not sure what to do!

[wales1000]

i have 3 girls around about 3 months old and i have noticed one of them is not growing as much as the others. I sat down late last night watching them in the cage and noticed the other two keeping pestering her and she panics all the time - she doesnt come out of her house and when she does the others seem to bully her. I really dont know what to do with them - I have a neturered boar who lives with a female and we tried housing them altogether, but lucy the older female just attacked the babies, i have tried again today and she tried to attack them again. Lucy i think needs to live on her own, do you think I could be cruel to house the 3 babies with the boar, so maybe he will sort out the two babies and maybe the one who is being bullied will perk up and have Lucy living on her own? I have been thinking about this for hours now and I just dont know what to do!?

 

[starla]

Will Lucy not accept the baby who is being bullied? Because you could put the boar, Lucy and the bullied baby together and leave the other two babies alone.

If not I would take the bullied baby out anyway, perhaps house her alone for a while and maybe you could get her another friend?

 

[wales1000]

OH said about doing that - I shall have a go and see how Lucy reacts to her. Unfortunately we cant get any more piggies, we have 14 now, and there is no room at the inn so to speak.

thanks for your reply xx

 

[Missbonbon]

I would definately take out the bullied baby.
One of my sows lost loads of weight, I thought she was ill, but after watching her and her hutch mates (2 other sows), I saw one of them was chasing her and bullying her away from the food.

Now she lives with a younger piggie her own age and is now eating loads and putting on weight!

I am sure about housing her with a neutured boar, how old is the bullied baby?

 

[starla]

ah right, well I would see how Lucy reacts, have you tried letting them run in a neutral area, I know everyone goes on about it but I always do this with mine and it helps them bond so much better.

 

[lindsay7]

Oh bless you hope that you sort out a solution soon.

My Honey B came to me from Niki as she was housed with two of Nikis other sows one of which was bullying Honey b so she came to me and paired up great with my Trinny and Susannah who are all the same age Honeys birthday being 6 days before the girls birthday! even when i put Murphy (neutered boar) in with them all they still get on great.

Honey is definately the boss of them all and mothers the girls we call Honey b the dinner lady as she weaks loudly until all the others are around the dinner bowls as if she is rounding them all up. So hopefully your little girl will be ok once she moves in with friendlier house mates x)