Feedback On Vegetable Intake For Two Guinea Pigs.

[CaitlynsCavies]

I would appreciate feedback on whether the Vegetable intake I provide is suitable as I have read that a single Guinea Pig should receive a cup in Vegetables each day, but I provide time to nibble on the Grass for more than six hours. I understand the rule that fresh green Spring and Autumn Grass counts mostly towards their Vegetable intake while dry Summer grass counts mostly as Hay. It is currently winter for me, so I am unaware. I believe that ½ a cup twice a day would be a suitable amount for both Guinea Pigs, seeing as they also have unlimited access to Hay and Grass, as well as ¼ Pellets each morning.
I will provide the Weekly Routine that has been approved by numerous members, I have a hutch and run suitable for three Guinea Pigs which will be located outside my bedroom window so that I may hear them when I am inside. The tasks that are labelled are for when I have classes, the reason for such an absence.

 

[CaitlynsCavies]

 

[CaitlynsCavies]

To add on, I would also appreciate feedback on a Feeding Schedule I have planned. I have highlighted Fruits and Vegetables that are High in Vitamin C. I have made sure to examine other threads and now realise that it is best to place two High in Vitamin C and two Low in Vitamin C Vegetables, but I noticed that Grass is labelled as High in Vitamin C. This is why I have only placed one High in Vitamin C Vegetable into their schedule, but I would like knowledge from someone who is more experienced on my choices. Once I have purchased the Guinea Pigs I will make sure to ask about their more favoured Fruits and Vegetables, taking that into consideration. This is only a starter Feeding Schedule I could work with in the future.

 

[CaitlynsCavies]

 

[sport_billy]

Looks really varied and a good starting point - play it by ear though as you never know what the piggies are going to like and not like. Bell Peppers are normally loved and a great source of vitamin C because they are colours they have different tastes so we feed daily, changing the colour

My only suggestion would be only one day a week with fruit in it

Here is a thread worth having a read of Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet

Important is unlimited hay in piggies diet.

We feed ours this roughly this as they are fussy
Morning:
Cucumber
Celery
1/6th of Red/Green/Yellow Bell Pepper (de-seeded)

Evening:
Cucumber
Two Little Gem Lettuce leaves or 10 sprigs Coriander. Twice a week we will swap in cabbage or parsley

We also add in to the above diet Green Beans, carrot, sweet potato, celery leaves and a few other things occasionally
.

 

[CaitlynsCavies]

Looks really varied and a good starting point - play it by ear though as you never know what the piggies are going to like and not like. Bell Peppers are normally loved and a great source of vitamin C because they are colours they have different tastes so we feed daily, changing the colour

My only suggestion would be only one day a week with fruit in it

Here is a thread worth having a read of Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet

Important is unlimited hay in piggies diet.

We feed ours this roughly this as they are fussy
Morning:
Cucumber
Celery
1/6th of Red/Green/Yellow Bell Pepper (de-seeded)

Evening:
Cucumber
Two Little Gem Lettuce leaves or 10 sprigs Coriander. Twice a week we will swap in cabbage or parsley

We also add in to the above diet Green Beans, carrot, sweet potato, celery leaves and a few other things occasionally.

Thank you, I have made sure to incorporate your feedback into my Feeding Schedule. I understand that the Vegetables and Fruits I have listed may not be to their liking, so what I have listed may change once I have received the Guinea Pigs. I am just glad to have acknowledgement on my Feeding Schedule, then I create something similar with what the Guinea Pigs like. The link you recommended is what I used to create my Feeding Schedule. How much Bell Pepper would you recommend giving two Guinea Pigs?

 

[CaitlynsCavies]

I would also like to know whether or not ½ cup a day in Vegetables is enough for the Guinea Pigs. I was thinking to provide more, preferably one cup in the morning and one cup in the afternoon since one Guinea Pigs should receive one cup in Vegetables each day.

 

[sport_billy]

1/2 a cup morning and night is what we give. Will take a photo of size of pepper we feed later and upload it for you

 

[rome_italy]

personally I prefer not feeding my piggies on a regular basis with fruits, which I use only as a (rare) treat. I have the suspect that there might be a link between the sugar/insuline metabolism and the development of their ovarian cysts. This is just the latest discover about women's PCOS (ovarian cysts desease) and the researches were made just with guinea pigs. My vet is astonished reading such researches, but cannot give me any opinion, anyway as a owner of two sows, considering that more than 90% of sows develop ovarian cysts during life I want to try this sugar free diet. (My daughter totally recovered by her ovarian cysts without any medications and any hormones, only following a strict -and boring- sugar/carbs free diet... and doctors are quite astonished, too).
I don't know if your winter is cold; here in Rome also in winter we have fresh and good grass which may be considered a part of their vegs meal. My piggies' main food is grass and had been grass also in winter months at the rescue... they came home last March but were already used to eating fresh grass.
Here vets' advice is: illimited hay, huge amount of grass, max 80-100g of vegs and 5g of (cereal free) pellets.
Grass is rich of vit C, but I prefer adding two drops (by syringe) of Cebion, each drop contains 6mg. The amount of vit C in pigs seems to be 25-40mg/kg a day. My piggies love eating bell peppers (rich of vit C as well), but vegs are kept into the fridges and the vit C easily decreases.
(Anyway, I am probably wasting my money with those two drops...)
What is important is keeping a right balance between the calcium and the phosphorus of the daily diet. You can read more on Guinea Lynx website, where you can find also a calculator online.
My piggies don't eat pellets, just some pieces as a treat...
They are growing up slowly, regularly and amazingly and their wee and poo look perfect. Of course they are young, therefore they are healthy...
It will be interesting to see if they will develop as well some bad issue at their ovaries, despite the correct diet... We will see.
Consider that modern hybridized crosses made fruits excessively rich of sugars... in nature fruits were different... carrots and apples were not so sweet when I was young and my Nan had a garden...