a few questions...

[Hannah_lg]

i have read on here that some of you wash the veg before you give it them ive nevr washed them should i start doing this ?

how long should i leave there dry food in there dash before puting new in as it takes mine half a week to eat throw one bowl there have a one of them rabbit bwels

i have 2 1 year old girls what i got last xams

and 2 baby girl there about 3 and a half months old there never had veg untill i got them there eat baby spianhed , cabbge, carrots , watercress, and rocket


but my older too eat cummber tomaotos cerly apple and pear and grapes aswell as what the little ones eat do you have an ideas how to get my baby ones to eat these things aswell i tied them when i frst got them and all there would eat of what i gave them was carrot and cabbge but i came on here and i tired them with spianhed watercress, and rocket and there love it

how big of pices should you give them of things like when give them tomatos i jsut cut it in half and when thee have carrot i just cut it in half etc as my older 2 like to sot and get there teeth in to them

and do you have any other ideas on any other foods to give them i looked at the shopping list but its all so compated

and how much veg should i give them each meal time i feed them 2 times a day in moing and at tea time if there having tomato and carrot at tea time i give them one carrot and one tomato thats for the older 2 is that too much or not enoight?

 

[Jillybean]

A lot of questions! but I'm sure you'll get loads of advice on here.

Some of my veg gets washed, some doesn't, but yes I should wash it all really.

I would try cutting the dry food down a bit and perhaps give them 2 bowls. It's better to give them it fresh more often than leaving it in there for quite a while. I think some foods, like pellets can be left until it's all gone but I wouldn't fancy it! If it is a mixed food, some guineas will pick out the best bits! (called selective feeding). A bit like kids leaving their sprouts! They should be eating a good range, so you could top the food up maybe every other day, then in between, chuck it.

I think you might be worrying a bit too much about the quantities. It's a good idea to give them a bit of choice with the fresh food. Like give some celery and cucumber, then the next day apple and carrot etc. The more choice the better but don't get paranoid over it. I don't think it matters too much how big the pieces are although the younger ones you can chop the food smaller until they're older if you like.

If you are feeding too much, they'll leave it - so don't give them so much next time, but obviously make sure they are eating OK. Mine usually eat most of their food, leave a bit and then go back to it later. I'd say that's about right. Guineas do like their food! so if they start getting very fat then cut back a bit.

You sound like you're doing the right thing so sit back and enjoy them! If anyone disagrees with what I've said, please say!

 

[Hannah_lg]

thanks

there allways eat all there vegs the only time the older 2 leave some if there dont wont it or dont like it no more

i think holly is geting rather well fat shes mavsive comapred to lilly and molly i mea nshes has allways been bigger than her stepsister meggie as holly came fro ma litter of 2 and meggie came from a litter of 3 so she has had more growing room before she was born but i dont really give them that much like when there have carrot there have one to say but i do get the big ones not them ltitle skinny ones there dont like litttle skinny ones

and like you said i change it around what have eat each meal time like i give them 2 diffrent vegs each meal time

and i have tired them on the new gerty ginea pig food the ones in the darker blue bag there eatan that so much better i know some of you dont like the gerty food but its the only dry food there will eat sometimes if have dont have grty t the shop and my dsd brings home something diffrent there throw it on the floor

 

[Beaney]

I agree with Jillybean. If they are not eating all their dry food in a day then put less in.

I think I probably look quite tight on how much dry food I put in for mine (Mine have Cavy Cuisine) but I know now how much they will eat in a day and only put that in (plus a tiny bit extra). On occassion I have topped it up again during the day but usually I get it about right. I don't like to feed too much in one go because mine all love sitting in their bowls so the left overs have to be thrown away. Mine always have access to loads of hay which they munch on throughout the day.

I chop all my veg as it stops arguements - each pig can grab a bit rather than them arguing over a whole carrot or something. I do wash all my veg - just a quick rinse under the tap and then a shake off before it goes out.

With the Gerty Guinea - do they eat all of it or do you find they only eat certain bits and always leave some?

 

[Jane]

I wash all of the veg I give them.. it's a just to make sure thing in my head With the dry food, I almost fill the bowl, a little less than to the top and it's usually all gone by the morning. In the morning I take out the dry food they had left over, add fresh, and put the leftovers to the top so none is wasted

You say they don't like other food except Gerty Guinea, maybe you could try buying pellets and slowly switching them over.. Where do you live? If you have a pets at home near you (as much as we all hate the place :-\) maybe you could try them on Pets at home nuggets, or try and find Burgess Supa Guinea Excel?

 

[Hannah_lg]

pets at home is 2 bus rides takes about 20min i nto town centre than 5/10min depainging on trafic to get tot he retail park thing where it is

i have tired with diffrent dry food but there just tip it out and throw the dish but i changed dishes now so there cant even move the dish you see the breeder i got holly and meggie from a year ago told me to give them that stuff thats why there have it asshe gave it them aswell

and to aswer Beaney question there do eat mos of the stuff in the mix there dont leave centre bits or anything but there did when there where having the stuff in the light blue bag but changed to the stuff in the drak blue bag

i think my too baby ones there abot 3/4 months may eat a diffrent mix as when i got them form the gradean centre all there had was there own make stuff it was all stick amd smelt of sick and i need some more dry food as i knew i wouldnt have another for all 4 of them so i got it and there eat that and when it finshed i gave them grrty and there eat it but half ot ends on the floor asit gets kocked out og the dish when there have the feet on it when eating it

i am off to to get some mote dry food at weekend what do you think i should get than for the little ones

and do you was braccla as well? and about about watercres rocket and spacked do toyu wash them too?

 

[Buppi]

My cavies get free dry food (pellets special for guineas) and free hay. They get a little veggie each morning as their feed is a full feed nutrition for guineas and the veggies is just for spoiling.

I feed them lotsa different veggies (also dependig on the season)
Carrots
Red beets (sp/name. A root hard and red)
Parsil
Cucumber
Corn (rarely due to the teddies)
Different cabages
Grass, dandelions, bamboo and other outdoor greens I dont know whats called in english
Radich (sp)
Sweet peppars
Clover

I rarely give mine fruits and tomatoes due to the acids enhances the risk of skinfungus and my cavies are chubby enough without the fruit ;D

modified:
I dont give them much so theres nothing left once they got it. They just get it in the cage without a bowl as they come to take of my hand and eats like they neva get anything. I also cut in pieces so they dont fight for it.