do guinea pigs have to have pellets?

[Sl and S]

ive heard of only vegie diets. how would you do that? like how much to feed? i feed the following on various days
yellow squash
turnip greens
mustard greens
green bell pepper(home grown)
cilantro
parsley
spinach
carrots
brocolli
cabbage
and sometimes i throw in a fruit.
could i just feed vegies in large quantities to my 3 girls along with hay?

[spy9doc]

I guess the most obvious question is, "why do you NOT want to feed pellets?" There are folks who say that pellets are the least important factor in a cavy diet, but I have no authoritative information on that.

Is it cost? If so, there are good quality pellets available at a very reasonable price. They aren't sold in pet stores, but are available through farm supply and feed stores. Since you are in Memphis, I suspect that it wouldn't be too difficult to find them.

[CavyMama]

Pellets are the least important part of the guinea pig diet. It's partly why it's only recommended to provide 1/8 of a cup/day. It's mainly to supplement in case they aren't getting enough hay but some people have gone with a pellet-free diet. As long as they are getting enough hay, it's okay to go without pellets.

Veggies should not be fed in overly large quantities regardless of if you are using pellets. An adult pig should be getting 1 cup of veggies daily.

I notice you did not include hay on your list. Hay is a super important part of the guinea pig diet. They need unlimited amounts of it. It helps keep their digestive tract moving as well as helps to wear down their teeth. It is a 100% essential part of their diet.

[Sl and S]

oh i give unlimited hay. got some hay from the feed store, bermuda. its not the cost its the drive to the pet store to get the oxbow. im just now turning 16 so when i run out it takes a while before i can get someone to take me to get it. so if i give unlimited bermuda hay and do 1 cup of vegies per pig a day i dont have to get pellets? i have a whole chart system i go by when feeding them there vegies.

[MissJean]

Some nutrients are more difficult to get out of piggie safe veggies. I hear vitamin D is a big concern.

Pellets may be the least important part of a diet, but I personally wouldn't want to deal with the hassle of figuring out a no-pellet diet. If the cost is an issue for you, look into KMS pellets. Buying in bulk there might save you some, just be sure to calculate shipping costs. KMS Hayloft, Grass Hays & Fortified Feeds From the Valleys of the Pacific Northwest

[schavarry]

I was going to suggest KMS like MissJean did. If driving is the issue, these will be delivered to your door so you don't have to worry about that. The issue would be paying for them online but maybe you could talk your parents into using their card if you give them the cash up front? Or you can use your own debit card?

[Sl and S]

does this look like a good amount of vegies for 3 guinea pigs? i will try to get some pellets soon. i just ran out.

[KittyKrochet]

I dunno about anyone else, but my piggies LOVE their pellets! They'd throw a fit if the pellets weren't there one day. I personally wouldn't recommend them not to get pellets in their diets, just to be sure that if they don't share the veggies well, they're all still getting the vitamins and nutrients they need. I know my dominant pig, Cupcake has a habit of pinching her sister's veggies, if I don't personally hand feed them.