Is Poop Picking Bad For Piggies?

[aimzer]

Many of us who use fleece for bedding 'poop pick' once or twice a day to keep the cage nice and clean. I poop pick morning and evenings but I am now starting to wonder if this is a good idea. I know guinea pigs eat their poop and I'm wondering if these poops should be left for them to eat. It had never crossed my mind until I read something tonight. I always thought they just ate the 'good' poops straight from their bottoms as I have seen them doing. Do they also eat the pops lying round the cage? What's everyone's thoughts?

 

[Chief Guinea Pig]

If you weren't to clean as often then they would be staying in a dirty environment. I am should they would eat the good poos straight away anyway,

 

[piggyfan]

Usually they only eat the cecotropes and they are eaten straight from their bottom. I remove poops twice a day too. You are helping your pigs have a nice, clean home.

 

[aimzer]

If you weren't to clean as often then they would be staying in a dirty environment. I am should they would eat the good poos straight away anyway,

Usually they only eat the cecotropes and they are eaten straight from their bottom. I remove poops twice a day too. You are helping your pigs have a nice, clean home.

Thanks ladies! That's exactly what I thought but like to make extra sure. Don't want to be depriving them of poops! Lol.

 

[Wigwig]

The normals poops they eat, I think they eat them pretty quickly. I pick out archies atleast once a day, and I have noticed that when he does them and eats them, its less than a minute between doing it and then eating it up off the ground. So unless you are literally picking up each one as soon as they do it, I am sure they are managing to eat the ones they want.

 

[Frankie1990]

I have occasionally seen the pigs eat poop that has been laying there for a while... but as you say they mostly eat the good poop straight out of their bum.

I too pick poop at least once a day, normally twice, and they popcorn around once their fleece is clean. I don't think they miss the stale old poo!

 

[Wiebke]

Guinea pigs produce two different kinds of poops and they do it at different times. The poops they need to eat are quite often picked up straigth from the bum and eaten as fresh as possible. What you see lying around are the normal waste poos that should be cleared off.

 

[aimzer]

That's great! Thanks everyone!

 

[nicky]

Guinea pigs produce two different kinds of poops and they do it at different times. The poops they need to eat are quite often picked up straigth from the bum and eaten as fresh as possible. What you see lying around are the normal waste poos that should be cleared off.

Thank goodness for that because I clean their pops up about 3to4 times a day more sometimes.

 

[PiggieHerd]

Yeah, I spot clean my cage 4 or 5 times a day.

From what I've notice, the poop they eat are the ones they reach around the instant they do it. I had the same concern that I was cleaning way to much.