How Much?: How much food do you give to your piggies?

[chris_w]

I have foudn that since I have moved house that my 2 piggies have got more active in some ways and less active in others.

More Active - they are out of their cages more

Less Active - they arent running around like they used to (prob due to the ages of them I think that they are approx 3 year old now)

anyways

Since moving house back in march 2008 I have found that they are eating loads more than they used to...

How much do you normally feed your piggies??

Its normally half a bowl to a full bowl each morning and again at night and carrots and other greeners and hay each day

[newpiggiemommy]

They should have 1/8 cup of pellets per day. They should have unlimited hay. And, they should have veggies daily!

My piggies eat 1/8 cup KM pellets each, a heaping pile of KM bluegrass hay, and they share a huge salad of mixed Romaine lettuce, radicchio, spring greens, one baby carrot each, one cherry tomato each, 1/2 green pepper, and a huge bunch of cilantro. (That is there normal day! Sometimes they get more veggies)

[chris_w]

Originally Posted by newpiggiemommy

My piggies eat 1/8 cup KM pellets each

How big is your cups? Its starting to be something like a ful bowl in the morning and another one when I get in from work (either 5pm or 7pm) When I get in they squeek like made wanting food.

Do I just cut the extra bowl out of a night time and leave them or do I gradually decrease the amount I give them in the mornings and night so it is an equal amount in the morning and night so they dont go without?

[fieryone]

1/8 a cup as in a measuring cup. They say that adult piggies shouldn't get more than 1/4 cup of pellets per pig, per day. Unlimited pellets only for baby pigs under 6 months old. If they're squalking for food, they should be given more hay and veggies instead of more pellets.

My pigs are young still. Only one of the three is probably at or over 6 months old so they still get a whole bowl of pellets (it probably holds about a cup or so). They never empty the bowl completely throughout the day so they're pretty much self regulating at about 1/4 cup or so anyway.

[Scarlettexeyes]

I give mine about 1/8 cup of pellet, unlimited timothy hay, and orchard grass.

I also give 2 meals of veggies, once in the morning, and once in the evening.

[chris_w]

Originally Posted by Scarlettexeyes

I give mine about 1/8 cup of pellet, unlimited timothy hay, and orchard grass.

I also give 2 meals of veggies, once in the morning, and once in the evening.

This seem slike a good Idea I think im feeding mine WAY to much, gonn ahave to start cutting their pellets down (something like half) and I might give them extra carrots lettuce and stuff

Thanks

[newpiggiemommy]

Originally Posted by chris_w

This seem slike a good Idea I think im feeding mine WAY to much, gonn ahave to start cutting their pellets down (something like half) and I might give them extra carrots lettuce and stuff

Thanks

Only one small baby carrot per day per piggie! If they are still hungry give them a bit more romaine lettuce, radicchio, cilantro.

Try a little bit of bell pepper.

Once a week you could give them a piece of fruit (slice of apple, one strawberry, etc.

Other veggies to use as treats are a slice of cucumber, zucchini, summer squash, a bit of parsley (mine love parsley, but don't offer it every day, more like 3 times a week)

Good Idea to cut down on the pellets. Give them unlimited hay. Veggies twice a day is great. They will love it!

[BubuCandyBlue]

I have one question to add over here, if we are on the food subject. I saw you all mention baby carrots. And of course just one per day, but what about normal carrots? Because those are not so high in sugar as the baby ones.

[dra&pigs]

Carrots don't have much nutritional value, regardless of the kind. A full large carrot can be given in, like, fourths. 1 fourth per piggie. I think..the veggie chart will be more accurate than I am.

[guineapigluver1]

Originally Posted by dra&pigs

Carrots don't have much nutritional value, regardless of the kind. A full large carrot can be given in, like, fourths. 1 fourth per piggie. I think..the veggie chart will be more accurate than I am.

You can just cut it up into baby carrot size. The reason the chart says baby carrot is because of the size.

[hueyeats]

Too much.

1/4 cup pellets daily but will give a 2nd serving at night if it is empty. 1 nice size dish of salad (fruits & veggies & forages some), that would be about 1-2 cup. Handfuls of hay & a bit of alfalfa. Daily carrot treats (1 ea. in baby carrot serving), fresh grass (they go nuts over fresh grass) and roses (my white abby diva queen is especially particular to the petals) when I have lap time with them. Cilantro (3-4 stalks) / more hay / fresh grass anytime my bubbles wheek for me, begging more food... that little bugger (but I never refused them)!

Arghhh... I spoil them way too much. Is there a thing as over feeding them??? But again, I do have 2 growing piggies in my hand.

P.S. another improvement today... they actually are eating the strawberries... yay!

[Ly&Pigs]

Your pigs would benefit from some major changes in diet. They need unlimited grass hay if you aren't already providing it. They also need a good veggie diet (not just carrots but other things) and a major cutback on pellets.

Pellets are the least part of any pigs diet. They don't need very many. Pigs over 6 months should get limited pellets, unlimited grass hay such as timothy, bermuda, bluegrass, brome, orchard, sweet meadow, etc. and a good veggie salad made up of primarily leafy greens like lettuces, cilantro (coriander), bell pepper, etc. Carrots are a treat veggie and no more than one baby carrot or equivalent of a regular sized carrot per day. They aren't very nutritious.

Please see the nutrition charts and sample menu's sticky threads for more info on what a good diet is.

[chris_w]

well I got some kinda shopping list together now...

~
Lettuce
Carrots
Strawberries
Cucumber
Apples
Cherry tomatoes
Broccolli
oranges
banana's

Hope this will keep them happy :-)

THANKS

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by chris_w

well I got some kinda shopping list together now...

Lettuce
Carrots
Strawberries
Cucumber
Apples
Cherry tomatoes
Broccolli
oranges
banana's

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this isn't a good shopping list. Too many fruits and treat type veggies and not enough leafy greens. A good shopping list would be a variety of leafy lettuces (romaine, red leaf, green leaf, butterhead/boston), cilantro, bell pepper for daily veggies. Then try your pigs with things like zucchini which can be fed daily. I'd also get other leafy greens like mustard/turnip greens and kale which can be fed 2-3 times per week.

Then you can feed cucumber about every 2-3 days, carrots (1 baby carrot or equivalent per day), broccoli is very gassy so no more than once or twice per week (1 small floret per pig) and they can have 1-2 small cherry tomatoes per day.

You've got way too much fruit on that list. Fruit should be fed very sparingly once or twice per week. Banana is a fruit best avoided because it can cause bloat and bloat is a severe medical condition in pigs.

[auburnmare5]

You should be gving your pig between 1/8 to 1/4 cup of pellets per day along with a minimum of 1 cup of fresh veggies each day.

[i-love-nev]

My pig gets 1/4 cup of pellets in the morning (depending on the pellet I am using he might get a little more), 1/2-3/4 cup of salads at night and unlimited acess to grass trays and hay, he eats alot less hay then he used to since he has been eating the grass but he still eats hay. What pellet are you using? the amount you feed of pellets can vary from pellet to pellet.

[chris_w]

well i went to the shops and got lettuce, carrots celery (which they dont really like) apples and pears. thats all i can remember at the moment

[Clay's Pooka]

Mine do not like tomatoes so much, or celery. They eat the other leafy greens and stuff that I give them, even orange peel. Is it okay to leave these two things out of their diet completely since they leave them in the bowl anyway?

[chris_w]

My two do not like orange peel at all.....

put some in the cage and they left it completly alone i dont know if its the colour or something.

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by Clay's Pooka

Mine do not like tomatoes so much, or celery. They eat the other leafy greens and stuff that I give them, even orange peel. Is it okay to leave these two things out of their diet completely since they leave them in the bowl anyway?

Not all pigs will like the same things. Tomatoes and celery aren't a big part of the diet so it's fine to leave them out. Do some experimenting though with different veggies and see what they do like.