Change In Behaviour?

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schnicksy

schnicksy

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i have four piggies. Rufus is top of the tree, with Flynn (f) under him, then Sky (f), then Molly (f). (The boy has been neutered)!

Sky and Molly occasionally have chin offs as they're both trying to avoid being bottom of the pack. Molly is youngest at 9 months (ish) while the rest are a bit over 2. Over the last couple of days, Sky has been rumbling all over the place and chasing after the other piggies. She's also taken to 'guarding' the top of the ramp to the loft. This is totally out of character. Is it normal, like she's in heat? Or could it be something else.

I hope it settles down - it's only been a day or so and I don't want to separate my little herd if I can avoid it.
 
It could be a hormonal spike. One of my girls is having one. She's being nasty chucking everyone out of the hidies. It only lasts a day or 2 at the most.
 
Yes it's normal and is a phase that should pass in its own time. It can take a while though. Mine have gone through 'teenage' months where they've been trying their luck at being the boss over the others.
It's nothing to worry about as long as they don't completely fall out and have proper fights. Some mounting, chasing and the occasional snap at each other is normal :)
 
Thank you for the reassurances. I hoped it was normal but it was so out of character that I started to worry. Hopefully it'll quieten down over the next day or so and they don't have a proper fight.

Sky has always been my little fearless one that goes to sleep on me but she didn't even want to sit with me at the weekend
 
schnicksy said:
i have four piggies. Rufus is top of the tree, with Flynn (f) under him, then Sky (f), then Molly (f). (The boy has been neutered)!

Sky and Molly occasionally have chin offs as they're both trying to avoid being bottom of the pack. Molly is youngest at 9 months (ish) while the rest are a bit over 2. Over the last couple of days, Sky has been rumbling all over the place and chasing after the other piggies. She's also taken to 'guarding' the top of the ramp to the loft. This is totally out of character. Is it normal, like she's in heat? Or could it be something else.

I hope it settles down - it's only been a day or so and I don't want to separate my little herd if I can avoid it.
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It sounds like hormones. If it persists, please have her checked for ovarian cysts. She is basically permanently in season. There is now hormone treatment available as an alternative to a spay.
 
It is probably hormones in a strong heat cycle. One of my pigs used to get really obvious hormonal shifts, some more noticeable than others. She was a whole other piggy during those days, much to her cagemate's dismay!
 
Wiebke said:
It sounds like hormones. If it persists, please have her checked for ovarian cysts. She is basically permanently in season. There is now hormone treatment available as an alternative to a spay.
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Thank you. I'll keep an eye out on how long it lasts for. If it doesn't stop, I'll take her to the vets and ask them to check.
 
By way of an update, it settled down for a few days and now they are arguing again. I think Molly is the instigator this time as she has been rumbling after (and annoying Flynn) as well as having chin off's with Sky. Rufus occasionally breaks it up.

It hasn't come to blows as they separate for a bit. I am hoping it will die down again. Sky seems quieter than usual (although eating, drinking and bounding about the place as normal). And Molly just seems to want to cause trouble! My two laid back piggies just brush it off and are having none of it.
 
Sounds like my herd! Seasons are awful and often result in these sorts of behaviours, it can be difficult to watch. My bottom piggy likes to rumblestrut and try and hump everything that moves when she's in season. She gets told off and nipped at but for the best part the other piggies just ignore her :))

In my experience sows are horrible to each other for about a day when they're in season, it can look a lot worse if they each have a season quite close together but it should settle down :)
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
Sounds like my herd! Seasons are awful and often result in these sorts of behaviours, it can be difficult to watch. My bottom piggy likes to rumblestrut and try and hump everything that moves when she's in season. She gets told off and nipped at but for the best part the other piggies just ignore her :))

In my experience sows are horrible to each other for about a day when they're in season, it can look a lot worse if they each have a season quite close together but it should settle down :)
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I hope it does. My parents are staying at mine and finding it quite stressful as Sky is mounting Molly which is something they've not seen.
 
schnicksy said:
I hope it does. My parents are staying at mine and finding it quite stressful as Sky is mounting Molly which is something they've not seen.
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Haha oh dear! Not exactly acceptable behaviour when you have guests :))

My girls love a good dominance hump, hopefully yours shall calm down in a few days XD
 
Update: it's all settled back down to normal now. Occasional grumpiness because someone is sleeping where another wants to sleep. Hopefully it won't happen again!'
 
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