Unhappy girls?

[nickyt88]

I'm aware I've only had my piggies for 3 weeks but I'm that concerned about the behaviour I thought id share. Topsy is 14weeks old and Digger is 10weeks old. The breeder said they were used to living together so I trusted that, they are both girls too.

As Topsy is considerably bigger, she first started to show dominance; sitting on FDigger and bullying her a bit over food. She would also nudge her bum which Digger would kick out at her. I saw this as normal behaviour for two girls figuring out the pecking order.

I left them for the first week to settle in but then put them in the run together and held them every day. Topsy will happily sit and be stroked but Digger will not settle down and when stroked, purrs deeply and vibrates - she doesn't seem happy.

Anyway tonight in the run, they just constantly play fight and then Digger starts to pull Topsys hair out. It was quite distressing to watch! I don't know if she's trying to prove herself as the boss over Topsy or if she's really unhappy or stressed. Otherwise they run around chatting to each other inbetween play fighting and seemed ok.

I've read that the hutch might be small and they need their space, but this happens in the huge run. I'm concerned if I leave them alone now they're really going
To hurt the other! Is this normal behaviour? And should girls fight?

 

[kirst10]

This forum doesn't support breeding or breeder's hun, =[ so not to sound harsh, but i wouldn't trust the breeder.
Ask plenty and as many questions as you'd like on here, there of heaps of folks with mountains of knowledge.

At a guess i'd say thats dominance behaviour and the pulling/chewing of hair is a part of it called 'barbering' (methinks, but again, someone else with better knowledge will pop by).

All i can suggest is regularly (every 3/4 days) clean the cage, use a guinea pig safe cleaning spray and totally neutralise there environment, even rearrange the layout of the things you have in there enclosure that way your creating a neutral ground for them to re-aquaint. How big is there enclosure by the way, do they have plenty of space?

Fingers crossed hun! =)

Edit: my girls have done nothing but fight for 6 weeks, both from different litters, both very weeny and both turned out to have ringworm (which i am now fashionably sporting) which contributed to one pigs in particular, temperament. Have you had them checked out by a savvy vet? Might be worth a check up!

 

[nickyt88]

The cage is a Ferplast 100 x 57. Reading up, I saw this was perhaps a bit small so I've bought some grids to make a c&c cage myself, so just trying to give them lots of floor time in a larger area until it comes

 

[Mummylind]

Oh dear, you poor thing. I am sure someone very experienced will read your post today. Sorry I can't help and hope you get some good advice. Try not to worry.

 

[Pepperdog]

I started with a group of 3 girls, two were a couple of months old, and one was the unexpected baby from one of them I picked them all up after mum had given birth incase she had males and I only wanted females. From the beginning the baby got picked on by the rex female, mum would occasionally protect her but as she aged she got a rough deal from mum too but never anything too nasty and I have them in a 5 x 3 two tier hutch in the summer and in a huge pen in the winter so there was plenty of space for them to get away from each other.

I later introduced a neutered male to the group which I hoped would stop the picking on the baby which is did - not that I am suggesting you do this, and this wasnt the whole reason I adopted him, just that it was a positive effect on my gang.

They still put her in her place from time to time, she is now 7 months old and they are a year but they have survived well enough, I have never seen any real dominance or worrying behaviour between them, they have arguments all the time but nothing that isnt normal behaviour.

On the subject of cuddles, when the baby was really young she was a nightmare to cuddle, she was far more interested in boggin off and exploring everywhere but she did calm down as she matured. She still would rather be somewhere else as she is a very independant and curious girly but she will enjoy some cuddles, it just takes some time.