Bonding older sow with younger sows

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Bronstone

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Good morning everyone I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas, I'm just looking for some advice please. I've had guinea pigs before but it was some years ago and I've recently adopted a pair of pigs from work who weren't being looked after properly. Sadly one of them passed shortly after getting them moved into their new home, they were already living with a divider as the one that passed had taken chunks out the remaining pigs ears. I was then worried she would get lonely living on her own so got two young sows to keep her company. Backstory out the way I initially had them in a c&c cage with a divider in the middle for the first 3/4 days and they showed signs of getting along (sleeping at the bars together, trying to get in to see each other) then we moved into meeting on a neutral ground with plenty of space, toys and food. The meetings went well with some dominance from the older pig but they happily ate together and napped together so I decided to clean out the hutch and put them in together. They now share a 5x2 grid c&c cage with hay in several places, two water bottles, 3 hides and a couple of tunnels and are scatter fed. They have been living together for 2-4 days (apologies for the vagueness christmas blends into one haha) the older pig is still very much exerting her dominance and will chase the young pigs whenever they move and try to hump them. One of them runs away and seems to jump kick at the older pig but the other young one just sits and takes it but seems quite distressed about it and doesn't seem to want to move around much now but is still eating and drinking. Poor Janice has had her bits looked at more times than I care to say the past couple of days and pretty sure she's still a lady as I was told before. Should I be concerned or is this normal just the babies learning the place? Is Janice being a bully or just a bit of an to start with? Any advice would be very much appreciated, apologies for the long essay!
 
Piggies&buns said:
Welcome to the forum

It takes around two weeks for the bonding to be fully settled so what you are seeing is normal for the very new stages.
Provided everybody is eating and drinking and there are no actual fights, then you do just need to leave them to it.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
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Amazing thank you so much for the advice! It's just been a few years since I had the pleasure of owning piggies now so much has changed! I just want them all to he happy and healthy haha
 
Hi and welcome

All the best.

What you are seeing is normal for the post-intro group/territory establishment phase, which lasts around 2 weeks but should noticeably settle down in intensity after the first few days. Make sure that you sprinkle-feed veg and pellets around the cage (also promotes natural browsing behaviour) and that you only use tunnels and huts with two exits during this stage. That minimises food access and choice of prime spot dominance, which are part of the group establishment. The group is established once the dominance has travelled down the ladder and has reached the lowest rung. The worst of teh dominance is always against the piggy just ranked below to ensure the own higher standing.

Here is a bit more info on sow dominance: Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

You may find our practical information resource both interesting and helpful. It is one of the most extensive. Since we are all doing this for free in our own free time, we cannot type all the little how-to details out in every post. Our guide links will give you the necessary practical advice and more in-depth information.

Here is the access link to our full collection, listed in thematic order. You may want to bookmark the link, browse, read and re-read at need; a lot has changed in recent years indeed! The guides format allows us to extend and update at need and as we have time: Comprehensive Owners' Practical and Supportive Information Collection
 
Wiebke said:
Hi and welcome

All the best.

What you are seeing is normal for the post-intro group/territory establishment phase, which lasts around 2 weeks but should noticeably settle down in intensity after the first few days. Make sure that you sprinkle feed veg and pellets around the cage (also promotes natural browsing behaviour) and that you only use tunnels and huts with two exits during this stage.

Here is a bit more info on sow dominance: Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

You may find our practical information resource both interesting and helpful. It is one of the most extensive. Since we are all doing this for free in our own free time, we cannot type all the little how-to details out in every post. Our guide links will give you the necessary practical advice and more in-depth information.

Here is the access link to our full collection, listed in thematic order. You may want to bookmark the link, browse, read and re-read at need; a lot has changed in recent years indeed! The guides format allows us to extend and update at need and as we have time: Comprehensive Owners' Practical and Supportive Information Collection
Click to expand...
This is amazing thank you so much for your help! I've been browsing the forums here and everyone seems so friendly and helpful!
 
Bronstone said:
This is amazing thank you so much for your help! I've been browsing the forums here and everyone seems so friendly and helpful!
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It is our forum ethos to provide a friendly and supportive space, and we are working hard behind the scenes to keep it like that. Thankfully, our members are all sharing our ethos and are carrying it for us. We also have a lively community in our various Chat sections.
 
welcome to the forum
Would live to see photos if your little ladies, I have three sows and one boar
 
We had a very similar experience earlier in the autumn - we had lost a nearly-8-year-old pig, leaving a 4 year old piggy alone, and we ended up introducing her to a pair of youngsters.

Interestingly our 4yo had always been the underpiggy in our original herd of five, but was very keen to try out being top pig once the babies were introduced!

We saw all the behaviours you are describing over the first few days. Lots of humping and chasing from 4yo piggy and lots of very vocal, pitiful sounding protests from the babies - but actually when you watched them closely it was all noise, they were quite happy to eat and sleep together and the 4yo let the babies steal veggies out of her mouth to eat, and there was lots of popcorning/zoomies going on. Overall they then settled down together very well; of our baby pair, one is very clearly the more confident/dominant but they both accept that the 4yo is in charge and the hierarchy was pretty much settled after a few days.

Months later, what we also notice is a heightening of dominant behaviours when one of them is in season, especially our older girl, but that only lasts for a day or so and then they are back to normal.

I hope yours settle well, I have had a few sow different trios over the years and when they work well they are lovely.
 
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