guinea pigs eating too much?

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lesleydunn

i have 2 female guineas, about 2 yrs old

they have unlimited hay, and have dry pellets in the bowl. doesnt seem to go down much!

they eats lots of hay and it is replaced about 3 times a day, they also get a mix of cabbage, lettuce, carrots, peppers and grass every day. main greens would be the kale cabbage, mixed lettuce, cucumber and grass.
the carrot would be couple slices just, and few times a week they would be given apple, melon etc.

they are active in their cage, but they look bulky to me? like they have a double chin:)p
is this normal?
they have a run, but they arent very active in it, unless its to eat the grass in the gardenxx>>>

whats the average recommended weight for an adult female guinea?

they are always begging for food, and none is ever left or wasted:)

we also have taken on a 14 month old female whos in a seperate cage, she looks much leaner, and healthier, is smaller than other two.

we aim to combine the two cages with ramps into a 2 tiered larger cage so that would help with exercise as well.

any advice/info would be great!x>>
 
Firstly what lettuce exactly is in the mixed lettuce? Because iceburg can't be given to guinea pigs. Also kale and cabbage shouldnt be a bulky part of their diet - kale is rich in calcium and cabbage is very gassey. Maybe also cut down on cucumber to 2-4 times per week because its sugary and replace kale/cabbage it with corriander (something that can be fed everyday). Cabbage I would never personally feed but kale then give about once a week-ish, thats just my oppinion though.

Also I would personally cut down on the fruit to a maximum of a small amount each week. Mine get fruit every two weeks and even then its just a grape, tiny chunk of apple etc. Too much sugar in the diet can cause health problems like diabetes, cataracts etc.

Some guinea pigs can appear to have double chins, I know my male does and he's a fine weight - although without a picture its hard to tell if its their weight or normal look.

Heres some information on weight/weighing:
http://www.guinealynx.info/weigh.html

I would edit your diet slightly but of course weigh them before making any cut backs. Might also help to feed them their veggies over the course of the day, like 2-3 smaller meals rather than one bulk - unless you do this already of course.

Hope this helps! and I would advise printing these charts off...

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...g-nutrition-charts-poisonous-plants-list.html
 
the mixed salad hasnt got any iceberg in it, its like rocket, red lettuce, i dont know the exact names - looks like weeds to me
its the mixed salad bags in tescos etc, think maybe italian? and sometimes has strips of beetroot in it?
the cabbage like kale etc was only introduced this week, as i was looking an alternative to salad every day, the salad rots very quickly.{:|
fruit is given in very small quantities, and so is the cucumber
they get broccoli, cauliflower etc as well

any alternative healthier options? or should i be tough and cut down? think I'm feeding far too much veg & salad as they devour soo much!

they are on burgess excel pellet food, and hay is a mix of meadow, and some herbage stuff

i will weigh them, and will post a pic of them as well!
 
read this sticky

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42

It's full of useful info.

I have 2 boys who are always hungry. I try to limit their food intake to meal times but being at home all the time means they can beg more... and get more!rolleyes

I feed my piggies what they like eating and the little go off their fave foods very quickly so they always get a variety. Some people say not too much of this not too much of that, I think if you vary their food enough, which you seem to do, it's fine.

Cucumber is full of water and is always recommended on here for the hot season and piggies who don't drink much.
 
have looked up the food chart thing

very useful, didnt think about strawberrys etc

think the lettuce ive been feeding is ok, most of the names are recognised and whats been in the pkts ive been getting!

think i need to weigh, and cut down a bit!

is there any limit to how much grass a guinea can eat daily?

i have access to the garden!
 
BTW, I find that my boys get much more exercise if I interact witht hem on the run. I usually just sit there and talk to them. They trot up and down to see if I have food, get a chin tickle and popcorn away.
If I leave them to it, they just sit in a corner and wait to go home...mallethead daft pigs!
 
lesleydunn said:
is there any limit to how much grass a guinea can eat daily?

i have access to the garden!
Click to expand...

I don't think so. They usually stop when they're full. Some are greedier than others and too much fresh food can give diarrhea. Mine can be on the lawn for 2 hrs solid and they'll beg as soon as they're back in the cage.
 
sounds familiar!

my son whos ten wants to get in with them, but they arent very sure about him!

wish the weather would pick up and could get them out more!

the guineas are better fed than rest of family:(|)
 
because of bad weather they havent been out on grass eating it

its being picked and given to them in cage.

i can put them in my bottom hallway for a runabout, will do that more often!

think lack of exercise is part of problem as well!
 
same here...

interacting with the pigs doesn't mean touching them or cathing them. They'll come in their own time... they need to get used to people and trust them. Is your son patient enough to sit with them without being frustrated that he can't touch them? If so, things will happen in time.

my boys see me as the food distributor, which is why they come and have a sniff, but it's nice that one trusts me enough to cuddle him a little. The other one is still young (4 months) but he's getting better and closer.

Hand-feeding treats is a great way to a GP's heart... and trust, but again, it takes time!
 
lesleydunn said:
i can put them in my bottom hallway for a runabout, will do that more often!
Click to expand...

that's where mine are. Bear in mind they'll be happier on carpet than wooden floor, they dont adhere too well on slippery surfaces.

i'll post a vid of my set up in a tick. We have a roll of carpet that we put down in the hallway just for the pigs. it means tnhat if they do their business on it, it doesn't matter, roll it up and hey presto, the parquet floor is like new!
I got the cheapest rubbish carpet I could find at a large Carpet dealer. bought one meter wide x 4 m long, which is the exact dimension I need... cost me £15. bargain!



 
I also meant to say, the 2 piggies in my avatar, Rene and Bertie (both dec) were a whopping 1600+ g each when that picture was taken...
My current 2 are 1200g and 800g (but he's still young...)
 
My pigs diet daily per pig is...

1-2 leaves of round lettuce (bit more if its the smaller leaves)
20-30 storks of corriander
1/6th or 1/3rd or green pepper depending on size
1 seedless baby tomatoe
then I choose between celery, cucumber and baby carrots to give them alternate days. And sometimes I will add in abit of kale, parsley or dill - but its not often.

It's probably not spot on perfect but its what I've come up with after advice/research.
 
gosh, mine would be avenous with that...
 
Guinea pigs are rarely overweight, as they are grazers, if they are on a balanced diet and have the opportunity to exercise. You need to stuff them with oats or seeds to make them fat. If they get more food they just gow bigger.

The "double chin" is called a "dewlap" (I've just learned that myself) and is not connected to weight; it's something some adult guinea pigs get and others don't.

Normal adult weight can vary from 800-1800g, with some guinea pigs never going up to that weight and a few exceeding it. Most piggies reach their adult size and weight from about 15 months onwards; though they can put on more weight later as adults after an illness or if rescued from bad conditions. So don't be afraid if your guinea pigs are having a growth spurt and are putting on weight.
 
thanks for all the info!

ive had them since may, and they werent on the best diet, so think it is the better diet and a growth spurt.

will post some pics up soonxx>>>
 
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