Baby Guinea Pig not getting enough food?

[Hey Little Piggies]

Hi. I had three guinea pigs (all adults) and I finally added the (probably) last addition to my herd. She's a three and a half week old baby named Cookie. The other three have an established schedule and they all eat at about the same rate. The problem is, Cookie eats much slower than the others because she's so little. I've been taking her out to feed her veggies separately so she'll get enough but I'm afraid if I keep doing this she won't be able to compete with the others for food when she's older. What should I do?

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

When I add a little piggy to my herd, I always feel, she doesn't get a chance to eat, because my adult piggies are really fast eaters.
I weigh the little one every other day. If she puts on weight, I would not worry too much. Always give enough hay. They learn to adapt pretty quick.

If she looses weight, you have to feed her separately. Since your baby is a little young to be seperated from mummy, she may need a little help. And watch her closely for any signs of illness.

Enjoy this special time and try not to worry too much. Most of the time the little ones eat enough. (Don't know how they do it.)

 

[Featheryfriend]

I'm curious what others will say, but I don't think you will continue to have this problem for much longer. My babies are now 8 weeks and can chow down with the best of them. They will nab food right out from under the adults and run for it!

Some of the adults I recently adopted also started out as relatively dainty eaters. I think they may have been used to being somewhat overfed/having things always available besides hay. It only took them a couple of days to adapt to the high-speed competitive eating we do around here. Rest assured that they can continue to learn all kinds of new behaviors throughout their lives. I don't know of any reason why your pup wouldn't learn to compete for food when she's more ready.

Make sure to get an actual expert opinion (I'm very new to babies) but personally I would probably continue to feed the pup any vegetables and fortified food separately for a little while longer so you can make sure she's getting her portion, and so you won't be worrying. It's most important that she gets what she needs to grow, she can learn to eat fast later. Try group feeding again in a week or so. Whatever you choose to do, as long as she's gaining weight it's probably fine.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Do bear in mind it isnt veg which is the main part of their diet, so taking her out to eat veg won't necessarily help. She needs constant and free access to hay to be able to gain weight and be healthy.

I would simply ensure you have multiple large, freely accessible piles of hay in the cage (not in hay racks given she is so very young and small), so she can get access to hay whenever she needs it. As long as there is plenty of hay available at all times and the adults aren't stopping her from getting to it, then there isnt going to be a problem as she will be getting all the food she needs.

Scatter feed veg and pellets widely around the cage (instead of using bowls) and in amongst hay piles as it will also keep the adults busy looking for it and the little one can then have a pile near her so she an get it as well as learning the scatter feeding method and how to get to it before the others do!

You can offer her pieces of veg and pellets by hand as it will also make a good bonding exercise with her.

 

[VickiA]

Veggies are only about 10% of the piggy’s diet. 80% or so is hay. So I’d agree with scatter feeding the veggies around the cage and ensuring that the little one has unlimited access to hay and pellets. I would also weigh her daily at the same time each day for the first week or so to check that she’s gaining weight on a regular basis.