Guinea pigs not getting on

Question
Hello,
I have two guinea pigs called Poppy and Roxie who are sisters and 5 months old. Although they lived together before I got them a few months ago, I've noticed that they don't seem to get on very well. Roxie (who is 50 grams heavier) often nips at Poppy and makes it clear she doesn't like Poppy to come too close to her. When they approach one another, they both put their noses high into the air which usually results in Roxie giving Poppy a nip. Roxie also tends to warn Poppy away from the food if she's eating or will use the back end of her body as a barrier to keep Poppy away from it. I've also noticed Roxie Rumblestrutting when she's around Poppy and she in turn seems very nervous of Roxie. I haven't once seen them grooming or choosing to sit close to one another in their hutch. Is this behaviour normal from two sows? I guessed that they may just be establishing their own hierarchy but I feel like Poppy's getting quite a raw deal. Is there anything I can do to improve it? I should probably also mention that I've also noticed that Roxie doesn't seem to like being touched by me either. When I stroke her, she often uses her hind legs to kick me off or will squeak and flinch away from me. Poppy on the other hand loves to be stroked and will happily curl up in a ball on my lap. Thanks.

Answer
Guinea pigs have different personalities just as we do. It's not unusual for the sows to occasionally not get along. This usually happens when the crabby one is in heat. And it sounds like Roxie is doing just that.

There isn't really anything you can do about it, and as long as there's nothing more than nose pushing and an occasional nip I wouldn't worry about it. In every cage there is always a 'boss hog.' It sounds like Roxie has made it clear that's her role, she is the alpha female.

Typically the herd accepts this kind of thing and life goes on. Poppy sounds like she's accepted the role of being the slave to Roxie's insistence that she wants to be boss. If there's no bloodshed they will get over it. A sow is usually in heat every two to three weeks, but it only lasts for a few days.

Poppy isn't getting a raw deal. Animals don't view their place in life that way. So don't worry about her, she's fine. And Miss Roxie will probably continue to show her inner self every couple of weeks for a few days, then she will settle down.

As humans we always feel we need to intervene with animal behavior, but that's not always necessary. Roxie and Poppy are just behaving the way two sows living together behave.