Guinea pigs rumble strutting

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tashie0802

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Hiya, I need some advice, we had two female Guinea pigs aged 5 and one has just passed away we decided to buy 2 female baby guinea pigs to pair them up who are 6 weeks old, we put them together on Neutral ground and then after they got to know each other put them in the cage, we have had them about a week now and all was fine, they seemed to be getting on, until tonight, the older female guinea pig is rumble strutting and chasing one of the babies around the cage until she’s cornered, and mounting on top of her, the babies keep wheaking and running away from her but the older one keeps chasing them, sometimes it stops and the baby Guinea pigs go back to the older one, and it stars again then,I don’t know if this is bad behaviour and bullying or whether it’s normal, I’m really concerned for the baby Guinea pigs and really need some advice!
 
Hi
What you're describing is normal dominance behaviour. The squealing is most likely submissive, and they will eventually sort out the hierarchy, which could take a couple of weeks.
As long as they are not drawing blood, then there is no need to worry too much
More experienced members will be along soon 😊
 
Thankyou! The babies just look uncomfortable and it doesn’t look right just leaving them to it, I’m just being paranoid that they are being bullied, and the Older guinea pig is hurting the younger ones
 
tashie0802 said:
Thankyou! The babies just look uncomfortable and it doesn’t look right just leaving them to it, I’m just being paranoid that they are being bullied, and the Older guinea pig is hurting the younger ones
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It does look a bit frightening to our eyes, but this is just the way piggies sort out who's boss. When I bonded a baby girl to my adult female and neutered male, they chased her relentlessly around the cage for a good week before settling down. Try not to worry too much.
 
Rumbling is a normal dominance behaviour and in newly bonded piggies you are going to see a lot of it, along with other dominance Behaviours. They have to do this and it looks dreadful to us but is something they need to do to establish their relationship and hierarchy. Your older girl is asserting her dominance, the babies will squeak in submission, if the piggies are compatible they will sort themselves out into top position, number 2 and number 3 and eventually the whole thing will settle down and they will live happily. Establishing their full relationship and hierarchy takes around two weeks.
While adding babies can be easier because they can’t challenge the hierarchy, not all babies are accepted and older sows can be less accepting of newcomers. You will see issues occurring in this case. Sometimes a bond can appear to start ok but break down as time goes on. There is always this risk when buying piggies as you don’t know their character and any bond on spec does come with a risk of failure

Bullying is a sustained behaviour which results in constant mounting, chasing. The bully can also refuse to let the other piggies eat or rest. The bullied piggies can lose weight and become depressed and withdrawn. These behaviours are bond breaking and piggies must be separated if this occurs. It is different to normal dominance though

Do all the hides have two exits? This is important, particularly for newly bonded piggies. Single exit hides can be a flash point and cause problems.
I note you had two piggies previously (I’m sorry for your loss), but is the cage big enough for three? 180x60cm is the recommended size for three piggies. I only ask as if there is not quite enough room then it can contribute to issues

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Moody Guinea Pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour
 
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