My piggies have fallen out? Is this normal?

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Susye

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The last couple of days my piggies seem to have fallen out with each other, have outside hutch, one seems to want to live upstairs on his own and the other wants to be downstairs on his own? Is this normal?
Maybe this is becaue we have now given them the free run of the hutch as before they only had the top half of hutch, so had to cuddle together etc
When we put them together in big box they seem to get along ok and look for each other if we are cuddling one of them.
Any ideas welcomed
 
It’s unlikely this is a fall out. Leave them to it.
Cuddling up to each other is not a common behaviour. Most piggies like their own space.

This is why I don’t use double hutches though, they can isolate themselves. But I also find it much easier to properly keep one level of a hutch warm in winter.
 
So why do people harp on about always having 2 piggies together if they like there own space?
You also keep saying about giving the piggies lots of space, so as its winter and they can't go out on the grass etc so more space is needed for them to run around etc to stop them going stir crazy etc and give them room to excercise over the cold period.
Really am finding very conflicting advice on this forum, you seem to say do one thing and when I post something you say it's not quite right... ie I'm sure if I said I wasn't using my whole hutch you would be saying to open up the bottom half to give them more space over winter as they can't go in the run.
Never had any problems when we last had piggies, didn't do half of what you say on here, and they all led a good rich life and they all lived until a ripe old age as well.
So just going to do what I did in the past as whatever I did back then was really good and not ask for anymore advice, as its all very conflicting advice
 
Being in a bonded pair but wanting time apart is absolutely not the same thing as being a single piggy living totally on its own never able to interact with another piggy.
We ‘harp on’ about it because companionship is a basic welfare need and is essential even if they don’t cuddle up or share hides, most piggies will not cuddle or share hides as time goes on - they are still bonded and are still interacting. They can be in the same level but still have their own spaces (hence the importance of a big enough cage). It is not a fall out - a fall out is a full on bond breaking fight or clear sustained bullying.
Piggies cuddling up together etc is a not something most will do but it does not mean they are falling out and it does not mean they can be by themselves.

I have always told you in all replies about housing that double storey hutches do not count towards the cage size. It’s only ever the single level and this is why we advised you right from the beginning that a 6 foot single level hutch was needed for two boys (5 foot single for two girls). It is not about it being two storey or having a run attached.
It’s fine to have a two storey hutch if that is what you choose - but you can find one doesn’t like the ramp, it is harder to keep warm, uses more bedding etc etc. Yes, opening up the bottom does give them somewhere else to go to but it does not give them more cage space.
It’s also about providing lots of enrichment in the hutch for mental stimulation which is vitally important to keeping outdoor piggies happy in winter when they can’t get run time.
This is not conflicting advice, perhaps you may have misunderstood the reasons behind the advice.

I don’t know how long ago you had piggies last but advice and research changes over time. This is why you will find the way we kept animals back years ago is not the same as the advice now - welfare and care advice has moved on and it’s important we move with it.
All my animals, in the last almost four decades that I’ve kept them, have lived long lives but I would not go back to doing things the way they were.
 
I'm pretty well bonded with my husband and son, but I don't want to spend every minute of the day with them. It's a similar sort of thing; we all need our own space sometimes.

Are there any particular points of conflict you've found in the advice given we could help iron out?
 
poggle said:
I'm pretty well bonded with my husband and son, but I don't want to spend every minute of the day with them. It's a similar sort of thing; we all need our own space sometimes.

Are there any particular points of conflict you've found in the advice given we could help iron out?
Click to expand...
Yes but now they aren't spending any time together
Know you are all just trying to help, its hard to find points as it seems there are so many
 
Susye said:
Yes but now they aren't spending any time together
Know you are all just trying to help, its hard to find points as it seems there are so many
Click to expand...

Yes there is a lot of information but we have always tried to give clear, correct information in any post you have made. All the guides provide the same advice.

Piggies are not natural climbers and this is why single hutches work best. It’s not that a double hutch is wrong, it’s that there can be issues with ramps - some will learn how to use them, some never will. Sometimes, for teen boars particularly, ramps can become a point of territory and refusal to let the other pig use it can occur.

Have they both made their way up and down the ramp independently?
If so and you know they both understand how to use the ramp, then you have two choices - either leave them to it because this is what they have chosen (they will be coming together at some point, you may just not see it); or stop them from having access to the ramp and keep them on one level.

If they have not used the ramps again since one went down, it’s possible they simply don’t understand how to use the ramp. They are basically stuck apart because they can’t figure out how to get back together. Feeling essentially alone and perhaps scared to venture up or down if they don’t realise where the other has gone
 
I agree, ramps can be a bone of contention especially when it comes to territory. As long as you have checked that both boys can use the ramp and make sure that both boys have a “bedroom” area with lots of hay inside to keep warm then you just might have to accept that they are happy with their own company (they will still communicate) alternatively you might feel happier with them both on one level

Space is very important with all guinea pigs but especially young boars. Because they are ground living animals the interruption of a ramp stops that natural flow of movement, this is the reason why only the base floor is counted in the actual size area with any cage or hutch

I have been keeping gp’s for over 55 years and advice is ever changing, as with most aspects of life 😀 I am continuing to learn knew things all the time.

Hope you settle on a solution that suits both you and your little fellas
 
Our pigs are madly in love with each other (a bromance for the ages) but you will still find them fairly often at the far ends of the cage just doing their own thing.

If your pigs had fallen out, they would be fighting. The fact they feel safe enough to spend so much time apart, just chilling, is a good sign that they're relaxed with each other. Guinea pigs are always very aware of where each other are (honestly I feel like they must have radar) so your pigs are still keeping track of each other even if they seem to be ignoring each other.

Bear in mind that their wild ancestors naturally live in grasslands, spending most of their time in little tunnels in the grass, so they are used to not being able to see each other or being particularly close together. They are still aware of each other and interacting in all sorts of subtle ways.
 
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