Diets for GPs

[MsPepsi]

So vet said one of the boys needs a diet. How do I diet him when he's lardy? Also how much pellets should they be having?

Sorry been having problems posting. I thought Mr lardy had bloat, but vet said it was just that he was overweight. I'm not sure how to cut it down? I have been giving about a tablespoon of pellets per GP a day. They are on supreme selective

Ha, ha, ha. Ive got two lardy boars. No point trying to give them more exercise they just sit there
Mine have half the recommended amount of pellets between them each day. Plus veg and loads of hay.
they get carrot but not too many and treats of apple but again in small amounts.
Still lardy though

Lol at bloat! One of mine comes out of his bed to get food takes it back to bed. Doesnt even come out to poo

Noticed this thread via 'Active'. Thought it was about grandparents.

Or Doctors

One boar is small the other is lardy so I notice the difference. Both run around but Mr chunk doesn't run that fast so is easier to catch he is active though? And just very round and massive

Just how lardy is Mr Chunk? Can you pop him on the kitchen scales and tell us in pounds and ounces please.

I keep an old quality street tin for weighing the pigs. Having said that , I have no clue what their current weights are. I just go by feel - round and squidgy Millie obese, solid chunk Naughty Girl overweight bag of skin and bone Coco.

I can't diet my fattie girls, they would steal Coco's food and she needs all the calories she can get.

I have lardy boars. When I took Scruffypig and Smoothpig (now deceased) to the vets, I was always told they were rather large. The vet would then laugh and tell me they liked larger pigs. Scruffy is still large and his new friend Gingerpig is getting that way, although he's only 3 months old. All that tells me is that salad is not diet food.

I weighed the pigs last night

GP4 (tricolour smooth sow) 2lb 11oz

GP5 (Himmy smooth sow) 2lb 4oz

GP6 (multi colour Teddy boar) 2lb 2oz (he's lost a couple of ounces but he's gone from his single life cage to bonded with the girls. Everytime we look in he's chasing round like Benny Hill )

My guineas insist the vet washes their mouth out with soap for suggesting a guinea-pig should diet

You could try hiding food, put things in looroll tubes, or bags. You can put hay in a paper bag for them to shred.

Ours are losing their winter lard ready for the warmer weather and some intensive grazing

I have a lardy boar who is 2lb13oz. He hates any exercise apart from popcorning at chopping or fridge opening. When he goes in the run he eats all the grass he can reach (he rotates through 360degrees then goes to sleep). His diet is fine, the vet says he is "big boned" and not to worry too much.

My other boar is a more normal size from running around like a lunatic. He absolutely loves sprinting around as fast as his little legs will carry him squeaking all the way. Guinea pigs are so underrated as pets!

Our Dearly Departed GP3 was 3lb at his heaviest adult weight (Rex boar) but he was big all over and solid not flabby.

The 70 hogs are all grazing now, doing some exercise (they say) but I think it's their jaws that are working hardest

They are in a patch of lawn that DH left for them so it's long grass and clover. Very happy pigs.
GP6 keeps flattening himself when I walk by "I'll do a Commando roll and the old bat won't see me"
I flippin' PUT them there. I know they're there

Pellets based around Timothy hay rather than alfalfa are less fattening I believe, but it's a long time since I've owned guineas.

I used to use this fruit/veg info for diet:

Would be helpful if I didn't press "post" at a critical moment

www.guinealynx.info/fave.html

Alfalfa is brilliant for piglets/pg sows/nursing pigs.
It's too high in calcium for 'regular' pigs (and it's blooming £££ and a devil to find to boot )
We bought some when we got GP3 as a pigletty one, but had to keep it away from lardy boar GP1.

I have bought those fancy hay bags (Camomile or Dandelion and Carrot) but they are dry and crispy , my pigs declared them to be forrin muck and had no truck with them.

You would think grass had minimal calories but the majority of grass fed ponies turn porky on lush grazing.

It is very difficult to put pigs on a diet but you could try reducing the sugary stuff such as fruit, carrots etc. really they are eating machines and not bothered about exercise.

Purple - has your lardy boar watched you use the 'mechanical guinea pig' to mow the lawn? If so, he's probably noticed that you move that one round to mow the lawn and can't see why he should have to move himself to do the same job. He's just fighting for equality

fergie! I've just fed them now and the lump's been running around the cage and popcorning (he's not an elegant mover and it is quite comical) so at least that's some exercise I suppose! I can totally relate to his love of eating...