[taisamarie]

I've been around guinea pigs before, but this is the first time we've had any in the family.

We have two little boys (both currently about 4.5" long). They are happy and VERY active little guys (they spend most of their active hours popcorning around the cage) and when we've let them run around the kitchen (2x a day for about 20 minutes) it is the piggie gran prix!

My question is, how much should they be eating?

I've been giving them alfalfa pellets (w/ added Vitamin C) at about the rate of 1/2 a cup a day (1/4 cup x2 daily) and as long as I am home, I refill their hay rack (timothy hay) any time it empties, which is about 3x a day. We've also been introducing fresh stuff to them (they never had any before so we are trying to take it slow so as not to upset their tummies). So far (this is about what they are up to each day) baby carrots are a hit (3 a day between the two of them), kiwi was an 'eh', apple was a hit (very limited, using as rewards for being calm when brushing/bathing, etc... bathing was a MUST, they were in a tiny little cage before we got them and they didn't smell none too good), and about a cup total each day of green leafies (spinach, kale, red leaf lettuce).

All in all, it at least visually seems to be a LOT of food for these two guys. I don't want them to become overweight, but I am not sure how much I should restrict for two growing and active little boys.

Also, what other fresh stuff can I add/rotate in their diet? I live in the central valley of California and so access year-round to pretty much anything is possible.