Bonding young Guinea Pigs

L

LunaLyra

New Born Pup
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Aug 15, 2023
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Hi! We got two new young female guineas on Saturday. Unfortunately, on Monday, one of them had what we think is a miscarriage and was too ill to keep. We got a replacement guinea that day from the group they were from and reintroduced the two. We did this by putting them in two separate areas over night where they could smell each other. Today we put them into a clean run with lots of hay and allowed them to get to know each other. This all went really well and they were snuggling up together in a tunnel after a few hours. However, since we have put them into their hutch, the newer guinea, who is clearly the dominant one, keeps shooing the other one out of the sleeping area. They are both eating and drinking and seem OK, but we're worried that this is bullying behaviour or might escalate. Can anyone give us any advice?
 
:wel:

I’m so sorry you lost one so soon.

The dominant piggy will have the pick of the best hides, first choice of everything so what you are seeing is normal. It’s not really bullying.
I actually remove the dividing bedroom wall in my hutches as the bedroom area can become essentially a one exit hide (I have boars though) that one piggy can claim as their own. I then add two side by side two exit hides in its place so there is no dead end area that the sleeping area wall creates.
I’m not necessarily saying you definitely should do that, but I have found it has meant less bickering in that area of the hutch.

It will take two weeks for them to fully establish their bond
 
Thank you so much for the reassurance, we'll keep a close on them still just to make sure it doesn't turn aggressive. Do you have any tips on how to help with the bonding?
 
You can’t help them as such - two piggies are either compatible or they aren’t.
However, it’s important to ensure they have a big enough space (a 5ft or larger hutch for two sows). Also ensure two of every item (two hides each with two doors, two bottles, two areas of hay etc). You don’t have to use food bowls for their veg and pellet portions instead you can scatter it in amongst hay. This stops the dominant from food hogging but also is excellent enrichment and makes meal times a exercise in foraging. These things can help stop reasons to bicker.
 
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