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Diet is this a good food

diagoNfriend

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i had to buy some pellets in a hurry (my kids got into the bag i had given to me with the piggies) i bought Kaytee timothy complete pellets (broken link removed) Without the veggies but they didn't have a pic of them without. was wondering if this is a good brand to buy. My boys seem to LOVE this. when i put it in the bowl they came running for it. the old one they didn't seem to eat it all. the pet store i went to, this is all they carried..... that was mostly timothy.... there IS alfalfa in this but not a whole lot. i do feed fresh veggies and fruit 1-2 times a week. and i put vitamin c in the water (should i continue? the bag of food says it has the vitamin c in it)
 

bpatters

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Kaytee is generally crap. You're better off buying Oxbow or KMS online (from (broken link removed)) -- the price is about the same per pound.

You need to feed a cup of veggies per pig per day, and fruit only occasionally. Don't put vitamin C in the water -- it changes the taste and some pigs drink less. Besides, vitamin C starts to decompose as soon as you dissolve it, so it's totally useless only a few minutes after you put in there. If your pigs are getting enough vegetables, and an adequate variety of vegetables, they don't need vitamin C supplementation.
 

diagoNfriend

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ok ty. what is a good brand available in most pet stores? sometimes i need to get pet food asap (when my kids get into it or the cats...something to that nature) so it would be good to know what is good to pick up in a pinch.
 

diagoNfriend

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(broken link removed) this is what i bought
 

diagoNfriend

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what should i be looking for when i buy pet food. specific nutritional values? ingredients? what?
 

porkchophamster

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Well if you shop at Petsmart, they sell Oxbow. Make sure if you're guinea pig is an adult, that you get the adult food.
 

louie_joey

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Look for something that has the first ingredient as timothy hay (going with the assumption that your pigs are older than 6 mos.) Ideally Oxbow Cavy Cuisine is what you will want to get if you are limited to the pet store.
 

Paula

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The NEW Zupreem formula isn't bad and is generally available in many mainstream stores.
 

CavyMama

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Anything Kaytee is generally crap. Petsmart sells Oxbow products - look for CavyCuisine (for adults) or CavyPerformance (for baby pigs). Alternately, both Oxbow and Kleenmamas are available for order online.

Kleenmamas: (broken link removed)

Oxbow: www.oxbowanimalhealth.com
 

galya137

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I generally thought that Kaytee was a recommended brand, must have misread something on the forum. And I have to say - I HATE IT! Please don't buy their hay or the pellets. The hay is very dry, and the pellets are, as you have mentioned previously, are crap. I noticed my piggies' poop began to change when I gave them Kaytee pellets.

I definitely love Oxbow pellets. But what is better - Oxbow or KMS? I have never tried KMS.
 

bpatters

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Oxbow and KMS both make good pellets. Some pigs will excrete excess calcium in their urine when fed Oxbow, but not all do. Those that do can be switched to another brand of pellets.

KMS makes awesome pellets, and if you live within 2,000 miles of her, her pellets are about the same or cheaper than Oxbow. More than that, and the shipping runs the cost up for hers.
 

galya137

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I saw online that 25LB refill bag is $20, without shipping.
The 5LB of Oxbow from PetSmart is about $15.
For me makes more sense to buy KMS price-wise. Just want to make sure of the quality before I do anything.
 

bpatters

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You're in NJ, which is about as far from KMS as you can get and still be in this country. I live about 2,000 miles from her, and the cost of KMS pellets, including shipping, and Oxbow at my local pet store are about the same. So your shipping may be a little more.
 

galya137

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Yea, I will need to see how much shipping is. If I see it's worth it for me, I will definitely try it out. Thank you, (broken link removed)!
 

Fern_sweets

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I have my guinea pig on young guinea pig Oxbow and just Oxbow grass hay..not as dusty for her.
 

Fern_sweets

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its very much worth it..the bags are pretty big..almost to big when you have one piggy!
 

galya137

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its very much worth it..the bags are pretty big..almost to big when you have one piggy!

I just did my calculations, and even with the shipping it will be 41% cheaper.
Oxbow: $3 per pound.
KMS: $1.76 per pound.

So I see the price benefit of it. The 5 pound bag lasts some time for my 2 pigs, I cannot even imagine the time for 25 pounds to last!
I will also be ordering hay from SmallPetSelect.com I tried their sample, and the hay is great! And even with shipping, the price is great.

Just trying to find the best food for my babies, with the price benefit of it. :)
 

bpatters

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I have two pigs, as does one of my neighbors. We split a 25-pound bag about every 6-7 months. Pellets will retain their nutritional value for up to a year, so we think that's a pretty good deal. Maybe there's someone around you who'll divide a bag with you.
 

galya137

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That would be great! But I'm not sure if anyone on this forum lives in my area, because for sure most of my neighbours have dogs.
 

mommmyof2

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Sweet meadow farm has good food and it's a bit cheaper than kms and oxbow. Heres the link (broken link removed). I happen to like kms and sweet meadow farms food and hay the best.
 
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