Cavy Pellet Analysis

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Feb 21, 2003 9:20 pm


piggielover, the pellets will not kill your pigs. But when things taste different, sometimes pigs will go off their feed and not eat. This (not eating) would be the biggest problem in feeding something different on a temporary basis. E would throw them out. I'd give them some until I got another brand and watch their weight carefully if it is going to be a few days.

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Megan

Post   » Fri Feb 21, 2003 10:38 pm


I have gone without food already. I was waiting for my oxbow to get in, but it didn't come in on time. I ended up grabbing some L&M at the petstore, and feeding that to hold them off. I didn't have any problems with the quick switch over. I however did already just give them a lot more hay and veggies, and that held them off just as good.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Fri Feb 21, 2003 10:54 pm


I would have personally gone with no pellets for a few days, with lots of hay and veggies.

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sylvieL

Post   » Sat Feb 22, 2003 7:19 am


Hm, I haven't bought it but I can go to the store and write down the info that's on the bag to call them. I'll tell you.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Feb 22, 2003 3:20 pm


Okay, I'm going to move this to the reference forum. If anyone else has any pellet analyses to add, go right ahead. I also finally got Josephine's guidelines incorporated into the nutrition page. P.S. Let me know if you would prefer to be referred to by a name other than Josephine.

www.guinealynx.info/nutrition.html#pellets

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sylvieL

Post   » Tue Feb 25, 2003 4:54 pm


Ok, I finally bought the alfafa pellets as the cavy ones I had ordered they couldn't get hold of - so, it says "100% pure alfafa - no additives" and it's labelled for rabbits, goats, ponies ... I asked the woman if she was sure there were no antibiotics in there and she said "yes I'm sure, the other rabbit food we sell has some but not this one". So I think it's OK ? And I don't know how they get the pellets to hold together ! BTW, I also bought a straw pellet bedding and it's pure straw with no additive, neither.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Feb 25, 2003 5:05 pm


Well, I would be inclined to believe them if they say there are no additives. If they are only alfalfa pellets, be sure to provide hay all the time (a variety of hay is good if you can get it -- timothy, orchard grass etc.) and lots of different vegs.

Most pellets have vitamin and mineral supplements added. These pellets will have none. So you want to try to ensure your pigs get all the nutrients they need. See www.guinealynx.info/nutrition.html for more information on needed minerals and vitamins (link to another site).

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Tue Feb 25, 2003 6:28 pm


Thanks, Lynx. I just saw the nutrition stuff. Cool pages.

I don't care I guess, about the name thing. Josephine is fine, I suppose. I could go either way. Maybe both?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Feb 25, 2003 7:21 pm


Then I think I'll leave it as 'Josephine' for now (perhaps awkward to list two names). Should you ever want it changed, let me know. I really appreciate your having posted these guidelines. They make sense and give people something concrete to refer to when looking for pellets. Sticking it on the nutrition page should mean it won't get lost on the forums.

Glad you like the pages. People who are really interested in nutrition will have to do their own research (I can't begin to cover this truly complex subject). But it's important to know the quality of the food you feed really does make a big difference in the health of your animal. The nutrition book I refered to on the hay page (more charts of different hays www.guinealynx.info/hay.html ) discussed many diseases related to vitamin and mineral deficiencies (each with their own name) and some that had to do with the Ca:P ratio in large animals.

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Lynx
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Post   » Wed Feb 26, 2003 9:35 am


Note, on the first page I added info on Hartz Guinea Pig pellets.

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piggielover

Post   » Wed Feb 26, 2003 10:14 am


Lynx,
Thanks for adding the Hartz to the pellet nutrition page.
Since Hartz does not list the pellets as having Ethoxyquin in them does that mean they don't have it in them then?

I am just curious on how bad these pellets are because my pigs REALLY liked these pellets more than the KayTee forti diet. If anyone can let me know how they compare to KayTee I would appreciate it. Some of the ingredients are way over my head.
Thanks~

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Feb 26, 2003 10:18 am


Take a look at Josephine's guidelines. I think it is a mark against them that they do not list alfalfa first. You have the bag, too, so you can go over the ingredients one by one if you want to. Is there a freshness date on? So you know how long the vitamin C is viable? That could be a mark against them too. Kaytee makes a stabilized form that lasts longer.
And yes, I would imagine if equitoxin(?) is not listed, it isn't in it.

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