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Pellet Question

McGoo_E

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 1, 2019
Messages
22
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Points
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Location
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
I'm newish to the piggy world. I have two 5.5 week old girls. They seem very happy and healthy!

I have noticed, however, that they hardly eat the pellets I put out for them. I offer them limitless hay, about a cup of fresh veggies, and water daily; they consume all of that at a typical rate, based on my research.

Should I worry about the pellets? Try a different kind? What do you all think?
 
Welcome.
I think they are just babies so they might not be used to eating variety of food.
I am in the US too and my boy Finn and Lara get Oxbow pellet. They eat all of theirs. They also get limitless Oxbow hay, and three servings of veggies a day. I divide a cupful of veggies into breakfast lunch and dinner.
 
My piggies all get their pellets with dinner. The boys will sit and finish them within an hour. Whereas the girls can have leftovers the next morning. As long as they’re eating a little I think that’s ok.

If you decide to try a different type, you have to do a gradual changeover. There’s also vitamin c in bell peppers and coriander as well.
 
I think a lot of people over estimate the amount of pellets piggies want or need- whenever my daughter piggysits she always worries they arent eating their pellets but she feeds far too many!
I feed a small spoonful- that's literally only 16-20 pellets- per piggy per meal, and they always get eaten. I only feed more if I know I will be home late and they might get hungry later, but more hay and fewer pellets is usually best :)
 
I think a lot of people over estimate the amount of pellets piggies want or need- whenever my daughter piggysits she always worries they arent eating their pellets but she feeds far too many!
I feed a small spoonful- that's literally only 16-20 pellets- per piggy per meal, and they always get eaten. I only feed more if I know I will be home late and they might get hungry later, but more hay and fewer pellets is usually best :)
Yes that sounds about right!

I don't get hung up on pellets, just leave a handful in the bowl (big hands) and if not eaten in 12 hours chuck them..never any left..hay is always gone by morning..thank goodness!
 
I give one small of pellets handful to Betsy and Dennis and a slightly larger handful to Christian, Meg and Velvet. I don't worry if they all don't get eaten. It's such a small part of the diet. What they need most is hay, hay, hay, more hay, more more hay, even more hay and more hay than that! Hay needs to make up at least 80% of the diet. The more hay they eat the healthier they will be and the longer they will live.
 
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