Worried about my pigs - sows not getting on?

[Conlington]

Hey there guys,
So about 2 months ago now I adopted 2 Guinea pigs,
They are both girls and had lived together for about 2/3 months before we got them.
(the pet store suspected they were both ill, but it ended up just being stress from travelling, but because they had be taken out and quarenteened they weren't allowed back into pet store gen pop I guess)
For the first few days everything seemed to be great, they settled into there homes pretty quickly we got a good routine established (feeding times, play times out the tank etc)
How ever we started to notice it seems like they were bickering, we notice in of the pigs started getting what looked like nics/ bites to the ears, nothing major but noticeable.
Anyway, we herd that females are better in 3s so we were considering getting maybe another female pair, but as new owners were not really sure if that's the bets move or in fact what we should do next at all.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

It sounds like your sows are coming from a rather stressed background. Please do not add more piggies; that doesn't cure any underlying problems between the two; not even a neutered boar. Any added piggy will simply ending up siding with one of your existing sows.
The dominance phase in which piggies re-establish their hierarchy in any new territory lasts around 2 weeks ; if they have been frozen initially, then you start from the time where they get their bearings and social interaction starts.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Firstly, please remove any potential flashpoints like a single hidey/sleeping area, any hideys with only one exit and make sure that you have everything in twos, spaced well apart from the other same item - water bottles, hay access at least two hideys etc. so they can get away from each other and cannot be cornered and bullied. Feed veg and pellets only in portions that can be eaten in one go and remove the bowls in between. This also encourages your girls to eat as much hay as possible, which should make over 80% of the daily food intake for the sake of long term health and a longer life span.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

I would recommend to evaluate the state of the relationship and whether the bond is dysfunctional or not. Follow the tips in this guide here. A short temporary separation/re-introduction on neutral ground is the best way of getting the honest opinion of your piggies as we cannot ask them directly whether they want to be with the other or not.
Bonds In Trouble

If your sows are adults, it would be also worth to have them checked for ovarian cysts.
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
Moody guinea pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour

It can often be a rather difficult and time consuming business to work out exactly what is going on, and it takes some experience.
I have linked in a lot of guides to help you consider all the possible aspects careful and not make any rash decisions.

You also may find our new owners guide collection helpful. Several of the links are listed in there, but we encompass a much wider range topics. The guides have been specifically written for new owners and address the area we get the most questions and concerns about.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

You can further help us to help you as best as possible if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to the location in your account details (via clicking on your username on the top bar) so we can tailor any advice straightaway to what is relevant and available where you are. We have enquiries and members from all over the world, with hugely different climates and backgrounds, vet and rescue access, brands and different medical brand names etc. Thank you!

 

[Conlington]

Hi and welcome

It sounds like your sows are coming from a rather stressed background. Please do not add more piggies; that doesn't cure any underlying problems between the two; not even a neutered boar. Any added piggy will simply ending up siding with one of your existing sows.
The dominance phase in which piggies re-establish their hierarchy in any new territory lasts around 2 weeks ; if they have been frozen initially, then you start from the time where they get their bearings and social interaction starts.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Firstly, please remove any potential flashpoints like a single hidey/sleeping area, any hideys with only one exit and make sure that you have everything in twos, spaced well apart from the other same item - water bottles, hay access at least two hideys etc. so they can get away from each other and cannot be cornered and bullied. Feed veg and pellets only in portions that can be eaten in one go and remove the bowls in between. This also encourages your girls to eat as much hay as possible, which should make over 80% of the daily food intake for the sake of long term health and a longer life span.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

I would recommend to evaluate the state of the relationship and whether the bond is dysfunctional or not. Follow the tips in this guide here. A short temporary separation/re-introduction on neutral ground is the best way of getting the honest opinion of your piggies as we cannot ask them directly whether they want to be with the other or not.
Bonds In Trouble

If your sows are adults, it would be also worth to have them checked for ovarian cysts.
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
Moody guinea pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour

It can often be a rather difficult and time consuming business to work out exactly what is going on, and it takes some experience.
I have linked in a lot of guides to help you consider all the possible aspects careful and not make any rash decisions.

You also may find our new owners guide collection helpful. Several of the links are listed in there, but we encompass a much wider range topics. The guides have been specifically written for new owners and address the area we get the most questions and concerns about.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

You can further help us to help you as best as possible if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to the location in your account details (via clicking on your username on the top bar) so we can tailor any advice straightaway to what is relevant and available where you are. We have enquiries and members from all over the world, with hugely different climates and backgrounds, vet and rescue access, brands and different medical brand names etc. Thank you!

Hey there, cheers for the response,
So the enclosure is fairly large, 2mx750mm the have 2 hides, that both have 2 entrances, there's also a small cardboard tunnel and lots of floor space, hay is always fed with a small amount of pellets in the morning and usually fresh veggies when they come out for play time, they do have a water bowl in the cage as we tracked there water intake at the begging and they drink a lot more from the bowl.
When we got them we were told they were about 4/5 months so there probably 6/7 now, so reading what you linked me, I'm guessing that it could be teenage issues. I should add both are sows,
What behaviours should I be looking for before we add to our herd, part of the reason we went with females and have a large enclosure is due to a desire to eventually have a small herd of piggies :3, that wa soart of the reason I mentioned getting another pair as I'd herd it can disuse tension between a pair. I think the biggest hardest think is dissecting all the different information coming from lots of what seem like reputable sources.
Thanks again for help, also update my profile picture to show my pair

 

[Wiebke]

Hey there, cheers for the response,
So the enclosure is fairly large, 2mx750mm the have 2 hides, that both have 2 entrances, there's also a small cardboard tunnel and lots of floor space, hay is always fed with a small amount of pellets in the morning and usually fresh veggies when they come out for play time, they do have a water bowl in the cage as we tracked there water intake at the begging and they drink a lot more from the bowl.
When we got them we were told they were about 4/5 months so there probably 6/7 now, so reading what you linked me, I'm guessing that it could be teenage issues. I should add both are sows,
What behaviours should I be looking for before we add to our herd, part of the reason we went with females and have a large enclosure is due to a desire to eventually have a small herd of piggies :3, that wa soart of the reason I mentioned getting another pair as I'd herd it can disuse tension between a pair. I think the biggest hardest think is dissecting all the different information coming from lots of what seem like reputable sources.
Thanks again for help, also update my profile picture to show my pair

The best way is to let your pair settle and see how they get on, first and foremost. They are currently in a difficult phase. When it comes to piggy relationships, quick fixes hardly work. Rather take your time to work out what is at the bottom of the problem and then take it from there.

If you want to later add to your pair, please date them at a good rescue that offers this service so you come home only with piggies where acceptance has happened if that is an option. Merging two pairs can be very tricky, as can adding piggies you have got on spec.
The biggest rule of having a herd is to have a plan B and a spare cage in case there problems and things are not working out!
Piggies are every bit as complex and individual as humans when it comes to relationships. You have your human dreams, piggies have their very own cavian ideas on how things should be run.

If you want to build up a herd you best start with one dominant leader and build up the herd around them. Look for submissive and/or sub-teenage piggies, ideally with a group background, that will not challenge the existing hierarchy - that is where the biggest bonding fails lie.
Be aware that not all piggies are group compatible and that you have ideally a spare cage in case there is trouble along the way.

I have built up my own big group of up to 13 sows and a dominant neutered 'husboar' and have been able to run it over a number of years and changes of leadership before the dynamics turned sour in the wake of a hostile takeover from an ambitious younger sow. It wasn't quite as easy as you expect and finding solutions for a number of problems and piggies that did not fit in (even though they sounded ideal on a rescue website) has given me plenty of sleepless nights!

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
I can't add anything to the excellent advice @Wiebke has given you.
I hope you will enjoy being a part of this friendly forum and please can we have pictures