Fighting

[GuineaNovice]

Fighting: I rescued my two 6-month old boys 5 weeks ago. They were abandoned to the rescue as a pair and the rescue were happy that they were bonded. They've always done lots of rumble strutting, mounting and bum sniffing but otherwise seemed to get on well and occasionally would sleep next to eachother on top of their hideys.


They life inside in a 5x2 C&C cage, two of every tube and hidey, two food bowls, two water bottles, heaps of hay. I get them out in their run 5 times a week, on the grass or in the kitchen depending on the weather.


This evening, they were fighting really badly in their run. The dominant one was continuously chasing my other boy round and round, lifting his head up and nosing his middle. It went on for two hours with no let up. It really looked like he would bite him.


I took one out the run and put him back in the cage to give them some time apart - but they both went mad, running around and unhappily squeaking. So I reunited them in the cage but my boy was still being non stop chased and nosed by the dominant boy, it was awful to watch. Different from their normal play. So I tried to put a divider in the cage but they both went mad, attacking the divider! Seemed to make it worse so I took the divider away.


Finally I just turned off the light and left them to it, and they did calm down. Right now they are sitting on their separate hideys.


Does anyone have any advice? Am I destined for a proper fight and biting? What should I do?

 

[Black piggies]

Fighting: I rescued my two 6-month old boys 5 weeks ago. They were abandoned to the rescue as a pair and the rescue were happy that they were bonded. They've always done lots of rumble strutting, mounting and bum sniffing but otherwise seemed to get on well and occasionally would sleep next to eachother on top of their hideys.


They life inside in a 5x2 C&C cage, two of every tube and hidey, two food bowls, two water bottles, heaps of hay. I get them out in their run 5 times a week, on the grass or in the kitchen depending on the weather.


This evening, they were fighting really badly in their run. The dominant one was continuously chasing my other boy round and round, lifting his head up and nosing his middle. It went on for two hours with no let up. It really looked like he would bite him.


I took one out the run and put him back in the cage to give them some time apart - but they both went mad, running around and unhappily squeaking. So I reunited them in the cage but my boy was still being non stop chased and nosed by the dominant boy, it was awful to watch. Different from their normal play. So I tried to put a divider in the cage but they both went mad, attacking the divider! Seemed to make it worse so I took the divider away.


Finally I just turned off the light and left them to it, and they did calm down. Right now they are sitting on their separate hideys.


Does anyone have any advice? Am I destined for a proper fight and biting? What should I do?

Sorry I'm not sure and can't advise, sounds very stressful. It sounds like you've thought about everything for them. Is there any chance that the heatwave set them off?

 

[Black piggies]

Or they're entering teenage stage There's a helpful guide on here about that.

 

[GuineaNovice]

I thought it could be the heat. I wrapped up some ice packs and put them in for then yesterday but they ignored them I'm so worried about them, I'm lying here awake and listening out for them. I really hope it's ts a phase

 

[Black piggies]

It's such a worry when they fight. I don't know how to post guides so I've done a screenshot, but these could be helpful?

 

[Jo83]

I’ve been through the same with my boys, I’ve had to do the same and just leave them to it on times as it’s not nice to watch but it’s all normal behaviour for them, they’re best left to sort themselves out & only intervene if there’s actual fighting & blood is drawn! It’s a terrifying time but it does get better once they settle and sort out who’s boss, this page was a god send for me when my 2 were going through it, everyone’s so helpful & knowledgable, you really can’t go wrong! Hope they settle soon for you, good luck

 

[Piggies&buns]

Your boys are now teenagers and right at the height of their hormones. Sadly this is the time when bonds can run into problems if they are not properly matched - they appear to be fine when they are younger but things can change around this point.

Generally the advice is that if the behaviour is only dominance, then leave them to it - they need to sort things out for themselves. Only separate them if it is obvious things are going too intense or they have actually had a full on fight (this is different to dominance - a bond breaking fight is rolling around on the floor in a fury).
If things are getting very intense, you can separate them, give them a few days apart to calm down, let the hormone spike pass and then carry out a neutral territory reintroduction to let the decide if they still want to be together.
What you should not do is reintroduce them in the cage by removing the divider as this can be seen as a territory invasion and cause further problems. You should also not separate them multiple times as multiple separations can further destabilise a struggling bond.

The guide will help you decipher a dysfunctional bond from normal dominance and what to do regarding a temporary separation, reintroduction and then making the decision as to whether their bond is working or not
Bonds In Trouble

This guide explains the processes piggies go through when bonding
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

The guides below explain behaviour aspects for boars as well as gauging the difference between dominance and when things are starting to get more serious
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs