In And Out Of Rumbling

[GraceV]

Hi Everyone. This is my first post and I really hope you can shed some light. I have 2 sows that have been together since April. It seems like every couple of weeks the rumbling starts over and my girls are trying to figure out who is top pig. Each couple of weeks it's different. Sometimes it's always the younger one starting it...sometimes it's the older one. When the older one starts it, she often mounts and chases the younger one who often squirts her or nips back to let her know she is not amused. Sometimes I feel like the older one is bullying the younger one. Just when things calm down and I think they have it all sorted out, it starts again a week or so later. They have a very big space with toys and hiding places. Will they do this each time they come into season? I keep changing my mind about who is the dominant one. Is it possible that they keep changing roles? Any info you can offer would be great.
Thanks.

 

[Chief Guinea Pig]

Maybe @Wiebke can shed some light

 

[Wiebke]

Sows come into season roughly every two weeks, so there can be somr rumbling, mutual mounting etc.

What you perceive as bullying is actually called dominance behaviour and is integral to guinea pig socialisation. Unlike you, the girls don't take it personal!

You will find this thread here helpful: Sow behaviour

 

[Freela]

You're probably seeing the hormonal cycle- sows come into heat roughly every two weeks, and can display rumblestrutting, mounting, and other dominant behaviours. Some heat cycles are more noticeable than others, and some guinea pigs display more of these signs than others. I have had two sows (various pairs) for about seven years and still see this pattern of 'guinea pig PMS.' In some pairs, it is very easy to see who the dominant pig is. In other pairs, it's not so easy to tell (though they still know!) At any rate, this sounds normal to me. Depending on how old your girls are, some of this behaviour may settle down when they are not adolescents full of hormones!