The right pellets

ChucklingPigs

Post   » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:38 pm


I have been owning guinea pigs for three years now and I started each with oxbow brand pellets but each time I have tried none will eat the pellets, so my bf would buy the vita Kraft brand and that has mixed stuff with the pellets, and they eat it all including the pellets. Why is this? I have tried numerous times to get them on the healthier pellet diet but with no success, what tips or methods can I use to get them to eat pellets.
Thank you :)

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:50 pm


Pellets aren't the most important thing in their diets, and the bad stuff in Vita Kraft outweighs the good. If you're using the VitaKraft Complete guinea pig food, it's made of alfalfa, and that has way too much calcium for adult guinea pigs.

I'd just throw the VitaKraft stuff out for the birds, and feed them only Oxbow or KMS Hayloft pellets. They're good quality, and don't contain calcium carbonate, which has been implicated in bladder stones.

You can feed them good quality veggies, preferably a wide variety of colors, such as radicchio, red or yellow peppers, etc. If there's a veggie they particularly like, you can dice it into tiny, tiny pieces and mix it in with the pellets. That may encourage them to try them.

My pigs went without pellets for years because of bladder problems. Good quality hay (NOT the stuff you buy in small bags from pet stores and places like Walmart) and good quality veggies make a pretty good diet for them.

ChucklingPigs

Post   » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:56 pm


Thank you, the vita kraft it is is the vitakraft vita nature. They get daily hay (as that’s main diet) and daily veggies, I could try the oxbow pellets again, maybe add veggies in it?
I want the best for my piggies and these three years I have tried and still willing to give the best pellets

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Jan 17, 2018 10:02 pm


That's better than the Complete stuff. It's at least made with timothy. But it does have calcium carbonate in it, and that would be enough for me to turn it down. The only two in the U.S., that I know of, that don't use it as the calcium source are Oxbow and KMS Hayloft.

ChucklingPigs

Post   » Wed Jan 17, 2018 10:06 pm


I’ll try oxbow pellets again and see what I can do to make it tasty, any suggestions?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Jan 17, 2018 11:29 pm


See the fourth post above this one. That's the only suggestion I've got.

JX4

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:19 am


The KMS pellets are fresher (they smell fresh!) and my pigs devour them like they've been starving in the desert for months.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:39 am


There's a date on KMS pellets. I've never had any that have been milled more than two weeks previously.

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lisam

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2018 11:35 am


I wouldn't feed the Vita Kraft at all, and just put out the Oxbow (or KMS if you decide to go that route, which I recommend). If your pigs are good hay eaters, they won't need much of the pellets anyway.

RKelly

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:44 pm


My picky boy loves KMS pellets. He is the king of lazy but will move mountains to get to them.

C Cole-Chakotay

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2018 4:57 pm


I've fed all of my girls (past and present) KMS pellets. I feel they are the best!

ChucklingPigs

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2018 11:08 pm


Thanks everyone!! I’ll get oxbow pellets for them.

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