Diet Feeding piggies 4 months old

[tleray]

Just adopted 2 four month old piggies. We are new to this! I just realized i bought timothy hay and adult pellets instead of alfalfa hay and young guinea pellets. Im going to get the correct food and hay, but are there any other vegetables that differ from adult pigs? I was giving them green bell pepper, leafy green, cilantro and carrot.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Piggies under six months old need a little extra calcium. You can supplement with an extra sprig or two of parsley.

The difference between the hay and pellets is the young pig food and alfalfa hay have more calcium.

 

[Soecara]

Keep in mind that you only need to provide ONE source of extra calcium. So there is no need to buy young guinea pig pellets, alfalfa hay, AND provide high calcium vegetables. Also if you chose to give alfalfa hay you still need to provide timothy hay, at a ratio of roughly 70% timothy to 30% alfalfa, as alfalfa hay is a legume hay it doesn't keep their teeth ground down as well as a grass hay like timothy does.

If you chose to feed young guinea pig pellets that is the only thing you need to change, if you want to feed alfalfa hay (with timothy hay) then you can still feed adult guinea pig pellets. If you want to add a high calcium vegetable to their daily diet you can feed adult guinea pig pellets and just timothy hay.

 

[tleray]

Just to make sure I understand if i change them to young guinea pig pellets i keep them on straight timothy hay? Im having trouble with them eating veggies they haven't eaten any, but i keep putting green leaf lettuce, bellpepper, celery and cherry tomatoes w/out any luck.

 

[bpatters]

That's correct. The alfalfa pellets will supply all the calcium they need.

See https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/105287-How-to-teach-a-guinea-pig-to-eat-vegetables for some vegetable help.