What's going on?

[Pht]

So through my whole experience owning my 2 guinea pigs, my guinea pig chip has always been the more dominant one, but then suddenly today it's like they switched roles! Oreo, my other guinea pig, is suddenly doing what chip was doing... I'm so confused... Is it because of their size... I'm so confused!

 

[Piggies&buns]

it’s nothing to do with size.
they have obviously had a hierarchy switch - as to why we could only guess as we don’t know their background.

between my two boars dexter always mounted but popcorn always rumbled. This worked for them. Suddenly (about sis months ago) at 2 years old, it changed so that dexter now doesn’t do anything and popcorn rumbles and mount. they were happy with their arrangement then and are both happy now.

so if your piggies relationship still works and both are fine with it, then I wouldn’t worry

 

[Pigwhisperer]

Same with my 2 girls. Whenever I thought I knew which was dominant they would swap over! Apparently they can be fairly closely matched in temperament so that the dominance isn't as clear-cut between them.
This is a great guide:

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[David Piggie Lover]

I'm with @Pigwhisperer
My 2 girls swop over every few months.
It's lovely to see as to be honest it's very gentle and works for them.
Best to see is. . When one moves for a wee or food wander then other will take the recent warm spot and when piggie returns just looks as if to say

 

[Wiebke]

So through my whole experience owning my 2 guinea pigs, my guinea pig chip has always been the more dominant one, but then suddenly today it's like they switched roles! Oreo, my other guinea pig, is suddenly doing what chip was doing... I'm so confused... Is it because of their size... I'm so confused!

Hi!

Which gender and how old are your piggies? Causes can differ between genders and ages, from teenage hormones in piggies between 4-14 months of age, but most typically in the weeks around 6 months. In adult sows it can also signal hormonal ovarian cysts.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

 

[Pht]

Hi!

Which gender and how old are your piggies? Causes can differ between genders and ages, from teenage hormones in piggies between 4-14 months of age, but most typically in the weeks around 6 months. In adult sows it can also signal hormonal ovarian cysts.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

We aren't really sure because when we got them they didn't tell us the age and I don't really know how to tell what a guinea pigs age is

 

[Wiebke]

We aren't really sure because when we got them they didn't tell us the age and I don't really know how to tell what a guinea pigs age is

Have your piggies grown in recent weeks or has their size and weight been stable? In the first case, you are dealing more likely with teenagers, in the second with adults.

 

[Pht]

Have your piggies grown in recent weeks or has their size and weight been stable? In the first case, you are dealing more likely with teenagers, in the second with adults.

Actually I have seen them get a little bigger so I think that they could be teenagers

 

[Wiebke]

Actually I have seen them get a little bigger so I think that they could be teenagers

Are you weighing them weekly as part of their life-long health monitoring regime together with a weekly body check? that is a better of finding out. Surely the rescue should have a rough idea whether they were sub-adults, young adults or more mature adults?
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?

 

[Pht]

Are you weighing them weekly as part of their life-long health monitoring regime together with a weekly body check? that is a better of finding out. Surely the rescue should have a rough idea whether they were sub-adults, young adults or more mature adults?
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?

I'll try to start weighing them then. And I don't remember if they did or didn't. But I'm pretty sure you can tell by the thickness of the nails right?

 

[Wiebke]

I'll try to start weighing them then. And I don't remember if they did or didn't. But I'm pretty sure you can tell by the thickness of the nails right?

Not necessarily. Aging piggies is a bit more complicated than that. You need to take the whole body into account as nails can differ quite a lot individually.