Why Are My Boys Are Fighting

[Allililly223]

I have 2 boars. Bane whos about a 1 1/2 and Patches whos 1. We got Patches when he was just 2 weeks and Bane was about 9 months. Now that Patches is full size they have, out of nowhere, started fighting. They fluff up, purr, and chatter like theyre showing dominance but they used to be friendly when they had floor time. For the entire time of having both of them they have been in separate cages but talk to eachother through the bars on the ajoining wall. Weve been trying to find a way to put them together resently but they keep fighting. Should i keep them sperated (theyre friendly theough the bars) or should i keep trying to get them together.

 

[ayemee]

Sounds to me like their teenage hormones are kicking in causing them to start arguing.

Do you have two of everything in their cage? There is a section on fall outs in this thread.

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/boars-a-guide-to-successful-companionship.76162/

If they're not drawing blood or fighting to the point of injury or making one depressed I wouldn't seperate just yet. As separating and then trying them back together again can often make the situation worse.

Fingers crossed they work it out!

 

[Wiebke]

When introducing boars, dominance is inevitable. As long as there are no signs of a fight or acute bullying (i.e. preventing a piggy from getting out of a hidey, sleep, eating and drinking), I would let them get on with it. The dominance phase can last for several days, up to two weeks, generally. Please follow the tips and judge the level of aggression from the information in these threads here:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/

It may turn out that your two boys are obviously happier with having each their own territory and contact through the bars, but that is a consideration only if the bonding clearly fails and they don't settle OK with each other in the long term. The one big mistake is to interfere with or abort a bonding in progress when it is not necessary. Once you have decided to ride the tiger, you have to stay on!

 

[Marshmallows]

My two are kept in the same cage and one fluffs up and purrs/growls often at the other. He is the dominant one as, for example, when he (Nils-Olof) comes to the hay box or where the other (Sven-Erik) is sleeping, Sven-Erik would just get up and leave. Having said that, normally Sven-Erik isn't being bullied from eating, drinking, sleeping and we have placed various sleeping spots for them - Sven-Erik will just go to another place in the cage to hang out (he isn't a fighter). One thing I could think of to do is create another haybox so they could have one each. They share the same food bowl as well but that has never been as issue as they have always done this.

One night, a few weeks ago - we heard both of their teeth chatter loudly at one another, and just removed them both from the cage to settle down before putting them back and they continued like nothing happened. They have always been together and normally try to find the other if I take one out for lap time, normally Nils-Olof is running around looking for Sven-Erik. I think the two boys have the 'can't live with him, can't live without him' situtation.

I hope it works out for your boys. We're still in the learning stages of caring for our boys as we've only had them for about 3 months now - and the teenage years are not easy as we're always searching for help and advice! As above, try providing room and two of everything, as I found this has helped. Maybe you need to transition them slowly to being with one another but keeping an eye out on them. Goodluck!

 

[New pig mum]

I have 2 boars bought at 3 months old in nov,they are in an outdoor hutch with shared bedroom,tonight in floor time they started fighting with the more dominant GP repeatedly chasing,bullying and mounting the other.I have now put the more dominant one back out in the cage but am wary of putting Percy back in now.have read about hormones etc! as they live outside I can supervise them and work through the day.Is it best to wait and see or should we be thinking about separating them for a cooling off period?
If they need separating, have people had success in reintroducing them into same cage or only for periods of floor play/run time?
Would welcome some help

 

[AuntyC]

Really sounds like the hormones are kicking in - quite literally in your case! Mounting and chasing is normal boar dominance behaviour, it is more distressing for owners looking on than for the boars. Two boys need as much room as possible and two of everything - hiding/sleeping places, food bowls, hay, water bottles. Hidey places often need two exits so the one being chased about cannot get cornered or trapped. The normal advice is to leave them to sort out their 'pecking order' unless fighting results in injury and blood being drawn! If a really serious fight happens then you may well have to part them for a while keeping them within sight and sound of each other. Re-bonding is possible, but patience and time will be required. Unfortunately some arguments result in permanent separation, but let's hope your boys are having a hormonal tiff. This is in response to the person from Swansea, new pig mum.

 

[Wiebke]

I have 2 boars bought at 3 months old in nov,they are in an outdoor hutch with shared bedroom,tonight in floor time they started fighting with the more dominant GP repeatedly chasing,bullying and mounting the other.I have now put the more dominant one back out in the cage but am wary of putting Percy back in now.have read about hormones etc! as they live outside I can supervise them and work through the day.Is it best to wait and see or should we be thinking about separating them for a cooling off period?
If they need separating, have people had success in reintroducing them into same cage or only for periods of floor play/run time?
Would welcome some help

Your boys are right in the middle of the big hormones; 8-10 months is usually a tricky period for any boars bonds. If there haven't been any bites, it is worth letting them cool down and re-introducing them on neutral territory after a buddy bath to remove any excess testosterone from their coats. Whether they will go fully back together is difficult to say, but you are in with in a chance, considering that they have made it this far. Please follow our recommendations for bonding and rebonding.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/