Pellets Pellets & growing your own

Most pellets are enriched with Calcium and other minerals like that. What kind of issues are they having? Perhaps you're giving them too much?

You can get pure grass Pellets, but that just removes the point in having them.

As for other herbs: https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...igs-fresh-grass-dandelions-other-forages.html
You can grow Basil and Coriander

I was giving them 1/8c and the white spots got really bad so then I cut it down a bit and it seemed to help but not enough.

Also ill add the parsley isn't for them (one spring of that and they all have white spots) it's for homemade dog treats I make

kltohlman said:

I was giving them 1/8c and the white spots got really bad so then I cut it down a bit and it seemed to help but not enough.

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Give the spots a feel with your fingers. If they are gritty like grains of sand - that's an indication of too much calcium.
If they are softer (squeeze them) like chalk, then that's normally ok.

Most of the people on this forum uses Oxbow pellets and those white spots are almost always present, it just depends on their consistency and frequency

What other food are you feeding them other than the Pellets? List me the veggies and the type of hay you are using.

Wheatgrass grows really fast and is pretty easy to maintain. It's just important the base of the grass has enough airflow and isn't over watered. Mold can be an issue, otherwise. Health food grocers usually carry trays of wheatgrass, but I know you can get the seeds cheaply on Amazon.

CourtArtanis said:

Give the spots a feel with your fingers. If they are gritty like grains of sand - that's an indication of too much calcium.
If they are softer (squeeze them) like chalk, then that's normally ok.

Most of the people on this forum uses Oxbow pellets and those white spots are almost always present, it just depends on their consistency and frequency

What other food are you feeding them other than the Pellets? List me the veggies and the type of hay you are using.

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Oh good that means 3 of the 4 are ok.
They get green/red leaf every day baby carrot a piece green pepper a little apple every few(like 4)days wheatgrass and something else I can't remember the name for the life of me it's one of the leafy green that starts with an E ill have to go check currently not home to look at twisty tie label cilantro every couple days and once a week parsley

MissJean said:

Wheatgrass grows really fast and is pretty easy to maintain. It's just important the base of the grass has enough airflow and isn't over watered. Mold can be an issue, otherwise. Health food grocers usually carry trays of wheatgrass, but I know you can get the seeds cheaply on Amazon.

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I didn't know this

kltohlman said:

Oh good that means 3 of the 4 are ok.
They get green/red leaf every day baby carrot a piece green pepper a little apple every few(like 4)days wheatgrass and something else I can't remember the name for the life of me it's one of the leafy green that starts with an E ill have to go check currently not home to look at twisty tie label cilantro every couple days and once a week parsley

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Looks good, you use Wheatgrass as a substitute for hay right? Or as a treat on top?

Stop giving them Parsley, feed them Pellets instead. Parsley is very high in Calcium....even once a week.
Endive? (Leafy green stuff) - Also high in Calcium i believe, almost the same as Parsley.

I grew my own grape tomatoes and bell peppers. The tomatoes were easy, I just used the seeds from a grape tomatoe I bought. The plant can really grow big if you don't keep an eye on it though! The bell peppers were harder to grow, got the thriving plant from my dad, but it is dead now, did give me about five peppers.

CourtArtanis said:

Looks good, you use Wheatgrass as a substitute for hay right? Or as a treat on top?

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As a treat. They have 24/7 access to either Kms or oxbow Timothy (just depends on which is cheaper for me at the time)

SardonicSmile said:

I grew my own grape tomatoes and bell peppers. The tomatoes were easy, I just used the seeds from a grape tomatoe I bought. The plant can really grow big if you don't keep an eye on it though! The bell peppers were harder to grow, got the thriving plant from my dad, but it is dead now, did give me about five peppers.

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You grew these indoor??? Our out door tomato plants got crazy

kltohlman said:

You grew these indoor??? Our out door tomato plants got crazy

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Tomato plants will overtake the planet given half the chance lol

I'd recommend cut out the Endive, stop feeding them Parsley for a few weeks and see if that improves it - no harm in trial and error as every pig is different.
Keep feeding the pellets, 1/8th cup per piggie, per day. Or you could even do 1/8 per pair of pigs, there's only a few things in the Pellets that they don't get much of elsewhere.

Dark green leafy lettuces also have quite a bit of Calcium, not as much as Parsley - but alot more than other veg. Worth keeping in mind

Remember whatever regular veg you cut out - replace it with an alternative just to keep their diets consistent. Bell pepper is always good, it's tasty and high in Vit C

Indoors yes. And crazy is a good way to describe the growth! Just have to make sure to remove all extra growy things before they become actual branches, select the branches you do want, remove all else.

SardonicSmile said:

Indoors yes. And crazy is a good way to describe the growth! Just have to make sure to remove all extra growy things before they become actual branches, select the branches you do want, remove all else.

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Home grown tomatoes are awesome

I disagree. I see nothing wrong with endive.

I always feed mine belgian endive, I don't have the chart handy but I doubt it's high in calcium.

wheat grass is WONDERFUL for them! I need to start up another tray for my babies.

I would recommend cutting out herbs if you're having calcium problems, those tend to be highest in calcium. Occasionally is okay, although I'd omit parsley all together.

IF it is sludge and it's problem, cutting out pellets would be another option.

wheatgrass is it a treat, or should it be just sometimes?

madelineelaine said:

I don't have the chart handy but I doubt it's high in calcium.

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I just double checked and you are right, i think i was misinformed

EDIT: Wait no, not totally - Belgian Endive has Calcium higher than that of a portion of Parsley.
https://www.guineapigcages.com/food/Veggie-and-Fruit-Charts.pdf

CourtArtanis said:

I just double checked and you are right, i think i was misinformed

EDIT: Wait no, not totally - Belgian Endive has Calcium higher than that of a portion of Parsley.
https://www.guineapigcages.com/food/Veggie-and-Fruit-Charts.pdf

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That parsley is a 25 grams portion, the belgian endive is 100grams. Parsley has more than twice the amount of calcium that belgian endive has.

@CourtArtanis

the portions are different, and if you look at that ratio, the one for belgian endive is much better. Not 100% sure why, but I know that a high CA is not good