The life of an animal obsessed, homesteading, hot mess wife & mama.
If you currently have Guinea Pigs or have ever looked into getting Guinea Pigs, you may be feeling overwhelmed about meeting their dietary needs. How much Vitamin C does a Guinea Pig need each day and why is it so important? Do they really need this much hay? How do we pick which pellets to feed? What veggies can be fed daily? What should never be fed? And how much is too much? Trust me, I’ve been there too! So to put your mind at ease, I’ve put together a detailed list of what must be fed, what’s safe to feed and what should always be avoided. And In an attempt to make your life just a little easier, I’ve also put together a printable veggie menu for your pigs! Vitamin C and Guinea PigsVitamin C is the most important part of a Guinea Pigs diet, as they aren’t able to make their own (like humans). When Guinea Pigs don’t have enough Vitamin C in their diets, they can become very ill with scurvy. Most Guinea Pigs typically need 10–20 mg of Vitamin C per day. Pregnant, nursing, young, and ill guinea pigs will need more. If you feed a good selection of vegetables high in Vitamin C along with a premium quality Guinea Pig pellet, you will likely meet the Vitamin C needs of an average piggy. Signs of a Vitamin C deficiency + Scurvy.
How to supplement extra Vitamin COxbow makes a Vitamin C tablet that is great for maintaining a healthy Vitamin C intake when accompanied by a complete diet. However, in the event that a Guinea Pig is deficient, chewable flavored C tables are available in 100mg sizes which can be quartered into 25mg pieces and be fed directly to your piggies. Many people have also had success with liquid Vitamin C (such as the brand “Child’s Life”) which can be found online and in health food stores. Avoid multi-vitamin supplements and do not add Vitamin C to the water. A Guinea Pigs daily diet is made up of 80% hay, 10% Pellets and 10% Fresh Veggies.Because hay makes up 80% of a Guinea Pigs daily diet, feeding it is nonnegotiable! I often see individuals in online groups or forums, displeased with the smell and mess that comes with hay; therefore deciding they no longer want to feed it. If either the smell or mess of hay could become problematic for you or your family, Guinea Pigs would not be suitable pets. Hay is vital to a Guinea Pigs digestive health and as herbivores, they need plant material constantly moving through their digestive tract to avoid serious health issues. Your Guinea Pigs need to have unlimited access to high quality grass hay 24 hours a day. Continuous access to hay will not only aid their digestion and limit the growth of their teeth, but it can reduce boredom as well. A Guinea Pig should consume a pile of hay the size of their own body, everyday. Hay should be fed loosely and easily. Incorporating hay in enrichment toy items is a great boredom buster, but a Guinea Pig should never have to work for their daily hay intake. I personally do not recommend hay racks and most all hay bags. When the hay is contained in such a way, it makes it more difficult for a Guinea Pig to “graze” the way they naturally would. Instead, they can only pull bits and pieces out and are at risk of getting stuck in said hay rack or bag. My personal favorite and recommended hay feeding method is simply, large mounds of hay throughout the cage. This allows our pigs to not only freely and comfortably browse through the hay, but they can burrow in it as well (and they LOVE to do that!). To help keep the overall hay mess maintained (because let’s be real, it IS messy) I have great success using these low entry “large” dog litter boxes from Petco, found here. Not all Hay is created equal...The best hay for Guinea Pigs is grass hay. Timothy, Orchard or a blend of the two, is most ideal! Alfalfa hay is another commonly found hay but should only be fed to pregnant/nursing sows or Guinea Pigs under 4 months of age due to its high calcium content. When it comes to purchasing hay, the most cost efficient option is purchasing a bale from a local Feed Store or Farm. On average, the bales will weigh 50-75lbs and cost only $10-$25! While this is the most cost efficient option, I know it’s not possible or practical for everyone. Luckily, Timothy and Orchard grass hay can be purchased in smaller quantities, both in store and online! It’s important that your Guinea Pigs hay, regardless of where / how it’s purchased, is green, fragrant and dust free. Hay that is discolored, smells foul (perhaps like mold) and/or is dusty, should never be offered to your pigs. Choosing what kind of pellets to feed your Guinea Pig can be a daunting task.There are many different Guinea Pig pellets on the market but despite what labels say, not all of them are safe for our piggies! To start, you’ll need to find a Guinea Pig pellet that is Timothy Hay based (please note: pregnant/nursing sows and Guinea Pigs under 4 months of age could benefit from an Alfalfa based pellet). The pellets should be green in color (similar to hay), smell fresh, with little to no dust particles, be high in Vitamin C and free of any fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, corn, oats and any other items that aren’t the pellets themselves (these items are not only unnecessary for our piggies but they can also be a choking hazard). Even though pellets make up only 10% of their diet, it’s still crucial that they aren’t containing any unnecessary fillers that could add too much sugar or fat to their diet. Most healthy adult Guinea Pigs only need 1/8th cup of pellets each day. Below is a list of high quality Guinea Pig pellets readily available in store or online: - Oxbow Essentials (there is a “baby” formula as well) - Oxbow Garden Select - Oxbow Organic Bounty - Small Pet Select - Science Selective - Sherwood Pet Health (there is a “baby” formula as well) Now for the fun part: feeding fresh produce to our piggies!Guinea Pigs benefit greatly from fresh veggies being included in their diet as it not only gives them access to a variety of different nutrients, but it especially increases their daily Vitamin C intake! 1 adult piggy should receive approximately 1 cup of fresh veg daily. Safe to feed daily:
Safe to feed weekly:
Safe fruits:Please note: all fruits should be fed sparingly, at no more than 1 or 2, 1 inch size pieces a week due to their high sugar content.
Foods that should never be fed:
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AuthorDallas took an interest in animals and farm living at a very young age. Now, she lives with four generations of her family, alongside her high school sweetheart and young daughter, on an 8 aces homestead in Sisters Oregon. She ethically raises a variety of animals for Companionship, Show and to nourish her families bodies. Dallas writes about being a farm mom, an animal caretaker/educator & trying to live a sustainable lifestyle.
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