Fighting Sows (were originally "bonded", but separated due to illness)

[Brist1cm]

So we have a guinea pig Willow who has an ongoing respiratory issues (Ovarian cysts???
Medical thread for reference) and on top of her respiratory issues, she developed ringworm... so we separated her from the other guinea pigs so it would not spread. Eventually our other smaller guinea pig (who was bonded with Willow) ended up getting ringworm as well, so we separated all 3 (that way the ringworm wouldn't go back and forth between them, this was also recommended from our vet).

Willow and Ellie, the 2 younger pigs that were bonded together are currently housed in the same cage (2x6ft) but with plexiglass in between them so each are temporarily in 2x3ft cage technically. They often like to look at each other, hang out, run laps, and eat food next to each other (with plexiglass still up). Now that both of their ringworm patches have cleared up, I attempted to put them back together 2 nights ago. We started off in a neutral space, but they started fighting, and my partner and I did not have the time (later at night) to continue the process that night. So we just put the cage back to how we had it with the plexiglass separation.

The fighting was loud chattering, rumbling strutting, and what I believe to be biting as both lunged at each other and it temporarily looked like a piggy tornado. There were no wounds or hair loss as I quickly realized this was not going to be a fast re-introduction and threw a hand towel over them to end it. This happened about 3 times before I decided to just put them back for night to try again later in the week.

So yesterday we then decided taking away the plexiglass to see if they could gradually get used to each other's smell again before the next reintroduction. Both sides of the cage was just cleaned so there would not have been residual smell and they were both bathed the day prior. So all that was between them was the metal grid, but they tried rumbling through the grids, biting the grids, and peeing. So we decided even the smell of each other was irritating each other too much... and put back up the plexiglass wall.

Fast forward one day (today) I grabbed both of the younger girls and put them on my lap and the started chattering and nipped at each other but I separated them again and put them back in the cage.

I am worried that even when on my lap (somewhat unfamiliar place) that if they can't get along there will they ever "bond" again. I'm not sure if they were truly bonded in the beginning because they were so young and just were tolerating each other. But now that they are both healthy I'd like to reintroduce all 3. I know the guinea lynx says to let them hash it out and only intervene if there's blood, but I'm not sure I am comfortable letting it get to that level of aggression. Has this worked in the past for anyone ? Do you think there's hope? We haven't tried all 3 yet as I really want to make sure all ringworm is cleared (our oldest pig never got it from the other 2) AND on a weekend where we have hours to monitor.


More background:
Both Willow and Ellie are young guinea pigs ~ 3 months old. Ellie used to be super submissive, and would lay flat and wheek letting the other 2 know she didn't want any part of the hierarchy (similar to what's described in the introduction guinea lynx web page) BUT now that she hasn't lived with Willow in 3 to 4 weeks she doesn't seem to want to back down again. We haven't tried introducing all 3 pigs together in a neutral space (planning to do over weekend when we have time to monitor all day). So I'm not sure if having the true alpha (our oldest and bigger piggy) will change the dymanics or if the 2 little ones will just be so irritated with each other. The first introduction prior to illness went well, but I'm not sure what will happen now that the 2 little ones seem to be grumpy with each other now.

I would love advice, hopefully I didn't ruin anything by not letting them hash it out, but we truly didn't have the time for a long introduction.

I will also keep you posted over the weekend when we try the grand introductions with all 3.

[daisymay]

Well, what I did with my 3 was to build a new cage, blankets, loads of hay and food. Started of slowly an hour a day for a week, then 90 mins then 2 hours. When I got to 3 hours I let them into one 8ft pen.


Things went well for 2 months then Jay-18mths and Jersey 8mths started to pick on and harass Jill-5 years so much we made the decision to put Jill on her own with a barrier between her and the other two.

Jill still looks sad some days and others she couldn't care less. Jay and Jersey still try to dominate one another but that's what happens when hormones get in the way.

Another thing we did with Joy(RIP) and Jay to introduce them is we would swap bedding. We wouldn't wash bedding, what Joy had one day we'd give to Jay and vice versa. Then we'd wash it and start again. This worked too until we found Joy was blind and had heart issues so we separated them.

Other's on here have bathed piggies, perhaps cuddle piggies one each in towels then swap towels and put the smell of the other piggy on the piggy you have and see how that goes. Make sure loads of hide holes, hays and food and loads of luck! Be thankful they are not boys!

[Lynx]

You might want to start from scratch using one member's excellent advice:
https://www.guinealynx.info/introductions.html