Replace veggies with grass and forage?

What A Boar!

What A Boar!

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I haven't found a thread about this but I might have missed it. Only been a member for a few hours!

Question: can you safely replace vegetables with forage and grass?

I only bring this up because I watched a video on YouTube from a Guinea Pig Rescue based in LA.
The lady states that you are safely able to replace veggies with grass and forage?
I'm not poo pooing her, I love the information she provides, just wondered if it was possible as these are trying times right now with the virus.
 
Do you mean stop giving them vegetables altogether? I don’t know that I would do it. I’d feed forage and grass alongside the veg.
 
Yes, completely switching vegetables for grass and foraged weeds and herbs.

She was basically saying that if you couldn't get any fresh veg because of the current situation you could replace it with grass and forage?!

I'm not sure I would want to though ... although i did know a lady that fed her small sow herd on just grass, hay and the odd carrot here and there. No dry food or daily veg! Her piggies lived long lives too 🤔
 
Ah ok, not a permanent thing then. Pellets are something that some people have completely cut out of their piggies’ diet. They only make up 5% of the diet so they’re not exactly ‘essential’.
 
In the current situation, running out of veg and replacing it with grass/forage then absolutely. As a matter of routine, then I wouldn’t.
My two only get about half a tablespoon of pellets each anyway. I am considering reducing further and giving that half a tablespoon each only a couple of times a week.
 
I don't feed pellets, I feed Extra Select Complete Mix. I buy the 15kg bags.
I feed half a cup between 3 piggies each morning and they eat the whole lot.
I've seen some people say that there piggies pick out "the good bits" but my boys are pretty good.
They also get unlimited hay, a cup of veg each and grass and forage daily. I have noticed they're not too keen on plantain.
 
Mattsbabe said:
I don't feed pellets, I feed Extra Select Complete Mix. I buy the 15kg bags.
I feed half a cup between 3 piggies each morning and they eat the whole lot.
I've seen some people say that there piggies pick out "the good bits" but my boys are pretty good.
They also get unlimited hay, a cup of veg each and grass and forage daily. I have noticed they're not too keen on plantain.
Click to expand...

It’s not just the selective feeding which is the issue when it comes to such muesli mixes, it is the ingredients in them. I see this particular mix contains such items which should be avoided - the grains (maize, wheat etc) in them for example are not good for piggies health, the pea flakes are high fat and should be regarded as very occasional treats and should not be included in their daily diet.
The choice is absolutely yours, but it is not recommended to feed such ‘complete’ muesli mixes and to feed a plain grass/hay based (and ideally alfalfa and grain free) pellet in very limited amounts
Pellets Or Muesli / Dry Mix?
 
Piggies&buns said:
It’s not just the selective feeding which is the issue when it comes to such muesli mixes, it is the ingredients in them. I see this particular mix contains such items which should be avoided - the grains (maize, wheat etc) in them for example are not good for piggies health, the pea flakes are high fat and should be regarded as very occasional treats and should not be included in their daily diet.
The choice is absolutely yours, but it is not recommended to feed such ‘complete’ mixes and to feed a plain grass/hay based (and ideally alfalfa and grain free) pellet
Pellets Or Muesli / Dry Mix?
Click to expand...
😳😲😔 I feel like a bad piggy mummy now!
I am coming to the end of this bag and had been eying up the Harrington's Optimum Pellets. Any experience with that brand?
 
Mattsbabe said:
😳😲😔 I feel like a bad piggy mummy now!
I am coming to the end of this bag and had been eying up the Harrington's Optimum Pellets. Any experience with that brand?
Click to expand...

Please don’t feel bad - you know now.

The pellet you feed comes down to you and your budget.
I don’t have personal experience of Harrington’s but I personally try to avoid pellets which contain wheat or wheatfeed (which Harrington’s does contain) and look for a pellet which has Timothy hay or grass as their first ingredient. You need to make the decision which is right for you though. I will add in our nugget comparison chart for you to look at.

I personally prefer science selective grain free.
As I said, My boys get just half a tablespoon each - it amounts to just 6g of pellets to share between them (about 15 pellets in total to share)

Ultimately though, the amount of pellets they should have is tiny, they shouldn’t ever be a main part of their diet in any event, I consider pellets as piggy junk food and overfeeding pellets contributes a lot of calcium to the diet and calcium goes towards bladder stone formation (limiting pellets and filtering their drinking water helps greatly to reduce their calcium intake)

Nugget Comparison Chart
 
I will look into it.
I'm due to order more food on Friday so I'll hopefully make a decision by then.
I was feeding muesli mix cos that's what they were used to (and came with when I rescued them) and they really enjoy it.
 
Oh my ... a chocolate bar for breakfast every morning ... spoilt piggies 🤦‍♀️😐
Honestly, I'm not totally stupid, I have done lots of research on everything piggies, just overlooked this.
I need to go give them a big hug and say sorry to them all 😭
 
Siikibam said:
Ah ok, not a permanent thing then. Pellets are something that some people have completely cut out of their piggies’ diet. They only make up 5% of the diet so they’re not exactly ‘essential’.
Click to expand...
I've cut to 1 tbslspoon altogether, every other day. But I will be switching to natural meadow menu by rosewood. As dsr as I can tell. They are the best out there. But they don't seem to be a big hit with many pigs. Because they arnt full or crud
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
I've cut to 1 tbslspoon altogether, every other day. But I will be switching to natural meadow menu by rosewood. As dsr as I can tell. They are the best out there. But they don't seem to be a big hit with many pigs. Because they arnt full or crud
Click to expand...
No junk stuff that gets them addicted.
 
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