Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Small pets

Mumsnet does not check the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you're worried about the health of your pet, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

We have two new family members

64 replies

Justusemyname · 10/04/2015 15:30

Two boys, four month old gorgeous guinea pigs Smile.

One is black with crazy hair, the double of our last piggy. The other is caramel and white coloured and very cute. They are settled in an indoor cage, biggest they hadGrin and we have had a couple of strokes but leaving them now to chill. Currently hiding under a plastic cover thing with stairs. Going to re read my guinea pig book now.

OP posts:
Original poster
Justusemyname · 13/04/2015 14:45

I've bought them a chew toy. They have no idea what to do with it Grin.

OP posts:
Original poster
Justusemyname · 13/04/2015 15:47

One escaped!!! Got scared by the noise of the pans and squeezed through the gap in the playpen! DS2 was brilliant and stopped him getting down the side of the fridge. He is now back in his cage and won't be allowed back out until much much bigger!

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 13/04/2015 19:48

Good move to stop him getting behind the fridge DS 2. Smile
They can fit into the tiniest of spaces and refuse to shift (then you have to wait them out or shift a large heavy domestic appliances with a small rodent under it. Tricky)

Grounded until they are oooh 7yo Wink

clippityclop · 13/04/2015 19:55

Lovely photos, congratulations your boys are gorgeous. New to all this and have had fantastic help from the experts here. My two young ladies love a bowl of goodies e.g. kale, cauliflower greens, served up with green beans, carrot, small bits of pepper, celery morning and evening, plus nuggets and muesli. Also had the beding dilemma and have settled on layers of newspaper and hay which I leave in a heap, they seem to enjoy arranging it themselves. It's changed every day, seems girls wee more than boys!

Original poster
Justusemyname · 13/04/2015 19:58

I'm cleaning the cage completely each day. Still really unsure how much food to give them. They have hay twice a day, nuggets in the morning and curly kale for tea the last two nights. Have sniffed their new toy but no idea what to do with it. If I used paper and hay I'd be worried they'd eat too much of itConfused.

House noises are scary for them I think.

OP posts:
millimat · 14/04/2015 07:50

We've now had GPs for over a year and I'm still questioning the best bedding. For you who use just newspaper and hay, is it snuggly enough? I worry they'll not be comfy Blush How much newspaper do you use?

Original poster
Justusemyname · 14/04/2015 08:22

I could put tonnes of hay in but then I worry they will over eat. They are only babies and haven't had a home before I don't think so might get carried away. At the moment just one paper as I don't buy them more than twice a week so don't have many in but I'll be asking the PIL for some later.

OP posts:
Original poster
Justusemyname · 14/04/2015 16:21

DS2 and I hand fed the piggies cucumber today and one managed a 1/3 of a slice Grin. Should I give kale again for the third day running - DH got a huge bag - or do they need a break and I'll give them carrot and cucumber. My guinea pig book is pretty rubbish at advising me tbh.

OP posts:
millimat · 15/04/2015 08:14

I'm not saying we do it right, but our GPs get something green each morning and night, and unless we're short on variety which is quite usual then they'll have different greens morning and night.

Original poster
Justusemyname · 15/04/2015 08:36

Indidngiventhem more kale last night and the they had seconds. I think I may be underestimating how much they need but I'm worried about over feeding them too.

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 15/04/2015 10:20

Just have you had a looksie at the Guinea-Pig foods threads ?
There are loads that guineas can have (and a few things that you CANNOT give them. My DD inadvertantly gave the pigs some spring onions thinking they were celery Confused . Luckily the pigs didn't touch them Grin )

Green veg - especially the darker ones (like kale,parsley,sprouts, watercress, brocilli , sacoy cabbage) contain high levels of (excuse my dodgy spelling - oxilates) which can cause bladder stones in some guineas.

And Wind. Envy

Original poster
Justusemyname · 15/04/2015 10:23
Grin

I need a thread without the chat Shock and just a list of foods ok and not okay. I'm really struggling to read and retain information at the moment due to a problem with my eyes.

DS2 wants to give them dandelions, are they old enough?

Today they will have cucumber and carrots. Still not sure how hoe much though.

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 15/04/2015 11:36

Dandelions are fine, try them on a couple (they can have the leaves, the stalks and they might eat the yellow flowers) . Give them a rinse first in case some passing animal has wee on them.

There's a website that has a really good list of suitable guinea-pig foods, I'll try and find it .

I give different breakfast/supper veg/fruit to my pigs. We aim for 4-5 different colours on a plate ,and what they don't want, they'll leave , or eat if it saves them going into complete malnutrition (unlikely with my lardy sows).

I use a flat metal dog dish (about 8" wide) for veg.Today they had mint,red pepper,sweetcorn, romaine, carrot (which they'll leave because they aren't leafy carrots )

Tonight they;ll have less because they're going out to graze now.

Original poster
Justusemyname · 15/04/2015 13:51

I have grown some mint so they can try that. They are going to think it is Christmas!Grin

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 15/04/2015 14:43

Have you got a run to let your little boys out on the grass?

You'll need to build up their grazing time slowly, make sure the grass is dry and give them a hidey box in the run.
Secure from cats, dogs, foxes (bloody foxes kept waking me up last night with their noise Hmm )

You might get rewarded by 'Popcorning' unlike my lardy sows who are hiding under their tunnels

Original poster
Justusemyname · 15/04/2015 14:51

I do, it is huge but I assumed they were too young. I tried them in the play pen and we all know what happened there!

The grass was wet yesterday and today it's 26 degrees.

I think we had popcorning last night.

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 15/04/2015 16:08

As long as they can't fit through the bars ( DH put extra mesh round our run when we got GP3 just in case he could escape. He couldn't even then. As an adult he would've got a paw through but no more Grin )

IIRC we let our pigletty one out in the small run (with our adult boar) when he was about 10 weeks old (maybe younger) .

Half an hour is ample at first.
Huge run is good, you can put all sorts of tunnels and boxes in , keep them active and interested (well that;s the theory Wink ) it'll give them shade and space apart if they want it.

Buttercups,daisies, any bulbs, are poisonous. Clover is okay in small amounts (our pigs wouldn't eat it though)
Our lawn is prone to patches of buttercups so we need to arrange the run carefully when we move it.
"Wheek and Squeak" Feeding guide has a good list of Pig Foods .

Original poster
Justusemyname · 15/04/2015 17:12

I might let them out tomorrow. Need to check the run for holes....

They've been very active this afternoon and just had a cuddle before giving them their tea after cleaning out their hutch.

If only DS2 was as quiet as them .

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 15/04/2015 17:51

The grass needs to be dry for them , (I put ours out after noon but in the height of summer they don't go out till 4pm )

If you get tent pegs, they are good for securing the corners of the run to make sure nothing can lift it.

You can get on their good sides with fresh scissor cut grass and dandelions till then Grin

Original poster
Justusemyname · 15/04/2015 18:20

The run is not in any danger of being blown over. It's big and heavy.

I think I'm too chicken to let them go outside yet. Will see tomorrow.

OP posts:
Original poster
Justusemyname · 15/04/2015 18:21

Starfor all your help

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 15/04/2015 20:12

Wink your boys have got a lovely long summer ahead of them to fill their faces.
Enjoy them Smile

Original poster
Justusemyname · 16/04/2015 17:37

Poor babies. I gave them parsley and carrot for tea and it confused them. They've had another look but not sure they've had any yet.

NOT impressed with DS1 who left the cage open Angry. One of my cats had been having a good look prior to that so I'm not impressed.

OP posts:
millimat · 16/04/2015 20:28

That's boys for you!!

Original poster
Justusemyname · 16/04/2015 20:40

Hurray! Piggies have eaten the mint and most the carrot. Softy DH has given them more mint. NaughtyBoyPiggy was put back after trying to eat my cardigan (again) and not sitting nicely. NaughtyGirlCat has lost her collar...

OP posts: