Overfeeding?

[confuzioncity]

Originally Posted by Jennicat

Ah, sorry about the misunderstanding! It's sad how many people feed them vegetables ONLY as a treat, or something similar.

No problem! It is really sad when they only get the stuff as a treat! I swear I have some spoiled guinea pigs!

Colleen

[becuzimthemom]

My 2 our real pigs, they eat their greens(spring mix, dandilions leaves, collards) everyday and they have their timothy hay and pellets. I also offer apples about 2 times a week. They will go squeaking when they are ready for their special yummy's.

[JarBax]

Like a few other peeps, I can't wait for the spring to come, when I can start feeding my piggies all-time-favorite - grass! The winter really seems to drag without my daily jaunts out to the lawn with my scissors!

I have often wondered how much a US cup measurement in veggies is? My girls (4) get 4 large (or more of small) leaves of romaine, plus usually a selection of other leaves, a good chunk of courgette, quartered, half a green, yellow and sometimes orange pepper, smaller piece of red, 4 small carrots, a piece of cucumber and 2 halved cherry tomatoes each every day.

Then they also get in rotation fine beans, melon skin, celery slices, brocolli, and corn (some more than others). Fruit is a rare piece of apple, and I am going to introduce a wee segment of citrus occasionally. Oh - parsley and curly Kale make an appearance sometimes too.

Ofcourse, there is unlimited Tim. hay and hay grass mix, and small bowl of pellets. What do you reckon? Sound like a cupful?

[Roxy&Rex]

My Pregnant Lil Roxy girl has been going crazy for Romaine and Green leaf Lettuce, i think i give her alone 9+ leafs a day, 2 carrots, unlimited bluegrass, Timothy and Alfalfa (she eats all the hay at night) 1 section of an orange, 2 changes of water (gets dirty).

but she does work it off id say with all the extra floor time daddy spoils her with.

[SoCalCavies]

Originally Posted by Terekins

The reason I was wondering about overfeeding is that they poop so much! I've never had guinea pigs before so I have no prior experience. It seems I can't keep up, I need to clean their cage almost everyday. I always spot clean everyday. They just poop and poop. The poop itself looks fine though. Is this normal?

[FONT=Century Gothic]Yes, it is normal!

I hestitate to comment here, as I don't have "scientific proof" to show you, but I do know for fact that the reason bunnies poop so much, is because their stomachs aren't equipped to store food. I believe the same is true for guinea pigs. They are constantly processing it and then expelling it, which triggers their need to keep eating.

Also, they have hollow teeth (a characteristic of the rodent family), which causes them to need to constantly grind them down.
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[this_lil_piggy]

A US Cup of lettuce is about 2 large romaine leaves, or 4 small ones. 1 cup is 8 ounces.
The picture below is a 2 cup measuring cup. If I push the lettuce down it equals 1 cup, it springs back up to about 1 1/2 cups, It is 4 small romaine leaves..

[Mummy]

Important to note that the 8oz cup is 8 fluid ounces - big difference!

[JarBax]

Thanks lil-pig! So...if you feed two large romaine leaves (or four smaller ones) - that is the minimum requirement in measurement (though obviously not in nutritional variety and balance)? I will have to get my measuring jug out!

[this_lil_piggy]

Yup. 2 large leaves or 4 small ones make up the minimum 1 cup serving, everything else is just extra You know I have never actually measured my veggies out until just now, and now that I see how little a cup actually equals, I really have been spoiling the crapt out of this bunch.

[mariano]

They just poop and poop. The poop itself looks fine though. Is this normal?

I am sure I'm giving a cup of vegetables per pig, and they give me in return 2 cups or more of poop.

Mine (two pigs) go through 6 heads of green/read leaf a week, some baby carrots and cherry tomatoes.

Off topic: I can't believe they fully process their food. Is there any good use for their poop?