then she just has a bushy skirt - i guess my sow doesn't like barbering the back ends of her mates mallethead

 

[ghostbusterbunny]

i asked this same question a few months back about one of my sows who seems to have taken up hairdressing - general consensus was to just leave her to it - as long as the ones being barbered are not stressed by it - there's no harm :{

My girl currently barbers 3 of her cage mates - a coronet, texel and a peruvian. My texel girl is the worse of the lot, basically she is short haired from her head down to mid-way along her back then she just has a bushy skirt - i guess my sow doesn't like barbering the back ends of her mates mallethead

Oh dear! That's what Tess is likely to end up looking like... her lovely fringe and long bits under her ears have all gone and the nibbling appears to be going further back.

Tess looks so miserable now though, I don't know if Bean's attempts at giving her a hair cut are affecting her or not. Einstein and the others don't look too bothered, but Tess seems... subdued.

 

[Sodapops]

ive watched my sow barber the others and they all just sit there allowing her to do it mallethead they make no attempt to get away :{

The only thing you can do is weigh them regularly and keep an eye out for any irregular behaviour with the ones receiving a haircut....

One thing ive noticed about my new hairdresser is that she has times where she goes mad on their hair and times where she's a little more subtle - my peruvian sow wasn't really receiving any new cuts - then one day my daughter asked me if id cut her hair - i was shocked at the state of her fringe - it was obvious i didn't cut it as it looked like a child had gone to town on her lovely locks

My texel sow had the most wonderful coat - its such a shame

 

[PAMELAKT]

I didn't even know guinea pigs did this! Oh dear what a shame

I'd be miserable too if someone chewed all my hair off! :{

I don't know what to suggest sorry, is this a girl pig thing?!