Gaining Enough Weight?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Bitsato

Bitsato

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Dec 14, 2015
Messages
170
Reaction score
167
Points
330
Location
Estonia
Haha I feel like I'm making too many threads, but I'm just so paranoid :(
I've read the sticky about weighing and when I saw that "Young guinea pigs grow quickly for the first 4-6 months at about an average weekly weight gain of 20-30g (slightly below 1 oz)." I got a bit worried.

Anyway, my piggies are about 4 months old, a bit more. I weigh them every week on the same day. Last week Gnar had gained 40g and Sneaky 32g. This week Gnar gained 13g and Sneaky 12g. Is this normal?
Also, am I giving them enough pellets? - I give them 60-70g pellets a day. I used to give them twice that amount (last time was sometime around last week) but then I read somewhere on this forum (don't remember which thread), that that's way too much..
 
My 4 (ish) month old girls put on 10g, 12g and no grams last week. They grow in spurts like us humans and unless they are unwell in themselves or they are not eating, I wouldn't worry! Just keep an eye open. My one that put on no weight is the middle size pig and still weighs more than the smallest. She is a super zoomer too so burns off loads! As for pellets, I've always free fed pellets to babies/younglings, don't know if this is 'right' but is what I do and it hasn't seemed to harm any of them!
 
Yes, don't worry. everypig grows at different rates and they will start and stop at different times. What you want to see is nice, steady increase, not any sustained halts or worse, losing weight.

As for pellets, when they are youngsters they can have as much as they like but cut back to recommended portions once they are 12 months and fully grown as they don't need so many calories then... Hay should still be 80% of their diet though and always available.
 
MerryPip said:
As for pellets, when they are youngsters they can have as much as they like but cut back to recommended portions once they are 12 months and fully grown as they don't need so many calories then... Hay should still be 80% of their diet though and always available.
Click to expand...
Okay, thank you :) And yes, they have unlimited hay :)
 
This week all three of my girls put on near-as-makes-no-difference 20g :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top