Male Guinea Pigs Fighting

Question
Hi there, I have had 3 male guinea pigs for about 4 months now and have guineas a lot. When I was younger I had 3 until they started fighting. I had to separate them. I have now got 3 more males who have been with each other since day one. (The others hadn't been). I am concerned that they will start to fight when they get older. I have noticed that one of them is being barbered quiet a lot. He did have nice longish coat but is now short! What do you think the likelihood of them fighting is? I know I can get them Neutered but not only is that overpriced in the UK but I would worry about the risks! Any advise would be greatly received!

Answer
Hi Amy,

Male guinea pigs can certainly be happy living together. And the fact that they have been together since they were small is very good. However, if you have any female guinea pigs, keep the males as far away as possible. The males can smell the female in the area, and will start to fight eachother for breeding rights.

Also, the pigs will establish a pecking order, so there will be some skirmishes to establish who will be where. Watch them closely. As long as there is no blood drawn or serious rumbling, the small arguments are alright.

As far as the piggy barbor, this is normal. Some pigs really like to chew on the other piggies fur. They aren't hurting them at all. Sometimes leaving something in the cage for the pig to chew on instead of hair, like a chew stick, might help. I also have heard that sour apple, a dog product, works. It is bad tasting, and will deter chewing. However, I don't recommend this. The only other option, if you are worried about the length of hair, is to find out which one is teh affender and separate him.

Getting your piggies nutered is an option, but one I wouldn't  take until completly necessary. If you find a good vet who does guinea pig neuters, then usually the risks are minimal. Plus getting the pigs neutered gts rid of any testicular tumor risks later in life.