bpatters
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Cavy Slave
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2009
- Posts
- 29,272
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2009
- Messages
- 29,272
Some guinea pigs are picky, but there are several ways to teach them to eat vegetables. Besides the fact that they need a variety, the more kinds of foods they'll eat, the easier it is to buy for them. If you've got a picky pig, your grocery may be out of the two or three things they'll eat, and you'll waste time chasing around for something that appeals to them. I taught mine to eat 12-15 different vegetables this way, and now they'll eat anything I put in front of them.
The easiest is if they have a cage mate who will eat veggies. The best food is always in the other pig's mouth, so competition will lead them to try to things, even if means trying to steal it from the other pig.
If your pig eats pellets, then try this. Pick one vegetable, and mince it very very very finely (think of a pencil eraser in 15-20 pieces) and sprinkle it on the pellets. They'll get enough by accident to get accustomed to the taste. Do this twice a day for several days, then offer that veggie in a larger piece. If the pig eats it, then keep feeding it that way, and start mincing a new one. If not, keep on with the same one for several more days.
Only do one vegetable at a time this way until the pig learns to eat it, then start on a new one. If you pick a different one at every meal, you'll just slow the process down, a LOT.
You'll waste a few pellets this way, especially if you're mincing a juicy vegetable such as tomatoes. But it's well worth the loss of a few pellets to teach them to eat vegetables.
Another way is to disguise the new food in something the pig already likes. You can make "burritos" by wrapping things in a bit of greens. You may have to hand-feed this way, because the burrito will come unrolled, but it will work. For instance, if your pig will eat lettuce and bell pepper but not summer squash, you can wrap a sliver of squash in with a sliver of bell pepper, and feed that to them.
The easiest is if they have a cage mate who will eat veggies. The best food is always in the other pig's mouth, so competition will lead them to try to things, even if means trying to steal it from the other pig.
If your pig eats pellets, then try this. Pick one vegetable, and mince it very very very finely (think of a pencil eraser in 15-20 pieces) and sprinkle it on the pellets. They'll get enough by accident to get accustomed to the taste. Do this twice a day for several days, then offer that veggie in a larger piece. If the pig eats it, then keep feeding it that way, and start mincing a new one. If not, keep on with the same one for several more days.
Only do one vegetable at a time this way until the pig learns to eat it, then start on a new one. If you pick a different one at every meal, you'll just slow the process down, a LOT.
You'll waste a few pellets this way, especially if you're mincing a juicy vegetable such as tomatoes. But it's well worth the loss of a few pellets to teach them to eat vegetables.
Another way is to disguise the new food in something the pig already likes. You can make "burritos" by wrapping things in a bit of greens. You may have to hand-feed this way, because the burrito will come unrolled, but it will work. For instance, if your pig will eat lettuce and bell pepper but not summer squash, you can wrap a sliver of squash in with a sliver of bell pepper, and feed that to them.