Fussy piggies!

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susiewoosie

susiewoosie

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Hi everyone, I'm a newbie GP mommy!

My two beautiful girls are minnie and maxi, don't know what age they are but believe them to be 11 - 12 months. They were in the adoption centre in Pets at Home and I couldn't resist. Both of them are great, funny little characters and coming round quite nicely.

My problem is that they are becoming quite fussy with food. I have listed what they eat on a daily basis. I have tried loads of stuff and they just won't have it. Now, there is a chalky (calcium deposit) from one of them and i don't know which. Please check out this diet and any advice would be very much appreciated.

MORNING - each

lettuce (mixed types, def not iceberg) handful
pepper (RED, GREEN OR YELLOW) quarter

EVENING

lettuce MORE
LITTLE BIT OF spring greens (they used to a lot of greens but not anymore)
2 cherry tomatoes each
little bit of celery
parsley (small bunch)

SNACKS 1 a night..
coriander (half a bag of tesco big bag)
parsley
cucumber (3 inch between 2)
melon (lots of)
dandelion and carrot nature sticks

They don't like

Cabbage of any sort
spring greens
kale
carrots
broccoli
cauliflower
apple
grapes (used to)
brussells (used to)
courgette
baby sweetcorn
basil


Can anyone think of anything else i can try with them? All they want it is lettuce?

Many thanks..

:))
 
Welcome to the forum:)
Have you tried them with orange, pear or banana? I have four pigs and all like and dislike different things, mine used to love banana then started to hate it. All down to the piggy i guess!
 
Hi, welcome to the forum.
I have found with Chip that she won't eat a piece of carrot i have to grate it or slice it with a peeler :)
 
Hi

They used to like pear and banana, not a lot and definitely do not like oranges. EmmaB i will try the the peeling. I would just like to give them more of a variety.. now they are going off peppers! I have noticed that they love to hand fed? even when they don't like the food, they just nibble and drop it.. they love hand fed hay as well... think i'm spoiling them...hehehe
 
Hi

They used to like pear and banana, not a lot and definitely do not like oranges. EmmaB i will try the the peeling. I would just like to give them more of a variety.. now they are going off peppers! I have noticed that they love to hand fed? even when they don't like the food, they just nibble and drop it.. they love hand fed hay as well... think i'm spoiling them...hehehe
 
Fresh beetroot (no leaves) are nice to give them and are £1 per pack in Tesco at the moment, Organic too :))
Chicory is also a nice veggie to give occasionally but I can never wait for the sweetcorn husks when they come into season next year, they love them rolleyes
 
The calium desposits could be from a couple of things.

Parsley shouldnt really be fed daily, only about twice a week. This is because its a little high in calcuim, but dont panic because you can feed lots of corriander instead, that is find to feed daily. :)

Also dandilion leaves again once once or twice a week, as they are also high in calcium. /
 
I have two guinea pigs and there is also quite a lot of a chalky deposit on the fleece is this normal or am I giving them too much veg with high calcium:...
 
Some chalky deposits are normal, but as the OP was worried i thought i would mention it.

We have a veg list in our food sectiont that will tell you the high calcium veg, if you have lots on the list maybe try subsituting for one of the lower calcium ones. :)

HTH
 
susiewoosie said:
Hi everyone, I'm a newbie GP mommy!

My two beautiful girls are minnie and maxi, don't know what age they are but believe them to be 11 - 12 months. They were in the adoption centre in Pets at Home and I couldn't resist. Both of them are great, funny little characters and coming round quite nicely.

My problem is that they are becoming quite fussy with food. I have listed what they eat on a daily basis. I have tried loads of stuff and they just won't have it. Now, there is a chalky (calcium deposit) from one of them and i don't know which. Please check out this diet and any advice would be very much appreciated.

MORNING - each

lettuce (mixed types, def not iceberg) handful
pepper (RED, GREEN OR YELLOW) quarter

EVENING

lettuce MORE
LITTLE BIT OF spring greens (they used to a lot of greens but not anymore)
2 cherry tomatoes each
little bit of celery
parsley (small bunch)

SNACKS 1 a night..
coriander (half a bag of tesco big bag)
parsley
cucumber (3 inch between 2)
melon (lots of)
dandelion and carrot nature sticks

They don't like

Cabbage of any sort
spring greens
kale
carrots
broccoli
cauliflower
apple
grapes (used to)
brussells (used to)
courgette
baby sweetcorn
basil


Can anyone think of anything else i can try with them? All they want it is lettuce?

Many thanks..

:))
Click to expand...


hi, wlcome to the forum! About your question... you could try them with spinach leaves (my two piggies love them!), carrot tops, pear, banana,
satsumas, celery leaves, dandelion leaves from your garden (providing they are clean and not too many), grass, corn on the cob. Also, guinea pigs likes and dislikes for food change every now and again, just make sure that they are getting enough vitamin c from their fresh food. I hope this is useful! :)
 
Hello and welcome to the forum :)
None of mine liked brocoli a while back and they love it now.... strange how their tastes change :))
Mine all looooove carrot tops, fresh grass, coriander and corn (baby corn or on the cob) and spinach
x
 
Hello everyone and thanks for the advice

The chicory was a success and I will definitely cut down on the parsley. Will also take on board that their tastes change, probably to suit their mood? (just like myself) and all the other tips i.e. carrot tops! I don't have a garden but live across from a park so will be foraging in the better weather for grass and dandelions.

Thanks again everyone on behalf of my beautiful girls..
 
Hello everyone and thanks for the advice

The chicory was a success and I will definitely cut down on the parsley. Will also take on board that their tastes change, probably to suit their mood? (just like myself) and all the other tips i.e. carrot tops! I don't have a garden but live across from a park so will be foraging in the better weather for grass and dandelions.

Thanks again everyone on behalf of my beautiful girls..
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. Try not to give them that much variety because the more often they get exposed to different things, the more they think they can have and not have. Mine are fed on pellets and what is left from our human cooking that is edible to them. Occanisonaly I buy stuff for them but not on a diet like that. Hope this helps.
 
Hi Guineagurl

Thanks for that. I see that your from Australia, unfortunately, i am from colder climes and am not partial to eating salad for most of the year, it's more haggis, thats if we can catch one! so I do have to go piggy food shopping. What is left over from human cooking can guinea pigs eat? i didn't think they could eat cooked food. Apologies if i am taking things to literal.

You mention "but not on a diet like that."? can you tell me what you mean, a diet like what? I wouldn't want to be fed the same thing everyday and be lucky for leftovers, so i try and do my best, hence the reason for joining the forum, for great advice which is greatly appreciated.


thanks
 
Hi Guineagurl

Thanks for that. I see that your from Australia, unfortunately, i am from colder climes and am not partial to eating salad for most of the year, it's more haggis, thats if we can catch one! so I do have to go piggy food shopping. What is left over from human cooking can guinea pigs eat? i didn't think they could eat cooked food. Apologies if i am taking things to literal.

You mention "but not on a diet like that."? can you tell me what you mean, a diet like what? I wouldn't want to be fed the same thing everyday and be lucky for leftovers, so i try and do my best, hence the reason for joining the forum, for great advice which is greatly appreciated.


thanks
 
susiewoosie said:
Hi Guineagurl

Thanks for that. I see that your from Australia, unfortunately, i am from colder climes and am not partial to eating salad for most of the year, it's more haggis, thats if we can catch one! so I do have to go piggy food shopping. What is left over from human cooking can guinea pigs eat? i didn't think they could eat cooked food. Apologies if i am taking things to literal.

You mention "but not on a diet like that."? can you tell me what you mean, a diet like what? I wouldn't want to be fed the same thing everyday and be lucky for leftovers, so i try and do my best, hence the reason for joining the forum, for great advice which is greatly appreciated.


thanks
Click to expand...

For the record, a haggis:

http://planetbrowny.com/sauce/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Wild_Haggis.jpg
Have to be quick to catch them as you say rolleyes

;) :(|)
 
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