Dominance older sows with teenage sow

[Pigmeister]

Hi everyone,
new to the forum and looking for some advice.

We have had 2 lovely long haired female piggies who are now somewhere around 4/5. We got a new 5/6 month old female pig to add to the herd a few weeks ago as we had space and thought it would be a good idea for when one of the older piggies passes on.
Initial bonding went well without any drama. There was the usual chasing and mounting after they were all in the cage but that has settled over the weeks.

They've been together for around 5 weeks now. This morning there has been a lot of mounting by the dominant piggie on the new pig. The new pig submits, but it's been ongoing all morning. New pig has been able to eat though and they don't seem to be outright fighting. They're settled right nwo as I write this but it really was all morning.

Is this still part of establishing hierarchy or is something more going on?

Also think this flares up after a pen change- does that seem normal?

Thanks

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone,
new to the forum and looking for some advice.

We have had 2 lovely long haired female piggies who are now somewhere around 4/5. We got a new 5/6 month old female pig to add to the herd a few weeks ago as we had space and thought it would be a good idea for when one of the older piggies passes on.
Initial bonding went well without any drama. There was the usual chasing and mounting after they were all in the cage but that has settled over the weeks.

They've been together for around 5 weeks now. This morning there has been a lot of mounting by the dominant piggie on the new pig. The new pig submits, but it's been ongoing all morning. New pig has been able to eat though and they don't seem to be outright fighting. They're settled right nwo as I write this but it really was all morning.

Is this still part of establishing hierarchy or is something more going on?

Also think this flares up after a pen change- does that seem normal?

Thanks

Hi and welcome

Like boars, sows can also suffer from strong teenage hormone spikes but since they rarely lead to fall outs they are not as well known. The worst time for really strong seasons are the weeks around 6 months.
All you can do is take a deep breath, remove any furniture with just one exit/block any dead corners and sit it out. It will get better again. The fact that she is a relatively new arrival can contribute to her having a stronger reaction.

You may find these guide links here helpful:
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours (see entry: season in sows)
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs

 

[Pigmeister]

Hi and welcome

Like boars, sows can also suffer from strong teenage hormone spikes but since they rarely lead to fall outs they are not as well known. The worst time for really strong seasons are the weeks around 6 months.
All you can do is take a deep breath, remove any furniture with just one exit/block any dead corners and sit it out. It will get better again. The fact that she is a relatively new arrival can contribute to her having a stronger reaction.

You may find these guide links here helpful:
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours (see entry: season in sows)
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs

Thanks for that. Should add that it's the older established pig who is doing the dominating rather than the teenager, but wonder if it in part happens because the teen is naturally more active and will bumble about the whole pen whereas the older two will chill out in their spots most of the day.

Is it still a case of waiting it out?

 

[Mon59]

I have the same With my 4. Eldest top sow steals food from the youngest, strutt’s around in season, mounts everyone . I thought girls would be more ladylike .

Also really bad tempered after a clean out for about an hour which is interesting . Picks fights for 30 mins after new bedding and hay.

No outright fights so far (6 months). Sounds normal. Although I’m no expert.

 

[Pigmeister]

I have the same With my 4. Eldest top sow steals food from the youngest, strutt’s around in season, mounts everyone . I thought girls would be more ladylike .

Also really bad tempered after a clean out for about an hour which is interesting . Picks fights for 30 mins after new bedding and hay.

No outright fights so far (6 months). Sounds normal. Although I’m no expert.

That's interesting and 'good' to hear it seems normal. The little one is defintiely still able to eat, it's usually not quite as bad as this morning. She seemed to be getting all morning today for some reason. I weas worrying it might be an ongoing issue that would mean we'd need to separate them.

 

[Mon59]

i was so worried about my baby teddy that I hand fed her greens without taking her out. Every time she gets food stolen she comes back to me for more. She cried awfully when she had food for weeks, but now defends herself by putting her bum in the way so the eldest backs off. In fact I found it a good idea to make the eldest feel stuffed first with veg so she doesn’t steal.

The strange thing is she often mooches up to the top sow at other times so it must be a hierarchy thing also ? I did separate her for a few days because she injured her ear and the others seemed to miss her.

strange creatures..

I’m sure things will improve..

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for that. Should add that it's the older established pig who is doing the dominating rather than the teenager, but wonder if it in part happens because the teen is naturally more active and will bumble about the whole pen whereas the older two will chill out in their spots most of the day.

Is it still a case of waiting it out?

It is either the younger one growing up and your older feeling the need to emphasise her leadership or - depending on the age, it could also be caused by ovarian cysts. Please read up on the second issue in the sow guide link in your first post to see whether it could apply or not. We can always only guess on the information you provide and how you present it. This even more so without first-hand access to your piggies which means we cannot assess the whole situation in its full context.