Diet: Pig loves Fiesta Max and refuses to eat Oxbow ~_~

[Aayla Secura]

So I learned recently that Kaytee Fiesta Max is one of the worst things to feed your guinea pigs. Unfortunately, one of my guinea pigs (the fatter one, incidentally) absolutely loves it. She sometimes eats it even when there are fresh veggies in her reach. (The other piggie is not quite as crazy about it but she still eats it.)

I just got my cavies Oxbow Cavy Cuisine and neither of my piggies likes it. They've tried it once and now won't go near it. I'm trying to break them in slowly but every time I leave a bowl in the cage I come back from work the next day just to find the bowl barely touched.

I want them to be healthy but I also want them to enjoy their food... Tips??

[Ly&Pigs]

The only tip I have is to do the switch cold turkey by removing the old stuff and putting in nothing but the Oxbow. Give them time and they will most likely start eating the new stuff. Pellets are the least part of the diet. So as long as you are giving unlimited grass hay and a variety of veggies per day to include leafy greens and bell peppers, your pigs will be ok until they start eating the new pellets.

[blackarrow]

Gotta go cold turkey! It may take them some time, but they're not apt to starve themselves. My boys did the same thing (but from Sunseed to Oxbow - they're now on Kleenmama's, and that last switch was by far the easier.)

[Aayla Secura]

Thanks Yeah, this situation reminds me of a childhood friend I had that always refused to eat her healthy dinner and raided the freezer for the yummy chocolate popsicle after dinner. The Kaytee stuff probably tastes great but isn't healthy (as evidenced by her ballooning weight...).

I would like to try the Kleenmama stuff, I think I'll buy a bag of that. Thanks again!

[azalea]

When I got B&P they came with a bag of k**t** pellets. I order a replacement straight way but still had to wait the 5 days shipping.

I dumped some of what I had on hand into a pie pan and went to work. I picked out the seeds and the nut bits and the X bits and the O bits and the other art work looking things and any thing that didn't look like a pellet. Then I sifted to remove the dusty part. The weird stuff went into the compost pile and the remaining pellets went in to a resealable in the ice box.

When I got the new pellets I started with a 75% old stuff, 25% new for 2 days, then 50/50, 25/75, then just the new stuff. I don't know that cavy digestive systems are so delicate that they need a slow change. May be it is just a bit sneakier for no good reason.

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by azalea

When I got B&P they came with a bag of k**t** pellets.

You can write the word Kaytee. You don't have to ** out parts of the word.

[Aayla Secura]

Originally Posted by Ly&Pigs

You can write the word Kaytee. You don't have to ** out parts of the word.

I think she was just joking i.e. the food is so bad for cavies that it doesn't deserve to be mentioned by name, haha