Guinea pig

[Pak789]

Hi everyone I have a 10 and 12 week old guinea pigs both female the oldest one seems to keep nibbling on the her ear is this normal?i have had the eldest for a week and the youngest I got yesterday. It is worrying me that is all when I see it but it doesn’t seem to be bothering the youngest as she just sits there and lets her do it

 

[Bill & Ted]

Hello and welcome to the forum
I think your piggie would move away very fast if your other piggie was actually nibbling her ear. As long as the nibbled piggie has no sores or blood then just keep monitoring them x
Have you any photos of them, we love a pigture

 

[Siikibam]

It’s called grooming and is a good sign - as long as there are no wounds and the other piggy seems to enjoy it. I’ve caught my undersow grooming topsow a few times, very cute

 

[Pak789]

Ok thankyou I’ve been worrying about it it’s hard to know what she is actually doing lol

 

[VickiA]

It sounds like a bit of power grooming. Often a bonded pair will groom each other as a sign of exerting dominance over them.

 

[Siikibam]

It sounds like a bit of power grooming. Often a bonded pair will groom each other as a sign of exerting dominance over them.

That’s interesting. So it’s not more usual for the underpig to do the grooming? The boys have never groomed each other but as mentioned above, my undersow has groomed top-sow a few times that I’ve seen.

 

[Pak789]

Ok so he’s not hurting my youngest then? That’s all I was worried about

 

[VickiA]

That’s interesting. So it’s not more usual for the underpig to do the grooming? The boys have never groomed each other but as mentioned above, my undersow has groomed top-sow a few times that I’ve seen.

It is rather contextual. In this case, if the older sow has been in situ for a few weeks and is grooming the younger, newer arrival’s ear, I’d class that as power grooming.
Evie (very dominant) regularly power grooms Iris’ ear, usually as a precursor to kicking her out of a bed. However, Hazel (who is definitely the under sow in her trio) often grooms Ralph (her superior) as a sign of affection.

 

[VickiA]

Ok so he’s not hurting my youngest then? That’s all I was worried about

No - unless the younger one is shrieking or complaining and it isn’t proper biting or tugging , it’s just a bit of grooming and nothing to worry about.

 

[Siikibam]

It is rather contextual. In this case, if the older sow has been in situ for a few weeks and is grooming the younger, newer arrival’s ear, I’d class that as power grooming.
Evie (very dominant) regularly power grooms Iris’ ear, usually as a precursor to kicking her out of a bed. However, Hazel (who is definitely the under sow in her trio) often grooms Ralph (her superior) as a sign of affection.

Interesting! Thank you for that. I like Evie’s tactics. Butter them up then kick them out

 

[Pak789]

Ok thankyou everyone I will be able to sleep tonight without worrying