What to feed babies and mom in same enclosure

[thatch32]

I recently adopted my first Guinea pigs from a friend that turned out to have allergies. I have a mother and her three daughters. The Daughters are about 4 weeks old. I read that while alfalfa is great for the kids is unhealthy for the mother. So I'm unsure how to make sure the kids get the nutrients they need without feeding their mom something that will be harmful for her. Is there a food that will be suitable for both of them? Or should I separate them to feed them different foods at some point during each day? The latter would be difficult until they are more comfortable with me since it's only day two. I'm experienced with rodents, but have never had guinea pigs specifically before. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

You can feed them all exactly the same and therefore do not need to be separated at feed times - a normal grass hay in unlimited quantities, veg and normal pellets. The babies don’t need alfalfa.

 

[Swissgreys]

At 4 weeks old they don't really need any special or additional food.
You might find our diet guide helpful.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

And congratulations on becoming a guinea pig owner.

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Have you checked they are all female? I’d check for myself just to be sure. Can’t wait to see some piggy piccies soon.

 

[thatch32]

Thanks for the advice, that's good to know. I haven't checked myself yet. They're still skittish from the move so I'm reluctant to try and grab them. I plan on double checking myself as soon as I can though. The friend and her mom both have sexed several animals before and and agreed on the sex. So I doubt that if they got it wrong I'd do any better. That said the enclosure is in my office, so I've been with them 8 hours a day since I got them. I haven't caught them getting frisky with each other, so I'm taking that as a good sign. I'll get piccies as soon as they're feeling photogenic!