N
newpiggies
Scamper and Pip are now almost 18 wheeks old. When we first got them there was lots of 'bubbling' and cooing at each other. Sometime during the second week when they were about 10 weeks old they began rumbling at each other, some shoving and little nips but no bites or injuries that have drawn blood. No furrball fights. I was told they would settle down after puberty and they are sorting out who is top pig.
They have the same birth date and were brought up together before we got them. We got two piggies because we thought one would be lonely on its own.
What do you do about sows fighting? Do you still keep them together if they are not harming each other physically but doing lots of rumbling? So far I've adopted a watch and see attitude. Sometimes when they are in the indoor run in the kitchen we arrange the run so that they are not together. That seems to help a bit - hardly any rumbling. However it would be a shame to have to subdivide their large hutch. A few days ago we saw Pip trying to mount Scamper while chasing her for a short while and rumbling. Most of the time it is Pip who rumbles but sometimes Scamper does too - she doesn't want pip to be top pig, I think.
I've noticed that if Pip is on her own for any reason, she wheeks very loudly and looks for Scamper. They are also very tolerant of each other if they both feel 'vulnerable' eg both having a bath or being handled, or in a new environment, eg the outdoor run when we had those mild days last week. Their large hutch is cleaned out and sprayed thoroughly every weekend, so removing their smells.
I've tried bathing them together. They are still a bit too wriggly to have lap time together - on one lap.
I've examined them both several times and they both look female to me.
I don't think things have deteriorated to the stage where they need to be separated but am wondering whether we will have to if they don't improve. Any suggestions, anyone?
They have the same birth date and were brought up together before we got them. We got two piggies because we thought one would be lonely on its own.
What do you do about sows fighting? Do you still keep them together if they are not harming each other physically but doing lots of rumbling? So far I've adopted a watch and see attitude. Sometimes when they are in the indoor run in the kitchen we arrange the run so that they are not together. That seems to help a bit - hardly any rumbling. However it would be a shame to have to subdivide their large hutch. A few days ago we saw Pip trying to mount Scamper while chasing her for a short while and rumbling. Most of the time it is Pip who rumbles but sometimes Scamper does too - she doesn't want pip to be top pig, I think.
I've noticed that if Pip is on her own for any reason, she wheeks very loudly and looks for Scamper. They are also very tolerant of each other if they both feel 'vulnerable' eg both having a bath or being handled, or in a new environment, eg the outdoor run when we had those mild days last week. Their large hutch is cleaned out and sprayed thoroughly every weekend, so removing their smells.
I've tried bathing them together. They are still a bit too wriggly to have lap time together - on one lap.
I've examined them both several times and they both look female to me.
I don't think things have deteriorated to the stage where they need to be separated but am wondering whether we will have to if they don't improve. Any suggestions, anyone?
