My piggies not getting along

[Wiggiegrandma]

Hello everyone, I’m new to this forum,
I’m looking for some advice about my guinea pigs. So I own three guinea pigs, I recently added the third one two weeks ago. The first few days they would fight chase each other and hump the others face but it stopped and they seem to establish dominance and calmed down. But now these past two days two of the piggies seem to always be fighting, chasing each other, humping, chattering their teeth and physically fighting. I had to put up the divider to keep them separate. I notice the two piggies now have a black scab under their chin, I'm concern idk if is just from fighting or I should get them checked out. The other piggy that wasnt fighting doesn't have it. Should I be concern or see it if heals on its own?

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
I’ll tag a behaviour expert for you as I don’t have the knowledge to help you.
It would help to know if they are sows or boars and how you tried to bond them.

@Wiebke @Piggies&buns

 

[Wiggiegrandma]

thanks for your help.
They are boards,

 

[Bill & Ted]

Welcome to the forum
Can you give us more info

Are these three piggies males? - males can only live in pairs, three boars rarely get along
What size cage are they in, boars need a good amount of space ideally 5ft x 2 ft minimum for a pair

If blood has been drawn then I’m afraid you need to separate the one Piggie that is causing the fighting, chasing and dominance. This can be difficult but you need to watch and see which two get on ok, keep them together and separate the other, he can live side by side the other two

 

[Bill & Ted]

The wounds may be surface bites or could be quite deep. If they are deep this can cause abscesses around the gums which is something you really don’t want. A vet check might be very advisable

here is a guide for new owners, it’s really helpful for anyone starting out Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.

Unfortunately adding a third boar to a pair of boars is a recipe for disaster. It will cause fights and break bonds. Boars can only live in pairs - one dominant, one submissive.
The key factor is that they find it very difficult to form a hierarchy as a trio. You are most likely to get two dominant piggies and then these two will fight.
The other issue is space. A boar trio will not be able to cope in a commercial cage - they need a cage covering larger than 3 metres by 1 metre to have enough territory. In a cage environment, three boars won’t have enough space, territory or resources and this will lead to problems.

Please clean any wounds with a saline solution (a teaspoon of salt to cooled boiled water) but do see a vet if they are deep wounds so they don’t risk getting infected.

Please separate them permanently.
If two are still getting on ok, then they can remain together as a pair and the other piggy will need to be kept by himself in a separate cage but with the cage alongside the others for interaction through the bars.
Unfortunately adding a third can also upset the bond between the original two so do be aware of the risk that they may all need to live in separate cages going forward.

The pair need a cage a minimum of 150x60cm but 180x60cm is recommended.
The single piggy needs a cage a minimum of 120x60cm.

For more information, please see the guides below

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[Wiggiegrandma]

An update on my guinea pigs
I ended up separating them permanently. The pigs were always stressed from the constant chasing and the new pig got in a physical fight with the same pig again. Now I am looking to get a bigger cage and a divider because I don't have the room for two cages. I'm worried about the piggy that is all alone now. Should I try and find another boar he can bond with? Or would he be happy on his own. Maybe I can build a loft on the knew cage to decrease boredom and he can run up/down ramp.

 

[Piggies&buns]

The single pig will be fine alone provided he can have constant side by side interaction with the others.
One of my pairs of boars have recently fallen out and they now live side by side quite happily and chat to each other through the bars.

Whether you try to bond him with another piggy is your choice but you need to be prepared for a failed bonding if you cannot date your piggy at a rescue to allow him to choose his own new friend. If this bonding fails, you will end up with three separate cages.

So you say you are looking to get a bigger cage you can divide because you don’t have space for two cages.
If you use Midwest or commercial cages, then you will need multiple cages - commercial or Midwest cages are not big enough to divide.

Can you tell us what size the cage you have is, and what you are planning to buy to be able to divide it?

Two boars together need a cage of 180x60cm.
The single piggy needs a cage a minimum of 120x60cm.

It looks like you have a Midwest cage.
One Midwest cage is not big enough for two boars. Two boars would need two Midwest cages joined together to provide them with enough space
One Midwest cage is big enough for a single piggy.

If you were to look to get a c&c cage, then you would need it to be 8 grids by 2 grids (which would measure around 280x77cm. (This would then divide into the necessary 5x2 for the pair, and a 3x2 for the single).
If the single piggy had a friend, then you could stack a c&c cage with one cage on top of the other to save floor space. Again if wojld need to be two 5x2 cages with a pair in each.

 

[Wiggiegrandma]

I have two midwest cages attach together. Thank you, this very helpful I am looking into c&c cages. I think I will just keep the one piggy separated and divide the cage.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I have two midwest cages attach together. Thank you, this very helpful I am looking into c&c cages. I think I will just keep the one piggy separated and divide the cage.

You need to ensure the measurements are all correct before you divide cages.
As it currently stands, you need three Midwest cages to provide enough for all your piggies - the pair need to live in two Midwest cages joined together (one Midwest cage is not big enough for two boars to live in).
And the single piggy needs to live in another separate Midwest cage.

c&c are good cages as long as you don’t have any other pets such as cats or dogs.
As I say, you need a 8x2 c&c cage (made up of a 5x2 for the pair and a minimum of a 3x2 for the single)

 

[Wiggiegrandma]

So I'm planing on getting a c&c cage measuring 30”x 90” (2x6 grids)

 

[Piggies&buns]

So I'm planing on getting a c&c cage measuring 30”x 90” (2x6 grids)

I'm afraid that’s not big enough if you are going to divide it.
It will mean the two piggies who live together have less than minimum welfare size. Plus it also means that they may also fight because they don’t have enough room.

The two piggies who live together need 2x5 grids to themselves, and the single piggy needs a cage a minimum of 2x3 grids.
(The absolute smallest size for the two who live together is a 2x4 but that can still be too small for boar pairs.)

Consequently, you need an 8x2 c&c to be able to divide it appropriately

 

[Wiggiegrandma]

I'm a little confuse on the the measurements. So 280x77 cm converted in feet would be 9’2 feet and long and 3 feet wide.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I'm a little confuse on the the measurements. So 280x77 cm converted in feet would be 9’2 feet and long and 3 feet wide.

About that yes
Although 3 feet wide is 90cm so it is slightly narrower than 3 feet.

But yes, that is the rough measurement of an 8x2 c&c. (When connectors are added it may come in slightly bigger as the connectors obviously hold the grids slightly further apart)