Alpha Female?

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

How do I tell which of my girls is alpha female?

They are all chilled out; although I've noticed a bit of nipping lately since adding 2 new girls. So I'm trying to figure out who is top dog so to speak. I know which girls it isn't; and I think I've numbered it down to 3 or 4 girls. One I think is just a but touchy (I'm giving her more time since adding more girls before deciding whether to separate her or not), and the other 3 girls....well I'm not sure; they half flare at the others (once or twice), but nothing serious. I don't think the little touchy one is doing the nipping, it's one of the other 3. Out of the other 3, two are in-tact and one is a newer girl and she's been chomped a fair bit.

The trouble is when I go in the room they are all on their best behaviour and beg for food ALL the time. If I've fed them, walked out the room for 2minutes and come back they are begging again lol

 

[Azaeil]

Maybe the alpha is the one who commands the most space? Do the others avoid a particular female that doesn't hide as much?

 

[bassbonediva]

In my last sorority (which sadly went down to two girls because the tank they were in crashed big time after the death of one of the larger inhabitants), the smallest girl was the alpha. She had the biggest girl as her "enforcer" (the biggest girl would flare at anyone who got near the little girl), but you could definitely tell that the little girl was in charge. It sounds like your two girls that aren't nipped (of the three you have it narrowed down to) have settled into a truce of sorts about who is alpha and share the responsibility. The newer female has disrupted that truce (probably by trying to oust the other two) and that's why she's all nipped up.

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Maybe the alpha is the one who commands the most space? Do the others avoid a particular female that doesn't hide as much?

They are all always out in the open.

In my last sorority (which sadly went down to two girls because the tank they were in crashed big time after the death of one of the larger inhabitants), the smallest girl was the alpha. She had the biggest girl as her "enforcer" (the biggest girl would flare at anyone who got near the little girl), but you could definitely tell that the little girl was in charge. It sounds like your two girls that aren't nipped (of the three you have it narrowed down to) have settled into a truce of sorts about who is alpha and share the responsibility. The newer female has disrupted that truce (probably by trying to oust the other two) and that's why she's all nipped up.

Actually I looked at them last night in great detail and no new nips; which is great.

Still can't figure out who is in charge lol.