Cheap, healthy treat list

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Tracyxx

Tracyxx

Adult Guinea Pig
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My pigs love the Naturals range but it's quite expensive so I've looked into healthy treats I can buy in bulk to save money. These are all fine to give to your pigs. :)


  • Bran - buy it at health food stores such as Holland Barratt
  • Oats - buy the cheapest own-brand from a supermarket, or in a large bay from a horse feed shop
  • Barley rings - buy from a horse feed shop
  • Goat mix (consits of pellets, oats etc) - buy from a horse/farm feed shop, or it is available from UK pet shop Just For Pets
  • Grass - It sounds obvious but many of us have limited amount of grass. Buy 'Just Grass' from a horse feed shop in a large bale!

Feel free to add your own!
 
Thank you for adding that list! My boys also love the naturals range and i did buy my healthy treats from Pampered piggys, but since she has shut down its been hard searching for natural safe treats, now i have a great list thank you Tracy.

:)
 
wilkinsons sells some healthy treats (dried herb bags etc.. ) they are cheaper than the naturals stuff and also if you have a range near by you can get the burgess herb bags for £1.99

I also am growing the tops off parsnips, turnips and carrots so the pigs can have the leafy bits which is a complete freebie as either me or the pigs have eaten the bottom of the veg so this is just waste being recycled!
 
redd1800 said:
do the oats and bran need soaking?
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You can add them to water if you like, or serve without. I would say to try both ways, and see which your pigs prefer. You can use the oats and bran together to make a bran-porridge too :)
 
What's in Goat mix? Will check out what my farm feed shop sells next week. I like the sound of 'Just Grass' xx
 
The 'Just grass' is good, I have bought a big bale of it before, was only about £7, much better value than readigrass, if you have enough piggies to eat it all. I get it from Jolleyes
 
Mine get whole wheat grains, sometimes. I just throw a small handful all over the cage and they look for it. It's like a piggy kinder surprise :) Fun and tasty (the surprise element is that they never know when they'll get it :) )
 
How would you give pigs this sort of thing?
I'm sure i'm getting thicker by the day rolleyes
 
Millie's-Mummy said:
How would you give pigs this sort of thing?
I'm sure i'm getting thicker by the day rolleyes
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If you mean the barley grass, then I assume you can just grow it in shallow plastic trays and put a complete tray in their run for them to chomp down themselves, or just trim it down yourself as you would cut fresh herbs and feed it like that?

Now I'm being thick....I assume that barley grass is the stuff that barley straw is made from? Is there such a thing as barley hay? And if barley straw is unsuitable for pigs to eat, is the grass version definitely ok? (I'm assuming that because it's not dried out that the grass has good nutrients in it...is that right?)
 
Yes barley grass is fine to feed piggies as a treat. Grow it in shallow trays or small plant pots and put the whole thing in the cage/hutch. Remove before they completely eat right down. Ideally leave around half a centimeter.

In general straw is not recommended as it is coarse in texture and can cause eye injuries. Barley as a crop (in fields) that is used to make straw will be the mature plant will be more coarse and also contain seeds, your barley grass grown in pots, will not get to that stage and will be young shoots, not the mature plant.

* It does contain calcium, so I feed once maybe twice per week at the most not daily, as with all foods containing calcium. I would feed a lot less often if with piggies with a history of badder stones.

They have several health benefits for piggies and humans so I think its worth feeding as a treat.

If you want to read more there more info here: http://www.answers.com/topic/barley-grass-1

Hope this helps :)
 
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That does help - thanks Ange!

Are there other grasses which can be easily grown in this way, which are perhaps better treats for piggies with a history of bladder/UTI issues?
 
Just had a quick look, wheat grass can be grown too, but also has calcium, not sure if higher or lower than barley. People have grown timothy grass , which is lower in calcium, but that takes longer to grow.

If you want advice on growing things and haven't grown much before this is a good scheme: http://www.onepotpledge.org/thanks-pledge.html

I also grow mixed lettuce, swiss chard, herbs ( piggies can eat most herbs, in moderation, except chives and garlic), and planning to grow carrots when warm enough outside.

Most of my window sills are full at the moment lol
 
Thanks Ange.

I've bought some of those barley grass seeds from ebay but I think I'll have to cut it myself, so I can strictly ration it, otherwise if I stick the whole tray in there my little greedy guts piggy won't let me take it back until it's all gone!

Can't wait to try the other suggestions on this thread too. Thanks people :)
 
I am growing regular lawn grass! i just bought normal grass seeds you get to put on your lawn. Not sure how well it'll do as only planted today but will keep you updated! I have a lawn but it is often wet / cold etc.. so it's going to be easier for them to just have a tray to eat in their indoor playpen now and then!
 
I would love to grow something myself for the pigs. However, having 39, it would possibly take me a year to grow enough..and just one day for them to eat it all!
 
Briony_Y said:
I've just ordered some barley seed as my grass is doing nothing and I'm bored with it lol!
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Typical, I ordered the barley seeds last night and what do you know today i have 1cm green shoots in my "regular" grass tray, it seems it does work with normal grass and it was only about £3 for a huge box of it from morrisons! oh well they will have two types and i can alternate it now!
 
thanks a lot for the link tracey, just ordered maxwell some barley grass! I'm sure he will be delighted!
 
shinydriver said:
Does anyone know if this is just barley that a farmer would grow? My dad is a farmer so I'm wondering if I can just pinch some barley (and wheat?) seeds to grow.
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I'm not certain but, from what Ange said, I would've thought that these barley seeds are the same, as the barley "grass" grown for piggies is apparently just the immature plant grown for crops. Perhaps ask your Dad to double check the photo shown in the ebay listing and check he recognises it as the stuff he grows (before it gets all stalky with seed heads).

I'm not sure about wheat but it may well also be the immature plant.
 
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The pigs have been getting barley rings on alternate days and I have to tell you, the results are FANTASTIC! They are all much fatter and their coats are shinier. They taste a bit sweet, so they are a real hit with a pigs. If anyone is struggling to get weight on their pigs, try these, I beg you..I only wish I'd discovered them sooner.

I am also now giving them the option of Pets at Home nuggets or goat mix every day. It's a hit with probably 70% of the pigs and is cheap to buy in bulk (20kgs for £7 from Just For Pets) if anyone wants to try it.
 
Hi,

Thanks for this info. about guinea pig treats, it's really useful.

Does anyone know what a guinea pig's natural diet is(in "the wild")? I ask because my piggies leave a few certain types of things that come with the food mix I buy, but I've yet to be convinced by the "everything smooshed in together" nugget option... I wouldn't like to have my food like that lol!
 
Tracyxx said:
The pigs have been getting barley rings on alternate days and I have to tell you, the results are FANTASTIC! They are all much fatter and their coats are shinier. They taste a bit sweet, so they are a real hit with a pigs. If anyone is struggling to get weight on their pigs, try these, I beg you..I only wish I'd discovered them sooner.

I am also now giving them the option of Pets at Home nuggets or goat mix every day. It's a hit with probably 70% of the pigs and is cheap to buy in bulk (20kgs for £7 from Just For Pets) if anyone wants to try it.
Click to expand...


Could you post a pic of the barley rings please? I don't really understand what they are. :red
 
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