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General Info on food and care

HinaIchigo

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Hi i'm looking into getting a pair of piggys in the future and have some questions:

1) what kind of food is best?
2) do i need to give vitamin c supplements? Or will the food have it?
3) how many veggies/fruit a day?
4) what kind of hey to get?

Thank you in advance for your help.
 

DroidGuineaPig

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1) The recommended food is Oxbow, other brands you see at the pet store such as Kaytee and Great Choice are low quality and alfalfa based which is not suitable for adult guinea pig. Just stick to oxbow

2). Guinea pigs do not need vitamin c supplements unless prescribed by a licensed exotics vet.

3). Every pig should get one cup of fresh vegetables a day.

4) Guinea pigs should get timothy hay. Younger pigs may need alfalfa.
 

bpatters

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Close, but not quite.

Both Oxbow and KMS Hayloft have good pellets -- either will do.

A good quality pellet will have stabilized vitamin C, and with some fresh veggies that are high in C (like bell pepper), will be just fine. Sometimes sick pigs are supplemented with a little extra vitamin C.

Younger pigs don't need alfalfa hay. What they need is an extra source of calcium for their growing bones. Supplementing timothy with alfalfa will do, but if they're fed alfalfa pellets, they don't need alfalfa hay. You can also increase their calcium by feeding a sprig or so of parsley.
 

Samantha113

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Hi, I feed my piggy food from Stefmar Pet Care and we are both satisfied with it. Anyone tried it? I think it's a good price/quality balance and a great solution for us from Australia... Their delivery takes approx. 3-5 working days and it makes my Guinea parenting life much easier :)
 

CavyMama

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Hi, I feed my piggy food from Stefmar Pet Care and we are both satisfied with it. Anyone tried it? I think it's a good price/quality balance and a great solution for us from Australia... Their delivery takes approx. 3-5 working days and it makes my Guinea parenting life much easier :)

Which food specifically? That link just goes to a general page for the site.
 

FailedFoster

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Hello and welcome! If you'd like some more details on which veggies to feed specifically (I second bpatters on making sure some veg is high in Vitamin C), here's a chart you can sort by nutrient: https://www.guinealynx.info/chart.html

That website also has a list of things to avoid (i.e., crucifers, seeds, etc.). Have fun with your new piggies, and feel free to come back if you have any questions!
 

Samantha113

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Which food specifically? That link just goes to a general page for the site.
Hi, it's their own brand, Guinea Pig Mix by Stefmar, coming in the package of 2.5Kg, you can find it easily through site search, just type 'guinea pig'.
 

CavyMama

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Anything that is a "mix" is what you want to avoid. Guinea pig pellets should be plain pellets. The colorful bits or dried veggies/fruit are not necessary and are usually more a marketing tool to appeal to humans. That site also sells Oxbow pellets, that is a much better food. I wasn't able to find the food you mentioned on that site but if the kind you get is called "rabbit & guinea pig mix", that's another reason to avoid it. Rabbits & guinea pigs have different dietary needs.
 

HinaIchigo

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thank you guys so much. all of this info is helpful. so this is what i've learned so far. please correct me if i'm wrong:

oxbow pellets or kms hayloft no mixes

hay 24/7. (timothy hay)

1 cup of veggies per piggy

fruits for treats once a week

1/8 cup of pellets per piggy once a day

if i missed something please tell me. i'm still researching things. i'm wanting to get a pair of piggys within the next 4 to 6 months. i want to be prepared. i want to know all i can before getting piggys. so if anything i have missed please do tell me.
 

FailedFoster

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Looks like you've got it down! You're on the right track. :)
 
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