Hello, so I’m getting a baby Guinea pig very soon and I was wondering do I feed him the young Guinea pig food recipe from oxbow. Or could I feed him the adult recipe since he will be living with adults when bonded.
Baby Guinea pig eating adult recipe?
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Do you know what the little one is getting at the moment?
You could start with the Junior pellets and gradually switch to the adult ones.
BUT:
Pellets should only be a very small part of your guinea pig's diet. Hay is most important. Piggies also need fresh forage or veggies.
Here you find a lot of information on feeding guinea pigs: Diet Guides
Also a baby guinea pig should never be kept alone for longer than absolutely necessary. So you don't really have the time to switch pellets gradually.
Do you know what the little one is getting at the moment?
You could start with the Junior pellets and gradually switch to the adult ones.
BUT:
Pellets should only be a very small part of your guinea pig's diet. Hay is most important. Piggies also need fresh forage or veggies.
Here you find a lot of information on feeding guinea pigs: Diet Guides
Also a baby guinea pig should never be kept alone for longer than absolutely necessary. So you don't really have the time to switch pellets gradually.
Guinea pigs can eat adult pellets from birth. There is no need to feed young pellets as they contain alfalfa which isn’t needed in the diet after they are 3 weeks old.
Make sure you only feed piggies one tablespoon of pellets per day each
Make sure you only feed piggies one tablespoon of pellets per day each
You say ’he’ and you say ‘adults’ (plural)
Does this mean you are going to be trying to introduce a baby boar to an already bonded boar pair?
If so, please reconsider and instead keep a baby in a separate cage (alongside the pair) and then look to get him his own new friend so they can live as a separate pair in a separate cage.
Introducing other boars into a bonded boar pair is most usually a recipe for disaster. Boar trios (or more) generally do not work long term (the pair may not even accept the baby from the first moment they meet) and can end with fights, broken bonds and single piggies. Boars can only really be kept in pairs to be successful long term.
If it was your intention to make a boar trio (or more) and you still intend to do so, then ensure your cage covers at least a square metre per piggy - ie if you are trying to keep three boars then the cage needs to be at least 3 square metres (300x100cm) - and you also need a plan B for separate living arrangements so you can separate them at a moments notice if things fail at any point (this includes any existing pair, introducing a new boar can sometimes mean the existing pair fall out).
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Does this mean you are going to be trying to introduce a baby boar to an already bonded boar pair?
If so, please reconsider and instead keep a baby in a separate cage (alongside the pair) and then look to get him his own new friend so they can live as a separate pair in a separate cage.
Introducing other boars into a bonded boar pair is most usually a recipe for disaster. Boar trios (or more) generally do not work long term (the pair may not even accept the baby from the first moment they meet) and can end with fights, broken bonds and single piggies. Boars can only really be kept in pairs to be successful long term.
If it was your intention to make a boar trio (or more) and you still intend to do so, then ensure your cage covers at least a square metre per piggy - ie if you are trying to keep three boars then the cage needs to be at least 3 square metres (300x100cm) - and you also need a plan B for separate living arrangements so you can separate them at a moments notice if things fail at any point (this includes any existing pair, introducing a new boar can sometimes mean the existing pair fall out).
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Yes I was planning to try and bond him with two boars that have recently been bonded together(a couple weeks). I have heard about occurrences like that and I was looking into getting him a friend but I’m afraid how my family would react to me owning four Guinea pigs. I did have a plan b for living arrangements if it did not work out, but I do not have the space for(I think you said 32 square feet)a big enclosure like that. What do you think?
P.S: This is my first time owning Guinea pigs so I’m not sure if my family is accepting of four.
A boar trio with young boars and particularly if the pair have only just been bonded themselves is most likely asking for trouble. Some people get lucky with a boar trio but mostly they are in older boars who no longer have high testosterone and just want companionship, carer groups or are exceptionally relaxed.
We would not advise you to attempt it, particularly if your cage is not big enough. Space is a necessity for boars and lack of it is enough to cause fall outs. 3 square metres converts to 32 square feet.
If you do attempt a boar trio and it failed but also causes the break down of the relationship of the pair (it can happen), then you would need three separate cages each of a minimum of 8 square feet so a minimum of 24 square feet could be needed in a worst case scenario if attempting the trio.
How big is your cage?
A pair of boars need 12 square feet.
Your only other option is to keep the baby single but for him to live side by side with the pair permanently. He would need a cage of a minimum of 8 square feet.
You would need to have that discussion with your family about finding the new baby his own new friend.
If the baby was to have his own new friend then their cage could be stacked above the existing pair, meaning it wouldn’t take up any more floor space than one cage.
I have 16 square feet for the two males currently and the baby was going to be in a temporary 2x3 until bonded but I’m not sure. My mom only wants me to have two but she is allowing three. There is a rescue who I’ve been looking at but I’m sure she will have issues with me bringing four home in the span of a month.
16 square feet is good for two.
I would recommend you keep the baby in the 2x3 alongside the pair permanently and not rock the boat when it comes to the relationship between the pair. Provided he can interact between the bars with pair then he will not be lonely.
One question: should I put a 2x3 on top of my 2x8 or build a 2x4 under my 2x8?
Hi
The actual amounts involved are minute, to be honest. When it comes to guinea pigs, it's frankly more of a sales gimmick than anything else.
My own babies always had normal pellets; I just fed a little bit extra in the first few weeks. All my babies have been and are doing well. Surprise baby Tegan in the avatar picture on the left lived to nearly 8 years despite being born before there were baby pellets or even low calcium pellets.
Please be aware that if you want to introduce the baby to a stable pair of fully adult boars, you need to abort the bonding as soon as any stress starts going down between the bonded pair or they could permanently fall out. If your two boars are teenagers, then please do not - that is a recipe for disaster with three hormonally unstable boys.
Whether the baby will fit once he develops his full adult identity is open.
It needs to be right beside the cage that the pair live in so they can see, smell and interact with each other through the cages divider.
It cannot go on top of the other cage and it cannot be across the room as the baby will then lose all ability to interact with the pair and will get lonely.