Should I separate my goos?

[degunewbie]

Hi all,

I know you guys have always been helpful in the past, and my early days you were a life saver. My girls I got a few years back were happy and healthy - thanks to you all, which meant I haven't needed help in such a long time. Alas, I turn to you once more in the hope you can rectify a sad turn of events.

I recently found 2 girls to pair with my 2 girls (at long last, I have been wanting to get them some friends for so long as I know they are such social creatures). The new girls are perfect. But I have been pairing them for a couple of weeks (took it slow to make sure it worked out) and though 1 from each group were fighting when they had social time it has only been getting better and early this week I was thinking about making it official soon. I thought it could be all successful.

However, I noticed the 2 original goos are fighting more for the past few days. Which was worrying, but equally I just saw boxing. The worst of it was the firstish day about 3 days ago.

Today I realised I made a grave mistake though, and Mary may have been injured. This morning I saw she had a small patch of red flesh exposed under her nose, where a scab looks to be peeled off. I feel really ignorant as I saw yesterday a scab but I was like that's just a bit of fluff, and I didn't see the wound at all when it was first there. I don't know how I could have missed it, and feel a bit neglectful over it to be honest.

But in light of this, I'm wondering what my next steps are, and if I should separate them for a bit? I wasn't expecting this frustration. I was also thinking to switch the goos in their cages because I know the other 2 have a better wheel (a silent spinner as opposed to a saucer - I dont want to just switch the wheels because i have given the worser wheel to the bigger cage and vice versa) that might allow my original two to burn off the steam a bit more (and maybe its a good thing in smell exchange/environment exchange) before they all are officially grouped. But then does it interfere with the whole process? I really don't know what to do.

Thanks all

[deguconvert]

Hello again, Degunewbie! It's good to see you again, and hear an update on your girls!

How long have you been doing the introduction process? It sounds like your original goos have been challenged enough in the introductions that you are seeing them feel like they have to re-establish who is dominant between the two of them. This is not surprising. When you are blending four, the hierarchy will likely be very different from what the two originals had. Often, when we are blending groups, the dynamics change completely. It is almost like the relationship boards are wiped, and new boards begin to be built. Everyone has to accept their new position, or fight until they have the one they want, or are forced to accept something less. It's not an easy or quick transition and can take several months to more than a year to truly settle into a firmly established hierarchal colony. I would venture to say that you are kind of in the dismantling phase. It is a tricky place to be because I'm sure you want to protect the relationship they have had all the years you have had them, and yet you want them to know the joy of a larger colony.

I'm going to ask you to detail exactly what you have been doing for introductions. Do you have two cages? How are they situated? Are you swapping bedding? How do you bring them together? Everything that you have done since bringing home the new girls.