Question.....

[Honey15000]

Before i got my piggies I researched and did a lot of reading so I am aware of coprophagy...the piggies eatting their small soft poops.....
Both my boys do it..however I have noticed one doing it more than the other, and he also follows his friend round a lot and appears to eat his ( norman will be in his twigloo and kev is sat behind him and it looks like he is waiting for the soft poops, he then licks at norm) .is it normal for them to eat another piggies poops?

Does this mean their diet is lacking in something? They both eat the same things pellets, hay unlimited and when i give them veggies i give them a few bits by hand so i know they have both had some, the rest i scatter about their cage. They are both eating well, i weigh them weekly and since i got them 6 weeks ago they have been putting on between 40-50g a week each.
I also noticed the piggy who is eating most of the poop has been doing a bit more teeth chattering, and i cant work out the reason why...the other pig isnt near him when he does it he just goes into a twigloo or into the corner does it on and off for a little while , he doesnt look in pain, there is no distressed noises or loud squeeking he is eating normally and drinking normally...i didnt know if the increased poop eating and the on and off teeth chattering are related or not...they are approx 12 weeks now, if that makes a difference, could it because he is in a transition to his hormonal phase?

Thank you for any advice!

 

[Jerrybelly]

It's completely normal for piggies to eat their own poos, and the poos of any other piggies that they live with. It doesn't mean that their diet is lacking (and by the sound of it they are having a balanced diet anyway).

The teeth chattering is also completely normal - as you say, it's purely due to hormones and an attempt by the one piggy to tell the other one that he's the boss! As long as it doesn't erupt into aggression then it's fine to let them sort it out amongst themselves. Things will settle down as they get older. If there are any signs of nastiness, and certainly if any wounds are caused, then you may need to separate them. In the meantime, just keep an eye on things. Giving them two of everything (bowls, hideys etc.) can help.

 

[Dusty_bugs]

I wonder if one piggy is more dominant and gets the lions share of the 'good' stuff at veggie times? When my girl was sick she couldnt eat or drink properly and her poos were pathetic. She spent the ENTIRE time following the other guinea around. So it was obviously a lacking diet in this case. Poo stealing by the way is called klepto-coprophagy I think.

Is the poo stealer drinking ok?

 

[Honey15000]

Yep both piggies are drinking well and eating well...they both eat the same as well...the dominence keeps shifting between them....the one eating the poo and teeth chattering isnt the dominent piggy at the moment...he was but at the moment the other piggyis dominant!

 

[Dusty_bugs]

Ah that sounds pretty normal.. Well I shouldnt worry about it a great deal then.. though it is a brain tickler. I've always thought it seems a pretty submissive thing to do.. almost like its a way of rubbing the other ones scent on yourself. If it still continues and you're feeling anxious have a go at keeping a weight diary and see if theres something happening to one of them, though I think the most die hard of us handlers can 'feel' weight loss before even sticking piggy on the scales!