If you currently have Guinea Pigs or have ever looked into getting Guinea Pigs, you may be feeling overwhelmed about meeting their dietary needs...
What do Guinea Pigs eat? 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 found here.
A Guinea Pigs daily diet is made up of approximatley 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. Our 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!).
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.
1st Cutting
If you see hay classified as being "first cutting", that means it was the first hay cut in that field for the season. First cutting will always be the coarsest hay (wonderful for our piggies teeth!). In fact, coarseness from the stems not only helps with wearing down teeth, but it's also great for their digestive tract as it pushes things along. First cutting hay is great for pigs that just need "maintenance", meaning the piggy is healthy and you just want to maintain their current weight and condition.
2nd Cutting
As the second cut of hay in the field there is a shorter growing season and that results in this hay being leafier, greener, and softer (still good for Guinea Pigs, but won't be as coarse as first cutting). Second cutting also tends to have higher nutrional values, including higher protein. It's a great option for young growing pigs, aging senior pigs or pigs who may suffer from dental issues/pain (softer hay=easier to eat).
3rd Cutting
Third cutting hay is typically even softer and leafier than second cutting. Because there's a short growth period between second and third cutting, this makes for a higher leaf-to-stem ratio. The higher leaf content generally means higher protein content and overall energy, making third cutting hay the richest of them all.
We feed a combination of 1st and 2nd cutting to our piggy herd.
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 $15-$25! While this is the most cost efficient option, we 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.
Guinea Pig Pellets
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.
We feed our Guinea Pig herd a complete and balaced pellet by Kalmbach Feeds. So far, it's the best quality feed we've been able to find that is sold in bulk (50lb bag). We purchase it from Chewy.com and just have it set up on autoship!
Below is a list of other 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)