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had my guinea pigs out for the first time tonight, but...

  • Thread starter Thread starter gembob
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gembob

they were both walking around rumbling i think you call it(it was like they were vibrating there throats)does that mean they were happy or not? also the crested one was running around and jumping about(popcorning i think you call it) does that mean he was happy? but what bothered me the most was the punky the crested one was sniffing drizzles bum, the teddy one. then he was squaring up to him right in the face and i think they sort of went for each other a couple of times. even though there was loads of hay for them to eat, everytime one of them picked a piece up the other would come along and pinch it!they both did this to eachother a couple of times! is this a bad sign, because i didnt think they started any of that till they got to about six months, and id say there about eight weeks maximum i think! the crested one when he was squaring up to the teddy one even wiggled his bum really strangley. it was amusing, but is that okay? as much advice as possible would be appreciated, thanks evryone. gemmax:{:{:{:{
 
Are they both boys? I don't know much about boars having sows. BUT The first 2 we got came as sisters and had been living together their whole life. We got them home and put them in an indoor hutch but they seemed so unhappy and in the dark that we made a C&C cage for them, loads of room. However one of the sisters started rumble strutting all the time once in there at her sister, she seemed to want to assert her dominance and she became the dominant one. I think that they need to establish whose the leader and so you get this behaviour in the start. They also would square up and lift their chins at each other to decide who was boss. Once that was established (about a week) it stopped. There were a few nips but nothing major.

The popcorning is a good thing. They do that when happy. My little babies have been doing it this morning and it's lovely!

I bet it all calms down once the settle in properly.
 
thanks for your advice, i was worrying about it in bed lastnight. i thought maybe it was a sign that there going to be really agressive with eachother. i know theres still a chance, but I'm just hoping not! punky the crested one was jumping about that much he flipped over and i saw all his little belly! i just felt sorry for the teddy one at points. thanks again. gemx
 
Hi Gembob, i have two boars that are brothers and they do have the odd rumble now and again, the odd teeth chatter and noses in the air! Its a bit rude but they also hump each other, but usually it doesnt end in any nipping or fighting. As long as they dont actually hurt each other I think its ok, (if they did then you'd have to separate them obviously) but I like to think that they are just like two old blokes that need to have a moan at each other now and again to clear the air! (and you can guarantee they will both want the same blade of grass) grrrr

Its great you are letting them out, when they get used to it they will love it! I have an old sheet bottom I put on the grass and the piggies love running under it and following each other. (They have a run but I also make a brew then sit in the garden and let them out).

The jumping about is popcorning so you must have really happy piggies! xx
 
Guinea pigs need to sort out who's "top pig" first, before they can become friends - rumblestrutting etc... That one of yours is popcorning means he's happy!

Have a look at the boar behaviour thread at the top of the behaviour section. It is very helpful and informative!
 
thanks everyone, well my partner finished there run today, so they have been outside for a good hour today on the grass, and they haveny argued today, and they havent done any popcorning either, personally i think they liked being on the towels in the living room lastnight and thats why they were doing it, I'm not sure though! they even came out a lot with a four and a half, and an eighteen month old peering in and running up and down the garden(and a jack russell watching them! so i think they are starting to get used to our mad family!lol. ive put some carrot in there bowl, but they havent touched it to be honest. i know this might sound like a stupid question, but when they have cabbage, brocolli, and things like that, do you have to cook it first?gemx
 
No they get it raw (thank heavens!). Mine like the brocolli stem much more than the flowers so don't worry about giving them that kind of thing - same with cauliflower, the stems are the favs.

It's nice actually to give them a bowl of chopped veggies and watching them eat together. Although mine are nicking their fav bits from each other!
 
Nope, no cooking needed. They live on raw grass and other plants in the wild, so unlike us, their digestive systems are adapted for it.
Glad that they're settling in!
 
gembob said:
they were both walking around rumbling i think you call it(it was like they were vibrating there throats)does that mean they were happy or not? also the crested one was running around and jumping about(popcorning i think you call it) does that mean he was happy? but what bothered me the most was the punky the crested one was sniffing drizzles bum, the teddy one. then he was squaring up to him right in the face and i think they sort of went for each other a couple of times. even though there was loads of hay for them to eat, everytime one of them picked a piece up the other would come along and pinch it!they both did this to eachother a couple of times! is this a bad sign, because i didnt think they started any of that till they got to about six months, and id say there about eight weeks maximum i think! the crested one when he was squaring up to the teddy one even wiggled his bum really strangley. it was amusing, but is that okay? as much advice as possible would be appreciated, thanks evryone. gemmax:{:{:{:{
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your ok its normal mine do it as well they are brothers
 
well ive put lettuce leaves in there bowl today, and it was funny watching them eat it and fight over it aswell!haha. everytime the dog had a nose though, they run back into there hole!hehe. ive gotta drop a word in with ron our neighbour, his garden is like an allotment, he grows everything!i think I'm gunna have some very lucky piggies!
 
watch out with giving them to much lettuce it can cause upset tummys and runny poo lol the joys, Glad there getting on better xashx
 
thanks, i gave them some out a pack salad that we have, so they were like actual leaves instead of iceburg or anything, but yeah i will be careful.gemx
 
AHH so you found something they like! It's fun isn't it?

Sometimes it's worth persevering as mine haven't been fussed on celery chopped up but I bought abother pack on offer after a break of it and they are taking it.
 
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