Question About Feeding

MichelleM

MichelleM

Junior Guinea Pig
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So the boys have gotten much bigger since I got them at ten weeks old. They're about five months old now and I'm wondering if I'm not feeding them enough.

They have constant access to hay. In their cage they have two bowls, which are 4 oz. each. Each morning they get 1/8 cup of pellets per bowl, which they eat. I give them treats throughout the day, but I'm thinking of giving them a second bowl of pellets/veggies in the evening.

I don't have an exact weight on my pigs, but I know they are about 5 months old and still growing. Does this sound like I'll be giving them enough food? I ask because I hear them wheeking at me at night despite having a full hay bin, so I'm not sure if they're not getting full off of hay, or if they're just trying to con treats out of me.
 
How much are they getting daily in the way of veggies?
 
@MichelleM You haven't said how much veg you give them.

I don't know how I got into the routine but mine have veg morning and evening. I kust give them less each time.

It would be worth investing in a set of scales, kitchen ones work well. Then you can keep track of their weights. Sometimes the first indication of an illness is weight loss, they can seem fine otherwise. So it's good to have a reference point.
 
MichelleM said:
I ask because I hear them wheeking at me at night despite having a full hay bin, so I'm not sure if they're not getting full off of hay, or if they're just trying to con treats out of me.
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Piggies would always have you believe that they are starving, poor little critters! Mine always come straight to the bars when they hear me approaching the cage, in the hope that I have something edible for them. (I guess it's because in the wild cavies are grazers, and it's natural to want to eat when food is available, in case food becomes in short supply later; also I imagine hay isn't particularly filling.)

Like Jaycey, I also feed my 2 part of their veggies in the evening, so I can spend time with them then without being made by their wheeking to feel guilty that I'm not giving them some food. :own:

I agree also that a set of kitchen scales (digital for best accuracy) are a very good idea to monitor their weights regularly. I didn't always weigh my pigs, but as my Zebedee is prone to URIs, I can check his weight to see if sneezing is just due to an irritation or due to a building infection that needs treatment.
 
We feed veggies twice a day, unlimited hay and pellets morning and night


Here is a thread worth having a read of Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet

Important is unlimited hay in piggies diet.

We feed ours this roughly this as they are fussy
Morning:
Cucumber
Celery
1/6th of Red/Green/Yellow Bell Pepper (de-seeded)

Evening:
Cucumber
Two Little Gem Lettuce leaves or 10 sprigs Coriander. Twice a week we will swap in cabbage or parsley

We also add in to the above diet Green Beans, carrot, sweet potato, celery leaves and a few other things occasionally
.
 
Sorry, you just said 1/8 cup of pellets, no mention of veg.

The link that SportBilly posted is a great resource and seeing what he feeds should give you an indication of whether you can increase the amount you give.
 
I give veg and 1/8 of a cup of pellets (they share a bowl) in the morning and evening but also wonder if I am giving them not enough veg sometimes as others in my family think they should be getting a pile of food each the size of their body which is ridiculous. They have probaby over half a cup each of veg in the morning and the same again at dinner so a little over the cup they are ment to have a day each I would say.
 
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