Worried about my guinea-pigs becoming overweight

[Alicia]

I have 7 guinea-pigs in 4 hutches. One of my boars lives alone because the boar he was living with died and he does seem happier alone now. He always rushes down the ramp to be let into the run, even when it's raining he wants to go in the run! I let him out and alternate letting the others out, I have 2 6ft runs they can go in. 3 of my sows live in a hutch that is above the run and I just lift the ramp up and down to let them out. They can use the ramp because I've seen them use it but they don't go down (well I've never seen them go in the run and I check about once an hour when I'm at home) I've tried putting them in the run but they just go back up the ramp again quite quickly, and I've tried blocking off the ramp so they have to stay down and they just all hide in a pigloo. I don't know what to do, I know you might say it's because of bad weather but they've been doing this ever since the summer and I've tried loads of things. I'm starting to worry they'll get fat, they don't look to fat now, I'm going to weigh them tommorow. I don't want to take the igloos and hideys out of the run because then they have nowhere to go if they feel scared, and I'd worry about them being out in the open (it's a fully enclosed run but I still worry) Does anyone have any advice? What can I do to keep them in the run or to make them exercise more? I've tried encouraging them with food but they don't bother with it and just stay in the hutch.

 

[Little Piggles]

Pippa and Willow seem to quite like their pigloos when out in their run too.

They'll go for a bit of a wander, nibble a bit of grass but always go back inside. I usually just leave them to it and figure if they want to come out they can.

I figure the change of scenery has got to stop them getting bored

 

[skrikopanik]

If they are getting less excercise maybe they should eat less calories? Just like for people Are there low calorie pellets available in the UK? (not here in Sweden...). If your pigs are outside I also thnk they burn more calories when it's cold so maybe it evens out?

 

[Alicia]

Thank you, I'll see if there are any low calorie guinea-pig food. I'm also going to make them an indoor run for the shed so hopefully they might not be too scared in there and not so cold, so hopefully they'll move about more.

 

[teadragon]

Low calorie pellets?

If you're worried about your pigs gaining too much weight, you don't need to change their pellets; only restrict them to the amount a guinea pig is supposed to eat each day so they don't have access to more. Pellets are really the only considerable source of fat in your guinea pigs diet, and if they're becoming overweight this is what you should alter - not the brand, the quality.

A guinea pigs diet should be about 85-90% (roughly) of hay, it's what their little vegan digestive systems are made to break down and use and is why their teeth are constantly growing. It also contains very little fat.

The rest is 1 cup (a day) of veggies and then the final tiny percent is 1/8th a cup (your typical mug, it's a tiny, tiny amount) of pellets.

 

[Laura-CCC4]

Keeping a track of their weights weekly, or fortnightly, can help you figure out if any of them are gaining weight regularly and will give you an idea of what's a normal weight range for each pig.

How old are your piggies, Alicia?