Not sure if my 3 pigs have bonded do I need to get a 4th piggy?

[Piggie.doodles]

Hello! So in October 2020 I decided I wanted to get two sows (who would live in a completeply separate area to my two boars). I knew quite a lot about pigs and the correct care etc One thing I didn't know was the problems with buying pigs from pet shops So I ended up getting the girls from a pet shop (I had already checked all of the rescues near me but their were no pigs available). In February this year I got a baby sow pig to go with my two girls.Because I got my first two girls from a pet shop, they are really skittish so I hardly get to see them. I have started to sit with them and talk to them as they eat their veggies and they all come out (I have to sit very still). Despite me scatter feeding their food so they all have a chance to get some, peanut and popcorn (the 2 from the pet shop) still have arguments over bits of food and snatch it off each other. They don’t let Honey (baby pig) in if she is trying to get something next to them. I also think Popcorn is being mean to the other two as sometimes she does something or walks towards them and they scatter away as if they are scared of her. I don’t know if I need to get another pig so no one is getting left out?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Taking food from each other is normal. Are their weights ok? Are they actual signs of bullying - it’s harder to spot in sows though.

However, ultimately adding a fourth will not fix any problems, in fact get the bond wrong and it could make things worse. If there are problems between the three of them, then the best thing is to work out which two get on best and leave them together. The one who ends up single will then need to be kept in a separate cage and being bonded with a new friend of their own.

 

[Piggie.doodles]

Taking food from each other is normal. Are their weights ok? Are they actual signs of bullying - it’s harder to spot in sows though.

However, ultimately adding a fourth will not fix any problems, in fact get the bond wrong and it could make things worse. If there are problems between the three of them, then the best thing is to work out which two get on best and leave them together. The one who ends up single will then need to be kept in a separate cage and being bonded with a new friend of their own.

I have never checked their weight because they are extremely skittish so they just jumped out of my hands (I was sat down so they didn’t fall). Also, last time I tried to pick them up, one of them managed to escape out of the cage and go under a cabinet and we couldn’t get them out for hours. I was hoping when lockdown eases we could take them to the vet for a health check and their nails to be clipped. It has taken 1yr and a half for the boars (who were given to me by someone who got them from a pet shop) to actually let us pick them up and cut their nails.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I know it’s hard when they are nervous, both mine were, but weighing them needs to be done every week. It’s the early warning sign for illness which enables you to step in and syringe feed as an emergency measure (which can save their life while waiting for a vet). It’s the only way to know they are eating enough hay and knowing that they are otherwise healthy. A piggy who is being bullied can lose weight through not being allowed to eat or become depressed and withdrawn. I'm not sure scattering when one comes near alone constitutes bullying.

Weigh them by herding them into a secure carrier, don’t try to do it by carrying them in your arms. Place the carrier on the scales.

How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely

Keeping trios can mean one piggy may get left out but also trios can work perfectly. It’s important to not put human feelings onto it as piggies have their strict hierarchy and respect their boundaries. You need to work out what is actually going on between your three - are they pulling hair out of each other (this is the equivalent of a boar fight), is one withdrawn, as I said whether they are gaining weight well is a big factor of their happiness. If not, then they are likely fine together, but if they aren’t, adding a fourth will not help at all.

Bonds In Trouble