Are my guinea pigs getting along? Will they ever?

Question
Hi,

I initially had one female guinea pig, Lucky, who is one month old. Recently, I've introduced two other females, Squirrel and Piggy, who are 4 months and 2 years old, respectively.

It's been two nights, and well, the best I can say is that there's no blood. However, I am really concerned for Lucky as she is the youngest of the group. She seems to get picked on a lot, and she happens to be my favorite so I hope that I won't one day find her murdered by her roommates. Whenever she's in her box, and one of the bigger ones happen to barge in, they seem to either bite or pinch Lucky's bottom, which sends her flying out. There are three shelters in total in the cage, so they each have their own.

Whenever Lucky's feeding, one would come around and do the same, sending her scrambling off. Lucky does NOT look like she's having fun, and seems to always be running away or hiding from these two 'bullies'. Luckily for Lucky, she found a spot behind the shelters that the fatter ones cannot get into, so she can seek refuge there.

There hasn't been any teeth chattering or extreme violence of any sort, though I worry that maybe Lucky was better off without these two. I initially thought it would be best for her with some playmates, but I'm starting to have second doubts. The hutch is large, and space/food shouldn't be an issue, as hay and water are available at all times, though I only feed their pellets once a day at the same time to establish some routine.

Is this normal behavior? Will they eventually bond? Anything I can do to make them at ease with each other?


Answer
Hello Dickson,
Yes this is normal behavior, the older pig are establishing their dominance on the little pig. As long as there is no fighting going on i would say that they will eventually bond with each other as the little cavy gets older. Something that may be worth trying is getting the young guinea pig a young friend? So the two can run together and they can have fun together! But eventually i think the girls will work out their differences and get along!
Good Luck and feel free to ask any questions!
Holly