Advice On Veg Combinations Please

[AbiS]

I have big pigs, I have always known this and been happy. Today Barney weighs 1293g and Toby weighs 1220g. However, earlier in the week as I watched Barney's big bum waddle away from me I started to wonder - are they big pigs or are they fat pigs? Having not had piggies for the last 20 years I do not feel able to judge this. They are distinctly pear shaped with a definitely squishy fat bit on either side. I am planning on taking them to the vet once the weather improves for a health check and was going to rely on the vet telling me. They are now 10 months old but stopped fast weight gain at about 8 months

I then thought - right - I will weigh their nuggets and fresh food to see if there is a problem there. The nuggets were ok - 70g between the 2 of them - the packet said 30-50g each.

And then we found the problem.....turns out the problem is mummy! Their breakfast came to 100g - I know this to be the correct amount for 2 pigs. But they have romaine for their tea - I am far too embarrassed to tell you how much they were getting but lets just say that this week we are down to 70g (with 2 very unhappy pigs), next week will be 60g etc..

I have been reducing their breakfast veg as well. My problem is that they don't get much variety because they don't like much. Every day they have cucumber, pepper, celery and coriander then on one day broccoli and the next is baby corn with basil/parsley. As I am reducing, the amounts of everything are getting tiny e.g. with the cucumber they now only have 2 thin slices between them.

My Question therefore (finally) is should I give them larger amounts of each thing but split it so one day is cucumber, celery and broccoli and the next is coriander, pepper, corn and parsley/basil or should I continue as I have been with small amounts of lots of things at a time. Or does it make no difference?

They used to get a tiny bit of fruit (apple or melon) daily but I have reduced this to three times a week (my days off). And I will reduce their nuggets a little bit more once we have got used to the veg.

Sorry this has been so long - felt I just needed to explain everything properly!

 

[Jerrybelly]

Personally, I don't think those weights are too heavy for boars. I've got two boys in the 1.2kg range.

Nuggets are far more fattening than vegetables. It is important that you limit those - which you are doing. Some brands are lower in fat than others. You could try changing the nuggets, if you're concerned.

As fruit contains more sugar than veg, it can contribute to weight gain and therefore should be limited - again, just as you're doing. Of the veg you've listed, the only one that I can think may be fattening is baby corn, but as long as it's given fairly infrequently then it should be fine.

You could make them work more for their food. Rather than giving it to them in bowl, scatter it throughout the cage so that they need to forage for it.

My staple veggies each day are cucumber, peppers and something leafy (eg lettuce). I then alternate between tomatoes, celery, carrot and corn. By giving them cucumber each day I know that they're getting a guaranteed amount of water. Peppers are high vitamin C so I know that they're getting a good, daily amount of that too.

Each piggy should have approximately one 'cup' of veggies a day (how big is a cup?!), but this is important for their gut and calcium levels too. Too much veg can cause bloat and diarrhea, and potentially contribute to a build up of sludgy calcium in the bladder (particularly if you feed calcium-rich food)

 

[AbiS]

I would try scattering their food for them but I have to admit that I hand feed them their breakfast. It is the only time that Barney will stand still and accept unlimited strokes as he hates cuddles and will run away from me unless he has a face-full of food! It is my Barney-bonding time!

I might try giving them less variety each day but then more variety between the days. I just don't want them to get bored of what they have. I have literally worked my way down the safe food list and they just don't like anything else!

From what you have said it sounds like I am doing the right thing, I will just continue reducing the volumes gradually until they are having a more sensible amount.

 

[Pearlsie 86]

I agree with Jerryberry, my swiss boar weighs 1559g and my rex boar 1360g

 

[Katherine]

Two rodentologists who I respect very much told me that they'd only known one guinea pig that was genuinally overweight, and that was a piggie who had been fed with all sorts of rubbish high sugar "treats". Hope that's some comfort!

 

[Wiebke]

personally, I don't think that they are overweight, but as they have reached their adult weight, I would start to gradually and slowly reduce the amounts of pellets you are feeding (slowly to avoid food riots!). If you are reading carefully, you will find that the recommended amounts are calculated for a diet that does not include daily (or much) veg!

 

[Cavyhappy]

I agree with the previous replies although getting worried because mine are just like yours sound! (The fat on either side, BIG)

 

[Briony_S]

I dont think they sound fat. I'm in process of try to increase the weight of two of my pigs. I havr a lovely boy who is massive he is the biggest pig ive ever seen but only 1050gms so I am feeding him up as it seems way too light for a male who is very long and has a massive head. Litterally all I am doing to feed him up is feeding a normal diet and he is putting on weight naturally with limited pellets and veg and unlimited hay.

 

[AbiS]

Thank you for all your responses. I think I was just worried when I realised I was totally overfeeding them with Romaine. I have since reduced that a lot and feel that we have a much better balance (although Toby & Barney might disagree there!)