Guineas fighting

Zorro1

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi,
My three male 8-9 week old guinea pigs have been chasing, rumble strutting, and dominating each other for a while now, and I was wondering if they are just in that "teenager" stage of their life. If so, how long will this stage last?
Thanks,
Natalie
 
Rumbling, chasing and mounting isn’t fighting at all. It’s dominance behaviours.
The teens starts at 16 weeks old and lasts until they are 14/15 months of age. However, rumbling, chasing and mounting continues throughout their entire lives.

However, the biggest problem here is that you say three male piggies. Do be aware that boar trios do not work for the long term. Boars need to be kept in pairs as they find it difficult to form a functioning relationship as a trio
and hierarchy in a trio. They are generally fine when as babies but when the teens problems start. Most boar trios need separating at around six months of age which is when the highest hormone output occurs and they simply fall out with each other. 90% of trios do not make it to adulthood together.

You would do better to look to which two get on best now and separate them into a pair and single by the time the teens do start. There is a high chance of problems occurring and at worst, having three males together can break all bonds meaning all three cannot get along and then you end up with three single piggies

A boar pair need a cage measuring 180x60cm. The one who ends up single will need a minimum of 120x60 but his cage will need to be alongside the pair al they can interact through the bars.

Very occasionally a trio does work but it’s about getting the character compatibility right and unfortunately that’s not something you can influence at all. If you are going ot continue to attempt a boar trio, then their cage needs to cover three square metres (a square metre per boar), so a 300x100cm cage. Lack of territory, while not the deciding factor of whether a boar trio will function, will cause problems.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Could you please change your location and add your country/state or Uk county please to your profile please. As we have members from all over the world, we need to tailor our advice specific to your location (in terms of a ability of products and vet care) and and currently your location is not allowing us to do that.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the info. I will change my location, but I don't yet know how. Can you explain how I can change my location setting?
 
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