Two male guinea pigs fighting, bonding, or establishing dominance?

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Pitch&Riddick

Junior Guinea Pig
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My two piggies, Pitch and Riddick, often fight or tussle. They chatter at each other (I have yet to determine what the sound is and what it means. It feels like a growl but it sounds like a purr) and Riddick will kick his hind legs at Pitch. They muss up their cage by scurrying around the tunnels I made for them out of some shoeboxes. Once I put the sheet over their cage for bedtime, I instantly hear chattering and begging flying around as things being knocked over.

I think Pitch is picking most of the fights. Riddick mostly hides away in his little tree stump or in the shoebox tunnels and Pitch is usually found chilling in the litterbox or near the food and water.
 
Pitch&Riddick said:
My two piggies, Pitch and Riddick, often fight or tussle. They chatter at each other (I have yet to determine what the sound is and what it means. It feels like a growl but it sounds like a purr) and Riddick will kick his hind legs at Pitch. They muss up their cage by scurrying around the tunnels I made for them out of some shoeboxes. Once I put the sheet over their cage for bedtime, I instantly hear chattering and begging flying around as things being knocked over.

I think Pitch is picking most of the fights. Riddick mostly hides away in his little tree stump or in the shoebox tunnels and Pitch is usually found chilling in the litterbox or near the food and water.
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Hi! Could you please tell us how long you have had your boys and how old they are? That will have major bearing on our answers and advice. Thank you!
 
As well as Wiebke’s questions, how big is their cage. And do you have 2 of everything?
 
Wiebke said:
Hi! Could you please tell us how long you have had your boys and how old they are? That will have major bearing on our answers and advice. Thank you!
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I've only had them for a little over a week. I took offered to take them from a friend who couldn't take care of them anymore. I think she said they were about 6 months but I'm not entirely sure
 
Siikibam said:
As well as Wiebke’s questions, how big is their cage. And do you have 2 of everything?
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They're in a 2x2, and I know they need at least a 2x4, but my mom and I are looking into hutches and hopefully buying one this week or very soon. I have 3 water bottles and one dish for pellets as well as one larger dish for veggies. I have two shoe boxes that are right next to each other, making a little tunnel and one tree stump hidey-hole. I'm looking into getting fleece bedding so my room isn't a mess with the disposable chips
 
Pitch&Riddick said:
I've only had them for a little over a week. I took offered to take them from a friend who couldn't take care of them anymore. I think she said they were about 6 months but I'm not entirely sure
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No wonder about the scrapping then - 6 months is the time when the testosterone in teenage boars is at an all-time high and when a move to new surroundings can really overturn the already wobbly apple cart! :(
Boars at that age should have at least 2x5 ft and you need to be able to split it with interaction through the bars in case the two boys fall out.

Please take the time to read these two guides here. They are very detailed and specific; you will hopefully find them helpful in judging what is going on, what you can do and when it is better to separate.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

Please also be aware that guinea pigs are not winter-hardy or heatwave resistant, and that they should ideally come inside at this time of the year.
Cage Size Guide
Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
Hot weather management and heat strokes

Take the time and also ask your mother to take the time to read our new owners guide collection before you make any decisions: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
They are right in their teenage months. Hormones are flying and dominance behaviours ae their key thoughts! Also, It can take them a while to settle in to their new surroundings. Give them some time to settle but keep an eye on them. As long as it remains normal dominance behaviour and not a full out blood drawing fight.

As you are aware their space is far too small and is likely to be contributing to any bickering. Boars need a huge amount of room. A 2x5 c&c is the smallest you should consider. I originally had my two boys in a 2x4 and that wasn’t enough space for them so I put them in a 4x4 and their bickering settled down.
 
Piggies&buns said:
They are right in their teenage months. Hormones are flying and dominance behaviours ae their key thoughts! Also, It can take them a while to settle in to their new surroundings. Give them some time to settle but keep an eye on them. As long as it remains normal dominance behaviour and not a full out blood drawing fight.

As you are aware their space is far too small and is likely to be contributing to any bickering. Boars need a huge amount of room. A 2x5 c&c is the smallest you should consider. I originally had my two boys in a 2x4 and that wasn’t enough space for them so I put them in a 4x4 and their bickering settled down.
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Would a hutch be enough space for them? I also live in an apartment complex so they can't really go outside, and they would just be inside
 
Pitch&Riddick said:
Would a hutch be enough space for them? I also live in an apartment complex so they can't really go outside, and they would just be inside
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Please opt for either a C&C (which is easier if you have to keep them as bonded next door neighbours) or a traditional cage. Hutches are too dark for indoors rooms and there is not enough ventilation on hot days.
Guinea pigs are strictly indoors pets for North American countries because the extremes of weather are much more pronounced than in the milder and generally more moderate climate of the UK. Even in the UK there is an increasing shift to keeping guinea pigs as indoor pets.

Here is information on C&C cages (which are cheaper than a hutch, by the way)! All About C & C Grid Cages Around The World

Can I please remind our UK members to take into account different climates etc. when advising members from other countries and to not just assume that UK conditions apply to everywhere? This can save the member asking for advice unnecessary confusion and misunderstandings. ;)
 
2 x 2 isnt even big enough for a hamster , def get a good size hutch atleast 160 cm long
 
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