Feeding help!

[Catakibug]

Hi, we've just rescued 2 year old pigs and I'm so confused about feeding them! The sanctuary said they fed them in the morning but we could split it into morning and evening or whatever we wanted. I've also seen suggestions about feeding them pellets in the morning then fresh food in the evening. So what's best? The pigs have a constant supply.of hay and I've been putting pellets in bowls in the morning, then a few leaves or whatever later. I'm just confused as they eat all the time so how do I know if they're hungry or if I'm giving them enough food? Should I measure the fresh food as well as the pellets? Oh, they are on the chubby side too but the sanctuary didn't say anything about reducing their portions. Thanks in advance and I'm sure I'll have more questions soon!

 

[Siikibam]

You can get them into whatever routine you like. I used to feed everything (pellets and veg) in the afternoon when we got back home from school run. I then changed and they got a lettuce leaf in the morning then dinner later.

Pellets should be a tablespoon a day for each pig. They’re the chocolate of the piggy world so should be limited. Veg is a cup/50g a day. So a slice of pepper and cucumber, a lettuce leaf and 1-2 sprigs of coriander. You can then add in other veg. Just beware of feeding too many high-calcium veg in a week - parsley, kale, spinach.

How much do your piggies weigh, and are they boars or sows? Heft is the best way to tell whether a piggy is okay weight wise. In summary, you shouldn’t feel every rib individually but neither should you not be able to feel any at all. They should have a bit of ‘meat’ on them.

Make sure to weigh them every week.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[Catakibug]

You can get them into whatever routine you like. I used to feed everything (pellets and veg) in the afternoon when we got back home from school run. I then changed and they got a lettuce leaf in the morning then dinner later.

Pellets should be a tablespoon a day for each pig. They’re the chocolate of the piggy world so should be limited. Veg is a cup/50g a day. So a slice of pepper and cucumber, a lettuce leaf and 1-2 sprigs of coriander. You can then add in other veg. Just beware of feeding too many high-calcium veg in a week - parsley, kale, spinach.

How much do your piggies weigh, and are they boars or sows? Heft is the best way to tell whether a piggy is okay weight wise. In summary, you shouldn’t feel every rib individually but neither should you not be able to feel any at all. They should have a bit of ‘meat’ on them.

Make sure to weigh them every week.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Thanks for your reply! You make it sound so easy :-)

I think I'll go with the morning fees as that's what they've been used to, and see how it goes. Didn't realise about pellets but have done lots of reading up on veg etc so will get chopping in the morning.

I couldn't get parsley when I went shopping earlier - I have red peppers, cucumber, cabbage, broccoli, courgette, loads of veg, should it be the same every day or can it be varied?
If they don't eat all their food should I remove the bowl after a while?

They are both girls and I can't remember the weight but it's written down on our paperwork. Weighing tbem will be fun I bet!

Thanks again for the advice :-)

 

[Catakibug]

Thanks for your reply! You make it sound so easy :-)

I think I'll go with the morning fees as that's what they've been used to, and see how it goes. Didn't realise about pellets but have done lots of reading up on veg etc so will get chopping in the morning.

I couldn't get parsley when I went shopping earlier - I have red peppers, cucumber, cabbage, broccoli, courgette, loads of veg, should it be the same every day or can it be varied?
If they don't eat all their food should I remove the bowl after a while?

They are both girls and I can't remember the weight but it's written down on our paperwork. Weighing tbem will be fun I bet!

Thanks again for the advice :-)

Coriander was what I couldn't get by the way, I know parsley is not to be given too often.

 

[Wiebke]

Coriander was what I couldn't get by the way, I know parsley is not to be given too often.

Just give the same amount of parsley, basil, dill or mint twice a week instead of a little coriander daily. You need not worry too much as long as you filter your water and keep your pellets to max. 1 tablespoon per piggy per day - by addressing the two biggest sources of calcium in the diet you gain a bit more wiggle space in the veg department.

It is also worth noting that guinea pigs on unlimited good quality grass hay won't suffer from scurvy. In nearly 15 years the very few cases we have seen were mainly those caused by people overfeeding vitamin C on a sustained basis and conversely encountering scurvy symptoms whenever the high vitamin level dropped for some reason despite it actually still being higher than in a normal diet.

Please don't be afraid of putting a foot wrong. Pet ownership is a learning curve and it is important that you allow yourself to make mistakes, to learn from them and to learn the 'why' some things are as they are. Your piggies will teach you; allow them to. You only gain a deeper understanding on how things mesh together when you have to take the bits apart, work out what is not right and then try to put everything together again correctly. If just follow the recipe to the letter you will never gain this understanding and will live in constant fear of putting a foot wrong. Life is not about never making any mistakes; it is about getting up, learning from them and moving on constructively. Trust your instincts and your heart!