2 4 month old boars...

[Nutella&ice-cream]

Firstly I think having our boys is more worrying that I brought home my children as newborns.

We got 2 boys and have had them for 4 weeks. They are brothers and are 4 months old tomorrow. The first couple of weeks they were inseparable. Always together and seems to love being together. However this past week has seen them teeth chattering a lot more and now one of them seems to have moved out of the bedroom! He is the skittier one and the other one who is still in the bedroom is more dominant.

I’m just worried about the pig that has moved out! They’re outdoor pigs (in UK) and with the colder weather I’m worried about them not having each other for warmth. The hutch is well insulated, covered, sheltered and we provide lots of hay, extra blankets and heat pads with lots of hideys and I’m happy that they are fine when they’re in the bedroom.

Is this normal behaviour and will it pass? I’ve made sure we have a hidey outside of the bedroom covered in lots of hay and will put the heat pad for the pig there tonight but I’m just concerned it’s the start of something more.

Thanks

 

[DMS260820]

@Piggies&buns

 

[Piggies&buns]

Piggies aren’t always cuddly so don’t worry about that. My two boys don’t sleep together.

What you are seeing is the beginning of the teenage months. Hormones start to increase and along with it, dominance behaviours. This will continue until around 14 months old, with various spikes during that time (around 6 months of age and then again at 9/10 months of age). More boar pairs make it together through the teenage months and into adulthood than not but the teenage months are testing times. As long as one piggy backs down into the submissive position and accepts the dominant’s position, then it should all sort itself out. You do need to keep an eye on them though, and it is important to be sure of the behaviours you are seeing

How big is their hutch? Lack of space is one of the main reasons for boars to fall out.
It’s also important that you respect their hierarchy - handle the dominant piggy first and that you have two/three of every item - houses, bowls, hay piles/racks, bottles. You don’t want to give teenage boars any reason to argue

I’ll attach in our boar guides below,

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Cage Size Guide