Young piggy behaving out of character.

[Emibee]

I have two 4 month old males who are very different in character. Since yesterday, Theo, who is emerging as the dominant male and is normally very friendly, sociable, vocal and lively, has been behaving very out-of-character. He’s stopped going upstairs in their two-tier hutch (he’s usually zipping up and down the ramp all day long) and is just sitting inside his grass tunnel, not doing anything. He’s eating well, and I’ve seen him move around the bottom tier of the hutch once or twice, which makes me think he isn’t ill or injured. They are outdoor piggies (living in an appropriately insulated hutch) so I’m wondering if he’s been frightened by the fireworks being set off locally over the last few nights. Is it possible this could have a lasting ‘trauma’ effect? Bringing him inside the house is not an option; I’m waiting to have an outbuilding made suitable for them to be moved into, which will be ready in around two weeks time. Does anyone have any advice or similar experiences that they can share, please?
Many thanks.

 

[Piggies&buns]

The fireworks scaring him are a real possibility. A fall out with his cagemate is another - they are coming into their teens.
you always need to check for illness first though - an ill piggy, depending on what is wrong, will likely still move around and eat something, its only when they become very ill that you may notice things really change in that respect. So the fact he’s moving and you’ve seen him eat is not a way to rule out illness.
I’d switch from weekly weighing to daily weighing so you can be certain he is eating enough - seeing him eat hay is very deceptive as you can’t know he is actually eating enough without weighing him.
a vet check for a change in behaviour is always a good idea

 

[Emibee]

Thank you. Since posting, there has been a fall-out between the two piggies - they are now temporarily separated - so I’m guessing that was a repeat of something that happened earlier. They are both very subdued: not unusual for Oscar but unheard of for Theo. Theo has one bright pink ear (the other is its usual pale pink colour.) It isn’t hot to touch and doesn’t look like it’s been bitten but maybe it has and it could be sore. He’s eaten nuggets, dill, coriander, hay and some apple today. I weighed him yesterday so will repeat today.
Thank you very much for your help.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Definitely keep an eye on his weight.

When you say fall out, what happened? They are entering their teens and if they can’t decide who is dominant (or if the submissive decides he wants to make a play for dominance), then this is when problems occur

 

[Emibee]

It was exactly what you describe: the submissive one wouldn’t back down when the usually dominant one made it very clear (with ‘clicking’ and teeth chattering) that he wanted to be left alone. The submissive one launched himself at him then there was a chase around the hutch. The normally dominant one sat completely still for a few minutes then started moving around again. They are now both looking very unhappy and sorry for themselves

 

[Siikibam]

Was the dominant piggy letting himself be humped, chased or mounted? Was he squealing or going for the other piggy as well?

I’m sorry it’s so tense. Teen months can be a difficult time for boars, especially ones where they’re not quite compatible.

Are they still able to see each other?

 

[Emibee]

The dominant piggy was trying to get away but it was all quite halfhearted - he might have squeaked; I was just so surprised by the other piggy’s uncharacteristic aggression that I can’t remember! They couldn’t see each other whilst separated - they’re in a two tier hutch - so I’ve just tried reintroducing them. They’re currently ignoring each other, but the submissive piggy is definitely less bothered by the altercation. I don’t know what to do, now: I don’t want to separate them for too long but equally I’m worried they’ll be unsafe.

I’m a secondary school teacher: I can therefore confirm that these two are definitely being typical teenage boys!

 

[Piggies&buns]

The dominant piggy was trying to get away but it was all quite halfhearted - he might have squeaked; I was just so surprised by the other piggy’s uncharacteristic aggression that I can’t remember! They couldn’t see each other whilst separated - they’re in a two tier hutch - so I’ve just tried reintroducing them. They’re currently ignoring each other, but the submissive piggy is definitely less bothered by the altercation. I don’t know what to do, now: I don’t want to separate them for too long but equally I’m worried they’ll be unsafe.

I’m a secondary school teacher: I can therefore confirm that these two are definitely being typical teenage boys!

Have you put them in neutral territory to reintroduce them? How long have they been back together?
if they come to an agreement and have a change of power than that’s fine but the usually dominant one has to be fine with now being submissive.
if they cannot get on, then they will need to live in separate side by side cages.
don’t forget that it doesn’t have to result in a full on fight to say they aren’t functioning, if one is not happy with the living situation and is withdrawn then that could well be your answer.

this guide can help you
Bonds In Trouble

 

[Emibee]

The reintroduction seems to have gone well: they are now peacefully eating their veg!

 

[Piggies&buns]

That’s good. Keep an eye on them but here’s hoping it was a one off, they’ve had their spat and have sorted things out!

Are they outside? If so, I’d make their hay a lot thicker of a bed to help keep them warm and insulate

 

[Wiebke]

The dominant piggy was trying to get away but it was all quite halfhearted - he might have squeaked; I was just so surprised by the other piggy’s uncharacteristic aggression that I can’t remember! They couldn’t see each other whilst separated - they’re in a two tier hutch - so I’ve just tried reintroducing them. They’re currently ignoring each other, but the submissive piggy is definitely less bothered by the altercation. I don’t know what to do, now: I don’t want to separate them for too long but equally I’m worried they’ll be unsafe.

I’m a secondary school teacher: I can therefore confirm that these two are definitely being typical teenage boys!

Hi!

Please take the tim to read up on our board guides. You should find them very helpful. If you want to try a re-intro, then please follow the advice in the teenage guide. Sadly, people don't buy their piggies foyr who is consistently hanging out with who but for cute looks - which means that the crucial personality match and mutual liking in a bonded are often not present when the big teenage hormone spikes hit.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Guinea pigs regulate the body temperature via the blood flow in their ears; they do not sweat or pant. Dark pink ears means that your boy is feeling warm and is doing equivalent of a little sweating in a human...
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

All of these guides are part of our very useful comprehensive information collection for New Owners, which you may want to bookmark and use as a helpful resource along the way. Unlike a book, the guides format allows us to update and extend our information collection.
You can access the full and even wider collection via the shortcut at the top: New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

 

[Free Ranger]

It's probably just as the experts are saying and normal teenage squaring-up but I will add just one thing. If the dominant piggie is feeling poorly for some reason it can be more obvious to his cage-mate than it is to us so it may trigger a shift in the power balance. It happened with my well-bonded, much older boars some years back. It's still worth keeping a quiet eye on him in case he's under-the-weather physically.

 

[Emibee]

It's probably just as the experts are saying and normal teenage squaring-up but I will add just one thing. If the dominant piggie is feeling poorly for some reason it can be more obvious to his cage-mate than it is to us so it may trigger a shift in the power balance. It happened with my well-bonded, much older boars some years back. It's still worth keeping a quiet eye on him in case he's under-the-weather physically.

Thank you, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Theo - the more dominant piggy - and making a vets appointment if he isn’t his usual lively self. He’s interacting really well with me: nibbling and licking me, taking food and responding to my voice, and all is peaceful tonight, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed

 

[Emibee]

Hi!

Please take the tim to read up on our board guides. You should find them very helpful. If you want to try a re-intro, then please follow the advice in the teenage guide. Sadly, people don't buy their piggies foyr who is consistently hanging out with who but for cute looks - which means that the crucial personality match and mutual liking in a bonded are often not present when the big teenage hormone spikes hit.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Guinea pigs regulate the body temperature via the blood flow in their ears; they do not sweat or pant. Dark pink ears means that your boy is feeling warm and is doing equivalent of a little sweating in a human...
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

All of these guides are part of our very useful comprehensive information collection for New Owners, which you may want to bookmark and use as a helpful resource along the way. Unlike a book, the guides format allows us to update and extend our information collection.
You can access the full and even wider collection via the shortcut at the top: New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

Thank you very much for the advice. I regularly read the very useful boar guides, and visited my boys before I brought them home so I could see who in the litter was spending time with who. They’ve always cuddled up together to sleep, and really miss each other when they’re apart, so I’m hoping they can sort out their differences. Thank you again!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you very much for the advice. I regularly read the very useful boar guides, and visited my boys before I brought them home so I could see who in the litter was spending time with who. They’ve always cuddled up together to sleep, and really miss each other when they’re apart, so I’m hoping they can sort out their differences. Thank you again!

There's never a guarantee but if you can choose two friends you are in with a much greater chance of success than with a random pair or 'brothers' (real or pretend).

It is hopefully just a hormone spike that has died down again within a couple of days.