New Dominance Behaviour Concerns

Status
Not open for further replies.
McSophieChops

McSophieChops

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 2, 2015
Messages
53
Reaction score
39
Points
145
Location
West Midlands, UK
My girls Nova and Nebula are around 8mo old and have been together since birth. Until recently I haven't been able to tell who is more dominant since they both rumblestrut at times, presumably when they're in heat.

However, in the last few weeks it seems the slightly smaller and less tame of the two (Nebula) is most dominant. She is the one to do any kicking out of preferred spots for example. Nothing major apart from the odd squeal as nova is chased away or some rumblestrutting.

This week I have noticed a new behaviour from Nebula. She follows nova around sniffing her bum, seemingly licking her too. As they were suffering with slightly soft poop I thought this was something to do with that but I'm not sure. Last night and today I have also noticed nebula goes to where nova is, sits by her and snaps at her (I don't think she ever makes contact with her teeth and certainly hasn't drawn blood), causing nova to either squeak but put up with it for a while or squeal and try and relocate. It was so frequent last night I ended up wearing ear plugs! It hasnt helped to have more than one pigloo or hidey hole since nebula just follows nova to where she is. And it has also happened in their run with plenty of space to keep out of each others way.

Since I read in the sow behaviour post that girls generally should be left alone to sort out their differences I haven't separated them or anything. I check that nova isn't injured after these episodes. Nova is also eating and drinking as usual and doesn't appear to have changed her behaviour in any way- she doesn't seem unhappy and nor does nebula.

Is it safe to let this continue, and if so, for how long? I'd be devastated to have to separate them- they are rarely by themselves and get agitated when they are. And more practically it would be very difficult for me to keep them separate in my rented room!

Any advice or thoughts would be much appreciated :)
 
McSophieChops said:
My girls Nova and Nebula are around 8mo old and have been together since birth. Until recently I haven't been able to tell who is more dominant since they both rumblestrut at times, presumably when they're in heat.

However, in the last few weeks it seems the slightly smaller and less tame of the two (Nebula) is most dominant. She is the one to do any kicking out of preferred spots for example. Nothing major apart from the odd squeal as nova is chased away or some rumblestrutting.

This week I have noticed a new behaviour from Nebula. She follows nova around sniffing her bum, seemingly licking her too. As they were suffering with slightly soft poop I thought this was something to do with that but I'm not sure. Last night and today I have also noticed nebula goes to where nova is, sits by her and snaps at her (I don't think she ever makes contact with her teeth and certainly hasn't drawn blood), causing nova to either squeak but put up with it for a while or squeal and try and relocate. It was so frequent last night I ended up wearing ear plugs! It hasnt helped to have more than one pigloo or hidey hole since nebula just follows nova to where she is. And it has also happened in their run with plenty of space to keep out of each others way.

Since I read in the sow behaviour post that girls generally should be left alone to sort out their differences I haven't separated them or anything. I check that nova isn't injured after these episodes. Nova is also eating and drinking as usual and doesn't appear to have changed her behaviour in any way- she doesn't seem unhappy and nor does nebula.

Is it safe to let this continue, and if so, for how long? I'd be devastated to have to separate them- they are rarely by themselves and get agitated when they are. And more practically it would be very difficult for me to keep them separate in my rented room!

Any advice or thoughts would be much appreciated :)
Click to expand...

Hi! Please leave them together. The snapping/nipping is a milder demonstration of dominance, letting the underpiggy just feel the teeth without hurting it in any way. The squealing is submission, not pain.
Sows, like boars, can actually suffer from hormonal spikes as well during their pre-adolescence, but it usually doesn't lead to fights and fall-outs. so it is much less known. These spikes and more obivous dominance behaviour are often triggered by a stronger season and can linger afterwards. The behaviour of your girls is still in the green. ;)

Aggressive behaviour in middle aged or older sows is usually caused by growing ovarian cysts and treatable, but your girls are too young for them.
 
And what of the bottom sniffing / licking?! I can't I imagine the reason why she keeps doing it, and she will do it pretty much constantly for an hour or so! I'm worried because a) its so weird and b) I don't want her to do Nova harm eg making the area sore! Shes not pulling out hair or biting from what I can tell, maybe just grooming.. And the area is looking a bit more dirty now than it was before.

I will try giving them a bath when I have a chance and they're due for one anyway so perhaps that will stop it.
 
McSophieChops said:
And what of the bottom sniffing / licking?! I can't I imagine the reason why she keeps doing it, and she will do it pretty much constantly for an hour or so! I'm worried because a) its so weird and b) I don't want her to do Nova harm eg making the area sore! Shes not pulling out hair or biting from what I can tell, maybe just grooming.. And the area is looking a bit more dirty now than it was before.

I will try giving them a bath when I have a chance and they're due for one anyway so perhaps that will stop it.
Click to expand...

Bottom sniffing is like newspaper reading; it gives a piggy a status update. Or she could be fishing for caecotrophs (redigestive poos).
 
Wiebke said:
Bottom sniffing is like newspaper reading; it gives a piggy a status update. Or she could be fishing for caecotrophs (redigestive poos).
Click to expand...

Does the under pig bottom lick or the dominant one?
 
Wiebke said:
Bottom sniffing is like newspaper reading; it gives a piggy a status update. Or she could be fishing for caecotrophs (redigestive poos).
Click to expand...

Ahh yes she does sometimes sit back and munch on what must be a caecotroph (also thanks for the proper name for the poops they redigest!)

sport_billy said:
Does the under pig bottom lick or the dominant one?
Click to expand...

And in my case the dominant pig has been licking the under pig, never the other way around.


I still think it odd that shes doing it so often but as long as it doesn't seem to be doing any harm I'll just leave them to it!
 
It could be that she is a bit short of something if it is so persistent?
 
She's not unwell is she? When we had four sows one of them who we ended up having pts was being snippy with the other three because she was unwell. It's just a thought.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top