I bought this new type of feed. Is it ok?

[Sticky Mann]

I bought this new feed from Big W. On the back it says:

Peters Nibble & Gnaw (the brand) is a delicious blend of ingredients specially selected for thier distinctive taste... (lot's of irrelevent info).

Contains added Vitamin C, an essential ingredient for Guinea Pigs.
Nutritionally balanced, PN&G may be fed to adult small animals as a maintenance diet (supplement with a variety of fresh fruit, veges, and hay) or as a special treat to complement the main diet... (lot's more irrelevent info).
Ingredients:
Lucerne pellets (containg finely ground cereal, vitamins and minerals). Extruded maize shapes, Flaked wheat, Black sunflower seed, Crushed lupins, Micronised maize, Crushed maize, Carob, Dried banana (I can pick it out), Dried carrot, Vit C, canola oil.

I am planning on feeding my GP's half a cup once a week. Is that ok.

It is RSPCA reccommended.

[envisionary333]

Pellet mixes containing seeds and dried fruits aren't recommended for guinea pigs as they are bad for their health, encourage selective eating habits (as in picking out what they want to eat and leaving the rest), are a choking hazard, and can make your pig overweight. You should be looking for a pellet that has timothy hay as the first ingredient, or alfalfa hay if your piggy is less than six months old. Since the pellets you have chosen don't even list timothy hay in the ingredients, that's a very bad sign! Throw them out pronto! Also, added vitamins and minerals are unnecessary and sometimes dangerous- they only need stabilized vitamin C. Choose a plain pellet with no colors, dyes, or seeds- only pellets. Oxbow is considered one of the best brands out there and their products are available online. Also, some exotics vets carry it in their stores.
Here is a link to more info on a proper diet: Guinea Lynx :: Pellets.

[Piggersrule]

I agree, the food you got should not be fed to your piggy, it's not a healthy for her. Where do you live?

[envisionary333]

Oh, one more thing- the fact that the label advises to feed to "small adult animals" rather than just guinea pigs is a red flag for improper nutrition, since different "small animals" have very different nutritional needs.

[stubblychin]

As it sounds like you are in the UK, these are the best two I know of(both pellet based):

Science Selective(has vit c, hay and forage based stuff in it): Supreme Petfoods: Science Selective Guinea Pig

Supa Guinea Pig Excel(orange bag, has vit c and is hay based, currently what ours are on):
Guinea Pig Food

At a real stretch you can use Gerty, but it WILL promote selective feeding as it is not pelleted.

-stubblychin
rockinguineas.co.uk, home of Fidget, Gizmo, Mo, Davina, & Twitch
petsr - Home Page

[Fay]

As far as I know he lives in Australia, perhaps someone there (Aertyn?) Could recommend proper food?

[Aertyn]

Thanks Fay, *stretches typing fingers*.

As far as Guinea Pig feeds go that is, sadly, one of the better ones. I myself have shied away from the pellets that are sold in Australia as they are of substandard quality and now use the mix that is recommended by the Australian Cavy Sanctuary, and is one that they have used for quite a few years. I've fed it to my own pigs for 6 months now, and have yet to have a problem with it.

The feed is called "Barastoc Workhorse Mix" and you can buy it in 20kg bags for $20 at most farm feed stores, or you can buy it from The Australian Cavy Sanctuary website and it will be shipped to you.

OR

It has come to our attention in the last week that there is now a supplier selling Oxbow products in Australia, but they are VERY expensive. 425grams (the smallest bag they sell) of Meadow Hay was $16 + $9 postage. I can buy a bale of Hay for $20. Their pellets are around $30 for 2kgs.

[Ly&Pigs]

I understand that sticky is in Australia. But those pellets he listed are really bad. These are some of the worst pellets I've looked at as far as ingredients.

Lucerne pellets (containg finely ground cereal, vitamins and minerals). Extruded maize shapes, Flaked wheat, Black sunflower seed, Crushed lupins, Micronised maize, Crushed maize, Carob, Dried banana (I can pick it out), Dried carrot, Vit C, canola oil.

It looks as though there are 3 sources of dried corn in this feed not to mention what may be in the pellets themselves. The carob could be dangerous to guinea pigs. It's used as a sweetener, a chocolate substitute and can have a laxative effect. Carob tree - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I understand that there may not be many good brands of plain pellets in Aus, but there has to be something better than this stuff.

[smartorl]

The ingredients are horrible, I understand that is the best option and thankfully, I don't face that dilema! If that was my only option, I would probably switch to a hay and veggie diet, I do still offer pellets but they are rarely eaten. I voice a strong word of caution, to keep your pigs healthy you have to be alot more aware of what you are feeding, the amounts and really commit to making sure that all his needs are met. I would not consider this for a newbie per se, but I think that those pellets really aren't offering alot as far as proper nutrition.

[Sticky Mann]

Well I do feed her these veges twice a day
3 slices of cucumber
1 slice of green capsicum
1 lettuce leaf (not bochoy)
1 cherry tomato
2 slices of carrot
1 strawberry
I used the chart on here to help decide. I haven't fed her any N&G yet. What are the pellets called? Are they just called Guinea Pig pellets?

[Ly&Pigs]

Cucumber isn't a good daily food. Little nutrition and mostly water. Better to feed cucumber every 2 to 3 days.

You can give several slices of the capsicum. It's great for Vitamin C.

She can also have several leaves of lettuce per feeding.

If she's pregnant, you need to remember that she is eating for her and the pups she's carrying. She needs a lot more veggies than what you are providing plus she needs some higher calcium veggies like Kale, Turnip greens, etc.

[Aertyn]

Actually, Ly&Pigs. That's it when it comes to foods marketed at Cavies. The rest of the foods are total crap, mostly being made up off seeds that I would consider suitable only for birds.

Sticky, you could try the Peters Brand Rabbit and Guinea Pig Pellets. Though it is mostly just that stuff ground up and made into pellet form.

[Fay]

If all pellet brands in Australia are bad it might be a better idea to thoroughly study a well balanced vegetables, fruit and forages diet and buy some of that oxbow but give only little of that instead? Would that be a good plan? Those pellets there might do more harm then a well balanced vegetable diet, it will only make things A LOT more complicating to properly calculate and set up their meals.

[Ly&Pigs]

I think I'd go with a HAFF diet as well but making sure to supplement with some Vitamin C as well.

But I think that sticky is a minor and is dependant upon his parents for the food, hay and pellets his rabbit and guinea pig need. I don't know if his parents would be willing to buy tons of veggies for the pigger and the pups that are coming.

With a Haff diet, you really have to feed a large variety and what he's feeding currently won't do it.

Sticky, you could try the Peters Brand Rabbit and Guinea Pig Pellets. Though it is mostly just that stuff ground up and made into pellet form.

The plain pelleted food would be better than the stuff with the mix even if it contains mostly the same ingredients. It could be fed in limited quantities.