We are asked everyday about the correct diet for Guinea Pigs. Guinea pigs can live for 5-8 years with the correct nutrition and care. Our Rose lived for nine years. 🌺
Pellet Feed. A good quality pellet food is essential. Look for a high vitamin C content, and for Timothy Hay to be one of the top ingredients. Avoid the feeds with colored pieces in them. It is pure sugar and not the best for pigs, although they love it. Look for a pellet feed in a dark bag, vitamin C degrades in light. We free feed pellets here, meaning they are always in the bowl. Guinea Pigs rarely over eat.
Hay. Timothy Hay should be fed daily. We free feed that also. Technically hay should make up 70% of a guinea pigs diet. Timothy and orchard etc are good hays for a daily diet. Young pigs, nursing mothers or the sick, can and should have alfalfa hay added to their Timothy hay. Try not to feed alfalfa hay alone as this is a legume hay and not a grass hay. Hay is one of the most important parts of your guinea pig's diet. It keeps teeth worn down and keeps the digestive tract moving. Guinea Pigs are grazing animals, and will eat throughout the day.
Vegetables. Like us, guinea pigs do not make their own vitamin c, so we need to be sure they get enough of this in their diets. Never rely on pellet feed for this. Vitmain C can degrade even before you buy the feed. It then degrades further when exposed to the light. So veggies play an important role in any guinea pigs diet. The general rule of thumb is, one cup, per pig, per day. We feed a good variety of veggies daily. Be sure to wash them well and store in the refrigerator. Green bell pepper is an excellent source of vitamin C for pigs. We feed, romaine, celery, cut into small chunks, cilantro, carrot, spinach and many other veggies we eat ourselves. Never feed white potatoes or anything from the rhubarb plant. Ice burg is not a good choice either. It will not kill a pig, but is high is water content, with little nutritional value. We also feed dandelions in the warmer months. Be sure nothing has been sprayed and wash well. Store in the fridge as you would lettuce. You can feed some grass, just start in small amounts and increase over time.
You can also sprinkle pure vitamin c onto damp veggies, for pigs that need some extra nutrition.
I will make a comprehensive veggie list, good for pigs at a later date.
Fruit. This is a treat, and not a staple in a pigs diet. We feed a couple of times a week. This time of year the pigs love watermelon. They attack it lol. Banana and apples slices are also a favorite here on treat day.
Water. This should be available at all times. We use water bottles here. Bowls tend to get contaminated very quickly. Check water bottles daily, be sure they are working. They can occasionally become blocked. Clean regularly
This is a basic care guide to get started. A healthy diet is very important for the long term health of your fur family.
Pellet Feed. A good quality pellet food is essential. Look for a high vitamin C content, and for Timothy Hay to be one of the top ingredients. Avoid the feeds with colored pieces in them. It is pure sugar and not the best for pigs, although they love it. Look for a pellet feed in a dark bag, vitamin C degrades in light. We free feed pellets here, meaning they are always in the bowl. Guinea Pigs rarely over eat.
Hay. Timothy Hay should be fed daily. We free feed that also. Technically hay should make up 70% of a guinea pigs diet. Timothy and orchard etc are good hays for a daily diet. Young pigs, nursing mothers or the sick, can and should have alfalfa hay added to their Timothy hay. Try not to feed alfalfa hay alone as this is a legume hay and not a grass hay. Hay is one of the most important parts of your guinea pig's diet. It keeps teeth worn down and keeps the digestive tract moving. Guinea Pigs are grazing animals, and will eat throughout the day.
Vegetables. Like us, guinea pigs do not make their own vitamin c, so we need to be sure they get enough of this in their diets. Never rely on pellet feed for this. Vitmain C can degrade even before you buy the feed. It then degrades further when exposed to the light. So veggies play an important role in any guinea pigs diet. The general rule of thumb is, one cup, per pig, per day. We feed a good variety of veggies daily. Be sure to wash them well and store in the refrigerator. Green bell pepper is an excellent source of vitamin C for pigs. We feed, romaine, celery, cut into small chunks, cilantro, carrot, spinach and many other veggies we eat ourselves. Never feed white potatoes or anything from the rhubarb plant. Ice burg is not a good choice either. It will not kill a pig, but is high is water content, with little nutritional value. We also feed dandelions in the warmer months. Be sure nothing has been sprayed and wash well. Store in the fridge as you would lettuce. You can feed some grass, just start in small amounts and increase over time.
You can also sprinkle pure vitamin c onto damp veggies, for pigs that need some extra nutrition.
I will make a comprehensive veggie list, good for pigs at a later date.
Fruit. This is a treat, and not a staple in a pigs diet. We feed a couple of times a week. This time of year the pigs love watermelon. They attack it lol. Banana and apples slices are also a favorite here on treat day.
Water. This should be available at all times. We use water bottles here. Bowls tend to get contaminated very quickly. Check water bottles daily, be sure they are working. They can occasionally become blocked. Clean regularly
This is a basic care guide to get started. A healthy diet is very important for the long term health of your fur family.