Australia Supplies in Melbourne

[nonose95]

I live in Melbourne and am getting a pair of piggies soon. My parents wont let me even start aplying for them (I am adopting) until I can figure out where to source everything. I was wondering where people have found cheap, good quality pellets around Melbourne? Where you can find good quality bayles of hay and cheapish cubes and corflute?
If the hay lasts long enough I think my parents would travel (I live in the inner southeastern suburbs of Melbourne)

 

[GuineaPigOwner]

Hello,

Pellets are quite easy to find in Australia so just have a bit of a look around, for the hay go to your local grain or horse feed store and try to get fresh green oaten, lucerne or alfalfa hay by the bale. They hay will cost around $6.00. Now onto the cubes, they are pretty hard to find in Australia so try Bunnings or a storage sort of store. I did not get my cubes from either of those, I got mine from Mesh 4 Cube Modular Storage - Black - Office Supplies and they are the best type of cubes. No big holes and good visibility. On to the corflute, you can get that at your local sign maker for around $10.00.

I hope I helped

 

[nonose95]

thanks, which type of pellets do you buy? I know people on here talk about lots of brands, but many aren't made here in Australia

 

[GuineaPigOwner]

I buy 'Peters Pure Animal Foods Guinea Pig Pellets', its an Australian owned company and they are really good pellets. You can get them at Big W, K-Mart or any good supermarket.

 

[Aertyn]

Buy Oxbow. Most pellets made in Australia are complete crap, being that they are all Lucerne based.

The best priced Oxbow I've ever found in Melbourne is at the Lort Smith Animal Hospital, it's $22 a bag.

 

[nonose95]

I buy 'Peters Pure Animal Foods Guinea Pig Pellets', its an Australian owned company and they are really good pellets. You can get them at Big W, K-Mart or any good supermarket.

I was actually at Big-W tonight and didn't see any guinea pig or rabbit food at all, I guess I should check other stores. How long does a bag of this last, and how much does it cost?

 

[nonose95]

The best priced Oxbow I've ever found in Melbourne is at the Lort Smith Animal Hospital, it's $22 a bag.

How long would this last also? For two pigs?

 

[GuineaPigOwner]

I buy the Australian based pellets, even though they are lucerne, I checked the fibre, protein and calcium percentage between Oxbow and Peter Pure Animal Foods and they are almost par. Another reason is for 2kg of 'Oxbow cavy cuisine' pellets it is usually around $24.00 a bag and for Peters Pure Animal Foods Guinea Pig Pellets 2kg it is around $5.00.

 

[Aertyn]

How long would this last also? For two pigs?

I have 4 pigs and a bag lasts between 3-4 weeks. $22 every month isn't too bad for me (though I normally take a tram into the Lort Smith and buy as much as I can carry home with me so I'm not going back all the time as it is a bit of a trek for me...I live past South Morang lol!) For 2 pigs, it should last 2 months. When you look at it like that the price is really not all that scary.

I feed 30g per pig per day, so that's 90g a day (roughly, I give them a heaped tablespoon each a day so this is just a rough estimate), at 90g a day it lasts 25 days, that's around 90c a day. When comparing it to their fruit and veggie cost per day, it's not all that bad.

 

[nonose95]

I feed 30g per pig per day, so that's 90g a day (roughly, I give them a heaped tablespoon each a day so this is just a rough estimate), at 90g a day it lasts 25 days, that's around 90c a day. When comparing it to their fruit and veggie cost per day, it's not all that bad.

It is fairly cheap, when you lok at it that way, but if the other brand is of the same quality for $2.50 a day, it is a fairly obvious choice for me, and i also don't think my parents would be happy spending that much, considering the other costs (my mum has asked me to try and figure out roughly how much they will be per month).

 

[pigsforlife]

Not quite sure which brand you are heading towards, but I would really recommend Oxbows Cavy Cuisine. It is THE highest quality pellet available in Australia, and in my opinion, opting for a poorer quality pellet just because it is cheaper is no excuse. For adult pigs in particular, it is necessary to have a diet low in lucerne. Lucerne is high in calcium and can result in bladder stones in adult guinea pigs. Some poor quality pellets also contain ethoxyquin which is a carcinogen.

Many owners have reported an increase in the guinea pigs condition, health and coat quality (shinier and more healthy looking) having swapped from a low quality product to Oxbow. I really urge you to have your guinea pigs best interest in mind, and opt for the Cavy Cuisine.

 

[Aertyn]

The thing is they *aren't* the same quality. They are Lucerne based and have ground up seeds + grains in them (or at least they did years ago) I'm going grocery shopping tomorrow so I'll write down the ingredients and compare them to Oxbow.

Being Lucerne based you increase the risk of Bladder Stones + Sludge, having recently dealt with a stone in a pig this is not something I want anyone else to go through if they can avoid it. 90c a day or $300+ in vet bills...I know which one I'd rather pick.

 

[nonose95]

Good point, one I think my parents will agree with.

I am still stuck on where to locate hay, there is a store near my school that sell it, but the place looks dodgy. My friends used to have G.P.s and she said she got hers from "some place on the Princess Highway"... which does not help... that is one BIG road. If anyone had better specifics, that would help?

 

[Aertyn]

nonose, if you don't mind my asking but whereabouts in Melbourne are you? We might be able to help you little more if we knew the general location (like north, north eastern...even a train line) I'm more familiar with Thomastown + Epping in regards to pig supplies.

 

[nonose95]

nonose, if you don't mind my asking but whereabouts in Melbourne are you?

I live in the south eastern suburbs (Rowville)

 

[Aertyn]

Ohh...I'm pretty sure someone on the Australian Cavy Sanctuary forums is from Rowville...or at least around Rowville.

 

[nonose95]

I shall have to check.... thanks anyway though