I have two 1-year old boys, Mike and Gary, and they have been with me and living together since 3 months old. They live in a 2x6 cage with 2x2 loft.
Gary used to be the submissive one but I feel that he is becoming more dominant-like. When they were younger, Gary was the smaller and lighter one but has outgrown Mike over the past 2-3 months. In the past, Gary barely made any sound (except wheeking for food), but I've heard him making the rumble strutting sound for the first time recently (although his rumble strutting is much shorter and less loud than Mike's). Also, he is now making the teeth chattering sound whenever I try to pick him up...(he wouldn't do that to me in the past even though he always hates being picked up).
I feel like Gary is getting more aggressive vocally, and also physically - he sometimes chases after and humps Mike... I don't think Mike is giving way but I feel that he always likes Gary - Mike likes cuddling with Gary during lap times, and he often licks Gary's ears (it never happens the other way round).
Then what worry me recently is that, I see them raising head and making teeth chattering sound against each other more and more frequently. (Most of the time, however, they will break the poses and then rest down close to each other.) Last week, I found a small wound on Mike's nose. I suspected that he got bit by Gary and therefore I tried to separate them...but then they kept crying for each other and so I put them back together. So far I never witness any real biting / fighting between them.
I am a bit confused about their relationship and their hierarchy now... I always thought Mike is the dominant pig because he rumblestruts a lot (and Gary never did so until recently). But since Gary is now also rumble strutting and his behaviour looks increasingly aggressive, does it mean that the hierarchy between them has changed? How do we actually tell if a pig is dominant / submissive?
Gary used to be the submissive one but I feel that he is becoming more dominant-like. When they were younger, Gary was the smaller and lighter one but has outgrown Mike over the past 2-3 months. In the past, Gary barely made any sound (except wheeking for food), but I've heard him making the rumble strutting sound for the first time recently (although his rumble strutting is much shorter and less loud than Mike's). Also, he is now making the teeth chattering sound whenever I try to pick him up...(he wouldn't do that to me in the past even though he always hates being picked up).
I feel like Gary is getting more aggressive vocally, and also physically - he sometimes chases after and humps Mike... I don't think Mike is giving way but I feel that he always likes Gary - Mike likes cuddling with Gary during lap times, and he often licks Gary's ears (it never happens the other way round).
Then what worry me recently is that, I see them raising head and making teeth chattering sound against each other more and more frequently. (Most of the time, however, they will break the poses and then rest down close to each other.) Last week, I found a small wound on Mike's nose. I suspected that he got bit by Gary and therefore I tried to separate them...but then they kept crying for each other and so I put them back together. So far I never witness any real biting / fighting between them.
I am a bit confused about their relationship and their hierarchy now... I always thought Mike is the dominant pig because he rumblestruts a lot (and Gary never did so until recently). But since Gary is now also rumble strutting and his behaviour looks increasingly aggressive, does it mean that the hierarchy between them has changed? How do we actually tell if a pig is dominant / submissive?
