Raising a piggy in India

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Pimpinpuji

Post   » Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:07 am


Hi, everyone! Our friend, Sahil, emailed me about finding hay and pellets in India. He lives in a different state than I do, but I assume what applies in my city should also apply in his. Anyways, after emailing him back with information, I decided it would be helpful to start a thread about raising a Guinea Pig in India, so that the information can be shared for future owners.

Hopefully, future owners will put their questions, comments, and concerns in this thread, so all the information is easily available in one place.

Here is my email to him:

1. The bigger and fancier pet stores will carry hay. It may be imported or manufactured in India itself. The imported stuff is a bit pricey - 200 or 300 rs. a bag... but the quality is good, and you never have to wonder what is going into the hay. The imported products will usually be pesticide and preservative free, also. I buy my hay and pellets from a pet shop.. they are imported. Some pet shops do not carry guinea pig supplies, but will be more than happy to order them for you. Again, only the bigger shops will have these facilities.



2. There are lots of places where animals such as horses are bred for racing and what not. These places will have endless supplies of fresh hay. These places pose a few problems:

a. This grass molds quickly, which can be a nuisance - you can only buy small amounts at a time.

b. If the hay is not properly kept, there may be insects in the hay, which is very bad.

c. If the hay was not properly dried and maintained, it may contain fungus, mold, and even pesticides.



3. If you have a credit card, you can buy hay and pellets online! It won't be more expensive, and you can buy in bulk. If you know other people interested in buying these products, you may get a good deal, and your shipping charges can be waived with a certain minimum purchase amount.



good luck to you!

Kellyjo

Post   » Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:23 am


Thanks for trying to help.

Pimpinpuji

Post   » Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:36 am


Well, the medical queries and other information should probably not be here. But general questions related to piggies in India could probably be asked here.

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Sunny

Post   » Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:04 am


Great information Pimpinpuji. Thanks for pulling it together.

Pimpinpuji

Post   » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:18 am


Kellyjo and Sunny, just trying to help people get over the hurdles that I have experienced in the last 8 months!

Having grown up in America, I am able to understand the difference in the amount of information available there vs. here (India).

Also, breeders are only recently becoming popular. Pet shop owners, as we all know, do not always have accurate and thorough knowledge, and people take their advice as truth. Unfortunately, their advice is severely lacking. It's thanks to this forum, along with jackiesguineapiggies.com, that I have been able to give my piggies the lifestyle that they deserve!

I feel that if any owner is interested in providing their pets with a healthy and happy lifestyle, the easier and more accessible the information, the better!

Guinea pigs are starting to become more popular here, and for that reason, information that is readily available is very important, I feel. I, personally, have even had vets tell me that hay is not necessary.

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Quinc-Emma

Post   » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:27 am


Great idea Pimpinpuji. Hopefully this thread can help many people and their guinea pigs.

sahil4731

Post   » Fri May 15, 2009 1:40 pm


Hey Puja, how are you?
Well I was wondering if its possible for you to send Hay to me, through courier or something. I am not able to find good hay here. :(
Not to mention all the charges would be paid.

Pimpinpuji

Post   » Sat May 16, 2009 4:01 pm


Hi, Sahil! I don't mind sending hay to you at all... but It would be much more expensive for you! The bags here are coming at around 300 rs a piece... which will last you for maybe one month - max. With shipping charges added, it will be even more expensive!

Have you tried online yet? 300rs equals about 6 US dollars, and for that amount, you can definitely get a better deal. I'm sure that if you look in googles, you'll get something. I have a friend here who buys her hay online... will try to get a hold of her and ask where she buys it.

You will need a credit card.

What have you been feeding Raisin up until now? Did you get a chance to speak to those horse breeders you were mentioning?

Pimpinpuji

Post   » Sat May 16, 2009 5:07 pm


I just typed "Timothy hay international shipping" into google, and got quite a few sites giving good deals...

Get onto a search engine, and play around with the search options... you'll find loads of places willing to ship to India free of cost, provided there is a minimum purchase price!

sahil4731

Post   » Sun May 17, 2009 2:21 pm


Hey Puja, I am sorry but I just read last message of yours and I took it as a no :(
300 bucks are fine with me. I don't think 500 bucks a month are anything when it comes to Raisin. I don't think getting it from the US or UK would be at all reasonable. Rest yes, please let me know the site where I can get hay online. Credit card is not a problem.

I went to the horse breeders. Actually it is a place where they teach horse riding. So the trainers didn't know what hay is. Had told you that they would not be familiar with this word.
Anyways what horses were eating was some brown grass and wasn't very clean. So I didn't talk any further.

And I am trying pet shops at other places in India from where I can get the hay. But if you could send it, nothing like it. I know there is a botheration involved but...
Tell me if it can work out and then we can do the needful. I don't think the courier charges would be anything more than 100- 150 bucks.

Pimpinpuji

Post   » Sun May 17, 2009 2:42 pm


Hi Sahil :) lol the answer is definitely not a "no", but I'm trying to find more reasonable and most cost-effective options for you...

Why is it not reasonable to get hay from The US or UK? The stuff I buy here is imported from the states... And when I go back home to California, I bring hay back with me.

The stuff online will also be from one of these countries. There are lots of sites, Sahil, just look them up! I don't know your requirements or mailing options, so it's best if you look into those sites yourself. It really is quite simple, Sahil, just type your search requirements into google!

I'm surprised that the horse breeders did not know what hay was... the ones here do. Hay is often used as bedding for the horses.

Granted, that 500rs per month is not an issue for you, but doesn't it make more sense to pay 1000 or 2000 for more than 6 months worth??

sahil4731

Post   » Sun May 17, 2009 3:14 pm


I did. Couldn't really find any site which would ship hay to India.

And trust me nothing would be as cost effective as you sending me the hay. And fast also.

One month supply would be fine for me. I can for sure look for some other source till then. What say ?
What is the quantity of hay in a bag you mentioned?

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