Pigs picking up bad habits?

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Gojira

Gojira

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Since our two new rescue guinea pigs arrived in the house our current guineas have been getting a bit jealous. Well, to be honest only one of them is really jealous. We had their cages near each other for a while, and Ispín was practically chewing the bars to get next door. We gave them some play time together to bond and have been doing so every day, but it always ends up having to be broken up due to heavy chattering and huffing and almost fights.

Then when seperated, the same pig is back wheeking and trying to get over to them.

About the bad habits. I've never heard a guinea pig teeth chatter before I got the new pigs. They chattered when they first met and I was really shocked and didnt know what it was for a minute. After a play date yesterday. I put the new guineas back in their cage, which is now in a seperate room. Then a few minutes later. I was trying to pet Ispín, the jealous one, which he usually lets me do. But this time he ran and chattered at me. As I said, he has never chattered in his life until the new pigs arrived and then only in their presence. Chattering at me for just trying to pet him really upset me, and even for salad time later that day he wouldn't really let me pet him properly. His brother Spock is fine and doesn't seem phased. I'm hoping all of this will pass with time?

As a side note, the new guineas have only been with me a week and I have no idea what kind of life they had before I got them. They are 13 weeks old now though. However, if I'm honest and frank, they are scared ****less. At the moment I'm giving them the bare minimum handling but making sure that every time I'm at their cage good things happen like salad hay food and water. Is it just a matter of time repeating this process? Should I increase my handling of them? Thanks.
 
I can't say much on the boys' behaviour with each other, but I can shed some light on rescue piggies. I adopted a girl a week ago, and she is still nervous and isn't quite comfortable with me just yet. She's getting there, don't get me wrong! But I made a point of picking her up twice a day. Once with her friend so she had that comfort, and once on her own so she could get used to me. She is still nervous and a bit scared, of course. But getting her used to handling means she can relax more in my company, she's even progressed to me hand-feeding her! Your boys will learn to know, the more you handle them that nothing bad will happen to them while you are taking care of them.

The only thing I can suggest about Ispin being worried about you handling him is that the new piggies have perhaps intimidated him? It is essentially someone else on his turf and he doesn't like it. When you have picked him up previously, you have placed him with something that he doesn't like and that might make him nervous. Teeth chattering is his way of trying to be dominant and tell whoever it is to leave him alone.
I know that when I took Treacle to the rescue to meet her friend, I had to put her in the carrier which she hates. For 4 days she despised me coming to pick her up, she was terrified of being put back in. He will relax soon enough, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out sweetie. x
 
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The confusing thing is that Ispín acts like he doesn't like them and is jealous. Then when they are back into their own cages, he's trying what he can to get back to see them again.

It's like the guy from little britain. Are you sure you want that one? Yea, ... I don't like it!
 
Hehe, well he's curious! It's another piggie making noises and fuss! Is Ispin the dominant pig in his partnership? Maybe the new pigs are trying to be dominant over him and he doesn't like that.
It's like he's going: "Well I like you, but only on my terms. Don't get too close. I don't know if I'll like you then."
 
I think Ispín is the dominant one, but I think it's because Spock is so laid back. That being said, Spock knows how to tell him to cut it out when he's not up for any fun and Ispín always respects that. They've never fought and only occasionally bumblestrut and head war.

Thanks for the 'consult', so to speak. ^_^
 
I'm not an expert, and there are plenty others on here who know more about boar behaviour. I can only hazard a best guess on piggles. But they sound adorable and I can't wait to see pigtures :))
 
If you have a look in the behaviour section there are sticky threads on boar behaviour and bonding. Although given compatible characters and huge amounts of space it's not impossible, it's generally not recommended to try and keep boars in groups. Attempting to introduce the four of them may upset the bonds that are already there between the two pairs and you could end up with four pigs that don't like each other.

To me it sounds like Ispin is not happy about the presence of the new pigs and is showing off as much as possible and flaunting himself as the dominant pig, I'd be inclined to think that when he was trying to get to the new pigs it was to claim his territory and to tell them to go away. I think him chattering at you could be caused by various things - being with the other pigs had got him being dominant (i.e. angry) and the hormones involved can take an hour or so to subside so he still felt the need to show those behaviours when you approached the cage and you may have smelled like the other piggies which he wouldn't like either. He may come to tolerate the presence of the new pigs with time but I wouldn't be inclined to have the four of them out together.

As for nervous pigs I think that some regular handling is good but encourage them into something to pick them up (tube, cosy, box etc.). Keep them covered up on your lap and talk to them softly, keep your hands gently around them but too much movement or petting/stroking can freak them out so take it slowly. Offer them veggies whilst you do this, even if they don't initially eat them keep offering them because they may relax after a little while and have a nibble. The same goes for in the cage, talk to them whilst they're eating. Offer them their veggies by hand but don't expect them to eat in the open, hold the veg near the entrance to wherever they are hiding and sit very still, if they don't want to come forward drop the veg and take your hand out but stay sitting there and talking to them. Hopefully, with time they will venture to the entrance to grab the veg from your hand and you can gradually encourage them to come out further and be petted whilst feeding. :)
 
Are your piggies all boars and which ages are they?

Boars are territorial and don't do well in groups. They have to establish a hierarchy with all the assorted dominance behaviour every time you put them together (which explains Ispin's behaviour - he's the dominant one and doesn;t want any competition). Once boars hit the big hormones (between 4-14 months old) that can easily end up in fights and major fall outs. At worst, you can end up with several single boars who refuse to go back together with any other boar. Please keep your boars in pairs and don't mix them up!
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=76162
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28949
http://www.susieandpigs.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/seperation.htm
 
Ispín & Spock are a touch over 14 months and the kids are 10 - 12 weeks old according to the SPCA guy. They are in seperate rooms now and Ispín is pretty much back to normal. I was out today and when I got back, he was coming over to the edge of the cage and wheeking at me and let me pet him. Very happy with that indeed.

I was getting a salad spinner to help clean the water off their veggies, maybe they will get to know that the sound of it means salad time.

I hope I don't get half of the bad things mentioned about raising boys together. I don't know anyone who would take guineas full time and the SPCA were saying it's hard to find homes for them.

I'll keep the two sets seperate if it will endanger their bonds.
 
It's best to play it safe and keep your boys in pairs. I'm sure they'll be happy and you'll be getting cuddles off the little ones soon. :)
 
Just to clarify, I was keeping them in pairs already, but I'll avoid any tandem lap or play time, which is what I was trying.
 
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