How Much? Veggie confusion

[agent_pigmom]

Hello all pig lovers out there,
okay,so I hear mixed things about feeding veggies,I know you are so-post to feed at least some, a cup a day for each pig right? How much of what?
I have a big back yard with lots of grass (normally someone forgets to cut it) with no pesticides,can unlimited fresh grass substitute for around half the lettuce they normally get?
I feed them each two romaine lettuce leaves along with one baby carrot and 1/8 of a red or green pepper,sometimes I switch it up too
Thank you

 

[aislynn99]

https://www.guineapigcages.com/threads/24770/

Definitely check the above link out, as there are tons of great ideas. I've read that grass can be a substitute/addition to hay, but they still need specific veggies as well as hay/grass. Romaine is not good for cavies, so I'd get rid of that and switch to red/green leaf lettuce. Feeding carrot daily is not necessarily recommended, either. Red pepper is more sugary than green, so I'd stick with green/yellow/orange and feed red sparingly.

 

[kananaka]

Humm good question. I dk the answer; I just know what I do. I feed 1-2 leaves of lettuce a day per pig (depends on how big the leaf is, 1-2 cherry tomatoes, cilantro (a few sprigs each), their pepper (1/8 each), a baby carrot each, and I try to add something different in every day like cucumber, zucchini, yellow squash, etc.. and every few days I alternate between a strawberry, apple slice, corn, etc... I try to give as much variety as I can. Have you checked out the chart? https://www.guineapigcages.com/threads/22156/post-254730

 

[BlueButterfly]

Grass is just fresh hay, so it can't really be substituted for veggies. And romaine is fine, my pigs eat it. Some pigs can't eat it but that doesn't mean all of them can't.

 

[bernyb]

Right now I'm not giving the boys any hay. I pick them each about 2 cups of fresh grass three times a day (removing left-overs before adding the new). I also make them each a salad for breakfast and supper consisting of: 1/2 leaf lettuce, 1 baby carrot, 2 small chunks of celery and green pepper and something different daily like zucchini, brussel sprouts, parsely etc. I've tried a few fruits but they only seemed to like the pear. I rotate between different types of lettuce.

Does anyone know if feeding fresh grass makes them less thirsty? I almost never see them drinking, yet they are peeing up a storm as usual. The morning grass has dew, and lately all of it has had rain on it. And to let you know I live way out in the country, all dogs are penned and we don't use pesticides or chemical fertilizer of the grounds or gardens. (Another side note: Can't wait to see how the piggie poo works as a fertilizer!)

 

[CritterLuvva]

https://www.guineapigcages.com/threads/24770/

Definitely check the above link out, as there are tons of great ideas. I've read that grass can be a substitute/addition to hay, but they still need specific veggies as well as hay/grass. Romaine is not good for cavies, so I'd get rid of that and switch to red/green leaf lettuce. Feeding carrot daily is not necessarily recommended, either. Red pepper is more sugary than green, so I'd stick with green/yellow/orange and feed red sparingly.

Where did you get this information? I've been watching what people are feeding they pigs, and many feed romaine, but not iceberg and many use red pepper for its vitamin c content. How do you know what way is the best way? I'm so frustrated and confused. It's not just with food either.

 

[MissJean]

Where did you get this information? I've been watching what people are feeding they pigs, and many feed romaine, but not iceberg and many use red pepper for its vitamin c content. How do you know what way is the best way? I'm so frustrated and confused. It's not just with food either.

Romaine is just fine for a lot of guinea pigs. Some can't tolerate it (it does *not* have higher calcium) and we don't know why. Some rather just not find out of their pigs can tolerate it or not, and never use it.

On the nutrition chart it said red bell peppers should be fed less frequently because it has a higher sugar content. If you're feeding a quality pellet(with stabilized C), fresh veggies, and green bell pepper/cilantro...vitamin C isn't really a problem. You don't need to pick out things with higher vitamin C content. Excess vitamin C just gets peed out, anyways.

 

[Delaine]

I have also been adding fresh grass to the girls mix and they are also drinking less water. I am finding they are not as interested in the veggies because I still have to buy them from the store and they are just not as fresh as the grass. My girls are pretty picky and mostly like anything leafy. I have to trick them into eating peppers by grinding them with apple. I am hoping eventually they will get used to the taste of peppers because I don't like to give them too much apple. Everyone worries about grass that is free from pesticides, etc. and so do I, but has anyone thought about the pesticides, etc. on peppers, apples, etc. Most of the peppers, cucumbers, etc. I get in the winter come from Mexico. I won't eat them so why would I give them to my guinea pigs. Check out the list of foods on the dirty dozen list. Anything you don't have to peel is loaded with chemicals and washing isn't going to remove most of them. I try and buy as much organic as I can.

 

[MissJean]

@Delaine You bring up a great point about pecticides! Bell peppers are a common food item for our pigs, but it's on the top 10 list of non-organic produce to avoid. I imagine they use different chemicals for produce than grass,though. One is *supposedly* food safe, but I don't touch anything that is not organic. Some people don't believe non-organic foods are harmful.

You also have to worry about neighbors spraying their lawns, as the wind can carry it over to yours. Perhaps even water carrying chemicals, if you're on a slope?

Does all lawn grass contain silicates? That's what grinds their teeth down. Perhaps someone even has a content chart for grasses.

 

[agent_pigmom]

Thanks every one! I will check out those links right away. I feed my pigs Romain and personally I think its fine,my pigs like it and never had a problem,maybe the reason its not good for some pigs is because its stronger then curly leaf lettuce? I will give them unlimited amounts of fresh grass and hay. I would love to feed my pigs organic but im not the one who buys the grocery's fruit has a higher sugar content so why worry about feeding to much red pepper?