Bonding With Babies

[Jess]

Found out my brothers girlfriend has two piggies she looking to rehome. Of course me being me I was instantly interested to take them on.

Well the babies met Rory and Maggie today. It went well until one of them got a little gobby with Rory. There was a couple nose offs and eventfully light/medium chattering and strutting. Think Rory is very overprotective of Maggie too because he kept blocking her from them. She didn't seem to bothered, they kept trying to get underneath her as if trying to feed from her.

Eventually Rory and one of the babies scrap so seperated. Will be trying again in the weekend will try a bonding bath to see is it helps. The baby did snap at him a couple times so I think he eventually got fed up.

Any suggestions.

 

[Wiebke]

It doesn't sound too serious; I would persist. With mixed couples and groups you can stretch the intro over several days, provided that the piggies get enough time to work through the dominance issues.

Rory is just above your cheeky and obviously fairly amibitous little girlin the hierarchy, so he wants to make sure that she is not getting past him. This has nothing to do with mutual dislike or the group not bonding - the fact that you are already well into the dominance phase means that acceptance has happened and that your group is currently working out the group dynamics. I would try not to interfere as there won't be serious fights. Please don't wait until the weekend, as it will disrupt the bonding process and you are much more likely to see a re-start. it is pretty likely that things will have calmed down now that the little girl has found that Rory will stand up for himself. Things can go right up to the line, but usually group piggies are careful not to cross it once the basic bonding has happened.

As Maggie is the undisputed top lady, she is not involved in any hierachy scrambles further down the ladder. When you bond a group, the dominance works down the ladder during the dominance phase. You tend to see worst of the dominance from the piggy just above the next one.

I hope that that helps? Bonding baths are only necessary to wash the testosterone stink off two scrapping, but not totally fallen-out boars, otherwise they do not contribute to the ultimate outcome.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/

 

[Jess]

I am now more optimistic I think it will work out without a problem. I was quite surprised how the babies immediately tried to push their heads underneath Maggie. Do they see her as their surrogate mum?