Guinea Pigs Bullying

[Patty]

Hello I have 4 guinea pigs. 3 males and one female. Two of the males & the female are quite young. I got them from pet shops. The 3rd male we adopted from a woman who couldn't take care of him anymore. I believe she said he was 3 years old. The young guineas all get along when they play but as soon as I put the older male with them (the young boys) to play they gang up on him. The young males try to (what looks like) mate with him? Or just climb on top of him. And this is individually as well. (I don't let the males all out with the female because I know that triggers fighting.) But even individual play, they bully him. Tonight I let the older make play with the female individually and she terrorized him and head butted him, while he just ran from her and didn't try to do anything to her. Also he is very timid and flinches when I go to pet him or pick him up. I just want to know if there's a reason for this I feel bad he has no one to play with so I try to play with him frequently but still is something wrong with him that's causing them to treat him this way?

 

[Frankie1990]

Hello

Can you give us some details on living arrangements - Do your two young males live in the same cage as your female?

I assume all your males are neutered?

Mounting (climbing on top of one another) is a dominance display. Have a look at these threads :
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/boars-a-guide-to-successful-companionship.76162/

I have tagged @Wiebke who has much experience of guinea pig groups and behaviour, she should reply later today. I think its very unusual for a trio of boars to get along, and even more unusual if there is a female involved as they will fight over her.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

- Firstly, what are exactly the living arrangements of your piggies? Who lives with who?

- Secondly, is your female spayed or are your boys neutered to be safely in contact with the other gender? Making babies only takes a few seconds if a sow is in season!
Please never mix piggies of different genders that are not neutered. It is simply not safe! Boars can make babies from 3 weeks onwards and sows can get pregnant from 4 weeks onwards.

- Thirdly, as soon as you let piggies meet, they don't play, they start the bonding protocol. That is the "bullying behaviour" that you are witnessing. Each time, you separate, they have to start afresh.

Please do not mix piggies from different groups just "for play" unless you want them to live together long term. It is a very disruptive experience for them.
Guinea pigs live in groups, and they define themselves primarily as members of a specific group. Meeting piggies from other groups means that they have to work out whether the newbies want to join their group or not.

PS: Boar trios are very unstable; the danger of fall-outs (where at the worst you end up with three boars that won't go back together) is very high. Add a female to the mix, and you might as well light a fuse under a bomb!