Deciding who is alpha

Question
I had two piggys but one of them died.  I chose a new pig by seeing which one Pheobe hung out with the most at the adoption center.  The new one, Rhea, is older by two years. They are in Pheobe's original cage. I have seen aggression, yawning, little nip fights, and I can't tell if Pheobe is keeping Rhea from eating and drinking. I'm wondering how long it wll take them to decide which one is dominant. Should I separate them or let them be?  Thanks!

Answer
As long as there is no sign of bloodshed or serious bites I would leave them together. They will work it out. It may take as long as a week for things to settle down. It's difficult for Phoebe to hang out and make friends with a new pig by just an introduction. She may resent the new girl for intruding in her cage, but things will settle down.

Just keep an eye out for any serious signs of a real fight. If that happens I would separate them. In a case like that you don't want the new girl getting hurt, so if Phoebe turns on her that aggressively you don't want to try to put them together.