mikikkin
New Born Pup
I have 32 piggies and I am trying to work out the most cost effective way to feed them all....
They are outdoor piggies in a very warm climate, we are entering into summer and our grass is already all used up for the season and we are entering into a drought so grass is currently off the menu! I wanted to sow more grass seed to last them through the summer but we had sudden water restrictions applied so that isn't possible now unfortunately.
I'm looking for any improvements I could make or ways to make it more cost effective (i.e. cheaper) if I can!
This is what they currently get daily:
* 2 handfuls of hay for eating (and an additional 2 handfulS for burrowing that ends up soiled - they have a HUGE outdoor area and so this kind of helps with minimizing hay wastage as they aren't in a small cage where the hay gets lots of pee and poop on it). I buy meadow hay from a farmer to save money, it's $20 a bale and we currently go through about 2 bales a week.
* 1 handful each of Timothy chaff ( I buy this from the horse feed shop in giant 20kg bags to save money)
* 1/2 cup each of Timothy pellets (these do not have Vit C added, I also buy this in 20kg from the horse feed shop which is why it has no Vit C)
* 1/8th of a capsicum each (currently buying from the supermarket but will have plenty of lovely organic ones growing in my garden very soon!)
* 3/4 cup of different colours and types of lettuce (I grow this in my garden to save money, when I add 1/8th of capsicum each to this it equals about 1 cup of veges)
* A tiny sprinkle of herbs ( mostly parsley and coriander)
* 1/2 teaspoon each of lupin flakes (pea flakes in 20kg bag also from horse feed shop but I think this might go "bad" before I can finish the whole bag!)
* 1 teaspoon each of wholegrain oats (I buy this in bulk from the health food store, I was told by a guinea pig rescue place that it helps them gain weight quickly)
They get "treats" twice a week - a small amount of apples, carrots, beetroot, purple cabbage, collard leaves, spinach or sorrel (not all at once!)
Does this sound appropriate? Are there any changes I can make to ensure the best health of my piggies? Or any changes I can make to make it more cost effective?
A lot of my piggies have come to me as "rescues" from situations where the owners just weren't interested in them anymore (they were small children's pets) and most of them were grossly underweight when they arrived and I am working on fattening them up!
Thank you in advance for any suggestions!
They are outdoor piggies in a very warm climate, we are entering into summer and our grass is already all used up for the season and we are entering into a drought so grass is currently off the menu! I wanted to sow more grass seed to last them through the summer but we had sudden water restrictions applied so that isn't possible now unfortunately.
I'm looking for any improvements I could make or ways to make it more cost effective (i.e. cheaper) if I can!
This is what they currently get daily:
* 2 handfuls of hay for eating (and an additional 2 handfulS for burrowing that ends up soiled - they have a HUGE outdoor area and so this kind of helps with minimizing hay wastage as they aren't in a small cage where the hay gets lots of pee and poop on it). I buy meadow hay from a farmer to save money, it's $20 a bale and we currently go through about 2 bales a week.
* 1 handful each of Timothy chaff ( I buy this from the horse feed shop in giant 20kg bags to save money)
* 1/2 cup each of Timothy pellets (these do not have Vit C added, I also buy this in 20kg from the horse feed shop which is why it has no Vit C)
* 1/8th of a capsicum each (currently buying from the supermarket but will have plenty of lovely organic ones growing in my garden very soon!)
* 3/4 cup of different colours and types of lettuce (I grow this in my garden to save money, when I add 1/8th of capsicum each to this it equals about 1 cup of veges)
* A tiny sprinkle of herbs ( mostly parsley and coriander)
* 1/2 teaspoon each of lupin flakes (pea flakes in 20kg bag also from horse feed shop but I think this might go "bad" before I can finish the whole bag!)
* 1 teaspoon each of wholegrain oats (I buy this in bulk from the health food store, I was told by a guinea pig rescue place that it helps them gain weight quickly)
They get "treats" twice a week - a small amount of apples, carrots, beetroot, purple cabbage, collard leaves, spinach or sorrel (not all at once!)
Does this sound appropriate? Are there any changes I can make to ensure the best health of my piggies? Or any changes I can make to make it more cost effective?
A lot of my piggies have come to me as "rescues" from situations where the owners just weren't interested in them anymore (they were small children's pets) and most of them were grossly underweight when they arrived and I am working on fattening them up!
Thank you in advance for any suggestions!