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LePetitCochon

LePetitCochon

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ok i have 2 female pigs, one turned out to be pregnant and now has to adorable babies. i did separate them with a partition they could see and smell each other through. today i tried to put them together to see how they would do. the other female is fine with the babies, pretty much runs from them when they get too near. but her and mama pig are not getting along. i'm just afraid the longer they're apart the worse it will be...and i realize that to a certain extent they just need to work it out. there is a lot of teeth chattering and rumblestruttimg going on, they did go at each other and hair was pulled off of one, so i seperated them again. i just don't know what to do. i'm totally frazzled and upset. i just need some help i have no clue what i am doing. i never had guinea pigs before and certainly didn't plan on having to deal with babies!:...:Ayociexp118:
 
It's probably best to keep them apart for the moment just incase the babies get caught in the fighting - however, I am not claiming to be an expert and I am sure someone who has experience with this will be along soon to give you some advice!:)
 
also wanted to point out it isn't constant posturing. they will have spurts of nothing then spurts of this behavior. it just stinks because if i have to permanently keep them in seperate cages i only have the room in my living room for one cage. i love the babies, they're adorable but it's just so frustrating to unexpectedly get a pregnant gp. Tallulah Lemon and Honeybell were fine before :(
 
You have to make the decision whether you want to keep a female baby or two (so you have them) with mum and rehome "auntie" or try and see whether your two girls will get on together again when you introduce them on neutral ground like strangers, well away from the babies once they are old enough to be left alone.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38562


Are you aware that you need to separate any male babies at 3 weeks old? Baby girls can get pregnant from 4 weeks onwards, and some boys can go "live" very early on. It doesn't happen as a rule, but often enough that you want to be on the safe side.
http://www.guinealynx.info/sexing_pups.html

If you can't keep all your piggies, you would be best off contacting a local specialist rescue; that's what I did when I couldn't find homes amongst our friends for my two surprise babies. At least that way you know that your piggies will go to a good home.

Whatever you decide, it's not an easy decision - I have been there and know it only too well!
 
Thanks guys! i should have been more clear, i do have room in my apartment for another cage, just not in my living room which is where i like them as i spend most of my time there.so if i have to i can put another cage in the other room which will most likely be the out come as rehoming Tallulah isn't an option for me. in fact unless the babies can go to someone i know, i won't likely part with them either.as far as i can tell they are both female. but i plan on making a trip to the vet to have them sexed. i was just so excited, Tallulah and Honeybell were finally settled with each other ( i've only had them a month and a half) i had a c&c caged on the way to give them more room, and then bam! babies!

i'm only really concerned because even when they were first introduced they were not this bad with each other. i suppose the end result, if peace can't be made is mom & baby and Tallulah and baby in 2 seperate cages? Tallulah has been fine with the babies, she even appeared to be grooming one? is that even possible? or a bigger cage for mama and babies and adopt Tallulah a friend? i just don't want her to be alone, she has been happier since Honeybell came along. she's never been the one to start fights, Honeybell was always the bully. is there any hope do you think? sorry thank you for listening to my rambling, i'm just so upset.
 
I would think Honeybells hormones aren't helping at the moment. New babies have arrived & have upset the balance. Tallulah could well have been grooming a baby, other sows generally do "help" new mums with babies & take on the roles of "aunties."

I really do think, once the babies reach 3-4wks & they're confirmed to be little girls you could re-introduce ALL of them on neutral ground. Lots of distractions ie veggies, food & hay & nothing in there where one can corner another (like a pigloo etc).

If it doesn't go well then i would leave Honeybell with one daught er& Tallulah with the other or you could leave Honeybell with both & adopt Tallulah a friend :)
 
When you reintroduced them back together was it into a clean "new" cage or was mum just defending her territory?
 
LePetitCochon said:
it was a clean new cage. i was all excited because i just got all the stuff for my c&c cage...
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I would hazard a guess at new environment, new babies & a hormonal mum could've been the problem. She could've felt threatened by the new environment (no recognisable smells) & the fact she has babies has felt the need to protect them.

However, i do think once her hormones have calmed down & the babies are less dependant on her she may bond back with Tallulah.

Is Tallulah still near them so Honeybell & babies get used to her "being there" ?
 
yeah she's right next door. it's a large c&c cage so i just used some cubes and extra chloropast to make a "wall" so they can still see each other. Tallulah sleeps next to the barrier :( makes me sad!
 
LePetitCochon said:
yeah she's right next door. it's a large c&c cage so i just used some cubes and extra chloropast to make a "wall" so they can still see each other. Tallulah sleeps next to the barrier :( makes me sad!
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Aww how sad for Tallulah :( Hopefully Honeybell will take to her & if not, then i hope there's a little girl for her :)
 
i know it breaks my heart! one of the babes keeps pushing the chloroplast aside and breaking into Tallulah's half of the cage, so she will have a friend. i am 98% sure both babies are girls.
 
Oh dear poor girlies having a unsettling time. I'm sure they will all settle once mummy's hormones have calmed down. We'll keep our fingers and paws crossed for you. good luck . x ;)
 
I am keeping my fingers crossed that you can mange to have all four girls in one group rather than in two cages! You will have to do the reintroductions on neutral ground, like the bathroom or kitchen floor, though.

And of course, I'm keeping my fingers crossed about the gender! I am so glad for you that you are able to keep all your piggies. I had to give my babies away, as I couldn't keep them at the time, and have rued it ever since!
 
When the babies are older, try bathing them all together. The shared trauma can work wonders for previously squabbling pigs. Not sure how old the babes need to be before they can safely be bathed though. Someone else may know.
Also, if you're keeping the babies, you may have to double the size of your cage.
 
Furries said:
Also, if you're keeping the babies, you may have to double the size of your cage.
Click to expand...

oh believe me i am already rearranging my livingroom in my head to see if i can fit in a larger cage! if i can't figure out how to do that it may need to be 2 seperate cages :(
 
soooooo....a reunion happened whether i like it or not! Honeybell busted her way into Tallulah's half of the cage over night....so they were ALL on one half of the cage.....they seemed to be doing "ok" so i figured i'd just go with it. they have had a few tussles, and although they freaked ME out, it hasn't been anything serious that i can tell...HB now has a bald spot :( but aside of from that, it has been nothing more than noise...thoughts? thankie!
 
I would check them throughly at least twice a day for bite marks as they can become infected very quickly! Glad it seems to be going well for you! :)
 
well so far so good, came home and everyone seems fine. i mean i don't see everyone being all buddy buddy anytime soon, but they are living together (seemingly) peacefully, so i'll take what i can get!

now when the babies mature more, will these issues arise again but between them and mom and lulu? or because they have been with them since being babies will it be a relatively smooth transition?
 
so Honeybell is getting slightly grumpy at her kids, i imagine that is relatively normal as they hit a point where they need to be a bit more independent? they are 18 days old now ( i read weaning was generally 14-21 days?) and they are 274g (Valencia) and 308g(Meringue)! they are growing soooooo fast! also i try to handle them relatively regularly, but they are still skittish, particularly Meringue( def takes after mum!). i feel bad because she especially is so hard to catch, i feel like getting her out of the cage is a terrifying enough experience that it doesn't matter how much i handle her! Valencia by comparison is easy to wrangle, and is relatively content to sit on my lap for a short period of time. she may not be related to Tallulah Lemon, but she is definitely more like her in personality. LuLu will happily go anywhere with me, purrs like crazy when i scratch her cheeks...and give me dirty looks when i stop! i know... i shouldn't have favorites but i looooooooooooooove my LuLu Lemon so! thanks everyone!
 
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