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First time guinea pig owner

8 replies

987flowers · 17/08/2015 17:19

What would your tips be for a new owner? We have a double decker hutch and a large run with a hide house in for them. Are there any major things which would help them settle in?

I know so far that they need a lot of hay, they aren't good at absorbing vit C and they need things to keep them amused!

OP posts:
123rd · 17/08/2015 17:26

Handle them little and often. Make sure there is. Place for them
To hide in the hutch. They like feeling protected. We fed ours nuggets as opposed to the muesli style food so they get all of, and pick and chose the best bits of "muesli"
They like things to nibble, small cardboard , tubes. Etc.
They are lovely. Grin

987flowers · 17/08/2015 19:10

My two girls are so excited that they are pretend playing looking after the guinea pigs!

Glad you said about the pellet food as I picked a bag of that up today.

I think I need to watch my girls so they don't handle them too much but handle them enough.

Thank you :)

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/08/2015 20:44

Get a routine for feeding and cleaning (supervised) or you'll end up doing it all yourself, which you might be okay with. I do the night-time bed change and morning feed and "hello".
DD and I share the evening supper feed and the big clean.

Guinea pigs are lovely, chatty,greedy,vunerable little rodents. They aren't athletic (I've never had any luck with my DDs pigs climbing ramps, so we're all on ground level now)
They are tolerant (but don't believe these adverts which say "they never bite" of course they can if provoked. They have those teeth for a reason, but it is rare , and usually if they do bite there's a good reason)

They are messy (especially sows) we have 2 adult sows and an adult neutered boar, all Rescue. They create so much pee/pooh. That food goes in, it comes out Grin

They thrive on routine, if you are late feeding them, they let you know.
Don't expect too much from them in the beginning. It takes a while but they'll settle. Wrap them in a towel to begin with for security and the inevitable wee.

Are you planning on sows or boars?
And have you decided where to get them?

There are loads of threads on here about food they like, food to avoid.
There is no Holy Grail of Bedding Grin you will find what suits you and your pigs.
Read up on their health issues. They don't cope with damp or draughts or direct sun.
They cannot vomit. There are several garden plants (buttercups,daisies,bulbs) that will poison them.
They need protecting from predators if they are outside. Foxes,cats,dogs,birds of prey will all try to pick them off if they can.
Enjoy them and we want 'pigtures' Wink

987flowers · 17/08/2015 22:52

Oh goodness I didn't know about daisies. I'm not sure we've got anywhere on our lawn without them.

We are looking at a pair of sows on Wednesday. They are 10 weeks old and the breeder has the parents for us to view too.

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sanfairyanne · 18/08/2015 08:31

all mine just nibble round the daisies and buttercups, my lawn is now overrun with them as the gpigs carefully mow the grass round them Grin

Buttercup27 · 18/08/2015 08:34

My piggies seem to know what's not good for them and leave them well alone. Unfortunately mine are athletic and will happily climb into plant pots to eat herbs and up steps to find the nice plans I've tried to raise out of reach.

987flowers · 18/08/2015 09:18

I watched a video clip from Wood Green where they suggest herb planters in the run so the piggies can nibble on them!

With the garden I think I'll try and dig out as many as possible initially and then see how they are.

Thanks

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Buttercup27 · 18/08/2015 12:55

I planted a lovely herb harden for them thinking they would nibble at them occasionally. I planted 6 large plants. After 3 days not even stalks remained !

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