Can A Young Sow Become Top Pig?

[Louise's Zoo]

Eva's babies are now 8 weeks old and I've noticed that Eden is becoming very dominant and very often going nose to nose and nipping at her sister and her mum. There is no fighting, just her trying it on but what surprised me today was that Eva (mum) was doing some very loud teeth chattering but then backed down and ran away from Eden. This seems to be happening more often.

Can a young sow become top pig, even pushing her mum down off the top spot?

Or, Eden is still on pregnancy watch and I don't know if she is pregnant or not but wondering if the others can tell and are letting her get away with it?

Lastly, can it happen that daughters fall out with mum and sisters or are family groups usually stable?

Thanks

 

[Freela]

Dominance has more to do with personality than with age or size or family relation, so it's very possible for a small/young pig to become top sow. We had a very, VERY passive pig, Sundae, who at age 4 was clearly subordinate to 12-week-old Hadley. Hadley likes to be the boss, Sundae had no interest in being anything but second fiddle. It was cute to see large Sundae toeing the line of tiny (at the time) Hadley! Whether pigs will coexist together also has more to do with personality than blood relations, so all you can really do is see how the hierarchy comes out and hope for the best!

 

[Louise's Zoo]

Ah ok, that makes sense. Thing is, Eva was very dominant after having the babies and right up until 3 weeks ago was still having proper fights with Edna which is why they had to be split into the 2 groups. I'm now wondering, if Eva has calmed down a bit and is letting an 8 week old sow boss her around, if it might be worth one last try and re-bonding her and Edna. I would still love it if all 5 could live together.

 

[TheLottiediarys]

Ah ok, that makes sense. Thing is, Eva was very dominant after having the babies and right up until 3 weeks ago was still having proper fights with Edna which is why they had to be split into the 2 groups. I'm now wondering, if Eva has calmed down a bit and is letting an 8 week old sow boss her around, if it might be worth one last try and re-bonding her and Edna. I would still love it if all 5 could live together.

I'd say it's worth trying to rebound Eva and Edna,
Atleast then you would know if they could live together,
And the changing dominant situation could be a useful tool to use to your advantage at this point,

I'd hoped the same would happen with my Pigs,
In the end it didn't work out but Atleast now I know