Chasing

[Loverofpigs]

Hey I got a 4 week old male Guinea pig for my 2 year old male Guinea pig in summer of 2021, they live in two conjoined Midwest cages and yesterday the older one has started chasing the baby, there has been no blood shed but the baby has started hiding in the corner of the cage.
I have basically two of everything, two hides, two water bottles, two pellet bowls. there’s only one litter box where I usually put the hay because it’s quite big but I did add a small hay bowl in a different part of the cage just in case, they where eating their vegetables together tonight so I know they don’t hate each other.
The baby is around 6 months old now so is it a dominance thing? And is there anything I can do just to make sure they don’t break up their bond? I want to get this all sorted out in the next 2 weeks because I have to leave my piggy’s in my moms care for 10 days for spring break
Thank you

 

[Loverofpigs]

this is the cage if it helps, above them Is the girls and I can’t switch the boys cage with the girls. They have grown up living in the same room close together.

 

[Claire W]

Hi, chasing is normal dominant behaviour and so long as the baby (who is coming up to his teenage years) is able to eat, drink and rest with no interruptions from your older boy, you don’t need to worry. However, the smell of the girls could cause problems. We generally advise to have the girls cage on the bottom of the boys if they have to live in a stacked arrangement or in a separate room

 

[Wiebke]

Hey I got a 4 week old male Guinea pig for my 2 year old male Guinea pig in summer of 2021, they live in two conjoined Midwest cages and yesterday the older one has started chasing the baby, there has been no blood shed but the baby has started hiding in the corner of the cage.
I have basically two of everything, two hides, two water bottles, two pellet bowls. there’s only one litter box where I usually put the hay because it’s quite big but I did add a small hay bowl in a different part of the cage just in case, they where eating their vegetables together tonight so I know they don’t hate each other.
The baby is around 6 months old now so is it a dominance thing? And is there anything I can do just to make sure they don’t break up their bond? I want to get this all sorted out in the next 2 weeks because I have to leave my piggy’s in my moms care for 10 days for spring break
Thank you

Hi

You are currently dealing with teenager at the height of their testosterone output that is starting to push the envelope - which may not be going down too well with their older mate.

Please take the time to read the guide links below; especially how you can work out whether a bond is still viable or not and what measures can help to stabilise the bond. The guides contain all the practical how-to tips and information to allow you to work out what is exactly going on.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[Loverofpigs]

Would it possibly help to take the boys out and let them hangout in the playpen with some veggies and hay for a while, no hidies or anything?
Thank you for the replies

 

[Piggies&buns]

A temporary separation will give a hormonal teen time to calm down, and then a neutral territory reintroduction will allow them to make up their own mind on whether they wish to stay living together.
If they do want to stay together, then that’s great but doing this will not stop the dominance behaviours as that is something which boars will always do. - I have a four year old boar pair who still have occasions of chasing, rumbling and mounting - particularly while your teenager is still a teenager. He will be a teenager until he is 15 months of age

 

[weepweeps]

I hope it’s just hormones and they settle back down soon.

 

[Loverofpigs]

Update:
They seem to be getting along better, I didn’t really see much chasing last night.
The baby has been coming out of the corner to eat w/ the other one and the older one hasn’t been chasing him away

 

[Claire W]

I'm glad things have settled down