Feeding grass etc

[Splat n Dexter]

Hi,

I'm slowly getting used to how much to feed the piggies. Between the two of them they get 50g of veg in the morning and evening and the treat ball gets a handful of pellets added to it morning and evening. Hay is kept topped up and always available.

They have gradually been getting more and more grass and suitable weeds/herbs we pick during the day. Since this is increasingly more and more as they get used to it I wonder if this should fall under the veg or hay feeding area? That is, can we feed these freely or should they form part of the 50g of veg that the piggies are getting morning and evening?

 

[Wiebke]

Grass counts as hay, but should never replace it completely - too much fresh food can upset the digestion.

Weeds and herbs like dandelion or clover or fresh herbs etc, count as veg.

 

[Splat n Dexter]

Thanks for that. We'll need to seperate out and weigh out the herbage then.

What would the upper limit generally be for daily grass for the guinea pig? Currently our two have been showing no adverse effects to having it, but wouldn't want to overdo it and risk them becoming unwell as a result!

 

[CiaraPatricia]

I never really thought about how much weeds and herbs to give them, I just give them as much as I want, but I'm sure it isn't too much. Does anyone know how many handfuls would be good for them? I thought it might be easier than weighing it.

With grass I think I read it is one big handful per pig per day (if you pick it). I'm not about that though. I give them some twice a day, and as much as they can eat before it starts drying out and they stop. It probably adds up to two handfuls each a day though. They have hay all day too though. If the hay is good quality then they should eat some of it too, but if it's not very yummy hay then they might favour the grass so watch out for that.

 

[ChrisU]

My guinea pigs are out in their runs for about 12 hours a day at this time of year and spend most of that time eating grass! We move their runs twice a day as well. I've never thought of weighing their greens!

Can guinea pigs eat too much grass? Obviously mine are very used to it so don't get upset tummies.

They get their dried food and plenty of hay in their hutches at night.

In the winter when the grass isn't growing they get more veggies but I think they are always really pleased when the grass starts to grow again. They do get other veggies in the summer too.

I'm looking out of the window now and they are all frantically eating as though they are starving!

 

[Splat n Dexter]

That's what I was thinking on, ChrisU, when feeding mine grass; There are piggies that have access to grass growing all day long. I'd have thought, so long as they are used to it, grass would have been superior to hay for them.

When we walk the dogs we fill one of the wee plastic "poo bags" with grass and weeds to take home for the guinea pigs. It's def alot more than a handful or two each.

As I say, I'm gonna start counting the weeds towards their veg allowance, but am confused about how much grass is good/bad for them. Or can it be fed ad lib alongside the hay. :{

I'm still at the stage where I need to weigh out the veg for sure, otherwise I'd end up feeding them double what they need to get! inbreeding

 

[CiaraPatricia]

I think if they're used to it and it doesn't upset their tummies, it must be fine right? Of course have hay available too so they have a choice. But their diet if they were wild cavies would be mostly grass I think, so it must be fine. All piggies are different, mine are so used to different foods that nothing upsets their tummies.

 

[Wiebke]

I have never weighed out grass and herbs; my lawn is a mixture of both now!

What I do when my piggies have been on lawn for an afternoon is to feed them their crunchies first and dinner a bit later so that I do not get too much soft poo; especially at first when the piggies are not used to rich young grass. Piggies out on the lawn all day only eat so much; they stop when they are full and will eat less hay than in winter, at least that is my observation.