newbie here with a quick question

[jacqueline]

i'm a second time gp mom - first had a couple abyssinians when my son was little. i now have 2 young, abyssinian boys. i'm lousy with names so, for now, they're "pig 1" and "pig 2" (think Dr. Seuss). i love the 2x4 C & C cage i was able to make, and the great fleece bedding - and so do they! the boys and my cat are sniffing each other out - WELL SUPERVISED. it's a happy time! the only source of some anxiety for me is the diet of veggies/fruits. there are so many different diet plans, and i find it quite confusing. i looked at the sample diets on this site - this may sound stupid, but is it really a good, approved medically sound diet for gps? i'm kind of obsessive about wanting to know exactly what anmd HOW MUCH to fid these boys in addiiton to hay, water and pellets. thanks!

 

[HannibalLecter]

The woman who made the chart, Ly, has researched cavies & their dietary needs for many many years. And is therefore a reliable source of information, more so than anyone I believe.

What you need to do first is to focus on the daily staples.
1/4 medium yellow or green bell pepper each for their vitamin C intake. Red or orange contain more sugars & should only be fed occasionally. One slice of red pepper does however cover the whole vit C intake. Some pigs prefer one color over the others, so try another if your pig dislikes a certain color, or start with a sweeter one to get them used to the taste.

2 kinds of lettuce, 2-3 medium/large leaves. There are many different varieties of red & green leaf to rotate. No iceberg lettuce, and be careful with romaine if it causes sludge.

Cilantro is another great daily staple, you could feed a loose handful. As well as a chunk of Zucchini if your pigs like it. This is about 1 cup of veggies, minus the lettuce that can't really be counted in volume. Split the feedings up into 2-3 feedings as pigs are grazers, and too much veggies at once could cause bloat.

Feed only these until your pigs eat most of them well, especially the bell pepper. Then add rotational veggies per Ly's chart & seasonal availability where you live.

Fruit's are high in sugars & are considered a treat, as well as carrots that also are high in vitamin A, don't feed it daily.

 

[jacqueline]

thanks that was helpful - the boys are eating up their veggies with no problem - though they seem to be not so fond of celery! they LOVE their cilantro (i read someone called it "crack for cavies"). i do break their veggie snacks up into 4 smaller portions throughout the day. i feel better knowing how solid Ly's diet is. thanks again!

 

[HannibalLecter]

Yup! That's piggie crack. As well as wheat(cat) grass.

 

[sleepingchild]

My piggies loooooove celery! It's usually the first to go lol. They are just like children with their picky tastes.