Any Tips For Bonding A Baby Pig With 2 Older Piggies?

[Bitzy&Patches]

Hello!

I rescued a baby female piggy named Clementine on Sunday. I rescued her with intentions to make a trio with my two older female piggies named Bitzy and Patches. I am just needing help to safely bond all my piggies together. I am unsure of Clementines age, but she's definitely no older than 1 year. Bitzy and Patches are nearing 3 years old and they have been together since birth, which I thought could maybe cause a problem concerning bonding?

I have split my 6x2 C&C cage in half with Bitzy and Patches on one side and Clementine on the other. they can all see each other and sniff one another. I let Clementine settle in on Monday and I decided I would try a bonding session today (Tuesday). I was a little unsure whether I should have left them longer? Anyway, I put a couple hay piles down on the floor along with some veggies. I popped little Clementine down first and let her run around a bit to get used to where everything was until I put Bitzy and Patches down with her.

Bitzy and Patches went straight for the hay and Clementine kept her distance for a bit, until she decided to try and join the other two. At first it went all ok and they just ignored Clementine. Bitzy and Patches then started chasing Clementine around, hair nipping her also. There has also been times when Clementine has stood completely still and Bitzy or Patches has come up to her and started to sniff her bum and also nip and sniff her ears. Clementine obviously started squeaking a bit but was being very submissive. She didn't once try to challenge either of my older piggies. There has also been other times when Clem has stood still and the older pigs have just kind of stood by her for a bit and then walked away. But there has just been a lot of chasing and fur nipping.

There hasn't been much teeth chattering or rumble strutting but there has been pee spraying. What I just want to know is if I'm going about this correctly and safely? Should I leave the piggies just to get to know each other through the bars for the rest of the week until I start really bonding them? When will I know the bonding has gone successfully enough for me to let them all in the same cage? or am I making a huge mistake?:S

I would obviously love for it to work and have a trio of happy pigs, but I would like some reassurance to make sure I am doing the right thing. Thank you!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! Please take the time to read through this very detailed step-by-step bonding guide here that covers the whole time from the prep to the end of the dominance phase, which can last a few weeks. When bonding and unless there are fights, please always commit and let the guinea pigs work through the acceptance phase and past the big hierarchy sort-out before separating for the night in case that is really necessary and only if tensions are persistently high. otherwise, you interfere as little with any bonding as you can - it usually doesn't help your piggies. They know know the manual instinctively and won't appreciate any interruption.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

Be aware that your couple may decide that they are happier as a twosome. Adding a third piggy to a well bonded pair is in my own experience one of the most tricky bonding and one of the most likely to not work out. Trios in themselves are the constellation that is most prone to outsider issues in the medium or long term.

 

[Bitzy&Patches]

Hi! Please take the time to read through this very detailed step-by-step bonding guide here that covers the whole time from the prep to the end of the dominance phase, which can last a few weeks. When bonding and unless there are fights, please always commit and let the guinea pigs work through the acceptance phase and past the big hierarchy sort-out before separating for the night in case that is really necessary and only if tensions are persistently high. otherwise, you interfere as little with any bonding as you can - it usually doesn't help your piggies. They know know the manual instinctively and won't appreciate any interruption.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

Be aware that your couple may decide that they are happier as a twosome. Adding a third piggy to a well bonded pair is in my own experience one of the most tricky bonding and one of the most likely to not work out. Trios in themselves are the constellation that is most prone to outsider issues in the medium or long term.

Thank you! Very informative! I just have one question, should I continue the bonding today? Or should I leave Clementine to settle in a bit longer next to bitzy and patches through the bars? Thank you for your help!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you! Very informative! I just have one question, should I continue the bonding today? Or should I leave Clementine to settle in a bit longer next to bitzy and patches through the bars? Thank you for your help!

Please continue and see it through today if possible!

You will need to reserve a few hours and make sure when you transfer the piggies back to the cage once the hierarchy has been well settled and dominance is well under way you that remove any hideys with just one exit for the time being. Chasing and chucking an underpiggy out of a hidey is part and parcel of dominance behaviour; having two exits makes things a bit less dramatic. Brace yourself for some vocal drama once things are underway and remind yourself that dominance is all about carefully judged gestures of power and not about inflicting gratuitous pain, as much as a youngster squeals submission (which is also part of the whole procedure) and protests their hurt feelings.

You can put single exit hideys back in once everything has settled down and the group has been fully established at a few days. If this is not the case, and if it becomes clear that your two older sows are not going to accept the youngster and are not happy with the addition, then please look for a different solution.

 

[Bitzy&Patches]

Please continue and see it through today if possible!

You will need to reserve a few hours and make sure when you transfer the piggies back to the cage once the hierarchy has been well settled and dominance is well under way you that remove any hideys with just one exit for the time being. Chasing and chucking an underpiggy out of a hidey is part and parcel of dominance behaviour; having two exits makes things a bit less dramatic. Brace yourself for some vocal drama once things are underway and remind yourself that dominance is all about carefully judged gestures of power and not about inflicting gratuitous pain, as much as a youngster squeals submission (which is also part of the whole procedure) and protests their hurt feelings.

You can put single exit hideys back in once everything has settled down and the group has been fully established at a few days. If this is not the case, and if it becomes clear that your two older sows are not going to accept the youngster and are not happy with the addition, then please look for a different solution.

OK thank you. I have set up my neutral area and I have all afternoon to observe them. Thank you so much for your help!