please help, all going wrong

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benoitsachanoe

Hi, yesterday I brought home a beautiful little sow aged 6 weeks, I stripped the cage where my pair of 10 week old sows live, cleaned and desinfected it, put new fleece down, moved things around.
I really tried to make it neutral, I even rubbed hay that had been in the cage on the little one.
I put her in the cage first so that she could have a little look round. Then I put in the other 2.
And since, my dominant one has been at her non stop, she is flying at her making her cry and is not letting her go anywhere, she even goes round her in circles.8...She is so aggressive1 I always thought of guinea pigs as quite gentle creatures.
I have a tube that goes from their cage into the hay loft, she is hiding in there, she doesn't come out. She's not eaten or drank anything.:(
I am quite worried as I only own one cage and I feel so sorry for the poor little thing. I couldn't sleep last night and have just spent hours just staring at them.zzz I'm so tired...
What can I do?
 
Can you please take the baby out, It cannot be good for her. Retry introductions I have never dealt with sow/sow pairings. I have however did an introduction with 2 males which I had to reintroduce as I separated first time.

Please can you introduce them into neutral ground, please not the cage as there scent is in it ie bathroom floor, kitchen floor with lots of grub to distract them! I left my males for 24 hours before placing them in the cage this might seem crazy but my male was flying for the baby!

He was fine in neutral ground rolleyes! Wiebke who has alot of experience with females and bonding will be able to advise further, she should be on soon.

Also have a look at this link;
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38562
 
I am going to get the bath tub ready with a towel and lots of veg hope they can sort it out.
I had a look at the link, very useful thanks.
 
Good luck, I'm sorry I only have experience with introducing older sow to older sow pair, so I'm not sure if the dynamics are different, but as Joanne said neutral ground and lots of yummy food, but yes please take the wee one out of their cage, it's very stressful to be that hounded.

I'm sure others will be along to give advice as well.
 
Hi, i have recently introduced my baby boar to my other 3 males, i had him separate for a short time in a cage next to them so that they could smell and see him, it took a good few days of introducing them for short amounts of time , where they would hump and chase him but he has now settled in really well. Always stay close to make sure the baby is safe, don't give up, it's hard but worth it. Clare X
 
Bathe all three pigs in the same piggy shampoo before introductions as that helps with the neutral scent.
It would be wise to get a second cage in case you ever have fall outs,did you plan on getting a third pig? as they are all so young it really is much better to do older sows with a younger one.
 
Certainly agree that you need to take the baby out of the cage for time being. As others have said try reintroducing during free time etc. Another idea which has worked for me in the past and came from an experienced breeder/shower, is to run a little bit of vic or olbas oil under chin of each pig, they should all then smell the same. You may have to keep the baby apart from the others for a short time and keep reintroducing them over a few days. Good luck!
 
Forgot to say. Where are you? I have a spare cage if you want to borrow it.
 
Thanks for all your suggestions,
They have been in the bathroom for some time now, and the baby is obviously very scared as she stars crying everytime one passes near her, she is too stressed to eat I think. The other 2 have eaten most of the food.
But saying that, they are all pretty loud so not sure what that means.
I have to order some shampoo from Gorgeous Guineas, it will probably take a few days to arrive, I will partition the cage somehow in the meantime, and order a cage from zooplus.
I find the whole thing too stressfull, plus I can't be with them all the time as my 3 children are off school and need my attention too. So I'd rather separate them for now.
Even the 2 that are in pair aren't close friends, they don't cuddle up or anything, but they tolerate each other.
I guess it's just bad luck.:(
 
When Rosemary came back from an operation Sorrel would not accept her back at all. She was flying at her and was guarding the food bowl. She even guraded the door so she was locked outside.

In the end they were bonded back together at a friend's house where there was lots of loud noises going on. At the same time I cleaned out their house to remove all of Sorrel's spray and scent. When I went back to check on them they were all in a line huddled up together. When they went back there was lots of food there do there was little competition. We also put in an extra food bowl.

I am very sorry this is all happening and mabey you could try doing some of the things I did to bond mine back together.

Hope this helps and good luck with it.
 
I have recently introduced a young girl (of 10 weeks) or so to our pair of 11 month old girls.

We allowed the baby to settle for a week or so in her new environment before introducing our big girls. We introduced them on the sofa covered with a new fleece (so there were no familiar smells) and loads of parsley and cucumber. I sat at one end and my OH at the other. They met in the middle and all ate together. We did this again the next day before moving all three into a pen. We were very lucky as both older girls took to the baby straight away (although Willow did ignore her for a while) and our dominant sow was intrigued by the baby, rather than annoyed with her.

My suggestion would be to let the youngster settle before trying again once they've been bathed.

Likeyour girls my original two weren't overly close and never snuggled up, however now all three will sleep together.

Hope they come round and all settle soon for you :)
 
Calm at last!
Blossom and Buttercup have half of the cage and the hay loft and baby Bubbles has the other half of the cage. It's not ideal but I think until I get a new cage, it's ok. Now it's the kids that are fighting!grrrr
It's really weird, they're all as far away as each other as they can, Blossom in the loft, Buttercup in her house and baby in her half, they don't look happy:( I was told that I shouldn't get one guinea pig as he would get lonely, then I was told girls were easier because they didn't fight, and I was also told that in the wild they live in herds so the more the merrier. I must say I am a bit disappointed. I will try to put some pictures up later, they are very cute!x)
 
Thanks for your offer Guineagrannie, I am in Derby, but I don't drive, they seem ok now they are separated, hopefully, they will get used to each other this way and might be able to share cage one day.
 
All good advice above, also make sure the cage is actually big enough for 3 piggies, I am not sure of your set up as you say there is a hay loft, would like to see the photo of the set up and then perhaps we can suggest other things to help you. With your little Bubbles, make sure she isnt losing weight by weighing her twice a week.
 
is this working? First trial

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Picture1679.jpg

Picture1686.jpg
 
AWW they are all very cute.

When the kids are back in school you're right you'll have more time to devote to it. I have always done it in pairs as it's been easier. I have 6 girls living together but always introduced 2 to 2.
 
Well, I haven't yet taken photos of the new setting, I have a 2x5 cage with a 2x2 hay loft, now that I had to half the cage, it is obviously not really big enough but this is temporary and better than having them kill each other.
They also have an hexagonal run for play time with base and net.
Little one who as you can see on pics is not that much smaller doesn't seem to be interested in pellet or veg but has been eating hay and used water bottle since I have put her on her own.
 
Do you have a rescue close to you that could help you bond them? I got fantastic help getting my group together. They can add other females, letting your dominant girl go with another dominant girl for a whie and just generally mess with them so that the new is not the only "new". It took four days but my group works really well and I've got a very bossy girl. She's still bossy but they all get along.
 
That sounds perfect, I wish I could do that, unfortunately I don't drive and the nearest rescue is miles away! I really hope that things will change because I feel that Bubbles isn't happy on her own, when she first met the other 2, she went straigt to snuggle against Blossom who didn't seem that bothered.
 
Make sure that you have LOTS of space at the reintroduction - better use the bathroom floor, not the bathtub and take your time.

It is not easy to introduce a third party with an established couple.

Here are some more tips. http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38562

PS: Bathing and vicks won't ultimately help if they don't like and accept each other - that's what it comes down to when the chips are down!
 
sad little piggy

Hi there,
I asked some advise to you yesterday as I introduced a new sow to my pair and they just rejected her and were bullying her.
In the end I put half of the indoor run against their cage, secured it to the sides to make a sort of second cage so they can still see and hear each other but can't fight.
Buttercup and Blossom have gone back to their normal selves but poor little Bubbles seems so sad on her own, she's hardly eating anything at all, no pellets and no veg. And spends most of her time hiding in her house.
They sometimes talk to each other and stand on each side of the bars nibbling at them but I don't know what to do?
I am pretty sure that they'll start fighting again if I put her back in with the others but she worries me. I can't force feed her. Is she just missing her mum and is becoming depressed all by herself? ?/
 
benoitsachanoe said:
Hi, yesterday I brought home a beautiful little sow aged 6 weeks, I stripped the cage where my pair of 10 week old sows live, cleaned and desinfected it, put new fleece down, moved things around.
I really tried to make it neutral, I even rubbed hay that had been in the cage on the little one.
I put her in the cage first so that she could have a little look round. Then I put in the other 2.
And since, my dominant one has been at her non stop, she is flying at her making her cry and is not letting her go anywhere, she even goes round her in circles.8...She is so aggressive1 I always thought of guinea pigs as quite gentle creatures.
I have a tube that goes from their cage into the hay loft, she is hiding in there, she doesn't come out. She's not eaten or drank anything.:(
I am quite worried as I only own one cage and I feel so sorry for the poor little thing. I couldn't sleep last night and have just spent hours just staring at them.zzz I'm so tired...
What can I do?
Click to expand...

had this before sometimes they just need leaving, but sometimes it's because there dominant or pregnant.
 
She is lonely - it sounds like she needs a friend of her own rather than this pair that wont accept her.

Do you have the room to introduce a friend for her?
 
I must say I had thought about it but I don't know where I will put an other cage! The cage at the moment is already taking up half of the lounge . Plus we're in the process of having an extension to our house and the builders will have to knock the lounge down so space will be very tight for at least 4 months with just a very small kitchen and dining room downstairs. Bedrooms are tiny. I also have 2 cats and 3 children!
I've only had her 3 days, I would like to give it another try before getting her a new friend. Also it would mean buying a new cage, new fleece... I 've already spent over £200 a month ago when I got the first cage and guinea pigs.
 
Hiya, oh dear this sounds like a nightmare! My pigs Pebbles and Snowy never got on with each other and I never understood why! I guess they have personalities of their own that us humans dont understand!

It looks like you may have to pair up Bubbles with another pig. Is there anyone on here that lives nearish that can help out? Can you stack a new cage on top of the old one (or underneath?). There's people on here that have things for sale cheaper so you may be able to get a used one?

As for the eating thing it may be that Bubbles is used to eating a different type of gp mix? Could you have her and just one of the other pigs out to see how they get on together and it may help her start to eat and become bolder. I should think she's hiding as she's not had any handling before. Where did you get her from?

Good luck x
 
I got her from a really nice lady who owns a guinea pig holiday hotel, she actually gave me some of the food she was used to to mix with what I have at home. She is fine when you hold her, not too scared.
I have tried to introduce her to the others separatly but both were nasty to her.
 
You may be better off finding her her own friend and keeping her separate, if you can afford that or speak to the lady and hand her back - it's no fault of yous, and you have tried your best; but if your sows don't want her, she'll always be an outsider with them!
 
I agree if your girls won't take to her the kindest thing for her is to find her a friend or return her. I had a very similar situation where i had 3 older sows & added a 5wk old baby; she wasn't accepted by one of the sows & for 7wks she was bullied (nipped, chased & not allowed on the floor of the hutch). I had no choice but to rehome her in the end.

Good Luck with your decision :)
 
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