So my guinea pigs are starting to warm up with me and are okay with me watching them run around. I have two males, one white and one brown. The white one would walk up to the brown one and put his head over him. I thought that he was trying to hump him like bunnies do. But the brown one would shift away. The white one didn’t like that so he starts to rock back and forth purring. After a couple of seconds the brown one would chase it off and the go back to normal. I know not to interfere, but one should be an “Alfa” right. If there isn’t one they should get separated. (Sorry for typos or anything.)
Swaying back and forth
- Thread starter Guyinea
- Start date
This is called rumblestrutting.
Yes one will be dominant and the other submissive. The submissive should let the dominant hump him.
You only separate them if there is a full on blood drawing fight
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Yes one will be dominant and the other submissive. The submissive should let the dominant hump him.
You only separate them if there is a full on blood drawing fight
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Bradshaw Piggies
Forum Donator 2023/24
I’ve have separate male pairs. This is very normal. They will even rumble strut at other pigs through the bars.
Free Ranger
Forum Donator 2023/24
When George lived alone for a time he came out to eat his grass without any fanfare but now he lives with a little sow and has two more next door and he rumbles everywhere he goes to show what a great big boar he is! When his petite cage mate first moved in she also had a little rumble back at him but she accepted him as dominant (a first for nervous George!) and now she just lets him get on with it. He rumbles into the snuggle tunnel to claim it and then rumbles around inside, and she'll just wait. When she sees her chance she shoots through at such speed and out the other side before he knows what's happened! Sometimes he blocks it with his bulk so she just clambers over the top prompting aggrieved rumbling from inside as he tries to retain his dignity! She could easily walk around - there's plenty of room - but she's cheeky - she's only been here 2 weeks!
Two boars decide who is the dominant pig by testing each other in subtle ways. It doesn't really matter which roles they take as long as they're both happy with it. If they're well bonded but go to a new home they'll be rumbling again as they get to know their new territory. You are right not to interfere as the rumbling is just them working it out. It might settle or they might spend their lives rumbling away on and off as part of normal conversation... I think George will be a bit like that now but we'll see over the next few weeks. It will be better then the profound silence of a lonely pig. If there is a real fight and blood is drawn this is not a good result - the bond is broken - 'winner' and 'loser' might be established but it won't calm down so they won't be able to live together any more. It's not just boar-boar, it's the same for boar-sow and sow-sow but boars can just be more dramatic! It's great that they're getting used to you ☺
Two boars decide who is the dominant pig by testing each other in subtle ways. It doesn't really matter which roles they take as long as they're both happy with it. If they're well bonded but go to a new home they'll be rumbling again as they get to know their new territory. You are right not to interfere as the rumbling is just them working it out. It might settle or they might spend their lives rumbling away on and off as part of normal conversation... I think George will be a bit like that now but we'll see over the next few weeks. It will be better then the profound silence of a lonely pig. If there is a real fight and blood is drawn this is not a good result - the bond is broken - 'winner' and 'loser' might be established but it won't calm down so they won't be able to live together any more. It's not just boar-boar, it's the same for boar-sow and sow-sow but boars can just be more dramatic! It's great that they're getting used to you ☺
Okay thank you
Thanks!
I searched this up on the internet but it was just talking about sick guinea pigs.