Engel
Adult Guinea Pig
1 What is Forage?
2 Benefits of forage
3 Finding the perfect forage mix
4 Making your own forage mix
What is forage?
Forage is a assortment of grasses, flowers, roots, barks and herbs that can be used as a treat or to replace pellets in part of a diet. This also adds variety to a piggies diet and helps to mimic natural feeding habits. You are probably already feeding forage without realising it. Clover, dandelion leaves, flowers and roots are familiar foods to our guinea pigs, whether you hand pick them or put them out for lawn time. Not everyone can have guinea pigs out on the lawn all year round and forage changes with the seasons, as well as their nutritional value, this is were dry forage mixes can be used.
Benefits of Forage
Even the best brands of pellets contain a lot less fibre than hay and typically have a lot of empty fillers. In addition to this they go soft when in contact with saliva and do not help with keeping the constantly growing molars ground down, so it's no surprise that we are seeing a shift in feeding trends. A wild guinea pigs diet consists of a variety of grasses, roots and plants/ flowers so their bodies are well equipped to handle to heavy chewing/digestion plant matter takes. The use of dry forage in place of pellets helps to mimic natural feeding habits. It's also enriching for them physically and mentally when sprinkled around the cage, in boredom breakers and amongst hay for them to find.
Please remember that dry forage is more nutritionally dense than its fresh version, therefore you'll want to limit this like you do pellets, no more that 1-2 tbsp per piggy, per day. Overfeeding can and will lead to obesity and sometimes even bladder stones.
Finding the perfect forage mix
There is such a variety of forage and it can be a bit of a mine field as they're not all made equally, as some may contain excessive amount of seeds, fruit, dairy or honey. I always believe in 'eating the rainbow', simply put, incorporating a wide variety of colourful plants to get a range of nutrients. For example naturally orange foods are high in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, while deep green foods have higher vitamin K.
Here are a few commercially available forages to suit even the most sophisticated of piggy palates:
- Burgess
- Bunny Bistro
- Haybox
- Hugro Nagertraum
- Komodo
- Nature's Touch
- Nature's First
- Nature's Own
- Piggie Parcel (forum favourite)
- Rat Rations
- Rosewood Naturals (can be found in pet shops and amazon)
- Small Pet Select
- Oxbow
- Pets at home
A variety of hay types (not alfalfa) as well as readigrass can be added, too.
Speciality hays and rich readigrass should be best given as an enrichment treat in moderation rather than as a daily food.
Pea Flakes can be used to increase protein intake.
Making your own forage
Sometimes it can be equally as rewarding making your own dried forage for your piggies. This can be done quite inexpensively by leaving a box of fresh forage/herbs out in the sun on a warm, dry day.
This does take however some more research to ensure you are collecting safe plants for your pigs from safe areas too. I myself managed to dry 3kg worth of forage for my piggies one summer and they ate every last morsel!
Here's our safe forage guide to get you started!
2 Benefits of forage
3 Finding the perfect forage mix
4 Making your own forage mix
What is forage?
Forage is a assortment of grasses, flowers, roots, barks and herbs that can be used as a treat or to replace pellets in part of a diet. This also adds variety to a piggies diet and helps to mimic natural feeding habits. You are probably already feeding forage without realising it. Clover, dandelion leaves, flowers and roots are familiar foods to our guinea pigs, whether you hand pick them or put them out for lawn time. Not everyone can have guinea pigs out on the lawn all year round and forage changes with the seasons, as well as their nutritional value, this is were dry forage mixes can be used.
Benefits of Forage
Even the best brands of pellets contain a lot less fibre than hay and typically have a lot of empty fillers. In addition to this they go soft when in contact with saliva and do not help with keeping the constantly growing molars ground down, so it's no surprise that we are seeing a shift in feeding trends. A wild guinea pigs diet consists of a variety of grasses, roots and plants/ flowers so their bodies are well equipped to handle to heavy chewing/digestion plant matter takes. The use of dry forage in place of pellets helps to mimic natural feeding habits. It's also enriching for them physically and mentally when sprinkled around the cage, in boredom breakers and amongst hay for them to find.
Please remember that dry forage is more nutritionally dense than its fresh version, therefore you'll want to limit this like you do pellets, no more that 1-2 tbsp per piggy, per day. Overfeeding can and will lead to obesity and sometimes even bladder stones.
Finding the perfect forage mix
There is such a variety of forage and it can be a bit of a mine field as they're not all made equally, as some may contain excessive amount of seeds, fruit, dairy or honey. I always believe in 'eating the rainbow', simply put, incorporating a wide variety of colourful plants to get a range of nutrients. For example naturally orange foods are high in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, while deep green foods have higher vitamin K.
Here are a few commercially available forages to suit even the most sophisticated of piggy palates:
- Burgess
- Bunny Bistro
- Haybox
- Hugro Nagertraum
- Komodo
- Nature's Touch
- Nature's First
- Nature's Own
- Piggie Parcel (forum favourite)
- Rat Rations
- Rosewood Naturals (can be found in pet shops and amazon)
- Small Pet Select
- Oxbow
- Pets at home
A variety of hay types (not alfalfa) as well as readigrass can be added, too.
Speciality hays and rich readigrass should be best given as an enrichment treat in moderation rather than as a daily food.
Pea Flakes can be used to increase protein intake.
Making your own forage
Sometimes it can be equally as rewarding making your own dried forage for your piggies. This can be done quite inexpensively by leaving a box of fresh forage/herbs out in the sun on a warm, dry day.
This does take however some more research to ensure you are collecting safe plants for your pigs from safe areas too. I myself managed to dry 3kg worth of forage for my piggies one summer and they ate every last morsel!
Here's our safe forage guide to get you started!
