Fighting piggies

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kel22

Hi all

We've got two male gp's that are about a year old now. They are brothers. This morning I think they had a bit of a scrap over a piece of cabbage. The smaller one of the two suffered a scratched ear. It was a nasty cut so I brought him into the kitchen and bathed it with some cooled boiled salted water, fed him some corn and we put him back in. Since then, he seems really subdued. They've got a two storey lazybones hutch so he stayed downstairs and the other one was upstairs munching.

I'm not sure that anything like this has happened before and I'm wondering what I should do. Is it just a case of keeping an eye on things and hoping it's a one off? Or should I shut one downstairs and the other upstairs and separate them? I really don't want to have to buy another hutch. They've been so good together up until today.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated:{

Kelly
 
once blood has been drawn they need to be seperated,the fights usually only increase after a blood draw.
you can either house them with a divider so they can still chat or get them a baby boar each and have pairs,although introductions would have to be done carefully or you may end up with 4 lone boars xxxxxx
 
Sometimes they get back together if you try after a day or a couple. But try to reintroduce them on neutral ground with lots of space and two of each. Be prepared that it might not work out.
 
Although they have had a bit of a set-to, it doesn't necessarily mean that they have fallen out forever, it could have been a normal scuffle that went a bit over the top. The key to sucessful boar pairings is as much space as you can possibly give. Just think of them as teenage boys squaring up and getting moody then slouching off to their own space! To be honest (and this is a personal preference) I am not usually a fan of two story hutches as there is not the space for them to run around much and a lot of the time they don't like to use the ramps, so often the other level rarely gets used.

Before you worry about seperating, try re-introducing them in neutral territory, we use the empty bathtub with towels laid in the bottom so they don't slide around.

There is a thread here about dominance behaviour and aggression and how to determine if your pigs really do have a problem, or if they just were having an OTT spat Here hopefully it will help. Good luck!
 
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I've been keeping a bit of a watch on them. They're making a strange noise at eachother, a chattering noise as opposed to their usual wheeks and growling noises. They keep both standing really still looking at eachother. And when they are separate, they're both just looking miserable.:...

Do you think I'm going to have to go and buy a new hutch for one of them?

Kelly
 
Not yet, just keep an eye out and watch them like a hawk (see above post) we may have cross posted as my internet seems to be playing up and it's like wading through treacle!
 
Thanks for your responses and for moving my post into the correct area! I need to get a bigger run for the grass for them. Too wet to put them out today though.

I'll keep an eye out.

Thank you.

Kelly
 
If you separated them for a day, so they will feel really miserable (not easy on you!), then reintroduce them in the bathtub, they might decide that they want to be friends again. It's happened more than once since I've joined these boards.

at the moment, they sound a bit hostile to me... see: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28949
 
So they're still chattering at eachother! The bigger one seems to be trying to dominate the other one and yesterday he was really yawning. I think this being vigilant around his brother is wearing him out.

Anyway, I have shut the hatch door so that one is upstairs and one is downstairs. I'm going to put a pigloo in the bottom so there's somewhere for one of them to snuggle. Have I done the right thing? I'm worried about leaving them together. There's been no more blood drawn.

What I was wondering was whether it would be a good idea to put one of them into one of those triangular runs so completely separate for a while? If I do this, when should I reintroduce them?

It's a bit of a pain:{
 
It's hard to say how long to keep them apart as the longer they are apart, the harder it will be to re-bond them. If there has been no more fighting, just swaggering and threats, it's maybe worth persevering, although it's hard to watch them under stress and the stress and uncertainty for you as well is very wearing, I know, I've been in your shoes and it's so difficult to know what to do and how far to take something.

VickyT is right, they do sound a bit hostile, but it doesn't mean all is lost yet - can you somehow put a mesh divider in their cage so they can still interact, a few hours seperated with otherwise full contact works wonders for our pair who get the mood on with each other occasionally.
 
I've opened the hatch again as I realised that I've only got one water bottle! I'll go and buy another one just in case.

It's still just mild teeth chattering and every time the bigger one goes near the little one, he just scuttles off. I've put another two food bowls in the downstairs of their hutch so they've got one lot upstairs and one lot down. I've also put a pigloo downstairs full of hay so if one of them does decide to sleep downstairs, there's somewhere for him to snuggle. The ear seems to have healed nicely so I'm not worried about that. You're right in that it is stressful to see the littler one quite nervy and miserable.

I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for all your advice. I really don't want to have to go and buy another hutch! Brotherly love, eh?!

Kelly
 
Story so far is that they're still in together, and there's been no more fighting. I've been putting two lots of food in the hutch, one lot up and one lot down. And there has been some wheeking as opposed to chattering. However, the smaller one looks so nervy now. Every time the other one goes near him, he darts off.

I'm wondering if he's getting enough food/hay during this stressful time. He's got the opportunity to eat wherever he decides to put himself but I'm not sure.....

Am I doing the right things?

Kelly
 
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