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My new piggies wont eat any veg!

Cheese&Biscuit

Cheese&Biscuit

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
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I've had my boys for just over a week and apart from kale, they won't touch anything else! I've tried them with carrot, green & yellow peppers, celery, apple, strawberry, spinach and romaine lettuce all of which were left untouched. I tried putting them in whole (apart from the peppers) and also cutting them small and adding them to their pellets but still a nope! Can anyone suggest something else I could try? I'm worried they won't be getting sufficient nutrients!

Also, aren't they just so cute?! I've never had guinea pigs and didn't realise they had so much personality! I'm in love :love:cheese&biscuit.webp
 
Welcome.
Before I start I must say they are super cute. :tu:
I would give them some time to settle down. Everything is very new to them so it will take time for them to get used to things. Never give up trying to give them food as they really need their veggies, herbs and fruits for nutrients.

My boy Finn and Lara eat variety of veggies, herbs and fruits. They are used to eating many different types of herbs as well. Mine get some Oxbow pellets and endless amount of Oxbow hay.
 
Thank you Seven7! I'm smitten with them :love: I haven't tried them with any herbs yet. Which ones do you recommend? Cheese & Biscuit love their hay and do eat their pellets so hopefully they start enjoying some veggie treats too!

What's the opinion on timothy hay for guinea pigs? Before I got my piggies I did some googling and read it was better for them, but when I went to pick the boys up from the pet shop I was told it was too rich for them.. They love it and are constantly munching but is it ok to use long term? I have another 5kg of the stuff here lol!
 
Aren't they adorable! :love: Piggies learn from the adults around them what is suitable to eat, so if their mother and other surrounding adults were fed a fairly limited veg diet, it will take them a while to understand certain things are food, it's just a case of persevering and continuing to offer what you want them to eat. Eventually they should get the idea!

Timothy hay is fine for piggies to eat long term, its one of the most popular choices for them and is certainly not too rich for them, although it can be the main culprit of allergies :)
 
They are adorable 💕How about trying a little bit of grass or a little bit of dill, parsley or mint? It’s a bit like weaning a baby, they learn from what Mummy eats, so keep putting in the things they won’t eat as they may start to eat them eventually. Dandelion leaves are a firm favourite with most piggies. As long as they are munching plenty of hay that’s the main thing x
 
Coriander is a good one to start with and can be given daily, as well as others but not too often for the latter.

I would just persist. Put it in a bowl and if they don’t eat it just chuck it away and repeat the next day. My girls didn’t like celery when I got them. It was a matter of offering it to them daily and they eventually ate it.

You can also try cucumber. Maybe introduce 2 veggies at a time and try for a week and see. Good luck!, they’re gorgeous but can be like children sometimes 🙄
 
For herbs, mine eat coriander, parsley, mint, and dandelion most often.
Everyday they get romaine lettuce and I feel it is their favorite.
I rotate in giving them cucumber, baby carrot, kale, celery, and others along with their daily romaine lettuce.
For fruit, they like to eat blueberry, apple, grapes and etc. I don’t give fruits very often due to high sugar content.
 
First off- adorable!

Secondly, a lot of baby pigs are not sure what to do with veggies or other new foods- it takes them time to recognize them as food sometimes, especially if there is no other pig around eating it for them to watch and learn from. Keep on offering it, and offer new things in conjunction with things that they have already discovered (like the kale.) Eventually one will try a new thing and the other will learn by watching. Just keep making it available and they will likely figure it out soon!
 
Thank you all so much! I'll keep trying and hopefully they get the idea! Loving the pics of the piggies in everyones profile pictures :love: :love:
 
:luv: :luv: :luv: :luv: - they are soooooooo cute.

Welcome to the forum and I hope we will see lots more of those 2.

I'm still trying to work out what my new little boar will eat. Chicory has proved to be a favourite. Dill also goes down well. He's just started eating romaine lettuce too. Patience and persistence is what it takes.
 
Cheese&Biscuit said:
I've had my boys for just over a week and apart from kale, they won't touch anything else! I've tried them with carrot, green & yellow peppers, celery, apple, strawberry, spinach and romaine lettuce all of which were left untouched. I tried putting them in whole (apart from the peppers) and also cutting them small and adding them to their pellets but still a nope! Can anyone suggest something else I could try? I'm worried they won't be getting sufficient nutrients!

Also, aren't they just so cute?! I've never had guinea pigs and didn't realise they had so much personality! I'm in love :love:View attachment 118324
Click to expand...
My boys are quite fussy and really only eat kale. Of course I do give them other foods but they have to be mixed with the kale or else they won’t eat it. They do like a mix up once in a while for a week or two but any longer they won’t eat it 😂

Those babies are so cute! The colour of their fur is beautiful.

Good luck with them xx
 
Hi Guys!

Just a little update after all of your advice. My boys are eating lots of different things now!

They have had coriander, mint, cauliflower leaves, carrot peel, romaine lettuce, curly kale, cucumber, parsley, dandelion leaves and small amounts of spinach, apple and pear. Such a relief to see them happily munching away 🥰

Looking forward to trying them with more new things over the next few weeks.

Thanks again for your tips!

☺☺
 
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