I expect that's exactly right. It seems reasonable. And it fits with your motto, "the nose knows", which I strongly approve of!
Only I'm trying to be ultra-careful. And there are a few things piggies like to do that are natural but are not good for them! (E.g. curling up in an airtight space in hot weather.)
Grass and hay are eaten for the fibre, mostly, right? I guess undried grass is not much different in that regard. If I had fresh hay available so easily, I'd want to use it too.
ETA: I meant fresh grass, of course... apparently it's past my bedtime!!
I know alpacas shouldn't have too much grass if it's very young and green, because then the water content is so high that they can't hold enough in their tummies to get the nutrients they need. I can't imagine anything like that happening with piggies, though.
I don't think there is a limit to how much fresh grass guinea pigs can have, as long as you gradually increase the amount as otherwise it does upset their tummies.
Nutritionally, grass is better than hay as it is of course fresh, but it is not as good as pellets which contain all the other vitamins they need. Their wild cousins eat a lot of grass but also many other forages that we don't have access to that provide the additional vitamins that good pellets provide.
However, grass, does not wear down the teeth as well as hay does. No matter how much grass your pigs consume, unlimited good quality hay should always be available to prevent teeth problems. Again, the wild cousins of guinea pigs eat a much larger variety of plant life that wear down the teeth.
Grass is good! Just keep up with the hay and pellets too ^_^
Thanks! So grass doesn't wear down the teeth as well as hay. That's a big deal.
If we give ours unlimited grass, they won't eat hay. At least, at the moment they won't. I could see whether they get bored with the grass. Could also try better hay: until recently we had fantastic rye hay, but at the moment can only get rather coarse Timothy hay which they don't like so much (although BTW it's much better for my wife's asthma).
Sounds like a compromise is in order, which suits me since I can't always give them grass anyway. Any idea how to work out what the best compromise is? Do you think half-half sounds reasonable?
On a different topic, my wife's teaching a course on world Englishes. Any ideas of good literature in a variety of Englishes e.g. Scottish? I've got just one good bit of Scottish so far, from Iain Banks. And what do you mean that's not an appropriate question for this group? :-)
Unlimited Grassjanine8969February 23 2010, 08:43:36 UTC
You don't want to give unlimited grass (which I am sure is pesticid free) instead of hay is that it can cause serious bloat. Unless you have Reglan, probiotics and can massage every 10 minutes if you catch the bloat early and then give critical care, I would only give grass twice a week. I am a proud owner of 40 guineas, 4 gerbils, 2 rats, 1 hammy, 1 bunny and a cat named Ginger. Not a breeder. Good luck and email me with any questions you may have!
Re: Unlimited GrassthalestralFebruary 24 2010, 07:31:00 UTC
Again, that's mostly if it is introduced too quickly. At a gradual increase, nutrition wise, grass is very healthy. But all piggies vary - my Brie, who was prone to gas, could not have much grass.
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Only I'm trying to be ultra-careful. And there are a few things piggies like to do that are natural but are not good for them! (E.g. curling up in an airtight space in hot weather.)
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ETA: I meant fresh grass, of course... apparently it's past my bedtime!!
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I know alpacas shouldn't have too much grass if it's very young and green, because then the water content is so high that they can't hold enough in their tummies to get the nutrients they need. I can't imagine anything like that happening with piggies, though.
Go to bed!
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Nutritionally, grass is better than hay as it is of course fresh, but it is not as good as pellets which contain all the other vitamins they need. Their wild cousins eat a lot of grass but also many other forages that we don't have access to that provide the additional vitamins that good pellets provide.
However, grass, does not wear down the teeth as well as hay does. No matter how much grass your pigs consume, unlimited good quality hay should always be available to prevent teeth problems. Again, the wild cousins of guinea pigs eat a much larger variety of plant life that wear down the teeth.
Grass is good! Just keep up with the hay and pellets too ^_^
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If we give ours unlimited grass, they won't eat hay. At least, at the moment they won't. I could see whether they get bored with the grass. Could also try better hay: until recently we had fantastic rye hay, but at the moment can only get rather coarse Timothy hay which they don't like so much (although BTW it's much better for my wife's asthma).
Sounds like a compromise is in order, which suits me since I can't always give them grass anyway. Any idea how to work out what the best compromise is? Do you think half-half sounds reasonable?
On a different topic, my wife's teaching a course on world Englishes. Any ideas of good literature in a variety of Englishes e.g. Scottish? I've got just one good bit of Scottish so far, from Iain Banks. And what do you mean that's not an appropriate question for this group? :-)
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Perhaps you could feed hay unlimited (always available) and give a handful of grass twice a day?
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