Weight Gain

[Tommywing5b7]

Hi all, just wondering if anyone had any weight gain tips to share for Guineas.

The girls are as such (they're about 6 months old)


Scarlett 668 (+8)
Pom pom 664 (+25)
Nutmeg 616 (+23)

Bran flakes and sweet potato are supposed to be good so I hear, I over did the veggies on Friday and had some runny poo to deal with so I'm being careful and sticking to the vergal lasa (spelling?) From zooplus plus hay of course.

Any tips welcome. Thanks!

 

[Sparklepetal]

Why are you concerned about weight gain in particular? I would say those weights and rates of gain sound normal (certainly very similar to our piggies). Guineas go on gradually growing until a little more than a year old (I think, if not a more experienced member can correct!) They shouldn't need any special fattening foods, they will just be growing steadily on hay, a few pellets and a few veggies. Bear in mind that some piggies will eventually be much heavier than others. Ours are around 10 months and are now 850 and 875g. Some weeks they gain more weight than others.

Sweet potato is a good food for when they have been ill and need to regain weight. As for bran flakes, I don't think they are suitable for piggies - did you mean pea flakes? Because pea flakes are a good weight gain food/treat in small/occasional amounts.

 

[alpacasqueak]

My (roughly) one year old piggy Luigi, only here a month, has put on 80g since he got here! No special food or extras, just lots of hay and exercise! He’s like a little chunk of muscle and weighs 1080g at his weigh in a few days ago! His cagemate (6 year old Jess) is the same weight she’s been for years, 850g, so nothing special they’re being fed etc.

Piggies can continue to grow until around 15months ish I think, (Rex’s longer if I’m correct!) so I wouldn’t worry about varying weights with them etc, just hay, hay, hay and a few pellets and veg well, when your girl’s tummies have calmed down!

Pea flakes are a great treat, I wouldn’t personally give more than a few times a week, maybe one or two. A sprinkle of oats is a good one too. But I wouldn’t worry about trying to pile weight on them or anything, piggies can vary a lot with weights and they’ve still got some growing to do!

 

[PigglePuggle]

I think those piggy weights are fine, looking back at the first entry in my "piggy almanac" diary of weight checks which started a year ago just before Theo was neutered, when we had 3 piggies all aged about 6 months...
We had:
Piggle 694g
Puggle 670g
Theo 680g
And they were gaining 20-30g per week usually, Puggle a bit less, Theo a bit more with being a greedy boar!
A year later at 18 months old, Puggle is our smallest adult at 920g, and Piggle and Theo are both now a hefty 1180 to 1190g!
Which is all well within a normal range

 

[PigglePuggle]

And actually looking in more detail, we got most weight gain with these three when they moved into the big C&C cage together with Jezzy and Clover and everypig got double the exercise and double the hay but half the usual pellets and no fattening veg, because fatty Jezzy and Clover were on a slimming diet!
Unless a piggy has been ill and lost a lot of weight or has a poor appetite, you are fine with a regular healthy diet of lots of hay, and peppers and leaves and cucumber for main veg, and a very small amount of pellets, that's enough for normal growth and weight gain

 

[Tommywing5b7]

Why are you concerned about weight gain in particular? I would say those weights and rates of gain sound normal (certainly very similar to our piggies). Guineas go on gradually growing until a little more than a year old (I think, if not a more experienced member can correct!) They shouldn't need any special fattening foods, they will just be growing steadily on hay, a few pellets and a few veggies. Bear in mind that some piggies will eventually be much heavier than others. Ours are around 10 months and are now 850 and 875g. Some weeks they gain more weight than others.

Sweet potato is a good food for when they have been ill and need to regain weight. As for bran flakes, I don't think they are suitable for piggies - did you mean pea flakes? Because pea flakes are a good weight gain food/treat in small/occasional amounts.

No particular reason really, I guess I was just making sure I was doing everything right. I did mean bran flakes but I'll stop that its not appropriate. Thanks!

 

[Tommywing5b7]

Thanks for the tips guys. I must say these new fleeces ate making my life a lot easier, the girls seem happier too which is great. I'll keep up the diet, sounds like it's absolutely fine

 

[alpacasqueak]

I think those piggy weights are fine, looking back at the first entry in my "piggy almanac" diary of weight checks which started a year ago just before Theo was neutered, when we had 3 piggies all aged about 6 months...
We had:
Piggle 694g
Puggle 670g
Theo 680g
And they were gaining 20-30g per week usually, Puggle a bit less, Theo a bit more with being a greedy boar!
A year later at 18 months old, Puggle is our smallest adult at 920g, and Piggle and Theo are both now a hefty 1180 to 1190g!
Which is all well within a normal range

I couldn’t find my piggy book from that long ago to see what Jess weighed at that age, must be around somewhere! She was heavier (950g I think) but when her and Rupert changed to grainless pellets they both lost weight.
Got a feeling Luigi’s going to be a big boy! It’s funny he’s piling it on with just hay and crazy popcorn zoomies around the living room!

Glad your girls are doing so well @Tommywing5b7