New baby and older one is quite aggressive

[Pipixoxo]

️Hello I need some advice please️️
Just got my second piggy as a companion for my first one.
Marnie (my first one) hes about 4months old and the second one is like a month old so hes quite baby!
Marnie is constantly rumbling at him, I have attached few video and are you able to listen to them and let me know if both the sound from the baby and mine are okay?
I understand this is quite normal as they have just met each other but i just want to know if they like each other and if everything seems okay?
Marnie also seems to be jumping on the baby one very often or walk over him️
I have separated them now by leaving small one in the cage however marnie seems going crazy and wants to get it - is that normal? Should i leave them separated?
Just worried that the baby wont have any peace at all because of marnie’s constant attention and jumping on him

I have attached few videos to show u what i mean!

 

[Siikibam]

It looks like normal dominance behaviour to me. You can hear baby is also squealing in submission. Did you introduce them on neutral territory, or did you put baby straight into the cage?

Another thing to note is the older one is at the start of his teenage years and he will experience some hormone spikes over the coming year, and occasionally beyond.

A big consideration is also space. Boys need more space than girls or a girl/boy pairing. Recommended for boys is a minimum of 140cm. Do they have that? It looks like they have a run that’s kind of attached to the cage. Did they have access 24/7?

You also need two of everything - bowls, hides (2 exits) etc.

I would say do the bonding again but in neutral territory - it shouldn’t smell of either of them. And you have to see it through to the end - not meaning you let them fight though. Separating and starting again can be stressful for them, so make sure you have plenty of time to keep an eye on them. All going well, you could always leave them in the bonding area overnight. The cage must be cleaned thoroughly before you put them in together.

Have a read of these threads.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[Wiebke]

Hello I need some advice please
Just got my second piggy as a companion for my first one.
Marnie (my first one) hes about 4months old and the second one is like a month old so hes quite baby!
Marnie is constantly rumbling at him, I have attached few video and are you able to listen to them and let me know if both the sound from the baby and mine are okay?
I understand this is quite normal as they have just met each other but i just want to know if they like each other and if everything seems okay?
Marnie also seems to be jumping on the baby one very often or walk over him
I have separated them now by leaving small one in the cage however marnie seems going crazy and wants to get it - is that normal? Should i leave them separated?
Just worried that the baby wont have any peace at all because of marnie’s constant attention and jumping on him

I have attached few videos to show u what i mean!

Hi!

Please do not separate and allow Marnie to work through the dominance phase. It is all par for the course. He is just an excited boy doing his best to show off. The baby is answering appropriately with submission squealing.

Give the little boy a sanctuary with two openings that are too small for marnie to get into instead (see baby bonding chapter in our bonding guide); that will give him a refuge if it is becoming a bit too much.
PLEASE take the time to read these guides here (including videos), including the boar and baby bonding chapters: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Any time you abort a boar bonding, you need to restart it right at the beginning in square one on neutral ground. Put Marnie back in as soon as you have made a refuge out of a cardboard box until Marnie has run out of steam and is calming down. He is just at the start of the teenage months, and the bonding has kicked it off.

 

[Pipixoxo]

Thank you so much for all of yor help since i joined here! @Wiebke unfortunately i found out too late about the neutral bonding and ive just put the baby in Marnie’s cage. However Marnie been in his new cc cage for only a day or two.
How will I know that a baby is fine and the older one isn’t terrorising him?

 

[Siikibam]

I would set up a neutral area and put them in. It has to be free of any of their smells. And you have to have free time to monitor things. If you read the links they should be able to tell you the signs of a failed bonding.

There may be some chasing, humping and mounting. That isn’t terrorising, it’s all part of the normal dominance behaviour.

 

[Pipixoxo]

It all looks fine, i have been advised if my bigger wont chatter it within 5min, is this correct?

 

[Siikibam]

I’m not sure to be honest. Just be aware it may happen later.

How big is their cage? Space is more important when it comes to boys.

 

[Pipixoxo]

It is 90x150cm

 

[Siikibam]

Perfect. Good luck. It looks worse than it is but you’re better prepared now

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for all of yor help since i joined here! @Wiebke unfortunately i found out too late about the neutral bonding and ive just put the baby in Marnie’s cage. However Marnie been in his new cc cage for only a day or two.
How will I know that a baby is fine and the older one isn’t terrorising him?

Make sure that you only have hideys with two exits and add a baby-safe zone that marnie can't get in. Then have a look at the links I have given you. When you watch the baby bonding video, you will quickly realise that babies are so fast and agile, they can run circles around an adult and it is very difficult to hut them unless they allow themselves to be hurt.

Babies are just so dramatic and the submission squeaking is pitying to the inexperienced, but the post-bonding dominance phase (which lasts about two weeks) is NOT hurtful. It is all about gestures of power and working out the small print of the relationship, but it is not violent in itself.

Please take the time to read the guide links in my first post and watch the videos in the bonding guide. You will find them really helpful!