finding out the hierarchy in my guinea pigs

[steph1704]

hello everyone!

I am curious to know about my guinea pigs hierarchy and finding out who is "the boss" etc. Is there a way to know this? I know the males are excluded from the female hierarchy. I have a mixed gendered herd of 11 females and three castrated boys. The only thing I can say is that about three of my older (they are only 1yr old) piggies (Minnie, Ginny and Pumpkin) are much more confident than the others and let me stroke them and I hand feed them often, they even come when I call them. One of those three piggies (Minnie) is also the favourite of the biggest male (Fin) (he is the father to the other 2 boys and 5 girls). Fin used to curl up next to Minnie to sleep when she was pregnant and now he follows her everywhere... they eat together and they are truly like a guinea-married couple! I assume the babies are lower ranking than their mums (they are about 6 months old now) but I'm not entirely sure! That still leaves 3 females (Amber, Holly and Winnie) that I'm totally clueless about where they might stand in the hierarchy.

Thank you for your help and enjoy my recent guinea photos!

yes the babies are all grown up now and I am pleased to say that they are all very healthy! Back in April I did lose two to a crow who ate them, and that was very sad for the entire herd as they passed away right next to their enclosure. It was particularly sad as it was two siblings.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Working out the hierarchy in a larger group is always difficult. The boars have their own hierarchy and so have the sows, but there is then also an all-over hierarchy. You may also find that sows attach themselves to different boars to hang out with.

How piggies interact with you is not relevant.

Generally you can work out a sow hierarchy by which sow is chasing and mounting another when experiencing a strong season - it is usually the one ranked just below or (if there is no lower sow) the one ranked just above.
Boars establish their hierarchy by rumblestrutting contests (what I call a 'boar haka'); he who is biggest and has the most sonorous rumble usually comes top. Boars trying it on usually wiggle their bums too energetically to make up for lack of size.
The top council usually has first choice of property and food. Experience does count in a group, so leadership often lies with middle aged or fit older piggies. If the top sow becomes to weak from illness or old age, then there can be a takeover.

 

[steph1704]

Oh wow thank you for all the info !