Considering New Diet
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bpatters
- And got the T-shirt
The peppers are good, and they need a good-sized chunk of it. It depends on the size of the pepper, of course, but the usual recommendation is for 1/4 of a green pepper and 1/5 or 1/6 of a red one. One baby carrot per day is fine, but it doesn't need to be shredded. They've got teeth like razor knives, and have no problem whatsoever chewing and eating a carrot.
Our 3 girls LOVE wheat grass if you can get it.
Just keep an eye on it once they have eaten the leave as they like to tug up the roots and shoots but after a while the "dirt" it is grown in can get a white fuzz on it if you leave it in for too long. We tend to take them out after a day just to be safe.
In addition to the veggies and fruit you list we also give ours Escarole, Endive, Radicchio, Parsley, Lacinato Kale and occasionally Dandelion.
we tried things like Chard and Mustard greens and Collard greens but they didn't seem that keen on them. They were ok with Beet tops but they weren't so keen on Radishes or Radish tops. We occasionally get Carrot tops as well but they aren't that keen on the carrots themselves.
We tried planning the diet but our local store doesn't always have everything in stock plus the wife and daughter have a tendency to give them stuff they know they like like blueberries and dandelion as treats even though they are only supposed to give them occasionally.
Just keep an eye on it once they have eaten the leave as they like to tug up the roots and shoots but after a while the "dirt" it is grown in can get a white fuzz on it if you leave it in for too long. We tend to take them out after a day just to be safe.
In addition to the veggies and fruit you list we also give ours Escarole, Endive, Radicchio, Parsley, Lacinato Kale and occasionally Dandelion.
we tried things like Chard and Mustard greens and Collard greens but they didn't seem that keen on them. They were ok with Beet tops but they weren't so keen on Radishes or Radish tops. We occasionally get Carrot tops as well but they aren't that keen on the carrots themselves.
We tried planning the diet but our local store doesn't always have everything in stock plus the wife and daughter have a tendency to give them stuff they know they like like blueberries and dandelion as treats even though they are only supposed to give them occasionally.
We actually grow fresh timothy hay in a small patch in our yard to give our girls. They DEFINITELY go wild about it :)
I might give them some radicchio, since they've had it before and seem to like it.
Our of curiosity, how much lettuce do you guys give your pigs? Does a large leaf/day seem reasonable?
I might give them some radicchio, since they've had it before and seem to like it.
Our of curiosity, how much lettuce do you guys give your pigs? Does a large leaf/day seem reasonable?
We would love to be able to grow Hay and Wheat grass on our deck but we know there are rats and raccoons that come around at night so wouldn't feel comfortable giving anything grow outside to them knowing that both species can carry nasty diseases (I once had to go on antibiotics myself after contracting Leptospirosis from rats after falling in a canal, long story ;))
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ItsaZoo
- Supporter in 2023
My Lacey is a bit of a chub as well. One of the ways I get her moving is a wiffle ball with diced peppers and carrots inside. The Dollar Tree has packs of 2 baseball-size plastic balls with holes in them. I drop the veggies in the holes and Lacey rolls the ball around to get the veggies to fall out. She’s not much of a chewer so she’s not chewing the plastic. Also, cardboard paper towel tubes cut about 5” long with a couple of holes in each side. I put 1 tablespoon of pellets inside and fold the ends in. She likes to roll that around.
Our new pig will eat a n y t h i n g, which is great! She LOVES cherry tomatoes... :)
Philly on the other hand....ate red peppers once out of the like five times I've given them to her. Still workin on it, but she is a bit of a picky piggy. Might try like....shaving them really fine and hiding them in her lettuce. Already tried cutting them up SUPER small, but she has evaded them adeptly!
Maybe she'll try some green or yellow instead...only time will tell!!!
Philly on the other hand....ate red peppers once out of the like five times I've given them to her. Still workin on it, but she is a bit of a picky piggy. Might try like....shaving them really fine and hiding them in her lettuce. Already tried cutting them up SUPER small, but she has evaded them adeptly!
Maybe she'll try some green or yellow instead...only time will tell!!!
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bpatters
- And got the T-shirt
Here's a post I wrote for another forum on how to teach pigs to eat vegetables: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/th ... vegetables
When you dice them, make them TINY, like a pencil eraser in 12-15 pieces, and put them on the pellets. Do one veggie for several days, and then offer a larger piece. If they eat it, continue with the larger pieces and start dicing another veggie. If they don't, keep dicing the same one for another several days.
When you dice them, make them TINY, like a pencil eraser in 12-15 pieces, and put them on the pellets. Do one veggie for several days, and then offer a larger piece. If they eat it, continue with the larger pieces and start dicing another veggie. If they don't, keep dicing the same one for another several days.
SHOP AMAZON