Piggy Pellets

Samhtm

Samhtm

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all :)

I've recently been doing some research into the different pellets after I heard my current ones, the Burgess Excel (Mint), were quite high in calcium due to them being Alfafa based.

One of the brands I've looked at is the Science Selected Grain Free Food but it's had a bit of a mixed reception on here. What does everyone else feed their pigs pellet wise, or what do you use as an alternative to pellets?
 
I feed Oxbow Essentials Adult Guinea Pig food. They absolutely love it and wheek for it morning and night (I give a 1/4 cup in the morning and an 1/8 in the evening as I have three piggies).
 
Samhtm said:
Hi all :)

I've recently been doing some research into the different pellets after I heard my current ones, the Burgess Excel (Mint), were quite high in calcium due to them being Alfafa based.

One of the brands I've looked at is the Science Selected Grain Free Food but it's had a bit of a mixed reception on here. What does everyone else feed their pigs pellet wise, or what do you use as an alternative to pellets?
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I've used grain free science selective nuggets for years, they seem to like them, they don't go mad for them the way they do for veg but I've read on here that nuggets can be a big cause of excess calcium, so I'll stick with them.
 
Black piggies said:
I've used those nuggets for years, they seem to like them, they don't go mad for them the way they do for veg but I've read on here that nuggets can be a big cause of excess calcium, so I'll stick with them.
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The burgess ones? Same here, mine will eat them, but they prefer hay and veg any time
 
My Piggies said:
I feed Oxbow Essentials Adult Guinea Pig food. They absolutely love it and wheek for it morning and night (I give a 1/4 cup in the morning and an 1/8 in the evening as I have three piggies).
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:nod: I feed the same. My piggies like it.
 
Amazes me to have the same brand of piggy food in Oz, in USA and in UK when none (?) of our human food is the same..
 
I had actually heard that the Burgess have a better balance elsewhere in the ingredients even though they do contain alfalfa - its about the ca:p ratio and its a complicated issue - unfiltered drinking water, other veggies etc all affect it - so ensuring whichever pellets you feed are kept limited and filtering drinking water goes a long way to helping the calcium balance.

Anyway, I feed Haybox own pellets (they are made from grasses) and have done for almost two years. I only give pellets a few times a week and give them less than the recommended amounts, particularly in summer when they are on grass almost all the time.
Initially they had Burgess (as that is what I give to my rabbits and have done for years) and then I did try them with the ss grain free but after a while they didn't seem as keen. I then found the Haybox pellets were 100% grass so switched to them with my hay deliveries.

Nugget Comparison Chart
 
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I used to feed Science Selective grain free, they had little holes in and one got stuck on Higgins' tooth, so I stopped. We've just finished a bag or OxBow, but they didn't enjoy those at all, the bag has lasted twice as long as usual! So I'm afraid to say we've reverted to Tesco's own! They aren't the best I'm sure but the pigs both eat them happily and with the small amount they actually get I'm not too concerned.. Gibson is so skinny now I'll put in anything that he eats! :xd: (he is vet checked, no problems, just old!)
 
My ladies are on Burgess, the blackcurrant and oregano ones. They love them! The second they hear me awake in the morning, they start screaming for their tablespoon of pellets :’).

Unfortunately the selection is really scarce here.
 
RosieLily said:
My ladies are on Burgess, the blackcurrant and oregano ones. They love them! The second they hear me awake in the morning, they start screaming for their tablespoon of pellets :’).

Unfortunately the selection is really scarce here.
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They do smell lovely 😊
 
Two_Wheeks said:
I used to feed Science Selective grain free, they had little holes in and one got stuck on Higgins' tooth, so I stopped. We've just finished a bag or OxBow, but they didn't enjoy those at all, the bag has lasted twice as long as usual! So I'm afraid to say we've reverted to Tesco's own! They aren't the best I'm sure but the pigs both eat them happily and with the small amount they actually get I'm not too concerned.. Gibson is so skinny now I'll put in anything that he eats! :xd: (he is vet checked, no problems, just old!)
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SS Grain Free doesn't have holes in, that's the ordinary SS. I had the same problem with the holes, when I contacted SS I was told I was the only person to have that problem. I know from this forum and the many people who have had stressed piggies with pellets stuck in their teeth this is not true!
 
Where are you getting JR from? @Tigermouth I haven't been able to find them for sometime.
 
piggieminder said:
SS Grain Free doesn't have holes in, that's the ordinary SS. I had the same problem with the holes, when I contacted SS I was told I was the only person to have that problem. I know from this forum and the many people who have had stressed piggies with pellets stuck in their teeth this is not true!
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Glad you said that! After the comment about science selective grain free having holes I was looking at my piggy's bowl in confusion 🤔😊
 
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