Setting up a Treat Schedule

[pigology]

Hi,
I've had my guinea pigs for five days, and I've been trying to make a good treat schedule. They're currently at a normal weight, and are eating timothy hay and drinking lots of water. I attempted to make a schedule based on information I found online, but I've gone back and forth on it since each site says different things about the health of everything. I know every guinea's health is different, but I wanted to see if this was okay generally. If not, what are some tips, tricks, and information? Thank you so much!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Everyday each piggy needs unlimited amounts of hay, one cup of veg (50g) and one tablespoon of plain pellets per day. Their water should be filtered to keep the calcium intake reduced.

Their daily veg can be coriander/cilantro, a slice of pepper, a slice of cucumber, lettuce.

Treats such as fruit, carrot of pea flakes should be one type in small amount once per week only. They aren’t needed in the diet at all though - fruit and carrots are too high in sugar for them to have often.

High calcium veg like kale, parsley and spinach must only be given one type in one small amount once per week only. Too much calcium (which a lot comes from unfiltered drinking water and pellets) in the diet can lead to bladder problems.

This is how I feed my animals

first thing in the morning - hay top up, half their daily veg portion, their pellet portion (although I don’t give pellets daily so some days they will get their hay and veg in the morning and not the pellets)
mid morning - hay top up
mid afternoon - hay top up
evening - hay top up (and ensure there is enough for the whole night) the other half of the veg portion

I don’t measure their veg but i do measure the pellets given they are the least healthy part of the diet.

This is our diet guide below which will help you

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

This guide below details the veggies which guinea pigs can and cannot have - this will help you ensure they get some variety in their diet.

Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading

The guide below will also help if you plan to give your piggies any grass time.

Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time

 

[pigology]

Everyday each piggy needs unlimited amounts of hay, one cup of veg (50g) and one tablespoon of plain pellets per day. Their water should be filtered to keep the calcium intake reduced.

Their daily veg can be coriander/cilantro, a slice of pepper, a slice of cucumber, lettuce.

Treats such as fruit, carrot of pea flakes should be one type in small amount once per week only. They aren’t needed in the diet at all though - fruit and carrots are too high in sugar for them to have often.

High calcium veg like kale, parsley and spinach must only be given one type in one small amount once per week only. Too much calcium (which a lot comes from unfiltered drinking water and pellets) in the diet can lead to bladder problems.

This is how I feed my animals

first thing in the morning - hay top up, half their daily veg portion, their pellet portion (although I don’t give pellets daily so some days they will get their hay and veg in the morning and not the pellets)
mid morning - hay top up
mid afternoon - hay top up
evening - hay top up (and ensure there is enough for the whole night) the other half of the veg portion

I don’t measure their veg but i do measure the pellets given they are the least healthy part of the diet.

This is our diet guide below which will help you

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

This guide below details the veggies which guinea pigs can and cannot have - this will help you ensure they get some variety in their diet.

Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading

The guide below will also help if you plan to give your piggies any grass time.

Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time

Thank you so much! I've revised their schedule, and just chopped up some green bell peppers for them. You're amazing!

 

[Betsy]

This is my feed schedule:-
Morning
Scatter feed pellets (1 tablespoon per piggy)
Hay top up
Grass or dried forage

Evening
Scatter feed veg (lettuce - not Iceberg, bell pepper, cucumber, cilantro, egg plant)
Hay top up

They sometimes get an extra treat during the day.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

Excellent advice you have already had above.

My feeding schedule is very similar to above:

Morning = Hay top up and a small amount of pellets scattered

Evening = Hay top up and a small amount of low calcium veggies scattered

Once per week (usually a Sunday morning when the shopping delivery arrives they will get a small treat - e.g. some kale, or some parsley, or some carrot or some water melon - I alternate these each week to add variety).

If I'm home I regularly check on the piggies throughout the day, and I have to use all the will power I have not to give into their wheeking demands for veggies!
When I'm out at work, they see me morning and evening. Their hay piles are huge (and they have a few piles at different ends of their cages) so they never run out. I get quite a bit of waste hay, but rather that than dental or digestive issues

 

[Siikibam]

I would give a slice of pepper, 1-2 sprigs of coriander, a lettuce leaf, slice of coriander and a green bean as their daily veg. Then you can swap in/out other veg. I wouldn’t give pea flakes, carrot or fruit every week. You can give them a treat by buying them different types of hay or even a handful of grass if you have access to it.