Separation?

[Chaz]

I am thinking of splitting up two of my girls because they are not getting on. One is always chasing the other, coming up behind and nipping her on the bum. The other squeals out.
It's been happening since Nutmeg died, and I thought it would calm down, but it's getting worse.
Should I put one upstairs and one downstairs? I'm worried about loneliness if I do separate them.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Chasing and nipping is a normal dominance behaviour. Nipping does not break the skin but is just a gesture of power. Squealing is not pain, it is submission. The piggy squealing is telling the other piggy that they are no threat to them. In themselves these are not reasons for separate them.

How long has this behaviour been going on?
Is it constant so that the underpig is losing weight and being depressed?
How are the underpig’s weight checks?

If one piggy is unhappy, never allowed to eat and is losing weight through through bullying, then that is grounds to separate.

If you were to separate them, then one living upstairs and one downstairs is not a viable long term solution as it removes their ability to interact properly. Separate piggies need to live side by side so they can still smell, hear and see each other through the bars as that prevents loneliness.

Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
Bonds In Trouble

 

[Chaz]

The behaviour has been going on since the middle of August, when Nutmeg died.
None of them have lost weight and the bullied pig is eating fine.
I just don't like the noise she makes and I don't see why anything should've changed in the pecking order, because Nutmeg was lowest.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Submission squealing may sound distressing to us, but it is perfectly normal to them.
If you could give a fuller description of exactly what is happening, how often it’s happening etc to give us a bit more insight, then that may help but generally If they are otherwise getting on ok, then it’s best not to intervene With dominance behaviours

the bonds in trouble guide i linked in earlier can help you determine whether there may be a problem.

 

[Chaz]

It happens mostly at night. I've owned piggies for years and never heard one cry out like Bandit does.
I just want them to be happy. When I pick Bandit up after she's been squealing, she squeals at me, then calms down. I'm sure she is scared.
I don't want to think i'm worrying her, because as far as she's concerned, I came along about 2 months ago and took her sister and she never came back. (Sounds stupid)