Sow biting chunks from ear

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Helen G

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Hi
Any advice on this situation, please.
I bought two young sows, one is very dominant and has nipped the other one a couple of times on the ear. They settled quickly and I introduced a third. (In hindsight not the best idea, but I have done this in the past with no problems).

The two original sows started chasing and nipping for dominance. It settled after 3 days but the same one now has a large chunk bitten from her ear, blood drawn. Aside from keeping the injury clean, what would anyone recommend?
The original seller has offered to take the dominant sow back. It’s a shame as aside from the biting, she has the best personality!
Any advice appreciated x
 
Do you think the three might settle given time? Are you thinking of returning top piggy or the new third girl - sorry if I misunderstood there. Are the bottom two aggressive with each other or do you think they would get on if top piggy wasn't there?

I have a little sow who was 2 when she arrived in Jan and under a kilo... a small sort of pig. But her 1st owner wondered whether her dominant cage-mate had been keeping her from eating... no obvious bullying, no injuries, but they were never together. Turns out she probably had - Flora munched her way to a generous 1.2 kilo and although still small in stature is well toned and nimble - a piggy ninja! Do you see any signs of this sort of bullying?

@Merab's Slave - @piggieminder you've been here a while. Who might be best to advise on this sort of girlie fall-out?
 
Sorry I’m not sure what to advise.
Although Jemimah and Priscilla had a pretty dramatic bonding and for a couple of weeks we had nips, fur pulling and chin-offs they settled down. Merab and Phoebe just let them get on with it.

We do have some behaviour experts like @Wiebke who can probably help.
 
Free Ranger said:
Do you think the three might settle given time? Are you thinking of returning top piggy or the new third girl - sorry if I misunderstood there. Are the bottom two aggressive with each other or do you think they would get on if top piggy wasn't there?

I have a little sow who was 2 when she arrived in Jan and under a kilo... a small sort of pig. But her 1st owner wondered whether her dominant cage-mate had been keeping her from eating... no obvious bullying, no injuries, but they were never together. Turns out she probably had - Flora munched her way to a generous 1.2 kilo and although still small in stature is well toned and nimble - a piggy ninja! Do you see any signs of this sort of bullying?

@Merab's Slave - @piggieminder you've been here a while. Who might be best to advise on this sort of girlie fall-out?
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the reply - I’ve honestly no idea whether the top pig or bottom pig should leave the trio. The new, youngest piggie gets butted along a little but nothing other than that. It’s the two older ones (they’re approx 4 months old) who keep chinning up to each other and one keeps having her ears bitten.
However, they all eat together. I watch them in their outdoor run and they eat alongside each other fine. It’s a reasonable size too. I think the dominant top sow is a bit territorial over a particular hidey which I could remove.
I just don’t know what to do for the best in terms of keeping all 3 or not.

Free Ranger said:
Do you think the three might settle given time? Are you thinking of returning top piggy or the new third girl - sorry if I misunderstood there. Are the bottom two aggressive with each other or do you think they would get on if top piggy wasn't there?

I have a little sow who was 2 when she arrived in Jan and under a kilo... a small sort of pig. But her 1st owner wondered whether her dominant cage-mate had been keeping her from eating... no obvious bullying, no injuries, but they were never together. Turns out she probably had - Flora munched her way to a generous 1.2 kilo and although still small in stature is well toned and nimble - a piggy ninja! Do you see any signs of this sort of bullying?

@Merab's Slave - @piggieminder you've been here a while. Who might be best to advise on this sort of girlie fall-out?
Click to expand...
Free Ranger said:
Do you think the three might settle given time? Are you thinking of returning top piggy or the new third girl - sorry if I misunderstood there. Are the bottom two aggressive with each other or do you think they would get on if top piggy wasn't there?

I have a little sow who was 2 when she arrived in Jan and under a kilo... a small sort of pig. But her 1st owner wondered whether her dominant cage-mate had been keeping her from eating... no obvious bullying, no injuries, but they were never together. Turns out she probably had - Flora munched her way to a generous 1.2 kilo and although still small in stature is well toned and nimble - a piggy ninja! Do you see any signs of this sort of bullying?

@Merab's Slave - @piggieminder you've been here a while. Who might be best to advise on this sort of girlie fall-out?
Click to expand...
 
VickiA said:
@Wiebke is the best person to advise. My view would be to separate them. Do you know who inflicted the injury? Did you witness it?
Click to expand...
Oh it’s definitely the ginger/white guinea pig. It’s been happening since we bought them but I separated them overnight and they settled. I’ve obviously upset things with the new arrival.
When you say separate, do you mean permanently?
 
Hi!

I agree with @VickiA . Ear nibbling is the most gentle form of dominance but when it comes to taking chunks out of them, then that is way over the top. There seems too much of a rivalry between your pair going on in combination with the chinning.

The problem is that while this amount of grudge can settle for a while, is bound to resurface again and again; usually at the most inconvenient time and increasingly worse. Nothing like sister pairs that have a rivalry for mum's teats going since they were born. I have had to separate quite a few of them; they have all come from a bad, stressful background. :(
 
Helen G said:
Oh it’s definitely the ginger/white guinea pig. It’s been happening since we bought them but I separated them overnight and they settled. I’ve obviously upset things with the new arrival.
When you say separate, do you mean permanently?
Click to expand...

Yes, I do mean permanently. If she’s taken a chunk out of the other one’s ear then things will only flare up again and the bond will be doomed to failure. I’m sorry, but the aggressor will need to be kept apart from the others.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

I agree with @VickiA . Ear nibbling is the most gentle form of dominance but when it comes to taking chunks out of them, then that is way over the top. There seems too much of a rivalry between your pair going on in combination with the chinning.

The problem is that while this amount of grudge can settle for a while, is bound to resurface again and again; usually at the most inconvenient time and increasingly worse. Nothing like sister pairs that have a rivalry for mum's teats going since they were born. I have had to separate quite a few of them; they have all come from a bad, stressful background. :(
Click to expand...

:agr: With this.
Wiebke and I have both had enough troublesome sows to know that taking a chunk out of an ear is definitely a sign that they need to be separated.
 
Ok, thank you so much for your feedback. I’m gutted as like I said, the aggressor has an otherwise great personality, great with the kids and is the bonniest by far - just far too dominant with her hutch mates.
The seller has agreed to take her back but I’m obviously concerned if this is a potentially stressful environment. However, I have an outdoor set up in summer and can’t accommodate double of this. I also wouldn’t know what other type of guinea pig to put with her as I know they’re not meant to live alone. Would a rescue be better? Or sell her on with the information on her behaviour?
 
Helen G said:
Ok, thank you so much for your feedback. I’m gutted as like I said, the aggressor has an otherwise great personality, great with the kids and is the bonniest by far - just far too dominant with her hutch mates.
The seller has agreed to take her back but I’m obviously concerned if this is a potentially stressful environment. However, I have an outdoor set up in summer and can’t accommodate double of this. I also wouldn’t know what other type of guinea pig to put with her as I know they’re not meant to live alone. Would a rescue be better? Or sell her on with the information on her behaviour?
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear things aren't working out between them.

Surrendering to a rescue would be best. They will find a compatible companion and then be able to rehome her
 
VickiA said:
:agr: With this.
Wiebke and I have both had enough troublesome sows to know that taking a chunk out of an ear is definitely a sign that they need to be separated.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your response
Wiebke said:
Hi!

I agree with @VickiA . Ear nibbling is the most gentle form of dominance but when it comes to taking chunks out of them, then that is way over the top. There seems too much of a rivalry between your pair going on in combination with the chinning.

The problem is that while this amount of grudge can settle for a while, is bound to resurface again and again; usually at the most inconvenient time and increasingly worse. Nothing like sister pairs that have a rivalry for mum's teats going since they were born. I have had to separate quite a few of them; they have all come from a bad, stressful background. :(
Click to expand...
thank you for the response - the whole thing feels like such a disaster! Not at all what I remembered from having guinea pigs previously. I’ll look into separating them; unfortunately I can’t house two set ups as they are outdoors (will be heated in winter obviously). The seller has offered to have her back. Not sure if thats a good idea or not.
Thanks again, Helen
 
Piggies&buns said:
I'm sorry to hear things aren't working out between them.

Surrendering to a rescue would be best. They will find a compatible companion and then be able to regime her
Click to expand...
Thank you so much. I’ll see if I can find one nearby. I’d really bonded with her, even if they hadn’t with each other. So upsetting!
 
We don’t advocate selling piggies on this forum. If you are unable to keep 2 set ups but don’t want to return her to the original seller then please contact your local rescues to see if they will take her in and find her a suitable companion who she gets along with . If you are in Sandbach your nearest approved rescue is the Potteries GPR. If you email Helen who runs the rescue - email address is : [email protected]
 
VickiA said:
We don’t advocate selling piggies on this forum. If you are unable to keep 2 set ups but don’t want to return her to the original seller then please contact your local rescues to see if they will take her in and find her a suitable companion who she gets along with . If you are in Sandbach your nearest approved rescue is the Potteries GPR. If you email Helen who runs the rescue - email address is : [email protected]
Click to expand...
:agr:

If you cannot hang onto your girl as a live-alongside companion with interaction through the bars, then please contact the rescue to ensure that she is in a safe place and that everything will be done to find her a suitable companion and will only be rehomed to a checked home.
I cannot recommend The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue more warmly as the safest alternative.

With piggies like her, it can be very likely be that she will be perfectly fine with a companion that doesn't come with a long history of rivalry and grudge. All of my own separated squabbling sisters have found new stable relationships with a companion of their own choice, whether that was a neutered boar or another sow. It hasn't been quite easy in some cases, but I have got there.
 
Wiebke said:
:agr:

If you cannot hang onto your girl as a live-alongside companion with interaction through the bars, then please contact the rescue to ensure that she is in a safe place and that everything will be done to find her a suitable companion and will only be rehomed to a checked home.
I cannot recommend The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue more warmly as the safest alternative.

With piggies like her, it can be very likely be that she will be perfectly fine with a companion that doesn't come with a long history of rivalry and grudge. All of my own separated squabbling sisters have found new stable relationships with a companion of their own choice, whether that was a neutered boar or another sow. It hasn't been quite easy in some cases, but I have got there.
Click to expand...
Thank you - I’ve contacted them but they are closed due to covid.
The seller I bought the third, lovely/gentle guinea pig from has offered to have her. She seems knowledgeable with guinea pigs.
 
Helen G said:
Thank you - I’ve contacted them but they are closed due to covid.
The seller I bought the third, lovely/gentle guinea pig from has offered to have her. She seems knowledgeable with guinea pigs.
Click to expand...
The rescue is most definitely open. And we are taking in piggies and doing re-homing. Have you had an automatic response to an email? If so please wait for a formal reply from Helen. She works full time in the NHS and needs to fit rescue activity in around work and family (as indeed do we all).
 
VickiA said:
The rescue is most definitely open. And we are taking in piggies and doing re-homing. Have you had an automatic response to an email? If so please wait for a formal reply from Helen. She works full time in the NHS and needs to fit rescue activity in around work and family (as indeed do we all).
Click to expand...
I have managed to get hold of her. It was an automated response. Thank you again
 
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