Canada what do you feed in Canada

[Lyndsy]

What does everyone feed their piggies here in Canada? I'm using Martins right now, just wondering what everyone else is using, and how Martins stands up to healthy eating?

 

[BedfordCavies]

I use the Oxbow Cavy Cuisine pellets that is recommended on this site. When I adopted my girls, they were being fed the Martin's pellets. When I compared the Oxbow to the Martin brand I decided that the numbers were better in the Oxbow so I switched them over. They've been on the Oxbow for 6 months now and they love them. I get my Oxbow from Global Pet Foods here in NS.

 

[OllieandFriends]

I give my boys Martin's Timothy Pellets. I started them on it (I'm not sure what they were on before we got them, their old owners never gave us food) before I joined the site and read it was fine, not the worst, but not the best either. They've been on it for a little over a year now.

 

[ellisa]

I use Oxbow hay and pellets.

 

[theguineapigguy]

martins timothy pellets and Jojo's best timothy hay.Its the best options I can find that isn't crazy expensive.

 

[MrWhistles]

Does KMS ship to Canada?

 

[ellisa]

Does KMS ship to Canada?

They do, but it can be expensive. They only ship pellets, not hay.

 

[RodentsRus]

I use the Oxbow Cavy Cuisine.

I also the same.

 

[madelineelaine]

I feed oxbow pellets and hay.

 

[CanadianComforts]

Oxbow and local meadow grass hay.

I do switch back to Little Martin's Timothy pellets when times get tough because they a little cheaper. I did a comparison on the two a while back and found that they are ALMOST the same. Oxbow is the better of the two but if you can get it or can't afford it, go with Little Martin's Timothy pellets.

Also if you can find it, local hay will save you 100s of dollars.

For example:

1 bale (50-60lbs) broken up into 6 bags (with hole popped into the bags) costs me $4, minus one bag given to a friend for her pig, last my four 7 months.

If I bought oxbow hay at $6.99 per 15 oz (just under a pound) that would last me 1 week. So in one month I would be over $27 dollars. Times that by 7 and it would be $189+. My Romeo will not eat timothy, so I would have to by orchard grass and the stores here only carry it in 15 oz bags.

So lets say $190 for 7 months compared to $4... MUCH better deal. Even if they waste a bunch and I have to buy two bales... that's still only 8 dollars.

I have a very naughty cat who thinks he is part guinea pig or something because he eats the hay... So I put the hay in bags (with holes made by a pen) and hang them in my basement. I've never had an issue with mold or anything ever.

 

[Lyndsy]

how do you know its good hay though? I live in a huge farm community, so it's easy to find here, but i'm always affraid at the quality...

 

[CanadianComforts]

Go and see, that's what I did when I first started. If its mostly brown and has a lot of steams, its no good. Try to get either meadow grass hay (which is normal grass, dried and baled) or 2nd/3rd cut timothy. Talking with the farmer(s) helps a lot too. I talked with the farmer I get hay from for a month before coming and seeing the hay. Try to remember it will always have a little brown because they wont pull out every little brown bit. My guys will either eat it or leave it for me to clean up off the bottom of their cage.

 

[Lyndsy]

(broken link removed)
This is the ad

 

[CanadianComforts]

I would ask them what type of hay it is. The straw is no good for anything guinea pig related.

I had a farmer years ago tell me they had good hay and it turned out to be timothy with 35% alfalfa, which for adult pigs is no good.

Timothy should be 2nd or 3rd cut only. 1st cut can be used by it will have too many stems.

So here is what I would ask:
1. What type of hay is it?
2. Is it timothy is it 2nd cut or 3rd cut?


If its meadow timothy mix, it should be ok (even if its first cut because it usually ends up being more meadow than timothy). Any farmer will know what 2nd cut and 3rd cut means. If they just bought it from a farmer and never asked, I would pass it up.

 

[CanadianComforts]

Also. the amount they want for $5 is not that much. You want to read things like 50-60lbs not X inches by x inches.

 

[Lyndsy]

ok great! Right now I'm buying JoJO's hay from our Global, the piggies love it, and if I buy 9 I get the 10th free... It's not cheap, but they love it. Do you know anything about JoJo's hay?

 

[Megaredize]

I also asked about the Martins food since i just got my piggies and people told me not to use it but i read the ingredients and it doesn't look awful so i dont really know why people were so against it. i decided to go with the oxbow pellets because my local pet value now carries oxbow. Also i have oxbow orchard grass hay but im using living world timothy hay because the oxbow timothy hay they had in didnt look too green. my girls have happily ate both kinds of hay.

 

[alilee73]

I'm new to this, but have found someone locally who sells Timothy Hay. No details about whether it's 2nd or 3rd cut. Can anyone explain to me what the difference is? Am I avoiding the 1st cut Timothy hay? Here's the link to his Kijiji ad, if that helps. (broken link removed)**

 

[Megaredize]

oh and if it helps there is a canadian webstore called montreal pets i have checked and they sell oxbow hay at large quantities and they have flat shipping of 9.99 so if you cant get local hay from a farmer this way is still cheaper than buying from a pet store (broken link removed)

sorry for posting twice but i thought this might help someone

 

[CanadianComforts]

@Lyndsy
I've heard good and bad, but you get that with most products. JoJo hay is not one I have tried personally, can you post the nutritional information on the bag?

@Megaredize
I buy a lot of things from them (almost monthly! LOL), my only issue is, if you want to buy, say one item from them the shipping really pushes the price of that item. If you get say 3 friends ordering with your and let say they all buy 1 10lb bag of oxbow pellets each and 1 bag of hay each, the shipping to your place would still be 9.99, GREAT deal because that works out to be 3.33 each (plus the money for the items and taxes). I did that with hay not too long ago for two of my friends. My issue is, Pet Valu recently opened up in Edmonton and they are a pet free supply store (unless there is some cat adoptions going on). They sell oxbow pellets (10lbs) for 21.99. Montreal Critters sells it for 19.99, which while its 2 dollars less, with the shipping for me to order it online, even with other items, it works out to be more.

I don't have to factor in gas because the store is walking distance from my house. So I really am paying 21.99 for it, nothing more.

The other issue I have is that they always seem to be out of Jodie's Jiggley Piggley Farm Hay. I have a hard time with dust and oxbow (lately anyway) is REALLY dusty for me. Also if you do a little math here:

Jodie's Jiggley Piggley Farm Hay is 9.99 per 3lbs (they say its more like 3.5 and I agree but lets go on the 3lbs)
Oxbow hay of any type is 12.49 per 40oz (2.5lbs)

Your paying almost 3 dollars more for 0.5lbs less (probably more like 1lb less).

Lets try it at high amounts
JJPF hay: 29.97 for 9 lbs
Oxbow: 34.99 for 9lbs

5 dollars more?

I can flat out tell you JJPF hay is AMAZING hay.
(broken link removed)

Also if you google the name, it turns out its a rescue in Quebec. So when you buy the hay you support the rescue.

Sadly I just can not wait for them to get more in (they have been out 2 months now). So I bought some oxbow (nearly dieing from sneezing and hives) in Nov and a few weeks ago bought a new bale of meadow grass hay from a farmer. (60lbs for $4 YAY!!)

Seriously if you can find a farmer, get it via them. Most timothy bales (50-60lbs) are under $10. I even told the place I get it at that I'd be willing to pay $50 a bale if I had to because it still worked out to be cheaper for me than buying online or at a pet store.