Time for a Guinea-Pig Food Thread. We have lots of new piggies joining the Super Furry Animal Team

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As all Guinea-Pig Slaves know, these little furries are very particular when it comes to their food.

Yes, they need their Vitamin C
Yes they have things they cannot eat
Yes they have things that they shouldn't eat alot of.

Mine use this information to be very judgey about what I give them. And sometimes I buy parsley from Supermarket S that they hoover up. But buy it from Supermarket M , they turn their noses up.

So.....are we sitting comfortably. We'll begin.

We have GP1, smooth boar 3.6yo
GP3, Rex boar 10 months
We did have GP2 (brother of the smooth ) Abby type (now RIP)

GP2 loved watermelon,grapes,strawberries,sweetcorn (especially with the leaves) beetroot,sprouts, leaves from the willow tree. He also had terrible gas vom , and if he had a day eating grass he had to have hay and pellets for supper , no veg .

GP1 loves grass, dandelions but not clover. Leaves from the pear tree.Parsley, he'd sell his mother for parsley. Carrots but only the ones with leaves, normal ones get left, leaf ones get devoured.
Watermelon, sweetcorn, spinach/rocket/watercress salad
Red /yellow/orange pepper but not green (so much that his pee went peach )
Banana

GP3 loves grass, yellow pepper, brocilli, dandelions, green beans,rocket, celery leaves but not the stalks.
Apple

GP1 has a liking for Cornetto cones

The aren't allowed coriander , it makes them narky.
They don't like mint, basil,

So, add to the list, the more the merrier (and I know there are pigs with eccentric tastes out there)

@ It's like weaning my dc all over again.

I don't know how many times I've said the same. Just like the kids, if they won't eat it at first, try it again another day. It only takes one brave one to try a bite and bingo new veg added to list

The run as arrived. Before I put the gps out do I have to check where i put it for plants they need to avoid? Our lawn is in a bad state and may well have buttercups and pink clover, etc. Will they leave them alone or do I need to dig them out?

Nolda sorry to say, yes, you will be on hands and knees inspecting the grass like a loon, as I have done many times.

Buttercups and daisies are no go areas as far as gp's are concerned. Luckily daisies aren't growing in my garden. For some reason mature pigs know not to touch buttercups but I wouldn't trust a baby. If you have very big clumps, dig them out.

Not sure if colour makes a difference but the clover we have has white flowers and the pigs are fine eating that.

Drat! My DD's guinea pig book says white clover is fine but pink should be avoided. As it isn't flowering at the moment I don't know what colour flowers ours has .

I read you should avoid cucumber?
What's the easiest way to clear up the garden once the run moves places?

Oh? I read it was OK. I just checked PDSA website and cucumber is on their safe list.

Cucumber is fine but not in excess (it's watery so brilliant for summer to hydrate hogs)

Clear the garden once the run is moved - their droppings make good fertiliser so we leave it , in a couple of days it disintirgrates into the grass,

Poisonous/potentially poisonous plants - yes it's a pain but if you have a large area that you can't remove, maybe put a towel down to cover. Adults will instinctively avoid, babies you need to be more careful.

My pigs don't touch the clover, strangely (it is quite high in calcium so you need to be aware of bladder stones)
Dandelions are safe (leaves , stalks and flowers) but are a diuretic (makes 'em pee)

That should be clear the garden ? - as in , we don't

By the time the patch of grass is in rotation for use again, it'll be lush.

So I thought I was treating gps today - bought different foods.
Basil - rejected
Green beans - rejected.
Saving the watermelon for tomorrow to see if that's any more popular!
I think I'm a bit too soft. I only give them peeled carrots / bananas / melon anything that has a skin
Gather they don't need peeling?!

Our garden isn't big enough to not clear at least a bit. Children walk in all the mess where it's been before trailing into the house!

Mine won't eat basil but they love parsley and GP4 loves mint.
We gave them a chunk of watermelon - they are the skin and left the flesh

You could sweep the droppings once they're dry. Or hose them into a border in the evening? Then the borders get the benefit.

Our GPs aren't massive fans of fruit. They do like the tops of strawberries but tend to leave everything else. Broccoli stalks and celery leaves are always favourites though.

I have to sweep up guinea poo (it goes onto the compost heap) literally as soon as I've moved their runs. If I don't, my 19mo eats it

Bumping for adayinthelifes new fur-babies

Zombie Thread - a year old , but still relevant , so bumpable

Hello! Two more paws up here for water melon, cauli leaves, parsley and pear. Turned up noses at any part of broccoli.