Timothy Based Pellets
I have four little guys (between 3 and 4 1/2 months). Should they stay on the Cavy Performance until a year or do I start switching at 6 months?
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
General rule of thumb is wait til a year to switch (check reference forum for email from Dawn at Oxbow Hay).
Sunny, I think I´d take them out and give them a bit extra alfalfa. And not put it in all the time.
All the pellets are alfalfa anyway. When they´re all over a year, perhaps switch to a timothy based pellet.
Sunny, I think I´d take them out and give them a bit extra alfalfa. And not put it in all the time.
All the pellets are alfalfa anyway. When they´re all over a year, perhaps switch to a timothy based pellet.
Funny this came up. I am starting to feel guilty about feeding my guys alfalfa based pellets, most of them are over a year old. Do you guys with the big herds put out the bucks for the expensive Oxbow stuff?
I wonder if I could just feed mine grass hay pellets? I feed them to a few of my horses. All they are are pellets of grass hay, nothing else added. I doubt my pigs are getting much vit c from the pellets I buy, anyway, and so I supplement. And with the amount of greens and veggies and occasional fruits, and free choice hay, do they really need a special pellet formulated for guinea pigs?
I wonder if I could just feed mine grass hay pellets? I feed them to a few of my horses. All they are are pellets of grass hay, nothing else added. I doubt my pigs are getting much vit c from the pellets I buy, anyway, and so I supplement. And with the amount of greens and veggies and occasional fruits, and free choice hay, do they really need a special pellet formulated for guinea pigs?
Lisam-
Not that I recommend doing it, but I feed my pigs horse pellets. The only pig pellets I can get here is Hagen and Hartz in 2lbs bags. Neither are good choices. Ordering Oxbow or something similar is not realistic, since I´d pay something like 150$ for a 50lbs bags, after exchange rate, customs, taxes and shipping. I just can´t spend that kind of money.
So my only solution was to find good quality alfalfa pellets for horses. I called around, looked at ingredient lists, talked to my vet and decided on one kind that´s readily avalable and is very good quality. Maybe not Oxbow quality, but a whole lot better than Hagen and Hartz. I called the company to make extra sure they were not adding stuff that didn´t show on their ingredient list (preservatives, antibiotics, etc).
My pigs have been on it for over two years, now. Of course, I´d much prefer to be feeding them high quality guinea pig pellets, but in my situation, it´s just not something that´s possible. Besides, guinea pigs and horses are so much alike in so many aspects. And good alfalfa pellets are good alfalfa pellets. Obviously, my pellets don´t have added vitamin C, but I feed greens in good amounts every day and all my pigs are (furiously knock on wood!!) all healthy.
Like I said, I´m not recommending this, but it has worked very well for me as a last resort. Now, if the US stop screwing us over and our dollar regains value, I´ll be the first in line to order Oxbow. I´d love to put my hands on the grass pellets you are talking about.
PS- A few days ago, I was reading Teresa´s adoptables page and under one of the pictures, it said that pig had been rescued from a horrible situation where he was fed horse feed. Yikes! Reason #46 why Teresa would never adopt to me.
Not that I recommend doing it, but I feed my pigs horse pellets. The only pig pellets I can get here is Hagen and Hartz in 2lbs bags. Neither are good choices. Ordering Oxbow or something similar is not realistic, since I´d pay something like 150$ for a 50lbs bags, after exchange rate, customs, taxes and shipping. I just can´t spend that kind of money.
So my only solution was to find good quality alfalfa pellets for horses. I called around, looked at ingredient lists, talked to my vet and decided on one kind that´s readily avalable and is very good quality. Maybe not Oxbow quality, but a whole lot better than Hagen and Hartz. I called the company to make extra sure they were not adding stuff that didn´t show on their ingredient list (preservatives, antibiotics, etc).
My pigs have been on it for over two years, now. Of course, I´d much prefer to be feeding them high quality guinea pig pellets, but in my situation, it´s just not something that´s possible. Besides, guinea pigs and horses are so much alike in so many aspects. And good alfalfa pellets are good alfalfa pellets. Obviously, my pellets don´t have added vitamin C, but I feed greens in good amounts every day and all my pigs are (furiously knock on wood!!) all healthy.
Like I said, I´m not recommending this, but it has worked very well for me as a last resort. Now, if the US stop screwing us over and our dollar regains value, I´ll be the first in line to order Oxbow. I´d love to put my hands on the grass pellets you are talking about.
PS- A few days ago, I was reading Teresa´s adoptables page and under one of the pictures, it said that pig had been rescued from a horrible situation where he was fed horse feed. Yikes! Reason #46 why Teresa would never adopt to me.
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
Lisam, I think you do what you want -- try to do the best. I am betting that the timothy pellets will make getting stones less likely. But I don´t know if they are disposed to stones anyway.
I guess it´s prevention. Don´t know if it will work or not. As for losing weight when switching from alfalfa pellets to timothy pellets, dream on. I have three fat pigs to prove it doesn´t make much difference.
I do think the vegetables count and count big toward good nutrition. If I were you, I´d also try to pick nice fresh grass every day. In the end, they will eat fewer pellets and be healthier.
I´m sure you will work something out that is suitable for you. None of us know for sure the best diet -- we guess and try to provide it.
I guess it´s prevention. Don´t know if it will work or not. As for losing weight when switching from alfalfa pellets to timothy pellets, dream on. I have three fat pigs to prove it doesn´t make much difference.
I do think the vegetables count and count big toward good nutrition. If I were you, I´d also try to pick nice fresh grass every day. In the end, they will eat fewer pellets and be healthier.
I´m sure you will work something out that is suitable for you. None of us know for sure the best diet -- we guess and try to provide it.
Not to speak for Lynx, but I think that is what she means. The timothy is good for all of them.
I tried that with my three girls. Chippy is sludgy so really shouldn´t have any alfalfa, so I would put it down whil Chippy had some lap time. Of course, the other two ate about two bites, then were off doing who-knows-what and I had a pile of alfalfa to clean up. Try it, though. It might work for you.
I tried that with my three girls. Chippy is sludgy so really shouldn´t have any alfalfa, so I would put it down whil Chippy had some lap time. Of course, the other two ate about two bites, then were off doing who-knows-what and I had a pile of alfalfa to clean up. Try it, though. It might work for you.
I just thought of it today, or I would have mentioned it to you! The only place I can find them is at Foothills Trading Co., which is in Black Diamond. I don´t even know how much I pay for them! I´ll find out and let you know. I am trying some today for the first time, we will see if the pigs like them.
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