What should i feed my guinea pig and how much per day?

Question

i just got him i know he likes lettuce and cucumber.

Answer 1

Watch out for vegetables with high water content, or citrus fruits. Pellets have vitamins that guinea pigs require in. My aunt was a breeder and told me to never feed a guinea pig the same food as rabbits. This is because they require different nutrients in their diets. Guinea pigs will eat A LOT of hay, so make sure they always have enough.

Answer 2

I juuuust answered this elsewhere, so I'll copy paste:

Why don't you consider adopting a pair of homeless pigs instead of supporting pet stores and their mills?: http://www.petfinder.com/

Remember that guinea pigs are herd animals and are highly social. They should be kept in same s*x pairs or groups, not alone.

"Cavies need a good pelleted food in their diet. The only food known to be up to specifications is Oxbow's. For cavies under a year of age, feed Oxbow Cavy Performance alfalfa-based feed. For cavies over one year of age, feed Oxbow Cavy Cuisine timothy-based feed. These can be found at feed stores, look online or in the yellow pages for one near you."

"Food should be changed daily, and cavies normally eat from 1/8 to 1/4 of a cup of pellets daily. Try to figure out how much food your guinea pigs eat and measure food in accordingly, so as not to waste more than necessary. Do not withold food. If a cavy seems to be a little on the heavy side, chances are s/he simply needs a bit more exercise. This can be provided by making a larger cage, providing stimulation, and through floor time."

"Hay is a vital part of any guinea pig's diet. It provides fiber, wears down teeth, and promotes health. Cavies should always have an unlimited supply of fresh, green grass hay to graze from. Timothy or another grass hay is best for adult cavies, and alfalfa or an alfalfa-timothy/grass hay mix is recommended for young cavies (younger than 6 months old)."

"Cavies need vitamin C daily because, like us, they are one of the few animals that cannot manufacture it on their own. Guinea pigs are herbivores, and love their fresh vegetables, which also provide this vital vitamin C. However, please be sure not to feed overly much per day. This can lead to deadly diarrhea problems. Although it is difficult, and some say nearly impossible, to overdose on vitamin C, the water in the vegetables can cause very runny stools. As a general rule, feed about one cup of fresh veggies daily per pig. A little over or under is just fine."

Some quotes from my website's guinea pig page: http://www.petinfopackets.com/guineapigs...

Additional reading:

http://www.guinealynx.info/

http://www.cavyspirit.com/

http://www.guineapigcages.com/

Edit: Also, avoid iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce has little nutritional value and due to it's high water content it can cause diarrhea. Go with a healthier lettuce like romaine lettuce.

Answer 3

well you can start by going to a vets office and ask or you can go to a pet store from where you got it . i wish i had a guinea pig so i could tell you  but i dont have  one so take my advise and go

Answer 4

Keep guinea pig pellets in there, without anything in it, just pellets. Keep them a constant supply of timothy hay. They need it all the time. No alfalfa hay, though, unless they're a baby or pregnant. Fresh fruit and veggies are good, and they need plenty every day, but not all the time.

This link will also help you in more detail.

http://www.mgpr.org/MGPR/Guinea%20Pig%20...

Good luck with your piggy.

Answer 5

You should Buy a container of guinea pig food, it's little pellets, and sometimes they have little dried up carrots and green beans and corn in them. Get a measuring cup and measure out a 1/2 cup of pellets per guinea pig. Then later on in the day after he's  eaten some of their pellets give him lettuce and cucumber as "dessert".  Make sure you give him plenty of water in his bottle.... sometimes to cool off the nudge against the water bottle to get their backs all wet.. it's cute =]

Answer 6

My friend is a Cavie(Guinea Pig) breeder/judge/shower and she told me that you should only feed them Guinea Pig food that has vitamin C in it. Also cavies are lazy so it is best to keep the food and water on the opposite ends of its cage or they won't move around all that much. Hay like timothy hay you buy at the store is good but they should mostly be on a grain diet. And don't feed them lettuce is not the best for them since ice burg is mostly water and isn't nutrient rich.

Stick to dark green and leafy vegtables for the occation treat. Also provide a chew toy so their teeth don't become overgrown.

A number of plants are poisonous to guinea pigs, including bracken, bryony, buttercup, charlock, deadly nightshade, foxglove, hellebore, hemlock, lily of the valley, mayweed, monkshood, potato, privet, ragwort, rhubarb, speedwell, toadflax and wild celery. Additionally, any plant which grows from a bulb (e.g., tulip and onion) is normally considered poisonous.

Answer 7

We fed ours lettuce everyday. They loved it.  We also kept a small bowl of guinea food in there at all times.