Trio leaving one sow out

Peanut&Pumpkin

Peanut&Pumpkin

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all,

I have 3 sows around 1 year old.

Pumpkin and Peanut are sisters who I purchased together, Patch is the suprise daughter of Pumpkin who arrived two weeks after I bought her home. Yes, I realise now that pet shops are not recommended for a reason, and I definitely would go the rescue route if I could have a do-over.

Pumpkin and Peanut are closely bonded, they sleep together and generally get along well.

Patch and Pumpkin are okay, Pumpkin will tolerate Patch if she comes close, and generally leaves her to her devices.

Patch and Peanut don't really get along. No blood has ever been drawn, but Peanut will chase Patch out of the hay trays or out of hideys. I frequently hear squeals from Patch when Peanut has scared her off. It's quite upsetting to see.

Now- reality check me please. What do I do? Do I persevere given that no blood has been drawn, or do I do what I see frequently suggested online and add a neutered boar to the mix?

Please, all advice welcome- and if anyone is reading this considering 3 sows, please just stick with 2!

Thanks folks, looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
 
It sounds to me like Peanut is making it clear to Patch that she is at the bottom of the hierarchy. Pumpkin is probably boss, and Peanut doesn't want to be bottom of the hierarchy. By squealing, Patch is saying she accepts that Peanut is above her. (Maybe Peanut chases Patch a lot because she is very insecure) It sounds worse to us than it is for them. Maybe they will settle down with time, especially once they are all fully adult.

If you're worried that Patch is actually being bullied, you could check that she is eating enough, by checking that she is not losing weight.

Adding a neutered boar won't really solve any problems with dysfunctional sow groups.

*Just to add, I'm not an expert, but hopefully one will be able to confirm/correct/fill in the gaps before long.. *
 
I completely agree with everything qualcast&flymo has said.
This is a hierarchy thing with patch at the bottom and peanut making clear she is in charge (chasing out of hides etc, peanut has the pick of everything) . The squealing from patch is submission. It sounds distressing for us but is actually a perfectly functioning behaviour - it’s not fear or anything or concern. It is actually the correct response from patch.

Unfortunately this can be the issue with a trio (any odd number has the potential) - they get close in a pair and the third gets left out.

If sows in a group truly do not get on then adding a neutered boar will not fix anything. This is because the sows have their own hierarchy which the boar is not part of (the boar is part of group hierarchy though). The sows have to get on regardless of whether there is a boar there or not.
If the sows are getting on and there is no dysfunction between them whatsoever then it can be nice to add a boar. But all the sows has to accept him (from the top of the hierarchy down) and if they don’t then the bonding will still fail.

If you really are not happy with them as a trio or if patch ends up being bullied (weight loss, depression, relentless chasing), then your option is to split them up and then find patch her own new friend in a separate cage.

Bonds In Trouble
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
 
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