Naughty Piggy

[Tiamolly123]

i have 3 female piggys together, for the last 8 months & they are 8 months old. They have always got on well, then the trouble started. The biggest one keeps hitting the others under the chin hard enough to make the other 2 lose balance. Also overnight the bossy one gave another in the herd a nasty bite. What shall I do?

 

[Critter]

Oh dear. Sorry to read this. Did the bite draw blood?
They're getting hormonal as they are growing up, and although sows are generally ok with each other sometimes they do fall out. I had one fall out with her herd....

I'm not insinuating that they live in a small cage/hutch, but expanding their environment and giving them more space can sometimes resolve things, as can giving them one each of everything (e.g. if you have one hiding-house in there, put two more in for one each, have three food bowls etc).

Do they have plenty of run-around space each day?

If you feel they may fight again and draw blood then it would be best to separate them. Have you got anywhere else to place either the victim or the aggressor? The aim is to leave the two pigs who get on the best and remove the other, with the hope to find her a partner that she gets on with. Rescues can help with that.

I'm tagging @Wiebke who has more experience with bonding issues than I do xx

 

[Wiebke]

i have 3 female piggys together, for the last 8 months & they are 8 months old. They have always got on well, then the trouble started. The biggest one keeps hitting the others under the chin hard enough to make the other 2 lose balance. Also overnight the bossy one gave another in the herd a nasty bite. What shall I do?

Please separate and have her checked for ovarian cyst/hormonal problems. Be aware that they may not want to go back together, especially if major bullying and full-on bites have occurred (the latter is very rare).

Fall-outs in sows are much rarer than in boars, but they can occasionally happen. I have just had my "peru mafia" fall apart as three out of the four sows (mum, daughter and auntie) don't want to be back with each other at age 4-5...

 

[Tiamolly123]

Please separate and have her checked for ovarian cyst/hormonal problems. Be aware that they may not want to go back together, especially if major bullying and full-on bites have occurred (the latter is very rare).

Fall-outs in sows are much rarer than in boars, but they can occasionally happen. I have just had my "peru mafia" fall apart as three out of the four sows (mum, daughter and auntie) don't want to be back with each other at age 4-5...

Thank you, how do They check for those things

 

[Tiamolly123]

Oh dear. Sorry to read this. Did the bite draw blood?
They're getting hormonal as they are growing up, and although sows are generally ok with each other sometimes they do fall out. I had one fall out with her herd....

I'm not insinuating that they live in a small cage/hutch, but expanding their environment and giving them more space can sometimes resolve things, as can giving them one each of everything (e.g. if you have one hiding-house in there, put two more in for one each, have three food bowls etc).

Do they have plenty of run-around space each day?

If you feel they may fight again and draw blood then it would be best to separate them. Have you got anywhere else to place either the victim or the aggressor? The aim is to leave the two pigs who get on the best and remove the other, with the hope to find her a partner that she gets on with. Rescues can help with that.

I'm tagging @Wiebke who has more experience with bonding issues than I do xx

Thanks for the advice critter