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Original poster

Nuggets or muesli?

31 replies

Justusemyname · 07/05/2015 13:43

We have had our two guinea pigs for about three to four weeks now. We have been feeding them nuggets at breakfast and fresh veg and fruit for tea. Some days they have a mid afternoon snack.

They are on nuggets as they were on them when we adopted them. I fed my last guinea pigs on muesli and as I am coming to the end of the nuggets I wanted to get advice as to which will be best for them. They are nearly five months old. They are not keen on carrots.

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/05/2015 13:51

I would say nuggets as they eat the whole thing, with muesli they tend to pick out their favourite vitD and leave the rest.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/05/2015 13:51

favourite bits

FernieB · 07/05/2015 13:52

Carry on with nuggets as they are nutritionally balanced so each nugget contains the same nutrients. With muesli, piggies tend to pick out their favourite bits and leave the rest so may not be getting all the nutrients they should.

Don't worry if they don't like a certain veg. They can be fussy things and may suddenly turn their noses up at veg they've previously loved. My Scruffypig has upto now only eaten green veg but at the age of 4 has decided that tomatoes are okay if nothing green is available. Gingerpig eats most things except broccoli. They both think strawberries are suspicious and should really be avoided.

clippityclop · 07/05/2015 15:25

Our girlies have both nuggets and the muesli and clear a bowl each day between them. As the wise Fernie says they can be fussy, Newbie 1 used to love cauliflower leaves but now backs off with that look she has when they're served up. Both are into leek at the moment, long strips from the outside that they seem to nibble down as fast as someone slurping spaghetti. I tried kale from three different shops, only Marksies will do. Slaves, that's all we are....

lemonyone · 07/05/2015 15:32

Good god, I've found my heaven! People to discuss our pointless little pets with!

My pigs love broccoli but are suspicious of carrots unless they are those ready peeled baby carrots. I am now going to try out leeks. I hadn't before as they seem a little 'harsh' for pigs.

I heard as well it's best to go with nuggets as they cherry-pick the muesli.

Just to ask you all - how often and how much fresh fruit and vegetables do you give them daily?

ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 07/05/2015 15:43

lemonyone can piggies have leeks? Aren't they onions which they aren't supposed to have?

I think both rabbits and guinea pigs can be fussy little buggers. I know rabbits aren't very good at regulating their own diet so in their case muesli wouldn't be good for them as they would just eat the bits they like and leave the rest. With nuggets each nugget as the exact same nutritional value so won't encourage selective feeding. I imagine it's the same for piggies.

lemonyone · 07/05/2015 15:46

Hi Toads.
Clippityclop mentioned her pigs liked them, and I must admit I was surprised! I have a leek lurking in my fridge and am now thinking I might hold off trying them on it.
Anyhow, I guess with so many yum dandelions around the place I won't have to raid the fridge anyhow for a few months!

ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 07/05/2015 15:50

I've just Googled this actually and got lots of conflicting information. Some places say that the green bits are fine to feed occasionally whilst others say no they can't have them and then other places even go as far to say they're poisonous Confused.

So who knows?

lemonyone · 07/05/2015 15:51

Thanks for that info.
I'll hold off giving it to them. Having said that, they are fussy little buggers so they probably would eye-roll it anyway. They even hate apples! Shock

FernieB · 07/05/2015 17:10

Mine lurve apples. I am a bit Shock at leeks. Trying to imagine how bad my boys would smell after eating those. They do smell lovely after pruning the lavender.

Clippety - thanks for calling me wiseThanks. My teen DDs, piggies and bunny all disagree!

Original poster
Justusemyname · 07/05/2015 20:48

Ok, nuggets it is. Do I need to keep to the same brand as well?

Tonight piggies have had grapes for the first time plus parsley, broccoli and red pepper. They've also chewed their toy in half and one of them has been gnawing at the cage bars. Eek.

OP posts:
clippityclop · 07/05/2015 23:09

Gawd. More piggie induced angst. They've been having a strip about an inch wide, the length of an average leek from the outside {so mainly greenish} shredded into fun-size narrower strips every day since last weekend. No one's keeled over yet, both in fine form but I'll cut back. Kale, today, is out of favour it seems. Never let the dds get away with being this fussy...The furry girls won't eat the tops of broccoli, only the stalk. If it is cut up into soldiers, not sliced into rings. Grapes? Good idea. But I'm not peeling the buggers!

ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 08/05/2015 10:40

What brand of nuggets are you feeding? Some are better than others. Mine are on PAH nuggets right now but I want to switch them over as I've they aren't the best.

FernieB · 08/05/2015 11:15

Mine were always on P@H nuggets but I started mixing in Selective when we acquired Gingerpig as that's what he was on. Both boys happily eat both kinds, so I may switch over to selective entirely once my bag of P@H is gone.

Original poster
Justusemyname · 08/05/2015 11:23

Clippityclop - call yourself a guinea pig mummy and yet you won't peel grapes?! Grin

Toads - mine are on pets at home nuggets as we got them from their adoption bit and therefore they fed them their nuggets.

OP posts:
lemonyone · 08/05/2015 12:51

@Clippityclop - Grin at guinnea pig angst.

Should I have to peel their grapes? What are they? Roman gods?!!
Send over any broccoli florets this way - mine are addicted.

They are sweet little dictators though, aren't they?

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 08/05/2015 14:25

My rodenty ones have Burgess Excell with the occasional treat of Fruity Nuggets (they smell of banana and I suspect they're sweeter than Burgess but I won't put my theory to the test by sampling them Wink )

I don't peel their grapes but I do cutted up their fruit (mainly to check for seeds/pips but also to make sure that one doesn't hoist an entire strawberry out of the bowl and run off with it. Four small bits to share rather than one whole one. They are worse than children )

Pigs shouldn't have onions or anything from a bulb ( an leeks are layered like a bulb so I wouldn't give them).
Years ago, Evil Edna (pig I had as a teenager) broke into the cupboard and ate all the brown papery skin from onions. She didn't go with rules. Not for Edna.

Original poster
Justusemyname · 08/05/2015 18:59

I'm going shopping tomorrow.

Cardboard carry box - piggie one has chewed too big a hole in it to be safe.
Chew toys - they've chewed it in half and wrecked it s bit.
Snacks - just because.
New bedding stuff - piggie guru says sawdust is bad.

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 08/05/2015 19:21

Sawdust and woodshavings aren't good for guineas.

I bought Megazorb (equine bedding) and used Ecobale over winter (chopped cardboard, equine bedding)
A lot of beddings are scented though which piggies don't need (and not good for their respiratory systems)

Anyone use CAREFRESH ? In P@H, smallish bags to try, then you could buy online?

Original poster
Justusemyname · 08/05/2015 19:32

I'll look tomorrow. Currently cleaning them out every other day but don't buy many newspapers and have run out today.

OP posts:
ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 08/05/2015 21:59

I use Carefresh for my hamster cage. I use the confetti one rather than the regular one. I know some people think it is dusty but I've never found it to be dusty at all. She doesn't seem to get as smelly on carefresh as she does on woodshavings so I like it. It's also pretty because of all the colours.

I think it would be pretty expensive to use for my piggies though. Right now my piggies are on a mixture of both fleece and cosi n dri bedding. I use the fleece for the main part of the hutch and the cosi n dri for the sleeping part with lots of hay. So far it's working. And I also like the fact I have bought lots of pretty fleece with different patterns on Smile.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 08/05/2015 22:37

GP1 used to sleep on a Tatty Teddy fleece ( for shame ) Blush

There's a photo on my GP6 thread of the three pigs on a rabbit pattern fleece. They were Eh? Rabbits? What fresh hell is this, Mother ?

Fleece needs to be brushed well before washing (and I put it in a pillowcase tied with string) and wash in Ecover.

I have a confetti cut shredder to make bedding. I tried kitchen towel once (read it on a Pig Forum) I had to sandwich it between newspaper, that was an hour of my life I won't get back.

Original poster
Justusemyname · 09/05/2015 13:07

DH didn't want to buy the care fresh as very expensive in PAH. I tried fleece blankets with my late piggies and they were impossible to get clean and I'm not sure weren't good for the washer when hay was all over them.

I really don't want to use sawdust so will think of something else or just buy the care fresh and not tell DH.

OP posts:
tadpole39 · 09/05/2015 15:53

I use newspaper, I pick up the evening standard from the station, there are always loads left and I only get a few strange looks as I saunter away with a bagful!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 09/05/2015 15:59

I take the newspapers too tadpole

Free ones through the door
Ones from supermarket and shopping centres
And on the train..........I go up Larndan once a month (Post Grad Study) with a huge bag and get the "Bag Lady" vibes as I wander down the train at 10pm scooping them off the seats (they go in the bin otherwise)

My guineas have alot of Pre-Election news to read (aka pee on) from Wednesday. Photos of Boris J are an added bonus Wink