fighting in male quinea pigs and neutral territory

Question
Dear Laura

I read your answer to a question on fighting in male guinea pigs on April 30th 2006 (Subject: Piggy Biting his Brother). In that you mentioned that guinea pigs fight when they are between 4 months and one year. You also mentioned that they should be introduced on neutral territory again after they cooled down. That answer was most helpful, as we have 2 unrelated male guinea pigs (one born in june 2005 and the other in september 2005) and they are fighting, as could be expected but we thought better 2 piggies than one.

We had them in the house over the winter and they were ok for a while, then they became used to the living room where they were roaming around and started fighting. A few weeks ago, we placed their hutches outside (we had to separate them to avoid injuries). We leave them out during the day to roam around. That went ok for a while until they got used to the backyard. Now, they have started fighting again.

Can you give me advice on the territory behaviour...if we have one inside for a while to give both some space when they are outside the hutch will the other see the outside area as his territory and will it then be harder to reintroduce them together again in that space? Or will they both forget and live happily again until they have reached the age of one-ish? (if life could be that simple!) I would really appreciate your advice.

Kind regards
Sylvia Snijders

Answer
Hi Sylvia,

It's quite an awkward situation you've got there. I'm glad some of my earlier advice helped you. If only piggies were simpler creatures. They're as bad as young children sometimes - unless that's just my spoilt bunch who behave like that!

In what way are they fighting? Remember that rumblestrutting (rumbling and butt swaying), mounting, face-offs (throwing their faces in the air, noses together, then jumping backwards), nipping, chasing and butt-sniffing are all very normal dominance behaviours.
It's when they start lunging at each other and trying to do some serious harm that you really need to be on alert.

By just having one pig indoors for exercise time and one out, there is more chance that they will fight over whose territory it is when you try to put them together again. If you, offer a divided floor time, and every time you give them their exercise time put them on the opposite side of the divider to the one they were on last time - that way they get the mixture of smells (so it is both of their territory) and they can play safely.

I think they are just very easily irritated at the moment - one is 11 months so is coming out of puberty now, and one is 8 months so is about mid-puberty. Tempers can be a little short during these times.

Is there any way you can have them live in the same cage, divided down the middle? Or in hutches/cages side-by-side? Then they can also have playtime in a divided area, or one by one in the same area. With any luck they should settle down in the next couple of months and you can try introducing them again.

It is a difficult situation to figure out but I hope I was of help to you.

Best Wishes,

- Laura