How Much? when to order and how much to order

[clb89]

I will be getting two guinea pigs June 7th. I was wondering when should I order hay and pellets? Also how much should I get? Thanks.

 

[skinnypigs]

I would be ordering hay and pellets now so that they are shipped and arrive by June 7th. Where are you ordering from?
I order 50lbs of hay and 50lbs of pellets for 5 pigs. You can always order 50lbs of hay for 2 pigs, it is easy to store. I would maybe order less pellets though, that way you can always be getting fresh pellets and they aren't sitting around for too long. Maybe 10lbs or 25lbs at a time.

 

[clb89]

I would be ordering hay and pellets now so that they are shipped and arrive by June 7th. Where are you ordering from?
I order 50lbs of hay and 50lbs of pellets for 5 pigs. You can always order 50lbs of hay for 2 pigs, it is easy to store. I would maybe order less pellets though, that way you can always be getting fresh pellets and they aren't sitting around for too long. Maybe 10lbs or 25lbs at a time.

I am ordering from kms for pellets and small pet select for hay. Wouldn't 50 pounds of hay go bad before two guinea pigs can eat it?

 

[Paula]

Not if it's stored properly. How much and how often you need to order is going to depend on your and your pigs' use of the hay and pellets. You'll just have to do it by trial and error and see what works for you. I order 100 lbs of pellets about every 6 weeks, but I'm feeding two pigs, three rabbits and several chinchillas on it, too. Hay I go through a couple bales a month, feeding the same animals. It just depends on how much your animals eat and how quickly. You can freeze pellets if you order in bulk and if you store the hay in a box where air circulates easily that's not damp and wet, it won't go bad. Hay can be stored for months, sometimes years, if it's not allowed to get moist and moldy.

 

[clb89]

Not if it's stored properly. How much and how often you need to order is going to depend on your and your pigs' use of the hay and pellets. You'll just have to do it by trial and error and see what works for you. I order 100 lbs of pellets about every 6 weeks, but I'm feeding two pigs, three rabbits and several chinchillas on it, too. Hay I go through a couple bales a month, feeding the same animals. It just depends on how much your animals eat and how quickly. You can freeze pellets if you order in bulk and if you store the hay in a box where air circulates easily that's not damp and wet, it won't go bad. Hay can be stored for months, sometimes years, if it's not allowed to get moist and moldy.

Yeah I knew pellets can be frozen, just didn't know hay could stay good for such a long time. Thanks for the info.

 

[Beth Pearson]

I've seen KMS mentioned a few times on here today. I looked them up and got really confuse, what type do I buy? Hay and pellet wise? I'm still new at all this and buy my supplies from PetsMart so if there's a cheaper/better way, that'd be awesome!

 

[Travelingirl916]

I've seen KMS mentioned a few times on here today. I looked them up and got really confuse, what type do I buy? Hay and pellet wise? I'm still new at all this and buy my supplies from PetsMart so if there's a cheaper/better way, that'd be awesome!

Pellets- Feed alfalfa if your pigs are under 6 months, pregnant, or nursing. Feed timothy pellets to all other pigs.

Hay-
Alfalfa should only be given if your pigs are under 6 months, pregnant, or nursing. All other pigs should get grass hay. The type of grass hay doesn't matter too much unless you have a pig with certain health problems, their nutritional content is very similar. Some grass hays include timothy, orchard grass, blue grass, etc. I personally just buy whichever looks to be the highest of quality at time of purchase.

The cuttings are first, second, and third (and occasionally fourth). The first is usually too stalky for pigs, so you should try to avoid it in most cases. Second will usually have more seed heads than third (most pigs really enjoy seed heads). Third tends to be the softest. It is up to you which cutting you want. You want hay that is green, not prickly, doesn't have a lot of stalks, is not moldy, smells fresh, etc.

I'm guessing you are currently buying both hay and pellets at petsmart. You can get much higher quality hay elsewhere, and much healthier pellets as well. If the price is lower that is just an added perk.

 

[Travelingirl916]

I will be getting two guinea pigs June 7th. I was wondering when should I order hay and pellets? Also how much should I get? Thanks.

I would probably get 50 pounds of hay and 10-25 pounds of pellets.

With my four adult pigs I go through a 150-175 pound bale of hay about every 9 months. With pellets I feed 1/8 cup per pig per day and 50 pounds lasts about 10-11 months.

 

[lissie]

Alfalfa should only be given if your pigs are under 6 months, pregnant, or nursing. All other pigs should get grass hay.

Pigs of all ages should be fed grass hay. Alfalfa is just a supplement.