How do i re-introduce them?

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jenny_h

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Okay so my 4 girls are not getting along at the moment as i stated in my last post. The pig that was being aggressive has calmed down a lot and now is venting her anger on just on of my piggies - the smallest and youngest, and will not fight back! she is so adorable!
She get her in the corner of hour of their cage and attacks her. I put them back in there new massive cage yesterday and they where all getting along fine, infact they where so happy. But after about 2-3 hours, blossom had the baby pig cornered and was going for her. She drew blood from bitting her and was swiftly removed. She spent the nite in the cage alone and is very unhappy, she wants to be with them but i cant leave her in there! She wont stop squeeking to the others.
It is definate that she is biting i cut all there nails last nite so they definatly arent sharp!
The other 3 seem happy together, and chase each other about! she really wants to be back with them. how do i go about this, do i try her in ther again tonight and then remove her if she is horrid, or do i leave her alone for longer?
 
The cage she's in now - can she see the three together? Can they see her? If she has been removed and they can't even see her then they will sort out their own pecking order and it sounds as though they are happy. Also, if they can't see each other then there might be extra trouble when the dominant piggie goes back in as she will be attempting to muscle in on their heirarchy. Basically, piggies are heirarchical animals and will bully others to achieve top piggie. To be honest with you, if she has already drawn blood then one more attempt is it - after that I would give up - and make sure you don't leave it too long or there'll be extra trouble.

I would try putting the cages next to each other so that introductions can happen through the bars, then try them all together on a big neutral area, then finally into the hutch together if you can be fairly certain that they are getting along. If this isn't working and you see real aggression rather than just the normal chin chin, teeth chattering, rumblestrutting and shoving, then you'll just have to remove Blossom, maybe keeping her in a cage where she can see the other three for company. Some piggies just can't handle a crowd well! But they do like to see and hear each other, sniff through the bars and so on.

The fact that blood has been drawn would make me very cautious about reintroducing Miss Blossom - but don't leave it too long if you are going to try.

Also, where was the bite? If on the ear then this is actually normal ear grooming that the dominant piggie will do to the others going a little wrong - a bit overenthusiastic. If on the face then I probably wouldn't even try once more but just set up the cage so Blossom can see the others.

Hope this helps, I'm just going from my own experience of sows here, Sarah x
 
maybe if you can't bond Blossom back into the group you could pair her with one of the other piggies(not the submissive piggy of course)and have two pairs?that way they would all have company x
 
At the moment she cant see the other 3, but she can hear them! they have never been so noisy, they keep squealing to each other very loudly! I amy put her cage inside the main cage as the big cage is massive and see what happens. Blossom is lovely now, at the beginnig of the week she was acting very badly - i suspect she was on heat from her behaviour, but now she has calmed down - she is back to snoozing on my with her back legs spread out and licking me and very calm!
She gets on absolutely fine with my other 2, just not the 3rd! Her sister is in the cage with the other 2, so i do think she is missing her but as she is the one causing the problem i have no choice.
She always seems to go for daffy (my smallest piggie) around her back/back end. I heard her go for her as there was a loud squeel so grabbed daffy and go blood on my hand, however i couldnt fine exactly where the cut was. but she has got her there before. She never goes for her ears or face. None of my piggies have nibbles out of their ears except blossom who came to me at 2 weeks old with a bite in it!
The big problem i have is if she wont get on with this one piggie, all my pigs get on with each other except blossom with daffy what do i do with the single piggie? Split them into pairs, leave one alone but next to them?
Blossom is very used to being with other piggies, a family member has 2 big pigs who as babies they where put with an blossom always got on the best and she is fine with lilly and poppy my other 2, so i really dont understand.
Could it be that as daffy is the smallest and blossom biggest she is just bullying her and once daffy gets bigger and fights back it may change? Am really hoping they can all get back together soon, as when i put them in the new cage yesterday they where all so happy together, initially she didnt go for her and my other 2 pigs defended daffy against blossom.
I really want someone to tell me they will all be able to live happily together, as blossom is really sad at the moment and even though its her whos being bad, it upsets me.
 
from what your describing i wouldnt think there is a huge chance of re-bonding but i have always thought if possible not to leave a piggy on its own so personally i would pair them,i mean she doesnt sound like she is aggressive towards every piggy so i wouldnt be splitting her from her friends,if you do split make sure you pair them on there personalities x
 
Well i got home today to a large amount of squeeking and blossom not feeling very happy. She desperatly wants to be with them, they did all love being together!
I decided to try her in with them all again - i am determined at some point she will be able to fit back in!
I put there dinner down for them and they all sat munching away on their veggies happily. Blossom was very happy and so where all the others, they where all sat together, snatching leaves of one another.
Blossom went over to daffy and started sniffing her like she had done with the others, daffy knocked her away - first time my little pig has stood up to any of them!
They ate and all bounced around for a bit, but then daffy went into their house and blossom followed her. Although she is horrid to her she follows her everywhere.
I heard a squeel and blossom was swiftly back on her own. I wonder whether if i remove their houses and just leave tube it will make it better as she wont be able to corner or be in a confined space with daffy?
x
 
Blossom is exhibiting dominant behaviour taken to the extreme with her biting, and it always goes towards the bottom member of the group. I have one that nips, but there is no blood, just squeaks.

I would see whether it is better if you treat Blossom like a pubertating boar - make sure there are no huts for the new try and plenty of bowls etc.

Unfortunately, if there is blood again, I think it might be better if you split them up into twos, or keep the three girls together and look for a neutered boar as a companion for Blossom. It is usually worth sticking it out, but not where there is repeated injury.

These situations are so gutting. I feel for you and how torn you are. Give it one more try, but no more! All the best!
 
Well i have removed the house and cave from there cage, so now they are left with tubes and i put a mass of straw for them to hide in. They are all back together for now. Feel a little less worried about them all being in together now, especially as i know she can corner my baby! Daffy can move very fast when she wants to! Will keep an eye on them for a while longer, not been able to venture out my room much the last few day, constantly having to guinea pig sit to make sure they don't fight and arent sad!
Fingers crossed for this to sort the problem out!
xxxxx
 
jenny_harmer said:
Well i have removed the house and cave from there cage, so now they are left with tubes and i put a mass of straw for them to hide in. They are all back together for now. Feel a little less worried about them all being in together now, especially as i know she can corner my baby! Daffy can move very fast when she wants to! Will keep an eye on them for a while longer, not been able to venture out my room much the last few day, constantly having to guinea pig sit to make sure they don't fight and arent sad!
Fingers crossed for this to sort the problem out!
xxxxx
Click to expand...

just a little tip,straw is very dangerous for piggies and can cause injury,hay would be better;)x
 
The hay i have is the fine sort of bitty one - its the one that makes a massive mess when you try to get any out of the packet!
A quick update......i have 4 pigglets, all stretched out on the floor of their cage sleeping together! I am sooo happy but dont really want to jinx it!
I am just uploading some photos of the little darlinggs so everyone can see who i have been chatting about!
x
 
Well its now been 3 hours since they where all put back together minus their huts! So far there has been no fighting, the odd bit of chasing and nudging but nothing else. My dilema noww is do i just leave them all together over night? they have previously spent nights together but recently with blosom they have all been seperated and i have average 6 hours sleep in 3 nights *** of them!
I can see there palace from my bed so i can keep an eye on them and hear any fuss! They have been okay, and at the moment all 4 of the are stretched out sleeping. Daffy is eating and drinking happily.
Should i chance it and see how it goes for the night?
x
 
Yes. You need to keep this good feeling going, if you split them up again it will reverse some of the good bonding that has happened between your piggies. Let us know if it went well please, I have my fingers crossed but it sounds as though it should be fine.

Sarah x
 
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