Getting Confused.......how Much Food.

[Mummy&Eden]

Had our 2 piggy's a week now. Was a bit worried at first as they were not touching their dry food nuggets, so gave less veg.
Now they are starting to eat the dry food and lots and lots of hay.

My questions
How much veg, and should that be once or twice a day? Can I over feed?
Should the dry food always be available? (I thought yes but sure I have just read some where no)

Also are there piggy menu's on here just so I can get a good balance of every thing.( I don't want to give to much calcium etc)

I'm sure someone can point me in the right direction.
Thank you all!

 

[Stewybus]

A cup of veggies per piggy per day is recommended. Mine get there's in the morning & evening. Unlimited hay + dried food replaced daily. If they don't eat some of the veggies I experiment until I get their mix right. Ideally there should hardly ever be anything left by the next meal. See this list for veggies:-
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Stewart/My%20Documents/Downloads/Guinea%20Pig%20Edible%20Veg%20List%20(1).pdf You can also get to it by clicking on "Downloadable Care Guides at top of page.

 

[Deleted member 114675]

I'd love to see a menu too if anyone has seen on that they think is worth sharing. I'm afraid I am too generous by nature and my guinea pigs are putting on weight.

The information I have gleaned from previous posts is ...

Hay and water should be available all the time - a guinea pig's diet should be 80% hay. Avoid Alfalfa hay for adult guinea pigs as this is high calorie and high calcium.
Dry food should be limited ( most people say an egg cupfull per pig per day) and does not need to be available all the time.
Guinea pigs should have a cupful of fresh veggies per day - preferably in 2 sittings i.e. 1/2 cupful each sitting.

Treats should be limited as they are high calorie. Readigrass should be classed as a treat ( my guinea pigs adore it ) as it is high calorie and high calcium.

There are quite a few useful threads on this forum and I am sure people will be putting links to these in due course.

If anyone disagrees with any of the above, please let me know.

Any advice on a weight loss diet would be gratefully received.

 

[Mummy&Eden]

Thank you.....but how big is a cup? I'm not really sure on that one either. Will have to double check the hay also but it is that Timothy Hay stuff so fingers crossed.

Just off to buy there veg now.....

 

[Stewybus]

Thank you.....but how big is a cup? I'm not really sure on that one either. Will have to double check the hay also but it is that Timothy Hay stuff so fingers crossed.

Just off to buy there veg now.....

Yes, it could be a tea cup or a large cup. I just checked Wikipedia & it says 1/4 litre eg 250 millilitres. So it's a volume thing rather than a weight thing.

 

[Mummy&Eden]

Well that's no help. Lol
I was hoping its the size of the feeding bowl I got at pets at home
Just been to Lidl to by veg got some bags of salad etc. Trying to work out how much and how long it will last. As we are a frozen veg kind of family.

Thanks again

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

Guinea pigs are grazing animals and have evolved primarily to eat fresh grass. This is difficult to provide in the uk year round, especially in urban areas. Therefore, the diet we feed our piggies is designed to replicate this by providing them with both the essential cellulose fibre found in grass ( by offering unlimited hay) and providing them with plenty of vitamin c and other nutrients which would otherwise also be found in fresh grass ( by giving them veg). Personally if your piggies are enjoying their hay and veg and not bothering with their nuggets I wouldn't worry. I feed mostly a hay and veg diet and give nuggets just occasionally as a treat.

Any advice on a weight loss diet would be gratefully received.

I would recomend cutting back feeding dry food

 

[Stewybus]

It's just a rough guide. If you get a measuring bowl & put a 1/4 of a litre in it then put that in their feeding bowl you'll see how much it takes. You don't have to be spot. If you put too much food in, there's likely to be some left by next feed. Same if you don't put enough in it'll be empty well before next feed.

I give each of mine 1/2 a large romaine lettuce leaf, 2 slices of carrot, 2 slices of cucumber, 2 pieces of pepper about 3cm x 2cm, 2 pieces of celery about 2cm long, 2 leaves of garden mint. 2 piece of coriander, small amount of kale & spinach. Then odd bits of things we've had for sunday lunch etc. cauli leaves, brocolli, a little cabbage. If my grandson comes home from school with leftovers such as grapes or cherry tomatoes they'll maybe get 1/2 of one each. Other herbs that may be in the knocked down price area of Tesco. They get lots of variety but the first 9 on my list are pretty constant.

 

[Mummy&Eden]

Thank you again......its just trying to get the balance for them right so they don't get poorly.

But look what I found at the back of the kitchen cupboard. Going to give this a go tonight
to measure the veg.

 

[Deleted member 114675]

Thank you again......its just trying to get the balance for them right so they don't get poorly.

But look what I found at the back of the kitchen cupboard. Going to give this a go tonight
to measure the veg.

I had some kitchen measures and worked out the bowls I use hold 1 1/2 cups. That's ideal for me . I have 3 guinea pigs so, my guide is a bowl of veggies in the morning and a bowl in the evening.

 

[Deleted member 114675]

Guinea pigs are grazing animals and have evolved primarily to eat fresh grass. This is difficult to provide in the uk year round, especially in urban areas. Therefore, the diet we feed our piggies is designed to replicate this by providing them with both the essential cellulose fibre found in grass ( by offering unlimited hay) and providing them with plenty of vitamin c and other nutrients which would otherwise also be found in fresh grass ( by giving them veg). Personally if your piggies are enjoying their hay and veg and not bothering with their nuggets I wouldn't worry. I feed mostly a hay and veg diet and give nuggets just occasionally as a treat.

I would recomend cutting back feeding dry food

Thanks - I'm trying but Max is good at begging !