Constant Squealing? Insight Please!

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crnyng

crnyng

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Hello, my female pig, Venus, has been squeaking or squealing continuously lately. It most times sounds like fear/submission and other times just sort of sounds the same as when she squeaks for treats. The part that has me completely at a loss is it is SO often. I've noticed she only does it when another pig is around her.
I have my 4 girls caged together and they have been together for nearly a year already so they're relatively used to each other. She was the dominant one to begin with. No one ruled over her.
She is my scaredy cat pig though, if I go to pick her up she runs like her life is about to end and she will squeal her head off and sometimes pee on you. But that's only for humans mainly.
I have already spoke with one member on here and they think it's a change in hierarchy, which I think so as well but I just sort of wanted others opinions also. Because I'm concerned with how many times a day she does this. It's literally all day. I fear somethings wrong with her perhaps?
Again just looking for options and thoughts.
I did get ahold of her once and ran my hands across her to make sure there were no broken bones/painful areas and no open wounds. All good on that. The only thing is the squealing when the other girls come near her.
 
Our Buttercup does that, especially when Piggles, who rules the household, is near her. Our piggies are also very excitable. Buttercup will spend 1-2 hours a day perched up on the edge of her empty bowl, looking longingly at everyone going past, and squeaking if they look at her! :D

John
 
How big is your enclosure? I found when I first had guinea pigs that the girls grew and their habitat just wasn't big enough and was causing stress within their enclosure - I guess that's one consideration.
 
I think it's pretty big. It's a 3x4 base and a 2x3 loft. I have 4 girls all under 2 years. Just snapped the photo right now so you can see.

IMG_2249.webp
 
Size wise, it looks great. I think it's good to make sure there are plenty food bowls and water bottles, I have a bowl and bottle per pig and the same amount of hidey houses also to ensure there is no reason for squabbles - they don't like sharing food bows or hay mounds, unless it's so large.

Of course it could just be their age and sorting out their chain of command, like boars, they will will go through their adolescence. It can be a hard process watching them testing each other.
 
I think it's that as well honestly. Just confused me somewhat because for the longest time my Venus was the head of the house, for at least a year and a half about. Then suddenly she's squealing anytime the two younger ones come near her non stop until they've gone away. Sometimes I even have to go in there and shoo them away because they just don't move and she just doesn't stop squeaking for minutes. The younger two are just coming up around their year mark, probably a few months over it but not by much.
 
I think @Mother Hubbard makes a really good point.
The cage and the space you are offering is fantastic, but there aren't a lot of places for 4 piggies to hide without getting on top of each other.
I would try adding some extra hideys, which can be as simple as a cardboard box with a hole cut in it. But things like wooden houses, stick tunnels, and cardboard tubes also work well and tend to be readily available.
For 4 pigs you need to plan on at least 4 hideys, and I always add one or two more so everyone has a choice (but that might just be me!).
It is a fantastic cage, and hopefully a few more places to hide will sort out the squealing problems.
 
I used to have a house for everyone but at one point Venus would shove each and everyone out of the house they were in just because I think she was trying to show her dominance but it created problems so I took out all the houses. Added back the wooden one and was going to add the rest but everything seemed fine with the one and just haven't gotten around to adding the others. I'll give it a shot and see how well that helps!
 
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