Seemingly unbonded sisters?

[Syann]

Hi All,

Just wondering what you thought about this...

As you know i got these two girls about a month ago now. For the first 10 days they were always together, but then there seemed to be a bit of a power strguggle going on.

That settleled after another 10 days, or there abouts. But now they are never together. The only time they interact is when i pop some tasty greens and veg in for them. They rarely bicker over it...but they just do not seem to communicate at all.

Their hutch is a double decker... One lives upstairs, the other lives downstairs. They will pop up and down during the day, but never for too long.

The pregnant one, Rosie, seems to want company, but is chased off by Daisy if she gets too close - could it be due to her pregnancy?

I'm wondering if i should maybe seperate them before Rosie gets any bigger and a move would be stressful? I'm worried also for the babies - what if Daisy doesnt want them about? What if it caused fights etc?

Is it possible or a good idea to try rebonding them at this stage?

Any advice much appreciated?

 

[Lisajazz]

I think that sounds okay to me (i'm no expert). I have 6 sows and only 2 of them actually spend alot of time together. Other than that they will sometimes eat hay together (or at least be at the hay manger together) but they aren't all that close and I have 2 sisters too. When they first went into their big cage one of the two rumbled the other one all the time.

As long as they aren't fighting i think it's okay.

 

[Wiebke]

My two sisters Nia and Nerys are not exactly close, either, now that they have settled; and Nia will nip poor Nerys fairly regularly...

I would recommend that you take Daisy out before the birth, and then see what you get in terms of babies to figure out what to do afterwards, when they have stopped nursing.

 

[Laura-CCC4]

I think you should be okay whatever you decide with this, as long as do you keep an eye on each pig. The girls are not fighting - they're not close, but Daisy is getting the message and obeying Rosie when Rosie shows that she wants her own space. That is a good sign, and unless that changes and Daisy pesters or tries to dominate Rosie, I don't see much reason for separating. If there is any doubt then do separate them for Rosie's sake, but at the moment it sounds like they're being pretty normal.

In regards to splitting them up in time for the birth, I think a week (or two) before Rosie is due it is worth letting her have some space all to herself, so she can rest, give birth and wean her pups in peace. It is a personal view, some people will say "just let them get on with it", but I myself prefer to advise caution when there is any doubt or concern. I think only when guinea pigs are especially close to each other, and are recognised as particularly social piggies who do not cope well alone, should the group remain entirely as it is.