Switching to Oxbow

[Lucy Topanga]

I am switching from Sunscription guinea pig pellets to Oxbow Cavy Cuisine on Tuesday. Should I do the switch cold turkey, or should I mix the pellets for a while?

[pigsforlife]

I did the switch cold turkey. It took about a week for them to start eating it like they were eating their old pellets. In my opinion this is understandable because it is like eating hamburgers all day everyday to suddenly eating only vegetables and fruit.

[aaronmeister]

When I switched my guinea pig ate them like there wasn't any difference.

[banjosnotbombs]

I would slowly introduce the Oxbow pellets. On the back of the pellet bag there's an instruction guide on how to switch over from your previous food to Oxbow in 3 weeks.
I believe it goes something like
1st week 1/4 Oxbow to 3/4 previous food
2nd week 1/2 Oxbow to 1/2 previous food
3rd week 3/4 Oxbow to 1/4 previous food
On the 4th week you're to feed only Oxbow.

I'm not sure how neccesary it is to follow this guide, but since it's reccomended that's the way I would go.

[pigsforlife]

It is not necessary to slowly wean pigs onto a oxbows pellets. It is a matter of preference really.

[Ly&Pigs]

Pellets are the least part of any cavy's diet. It's fine to do it cold turkey. That way you get them off the garbage food faster and onto the healthier stuff faster. As long as they are eating plenty of hay and veggies, if they don't take to/eat the new pellets right away, that is fine.

[blairie]

I switched my boys cold turkey and they didn't seem to care.