Guineapig nibbling ears

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BowieHendrixLennoxMarley

BowieHendrixLennoxMarley

Teenage Guinea Pig
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My guineapig Bowie has been eating my other guineapigs ears... Hendrix doesnt really seem to care, and isn't in any discomfort but her ears have become scraggly :( help! Why is Bowie doing this!
 
I've not dealt with this before i'm sorry........... :(
I'm hoping someone will be along soon to help you :)
Maybe it's a dominance thing?

I'd also like to welcome you and your piggies to the forum :)
Good luck and please if you have time to pop some pigtures on of your little ones,

Glynis, Velvet and Onyx x
 
Thankyou anyway.

Yes Bowie is the dominant one so that is maybe what it is. Also hendrix has allways been shy and submissive to all guineapigs but I have just got my 9weeek old one and she randomly dives on the baby... It's really strange as my more dominant two mother it. I will pop some pictures on of my babies now :) thankyou.
Aimee, Bowie, Hendrix, Lennox and Marley x
 
I believe that it is a dominance thing, my boys do the same thing. It could be their way of telling the other pig to get out of the way, get off my food etc. Junior's ears are perfectly intact, but I've noticed that Casper has a couple of nicks in each ear. He isn't in any discomfort at all, and the pair are lost without each other. But Casper always wants what Junior has, and he doesn't like it at all.
Have you noticed a time in particular where it happens? If it happens at feeding time, maybe it would be a good idea to get Bowie out and hand-feed her for a while, give her some personal time and to give the others chance to eat without disturbance.
Also, if Bowie is a bit put off by having the baby in the group hutch with her, why not try and give the two of them some floor time on neutral turf? That way Bowie is less likely to think she is intruding, and will spend more time playing with her and getting to know her :) Plus you can monitor them and see just what it could be that is causing the conflict.
 
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Bowie nibbles ears quite randomly... It doesn't seem to have anything to do with feeding etc, it's completely random...
Hendrix the less dominant one who has her ears nibbled is the one who doesn't like the baby, it's just really strange as she's the quite one, and she's mean to the baby... it's as if she is scared of the baby! even though the baby is tiny :) I've just been allowing the baby and the three older piggies to have time in the cage and floor etc together supervised, but I don't want to leave the baby in overnight just in case... I hope it gets sorted soon
A-B-H-L-M x
 
How big is the hutch your ladies are in? Do they each have a place where they can hide/have private time? Bowie might just be a typical woman and need her space lol.
I would maybe watch over Hendrix and your little baby, and allow them some floor time or cuddle time for just the two of them! Or spaced cuddles; have one person holding each of the 2 pigs, so they're aware of the other and can interact if they want to, but you can split them up if they squabble. Maybe she feels threatened by the new addition?
 
It is quite a large cage, but as they are with me at university its not as big as their one at my home, so that may be why they are squabbling... they all seem to want the piece of space! :) I think Hendrix is slightly intimidated by it as she has been the one who was bullied at first by Bowie. When my boyfriend comes in I will get him to help me with cuddle time x
 
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