Girls suddenly fighting

[Zira24]

So my 2 girls have been together all their lives. They came from a hoarding situation as babies, lived in the rescue together and came to me together. Kenzie was pregnant when I got her and had babies 9 weeks later who went to their new home 2 weeks ago. And since then the girls seem to be fighting. I haven’t actually seen them fight but Kenzie has a small face wound yesterday and today had blood on her ear They are about 6 months old now and I have had them over 3 months and they have never fought before. Do they need to be separated now that blood has been drawn?
I also have a single male who was neutered a few weeks back and I was hoping that he would be their new cage mate soon (after the 6 week post neuter wait) but could that make things worse between the girls?

 

[Wiebke]

So my 2 girls have been together all their lives. They came from a hoarding situation as babies, lived in the rescue together and came to me together. Kenzie was pregnant when I got her and had babies 9 weeks later who went to their new home 2 weeks ago. And since then the girls seem to be fighting. I haven’t actually seen them fight but Kenzie has a small face wound yesterday and today had blood on her ear They are about 6 months old now and I have had them over 3 months and they have never fought before. Do they need to be separated now that blood has been drawn?
I also have a single male who was neutered a few weeks back and I was hoping that he would be their new cage mate soon (after the 6 week post neuter wait) but could that make things worse between the girls?

Hi

Having babies changes the status of a nursing sow - they and any nursing babies enjoy a special protected status inside the group which is removed once the babies are weaned.

If an under-sow is having the babies, then she gains in stature through having piggies (her babies) ranked below her and she can refuse to go back to her own subordinate status in the hierarchy afterwards.

If your two girls have been scrapping since, it means that they are unable to come to an agreement. It is likely either just a misjudged bck foot swipe or defence lunge that has caused the scratch but it sounds like the bond has failed. It can unfortunately happen.

Put a divider in the cage and see whether your two girls are happier once they have their own territory but do not get on as soon s they meet on neutral ground outside cage in two days' time. Take it from there.

Here is our practical advice on how to test whether a bond has failed or not:

Thread 'Bonds In Trouble'

Oct 30, 2017

1 Causes for bonds to fall apart
2 Bonds in Crisis
- What are the signs of a dysfunctional bond?
- Bullying
- How can I test whether a bond is no longer working?
3 Failed bonds and what next?
- What to do if my piggies have had a major fight?
- When rebonding doesn't work out


1 Causes for bonds to fall apart

Every fall-out has of course its own...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 1
• Forum: Behaviour, Bonding and Bereavement

• 

Seasons are at their strongest around 6 months, as sows also experience teenage hormones; just usually without fall-outs, so they are not much known but this could have been the trigger for the fight.

Fall-outs between sows are less common but they are by no means unknown. Babies, ovarian cysts or a medical separation are the three major causes in sows.