Veggies, fruits - no thanks gimme lettuce now!!

[shazzyb]

Our new piggies (9wks) are settling in well having been with us having had them for the last 2 weeks, following some in house fighting!!

We've looked at the excellent food charts and have attempted to give them a variety of fruit & veg sticking to morning and evening feeds. They now know when feeding time is and as soon as bowls are taken out of the cage the noises and wheeks they make are very amusing!!

However!!, Despite efforts to give them the variety, they only seem to finish the lettuce (romaine is by far fav but they'll also eat curly (endive) and the odd little gem). They'll nibble on carrots, cucumber but won't entertain any fruit and turn noses up at celery and peppers. We're combining these with the usual pellets and some muesli mix (separate bowl).

We're finding that during the day, when we pass the fridge they begin to wheek again (FEED ME - IM STARVING) so we put in some more lettuce as theyve not touched the other veg (indeed they usually have trampled it into the hay). They then finish off the lettuce in double quick time - its like piranha fish on flesh.

Should we feed them as long as theyre hungry or stick rigidly to morning and evening, trying to ignore the wheeks of hunger??

[PhoenixFeather]

What's in the muesli mix? I don't think these are normally safe/healthy for guinea pigs.

Generally if our piggies wheek a lot when it's not veggie time, first I'll try adding extra hay (even though the rack is not empty). This often "distracts" them and they eat the hay and forget about whining for veggies. If not, then I'll bring up a leaf or two of lettuce or endive. I don't like to give them too much extra veggies, but if they're really wheeking, I usually do give in.

But... I don't have the cage in sight/sound range of the fridge either. If they were doing this every time someone else in the family ate something from the fridge, I'd think you might end up giving too many veggies, and that could potentially cause loose stool or diarrhea.

What I might try in your situation is giving the morning veggies, and then making up a baggie of evening veggies. When they wheek for something during the day, take it from their evening baggie. That way you are serving the same amount of veggies as recommended, but allowing them to have them on their schedule. As long as they have hay and fresh water (and pellets, if they haven't eaten their daily allotment of those yet) they are not "starving", just being "piggies" and asking for extra.

[chexxy]

If you want them to eat more a of variety, I would try leaving out the lettuce for a night and just feeding the others. As for during the day, I agree with the above, take it out of their evening. If my boys are very hungry I split a baby carrot in half and they both get a half. That night then, they only each get a half.

[Wheek Weak]

Keep trying with a variety of foods on the list. Sometimes it could take quite a while before they'll finally try something new.

Our Ruby wouldn't touch green pepper for about a year. Then, just out of the blue, started eating it all the time and just loves it.

Otus wouldn't eat cucumber or tomato for the first 5 months with us. He now eats both.

But, there are times when they just flat-out don't like something and won't eat it. After almost two years, I'm still trying to get the girls to eat tomatoes. I may have to keep trying another two years, but I won't give up!

[julsie]

I agree, keep trying! It's funny, the wider variety I feed Kyle, the more willing he is to try new foods. He used to be awfully suspicious of anything different in his bowl! He still won't touch tomatoes except to pick them up and throw them aside, but he actually ate a sliver of bell pepper the third or fourth time I offered it.

Have you tried parsley or cilantro? It could be that your pigs have a texture preference, and just want to eat the leafy stuff. When you give celery, include the leafy tops. That might get them interested.