Aggressive Piggie

[jessicaspiggies]

This past week my eldest piggy has been acting very aggressive towards my younger ones (even injuring the smallest foot). I have separated them until I get a bigger cage which is coming in the mail, but every time I get all 4 of my pigs in the playpen together he starts chattering his teeth at the others. I'm scared if I'm not there to control the situation a fight could break loose. He is 4 months old and I heard 4-14 months is a very hormonal time for them. Does this sound like just puberty? I have another one the same age and he doesn't cause any problems at all. If anyone has any tips to get them all to bond that would be great.

 

[jessicaspiggies]

Update: I tried to set him on the couch with a hidey and he just went in the hidey and started chattering his teeth at me.

 

[Wiebke]

This past week my eldest piggy has been acting very aggressive towards my younger ones (even injuring the smallest foot). I have separated them until I get a bigger cage which is coming in the mail, but every time I get all 4 of my pigs in the playpen together he starts chattering his teeth at the others. I'm scared if I'm not there to control the situation a fight could break loose. He is 4 months old and I heard 4-14 months is a very hormonal time for them. Does this sound like just puberty? I have another one the same age and he doesn't cause any problems at all. If anyone has any tips to get them all to bond that would be great.

Hi! Do you have 4 boars in a group? If you do, then it is sadly a recipe for disaster once they hit the teenage months. Please split them into two pairs that have hopefully got more of a chance of making it ASAP. Pair up the boys that get on best. If you are unlucky, you can end up with four boys that will not get on with each other as has happened to once forum member. Make sure that each pair has got plenty of space to not start fighting amongs themselves, so the boys can get away from each other and do not fight.

A quartet with a chance at making it would need at least 4 square metres to ensure that! The only (few) exceptions of the quartet rule I know of are boars with oodles of space, disabled/carer companion groups with different dynamics and different ages (mostly post-hormonal adults) and old age pensioner groups whose testosterone has long since fizzled out. After there has been a full-on fight with bites, your piggies will not go back together, though.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[Reenie]

Just to add to what Wiebke has said. If piggies don't get on, they can't have floor time together. This will really stress them out, and they will fight. They can be in adjoining runs, and although they will chatter and bite the bars to start with, this usually calms down when they are used to it. Good luck.