how often to feed and what

[curlylocks]

Hi
I am a new guinea pig/s owner and would like some information on how often i should be feeding and what. I have spent a lot of time over the last couple of week on the net investigating this and to be honest i have found much of the information conflicting.
Some say some certain things every couple of days/ weekly which is fine but no where does it say what they can eat daily

So we have had the guinea pigs (sparkle and crystal - named by my daughter) for about 4 weeks and as advised by the pet shop not to feed them veg/fruit for the first couple of days.
Now we are feeding them 3 times a day with a mixture herbs (love these) (basil, parsley, mint, corriander) lettuce (nothing spicy or iceberg) peppers (red, yellow or green) cucumber, sweetcorn, carrots, parsnips and maybe a little fruit once every couple of days.

All i want to know is am i over feeding them (i hope not) and what can they have daily without harming them

i think i maybe spoiling them. xx>>>

 

[Connie]

Hi there! You seem to have done loads of research, but I just want to pop it in to avoid confusion, as well as they veg you are asking about they need unlimited hay, and unlimited guinea pig pellets (this will be limited as they get older and stop growing )

Those veg sound fairly good, Parlsey however should not be fed every day as its very high in calcium. I'm also unsure about parsnips so I will leave that to someone else to answer

As far as the amount, the recomended is 1 cup of fruit and veg per piggy per day (thats the actual baking cup measurements, as opposed to any old cup )

 

[curlylocks]

Hi
Thanks Connie, yes they have unlimited hay and pellets in the cage, so i know they are getting what they need that way.
Just a little worried as i don't want to over feed them - they seem to munch as soon as they get it, and have started coming to me when they smell the food.

Oh well will just keep doing what i am - but reduce the parsley.

 

[Connie]

I think you could feed them all the veggies in the world and they would still want more Just like children with sweets!

I was feeding them too many veggies, so I bought myself a set of cup measures and I work from that now

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

We recommend about 1 cupful of mixed veg per piggy per day. Try to include one high vitamin C veg like a slice of pepper (any colour), a bit of broccoli or fresh parsley every day and vary between them. Cabbages are also a good source of vitamin C and are OK to feed as long as they are part of a mix of veg; stop giving them to a piggy with a tendency of tummy upset, especially bloating issues. Coriander/cilantro is the one fresh herb you can feed daily.

Veg you can feed daily: cucumber, celery, pepper, coriander/cilantro; I also give a bit of sweetheart cabbage on most day, but interchange with other cabbages like spring greens or savoy.

Veg you should not feed daily:
- high in vitamin A (builds up in the liver): carrot and all lettuces
- high in acids that can cause sores to lips and mouth: any fruit and tomatoes
- high in calcium (which can help the build up of bladder stones or sludge in piggies with a disposition for them). Too much calcium in your diet is usually excreted in (harmless) milky pees: most fresh herbs, spinach, kale, dandelion, carrot greens, virtually all Asian cabbages like bok choi etc. Please feed those greens only occasionally and herbs only in small quantities.
- sweetcorn: too high in starch for a daily diet

However, you can rotate between the non-daily veg from different groups and add one or two to your daily diet. The trick of a good diet is giving everything in moderation and to rotate foods. You will need to find your own balance between what your piggies eat, what is available and practical, and what you can afford.

Here is a list of which veg are edible: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42

I hope that that helps you?