The Importance of Eating Hay

Hay should make up about 80% of a guinea pigs diet.

Hay is essential to make our piggy toothies "work", because they are constantly growing our toothies need to be worn down to prevent them over growing, because hay is tough and requires lots of chewing it wears toothies down nicely.

The Guineapigalopaedia recommends that hay should be at least 3 months old to allow for drying yet still slightly green, me has no idea how you tell how old your hay is.

Hay should be dry and free from dust and mould and fresh smelling.

Hay should be stored in a cool dry place off the floor, Mummy keeps ours in the garage.

The indigestible fibres in hay help keep your tummy working properly (Mummy says the human equivalent would be something like All Bran)

The best hays for eating are Timothy hay and Meadow hay.

For young, pregnant, nursing or ill piggies Alfalfa hay can be helpful. This should not be fed to healthy adult piggies due to high calcium and protein content. Small quanties as a supplement should be ok but not as main food.

The best hay for bedding is soft hay as opposed to stalky hay which can poke you.

Green hay has more minerals and Vitamin A and E.

Brown hay has more Vitamin D from being in sun longer but has less good stuff in it.

Check out Galens Garden Hay section for lots of information.

The Really Useful Food Links Page

Me has started a new section the guinea pig good food guide, this is going to take me a while to research and taste test of course so me is starting with sharing links.

Here are some really useful links about guinea pig foods

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition/22156-read-me-guinea-pig-nutrition-charts-poisonous-plants-list.html

http://www.store2go.net/shop/planetguinea/ratewatchersrainbowdiet.pdf

http://community.livejournal.com/cavy_lovers/5536.html

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=37030

http://www.galensgarden.co.uk/

http://www.britishleafysalads.co.uk/know/leaf-guide.shtml

All About Hay

As every good guinea pig knows hay is the must have essential for every cage/ hutch.

Hay has many uses, it is essential for keeping teeth worn down (remember guinea pig teeth grow constantly) the fibre helps keep your digestive system working properly (no soft or hard poops thank you very much)

Hay is also a good plaything, it can make a tunnel, a nest a castle anything you want and can imagine really, it can help keep you warm in winter and when you want to nap you can hide under the hay from the annoying humans.

I have 2 types of hay (me special you know) I have meadow hay to use for bedding and playing and burgess excel herbage timothy hay for eating (dont tell mummy but I eat the meadow hay as well heehee)

Make sure your humans know to provide you as much fresh hay as you can eat and some spare to play in, and make sure they dont get confused with hay and straw, straw can hurt guinea pigs if it pokes them in the eye, hay is much softer.

Well I am off to play king of the castle in my hay.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeek

Good Source for Vitamin C

Here is a list of good sources for Vitamin C with a unique Fugly rating, if I am missing any let me know and I will get the humans onto it at once!!

Beetroot (super yummy)
Broccoli (ok but only occasionaly)
Cabbage (ok but too much can cause gas not good on a date)
Carrots (yummy especialy with the green tops attached)
Cauliflower (only if I have nothing else to eat)
Celery (yummy especially leafy bits, make sure humans chop it small)
Cucumber (nearly yummy like middle bit best)
Green Beans (ok if nothing else on offer)
Lettuce (super yummy especially romaine, not too much as laudanum makes you sleep)
Parsley (yum)
Sweet peppers (super yummy especially the red ones)
Tomatos (yummy but messy not too many due to acidity)
Apples (ok not too much due to acidity)
Banana (yuck me not like, does anypig like?)
Melon (yummy but have to share with mummy not fair)
Blueberries (yummy a few at a time)
Oranges (ok again just a bit due to acidity)
GRASS (super yummy fresh has more vitamin C but dried still has some)

Parsley Bells

Never heard of a parsley bell ,check it out its the bottom of the page
http://www.pamperedpiggies.co.uk/products.php?cat=18

Where to put your parsley bell: mine hangs from the metal bars at the back of my cage in the centre.

How to eat your parsley bell: stand on the bars and nibble away, stand on your back legs and yank it, or put front paws on the bell while you eat it, dont eat your feet!!!

How to make sure your humans know when your bell has run out: I find cuteness works wait until mummy or daddy are watching you (no point doing this if no one is looking) then stand up on the bars like you are going to eat the bell, look confused when there is no bell there to eat (this is the key part you need to look really sad so they feel guilty heehee)

Keep repeating until new bell arrives