Guinea Pig "Menu" - Diet/Nutrition

[ingrid98684]

Last week (week TWO with Sparky and Speedy) I put together a "menu" based on the good information I'd found on this site and others, thinking this would help insure they have lots of variety in their diet, and also serve as a kind of shopping list for me. I keep it posted on the fridge and just check things off each day. So far, so good - although there's been lots of good stuff that's been met with Guinea Pig Disdain. Would appreciate feedback about frequency, portion size, food types - anything I should consider adding? Thank you!

[MrWhistles]

I'm not so sure about the twice each day column....I mean, maybe if you aren't feeding your piggies pellets that maybe in order. But for someone whos feeding their guineas pellets it shouldn't be that much.
I think as far as the lettuce, 1 large leaf(2-4 smaller leafs) would do just fine.

[schavarry]

I would remove Romaine lettuce from the list. Also make sure you're not feeding your piggies more than 1 cup of veggies per pig, per day. So 1 cup in the AM and 1 cup in the PM if you're breaking it into 2 meals. If you feed them 4 pieces of lettuce 2x a day that's a LOT of veggies!

Also make sure if you're giving them something sweet and full of sugar (red pepper, apple, rose hips, carrots) you're not giving them all on the same day, they should get 1 per day. So if they get an apple slice Monday AM, you shouldn't give them a carrot Monday PM.

Otherwise it looks really good

[MrWhistles]

I would remove Romaine lettuce from the list. Also make sure you're not feeding your piggies more than 1 cup of veggies per pig, per day. So 1 cup in the AM and 1 cup in the PM if you're breaking it into 2 meals. If you feed them 4 pieces of lettuce 2x a day that's a LOT of veggies!

wait....1 cup per pig per day....but you say to do 1 cup in the AM and 1 in the PM?

[suzilovespiggie]

One cup of veggies a day per pig. If you are feeding twice a day, half a cup in the morning halat night. Fruit can be given several times a week.f a cup at night.

[schavarry]

wait....1 cup per pig per day....but you say to do 1 cup in the AM and 1 in the PM?

Sorry, I meant 1 cup total (so 1/2 cup per pig = 1 cup for 2 pigs) in the AM and the same for PM. Does that make sense now?

*Edit* Thanks for pointing that out, it really wasn't clear and I should've clarified

[MrWhistles]

Sorry, I meant 1 cup total (so 1/2 cup per pig = 1 cup for 2 pigs) in the AM and the same for PM. Does that make sense now?

*Edit* Thanks for pointing that out, it really wasn't clear and I should've clarified

No problem
We all make mistakes when we're sleepy *wink*

[madelineelaine]

you might have better luck just setting out a menu, so everything is spread out. That's what I did

[ingrid98684]

I though the 1 cup per day per pig was a minimum - it's the max? They are getting more than 1 cup per day currently and they eat EVERYTHING I give them (except for the couple of things they turn their nose up at entirely). They do have pellets available - they get 1/4 cup each morning (if they finished what I gave them the day before, which mostly they don't) plus lots of Timothy hay.

[bpatters]

One cup of vegetables is the max, because hay is the most important thing in their diet. It keeps their molars ground down and their guts working properly. If they eat too many veggies, they won't eat enough hay.

[ingrid98684]

What percent of the 1 cup per day should the peppers be? I thought that was their main source of vitamin C - some of the sources I reviewed indicated they should have 1/8 to 1/4 pepper per day, which I think would take care of about a third to a half of the 1 cup. A single cut up piece of lettuce would pretty well top it off. That seems to rule out adding much more variety to their diet, other than just a little mouthful.

[bpatters]

I give 1/3 to 1/4 bell pepper per day for two pigs, depending on how big the pepper is.

[MrWhistles]

Just so I am clear. What is a "slice" of a bell pepper? Like a 1" wide ring(with the seeds removed)?

[ingrid98684]

I cut up two of the small peppers today (the petite kind that come in plastic bags) and three small leaves of Belgian Endive, and that equaled a generous cup. The pepper serving equals nowhere near 1/3 of a normal sized bell pepper - that would be close to 3/4 cup all by itself I think. If I only give lettuce and pepper once a day then I can just add the variety in the second feeding - couple slices of cukes, a carrot, fennell, and some celery. But this seems like pretty meager rations. I know there's theory and then there's practice - ya'all are really only giving them 1 cup per pig per day?

[bpatters]

One third of a bell pepper is nowhere near a cup, and besides, I'm giving that for two pigs. So I'm aiming at two cups of veggies per day. And I don't count some of the lettuce in the cup of veggies -- I usually give a cup of veggies plus a leaf of lettuce per pig. I figure lettuce is mostly water anyway, but does contain some vitamins and minerals but not many calories or much roughage.

They shouldn't get a whole carrot -- just the equivalent of a baby carrot per pig per day.

[ingrid98684]

That's what they get - a baby carrot each. And if lettuce doesn't count, that will make a difference. I buy the largest peppers I can buy so 1/3 of a pepper would equal 2/3 cup unless I diced it up really small - I chunk it so it takes up more volume.