Vegetables Little help planing the menu.

To be honest, it looks really complicated to me. I'm not willing to spend much time planning elaborate menus for guinea pigs!

Here's what my two get, every day. Breakfast is carrots and red or green leaf lettuce. Lunch is a few green beans, 1/6 of a head of radicchio, 2-3 wheels of summer squash, and half a belgian endive. For supper, they get half a roma tomato, a big chunk of bell pepper, and more lettuce. When I can get it, they get fresh corn husks and silks instead of the lettuce at night. They get occasional treats of blueberries, apple slices, or dill.

Being he's 6 mo and he's an adult now, I'd say too much parsley. It's very high in calcium. Also I'd bag the spinach. High calcium and can cause gas.

For ease and on my pocket book, Moosh gets the same thing every single day.
AM: 1/4 green pepper , radicchio and green leaf lettuce
PM: cherry tomato, small baby carrot, 2 in size green bean and green leaf lettuce.

Treats she LOVES that she gets: frozen watermelon rinds daily and dill a couple times a week. Moosh has dried white urine so no romaine or any high calcium stuff for her.

my menu - for my two boys

Monday - Small handfull of spring mix dole lettuce, 1/8 red pepper and 1/8 green pepper or just 1/4 red pepper - a few chunks of tomato, 3 baby carrots for afternoon lunch - a small handful of cilantro and a small handfull of spring mix right before my bedtime

Tuesday -Small handfull of spring mix dole lettuce, 1/8 yellow pepper and 1/8 green pepper- a few slices of cucumber, 3 baby carrots for afternoon lunch - a small handful of cilantro and a small handfull of spring mix right before my bedtime

Wednesday - Small handfull of spring mix dole lettuce, 1/8 red pepper and 1/8 green pepper or just 1/4 red pepper - a few chunks of tomato, 3 baby carrots for afternoon lunch - a small handful of cilantro and a small handfull of spring mix right before my bedtime

Thursday - Small handfull of spring mix dole lettuce, 1/8 yellow pepper and 1/8 green pepper- a few slices of cucumber, 3 baby carrots for afternoon lunch - a small handful of cilantro and a small handfull of spring mix right before my bedtime

Friday - Small handfull of spring mix dole lettuce, 1/8 yellow pepper and 1/8 green pepper- a few slices of cucumber, 3 baby carrots for afternoon lunch - a small handful of cilantro and a small handfull of spring mix right before my bedtime

Saturday - Small handfull of spring mix dole lettuce, 1/8 yellow pepper and 1/8 green pepper- fruit of choice, 3 baby carrots for afternoon lunch - a small handful of cilantro and a small handfull of spring mix right before my bedtime

Sunday - Small handfull of spring mix dole lettuce, 1/8 yellow pepper and 1/8 green pepper- a few slices of cucumber, 3 baby carrots for afternoon lunch - a small handful of cilantro and a small handfull of spring mix right before my bedtime

They can have up to 1-2 baby carrots per pig per day bu tno more because of the vitamin A, so I don't put more than 3 sometimes only 2 depending on size

They can also have up to 2 cherry tomatoes, but i switch up cucumbers and tomatoes so I can give em some variety

I go with simple, morning is green or red leaf lettuce and green bell pepper. Evening is red or green leaf lettuce plus two other things. For the two other things in the evening I rotate cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Belgian endive, carrots, celery (chopped up small), dandelion greens or cilantro. Once or twice a week (usually on the weekend) Ferb gets a small piece of fruit, apple, banana, cantaloupe or strawberry.

Thanks so much guys. I think I will simplify it a bit and cut back the Parsley. This has given me lots of ideas!

Does no one use Kale at all? I've read Kale was jam packed with vitamins?

BNCavy91 said:

Does no one use Kale at all? I've read Kale was jam packed with vitamins?

Click to expand...

It's packed high in calcium which isn't good for adult pigs, especially those that are excreting excess calcium. If you do give it, no more than a little twice a week. Most of us just can it because of the high calcium content and seeing white dried urine.

My boar loves these veggies:

Strawberries
Lettuce
Carrots
Oranges
Apples
bananas
pear

Also,
give them 3 little raisins a day (don't over do it, or they will have a mess for you to clean up). They go NUTS over them.
Some guinea pigs do not like them, but try introducing them to it a little at a time.
I, yes I did, force fed my piggy raisins to introduce him to them and now he ADORES them.

I try to keep things simple, too - having things my girls will eat that we eat too helps a lot. Staples: green pepper, cilantro, leaf lettuce. They also get cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery (esp. leaves), parsley, cucumber and spinach regularly. I also grow cilantro for them, and sometimes wheatgrass. We've also enjoyed the spring weather to let them get out and eat some clean grass and dandelion leaves. I try to focus on the staples and add the other options as I can, saving fruit for a rare treat.

@pigslave1, please do NOT recommend that menu to anyone.

In the first place, pigs are not designed to process sugar. The natural habitat has none, and it upsets the balance of good/bad bacteria in their intestines, and can cause gassiness and bloat. Bloat is a medical emergency. Fruit should be only an occasional treat for pigs.

Second, pigs should never be fed raisins. They're much more concentrated sugar than regular fruits. And there is some concern that guinea pigs, like cats, may eventually suffer from renal (kidney) disease if fed grapes and raisins.

Third, there's no significant source of vitamin C in it. Pigs, like humans, cannot manufacture their own vitamin C, so must get in their diets somehow. Bell peppers are a good vegetable for that.

See https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List for what you can fed and how often.

My girls' menu doesn't change much. They get grass (well rinsed) every day when available, green/yellow bell pepper alternated with red, red & green lettuce when no grass, a few slices of carrot alternated with cucumber, 1-2 cherry tomatoes or slices of roma tomato when available, chopped celery & silverbeet occasionally, dandelions & puha, for treats a 1-2 slices of pear, canteloupe, banana skins, apple, 1-2 sprigs of parsley.