Gypsy and Bessie fighting!

[Lisajazz]

I have today been a bit stunned by whole fighting thing. I think I have been very lucky with my girls all 6 have got along well so far (touch wood). Apart from one very short scuffle it's been easy.

Gypsy (foster pig) is a bit of a rumbly madam and is always bad tempered but Bessie just normally bows down to her.

Gypsy also hates the other guineas I tried her once to meet them and she was okay for a little while and then kicked off big time - i've not tried it again.

Today was cleaning out and normally I put all the guineas out in the garden in 2 seperate runs, they may be next to each other but they are fine with that.

Today it's raining so I put the 6 in an indoor run, clean them out and put them back. Then I put Gypsy and Bessie in the same (now empty) run and they went hell for leather at each other fighting each other like mad. Gypsy started it and for the first time Bessie fought back. It was INTENSE. Seriously I had to seperate them! Then once the cage was cleaned out I put them back in (while I watched) and it's like it never happened. They aren't the best of friends, Gypsy just isn't very nice to Bessie but Bessie tolerates her but no fighting at all.

So question, I think it was the scent of the other guineas in the run that freaked Gypsy out and made her so cross. Do you think so too?

Also is it okay to have Bessie and Gypsy together even though Gypsy always rumbles and stuff? I feel a bit sorry for Bessie although I dont know what else I could do other than leave them together - they aren't fighting (normally).

Gosh girls! I thought this was mainly boar behaviour. rolleyes

 

[janie]

not a helpful answer !

thats really weird! two of my girlies also called bessie and gypsy
also scuffle! they are fine in a run but cant be in a cage together
sorry hun thats no help to you! x x
just had to say !

 

[Sarah from Chucklebunnies]

Hello. I'm frankly guessing here, but I know girls can get really unhappy over scents. I do the bathing together thing to help to settle new girls in and it really does help, so scent matters.

Is either of them on heat? That can cause a lot of extra trouble - pmt I suppose - and then the extra scent can simply be the last straw.

The other thing is space. It could be that Bessie simply won't fight back but just accepts the rumblestrutting in a smaller space, but wants to go for a bit more dominance given a larger space, wants a piece of it for herself.

So...possibly coming into season?...extra scent around....more space so Bessie standing up for herself....that's all I can come up with.

I do hope there are no further problems. If they settle to their usual grumbly ways then there's hope!

 

[Farquhar]

Oh dear. Ive only seen my girls fight once, but it was over as quickly as it started. My boys lives seperately but came together once by accident. There was one massive furball rolling over the floor. I sustained several nasty bites on my hands and legs trying to seperate them (still have the scars). It sounds as though this bickering with your girls may just be a one off and maybe related to one being in season. Hope so. Its not nice seeing our little girlies fighting. Good luck..

 

[Lisajazz]

Thanks for all the advice . They have been absolutely fine since yesterday, not a whiff of an arguement. I am going to go with the advice given and just make sure next time I change them I do them first before the others so the run smells clean.

rolleyes