We are what we eat !

1 cup of mixed fruit/veggies per pig per day.

Guinea Pigs need mainly vegetables, they only need a small amount of fruit. An 80/20 split is ideal.

Access to unlimited hay and pellets at all times. Timothy Hay/Orchard Hay/Readigrass are excellent treats too.


Try growing your own herbs/vegetables/hays, it's a cheap alternative and very satisfying. Leave an area of your lawn to "do it's own thing" and you'll find lots of interesting things to give your piggies, all for free too.

VEGETABLES AND SALAD

Artichoke
Asparagus
Bell/sweet peppers - red,green,yellow (not hot or chilli)
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts and stalk leaves
Butternut squash
Celery leaves and stalks chppoed finely
Carrots including tops / leaves (not too many, Vit A content linked to health problems)
Cauliflower stalks
Cabbage
Corn on the cob (strings, leaves & stalks are edible too)
Celery Root / Celeriac
Cucumber
Chicory
Courgette
Garden cress
Green beans
Kale
Lettuce - Romaine, Cos, Lollo Rosso, Lambs Tongue (not iceberg)
Mange tout
Peas in pod
Parsnip
Pumpkin
Pak choi
Rocket
Radishes (if mild)
Spring greens
Spinach (feed in moderation)
Sweet potato
Swede
Water Cress

FRESH HERBS

Basil
Coriander
Dill
Mint
Parsley (curly and flatleaf)
Thyme

FROM THE GARDEN AND HEDGEROW (please make doubly sure you pick the right ones. Wild Flowers of Britain by Roger Phillips is extremely useful for identifying safe wild plants)

Agrimony
Apple tree leaves/branches
Blackberry leaves
Chickweed
Clover
Cow Parsley
Coltsfoot
Dandelion (flower and leaves)
Grass
Groundsel
Hazel branches
Mallow
Pear tree leaves/branches
Plantain
Rasperry leaves
Stinging Nettle
Wild Strawberry (berries and leaves)
Yarrow

FRUIT

Apple (don't over do these, can cause mouth sores)
Apricot
Bananas
Blackberries
Bilberries
Blueberries
Cherries
Cranberries
Cantaloupe Melon
Currants - yellow, red or black (leaves also edible)
Grapes (in moderation, high in sugar)
Grapefruit (caution - sores around lips can develop)
Guava
Gooseberries
Honeydew Melon
Kiwi Fruit
Mango
Nectarine
Orange (caution - sores around lips can develop)
Papaya
Fresh Pineapple
Pear
Plum
Peach
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tomato (sores around mouth can develop; leaves poisonous)
Tangerine / Mandarin (caution - sores around lips can develop)
Watermelon (can cause diarrhea - high water content)

Never feed potatoes, iceberg lettuce or rhubarb. Think "safety" too when gathering wild plants. If in doubt, please leave it out, we don't want poorly tummies. BEWARE - FOXGLOVES KILL.

Remember that we love to chew. Small branches from apple/pear trees or hazel will be most welcome. Make them about 6" long, cut off any spiky bits and ensure they don't have any fungus on them. Leaves will be enjoyed too. We neatly eat all the bark off and it saves us knawing at our hutch interior.

Strive for a balanced diet of fresh foods with as much variety as you can possibly achieve. Too much of one particular food is never a good thing (boring too) and just like people we do have our preferences! We are relying on you to get it right!

PLEASE DO NOT FEED US SHOP BOUGHT TREATS, though they are designed to appeal to piggie owners they are full of chemicals, colourants and sugars that simply are no good for us at all. They are a waste of money too. If you really want to give us treats different hays such as Meadow Hay or Timothy Hay or some freshly grown herbs will be much appreciated and really good for us too.

REMEMBER - HAY, HAY, HAY we should never be without it.