swapping from mixture to pellets!

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wales1000

wales1000

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I have 13 gps which all have the gp wagg mix, but every day I am throwing out quite a bit of left over dried food. They have veg every day so I am not worried that they are not getting enough food, cos they certainlly do but I hate throwing away all the left overs every day and I dont know whether to just try moving them all onto a pellet food. I think out of the 13, 4 of them will nearly finish the whole lot off. I have tried cutting down the dried food, but they are getting more picky and most of them are either having only a few of the mixture. I have tried in the past with pellets, but noone took to it, but I cant afford to be throwing away so much food. Has anyone successfully swapped say 13 gps over from mixture to pellet ok? I dont know what to do. I know I did try 3 different makes of pellets, but ended up binning it cos noone took to it.

Thanks very much.
Natasha
 
You can either try to do a gliding shift by serving more and more pellets with your mix over a period of 1-2 weeks or do a "cold turkey".

It took me about three weeks last year to get my old lady to eat pellets instead of her beloved (but very selectively eaten) "Gertie's" when I went cold turkey after a few failed tries with the softer approach. You may even put a week of no dry food in at all.

That is not as much of a hardship as you may think; your piggies may lose a little bit of extra weight, but not much. On the German forums I'm dipping into, dry food is rather frowned upon for example!
 
A cold turkey might upset their stomachs(spelled?).

I can recommend Tima Mega C. We use it quite alot here in DK.
http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/food/guinea_pig/other_guinea_pig_foods/14781


I however use something called Vitacraft - I believe it's german actually. I'm not sure that you can buy it in UK. But it's very good (exspensive though).

http://www.zooplus.de/bilder/1/98056_vitakraft_meersch_reg_1.jpg

But anyway, mine love to get a little different dryfood now and then, so maybe try it as a treat first?

Good luck!
 
I've always said that no healthy guinea pig is going to starve themselves. I have recently brought Marsden's Guinea Pig Pellets, 30kgs for £15.80 with free delivery, as I too was using a mix but having lots of waste. I have just gone ahead and emptied their bowls of mix and filled them up with pellets. Eventually they WILL come around. Meanwhile if they're getting plenty of hay and veggies, it's a waiting game. It's not very nice for us to think our piggies are going hungry, but they won't, honestly. :)
 
I know this thread was a while ago, but I just wanted to bump it back up because I want to know what happened to the guinea pigs - if they came around. I'm planning on changing Gilbert from a mixture to a pellet too. Hopefully he'll adjust to it. I tried it one time for about a week and gave up feeling rather mean. He loves his mixture food, but I don't like selective feeding because of the wasted food. :( xx
 
I have not swapped but I definelty would give it a go because pellets prevent waste and my girls love their pellets!

I heard that you introduce new foods over a period of time in seperate bowls;
Day 1- Mainly mix, few pellets.
Then you continue but with more pellets and less mix.
 
I wouldnt go 'cold turkey' either. It can upset thier stomachs.
I would just get a new type (pellets) Read the back of it and see what it says.
I know my guinea pigs pellets say to do it over a 30 day period as they have to get used to it and have very sensitive stomachs. It said for the first few days to crumble the pellets on top of the new food. Hopefully when your guinea pig selective feed they will like the new pellets and not just leave it like the food they dont like. My rabbit did this and thankfully he liked the pellets and ate them.
Then just slowly start incrasing the amount.

When I got my guy I had to go 'cold turkey' and give it to him as i wasnt given the name or any change over food when i got him. Thankfully no stomach upsets but I still wouldnt recomend it as i know of guinea pigs who have.
 
I didn't change to pellets in the end to be honest - i just cut down slightly on their mix and add more veg and seems to be a bit more less waste, so I am not going to change now.
 
I am just going through this with my boys, from mix to Excel. I was throwing away too much, so thought a pellet might be more cost effective and healthier for them. I had a free sample of Excel Blackcurrant and Oregano, and they loved it as a treat, so am currently in the process of moving over. One thing though, is giving a bowl full of pellets OK, or should I feed alot less? Thanks :)p
 
i'm currently doing the opposite :p my guinea pigs from now on will be having mix alongside their pellets, in the hopes that it will help them to gain weight :))
 
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