Guinea Pigs Tussling in better home

[Ejsink]

Hi! I just adopted a bonded trio of three boys (3,2 and 2) the shelter said they were bonded. They seemed to be in a horrible place (in a pen meant for one pig and only one large hide.)

I’ve gotten them a big enough pen (2 connected 60 in x 30in) and 3 of everything. They have been chasing each other and had a bigger fight which they seem to be over (chasing and teeth chatter) I’m just in need of some advice for them

Their owner at the shelter hasn’t socialized them as much as she wished and I just got them today. Do I give them more time to settle it out as they get used to all these new things? Or should I need to separate them?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Moving to a new environment will cause them to reestablish their relationship and hierarchy and during that time you are an increase in dominance. That is normal even in very well bonded groups. That process takes two weeks.
If they really are well bonded, have been together for a long time and want to be together, then it will most likely just be dominance due to the new environment and will settle down within a couple of weeks. You just leave them to get on with it.
If they have not been together long and aren’t as well bonded as you were told, then the situation may change: Boar trios, generally speaking, aren’t very stable (boars do better in pairs) so if there is any underlying issue between them or if they have only recently been put together, then it’s possible a move can bring problems to the surface and cause a relationship to break down.

Do you know how long they’ve been together as a bonded trio?
Were they in the small enclosure at the shelter?
Was it a reputable shelter?

Can you confirm what happened during the ‘bigger fight’?
Chasing and teeth chattering isn’t fighting, it’s just dominance. However it can be a warning that things may escalate depending on the severity.

A full fight ie rolling around in a ball and/or causing injuries to each other is immediately cause for permanent separation, regardless of how long they’ve been together.

Your cage comes in at 304x76cm so is not a bad size for a boar trio (it’s recommended to provide a square metre of territory for each boar, so 300x100cm cage for anybody attempting a boar trio) but character compatibility is the most essential part of whether a bond works.

The guides below explain everything in more detail.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Bonds In Trouble

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! I just adopted a bonded trio of three boys (3,2 and 2) the shelter said they were bonded. They seemed to be in a horrible place (in a pen meant for one pig and only one large hide.)

I’ve gotten them a big enough pen (2 connected 60 in x 30in) and 3 of everything. They have been chasing each other and had a bigger fight which they seem to be over (chasing and teeth chatter) I’m just in need of some advice for them

Their owner at the shelter hasn’t socialized them as much as she wished and I just got them today. Do I give them more time to settle it out as they get used to all these new things? Or should I need to separate them?

Hi and welcome

Please give your piggies more time to settle in. It takes around two weeks to establish/re-establish a group after either a territorial or personnel change (dominance phase). Please remove any huts and furnishings with just one exit, don't overfill the cage with stuff they can go possessive about and make sure that you have two of the same - sleeping dens and water bottles, access to hay that cannot be blocked. No bowls; please sprinkle feed the 1 tablespoon of pellets per piggy per day around the cage and also do the same with any veg. This cuts down on food bullying and is also enrichment that promotes natural foraging behaviour.

It can be that your boys will decide that they do not suit if there are any underlying personality issues and that they will do better in a divided cage with interaction/stimulation through the bars in the long running. How old are your boys? If they are teenagers (4-14 months), then the hormones can kick in and come into play. Sadly, this is the most common time for people dumping their piggies.

You may also find these very practical settling in guides here helpful:
New Guinea Pigs: How to Best Manage Arrival and Settling In
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)

We have a very helpful New Owners practical advice and information resource into which 15 years with tens of thousands of questions on this lively forum and our own long term owner experience, in some cases going back half a century have gone.
You may want to bookmark this link, browse, read and re-read at need. The various links in this thread are all in there with lots more: Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners

Since we are all doing this for free in our own free time and cannot type out all the little practical how-to details in every post, we are using the guide links that provide both the in-depth information and the practical advice that is as precise and easy to follow as possible. The guides format also allows us to update and add to our comprehensive information collection at need; it is one of the largest around.

You are of course always welcome to ask any questions in our various Care sections.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
Hope things work out well for you and the piggies