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Post by teddypig on Mar 23, 2008 16:33:37 GMT
Does everyone have a weekly vegetable shopping list for their piggies? Or do you just buy whatever you fancy at the time?
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Post by eppingstrider on Mar 23, 2008 18:13:34 GMT
I do what I do for myself, i.e. what's in season, what's relatively cheap (or good value). I then make sure I have enough in there for the pigs (sometimes I think I choose for the pigs then add for me). So usually carrots, either cauliflower or broccoli, some sort of leafy veg e.g. lettuce or celery or herbs if they're on offer (those packets are way too expensive). In winter I'll get other root veggies for me so the boys will have slices or peelings of celeriac, sweet potato if I'm having it (they dont like parsnip). If I'm buying a leafy veg like spinach, chard etc, they'll usually share. If they're really lucky I'll splash out on carrots with greens on I'm trying to grow a lot of this stuff this year, for the first time. (i.e a lot for the first time, I've always done things like tomatoes, courgettes and runner beans). I don't think they'll mind if the carrots are misshapen or have holes in (or are tiny if they've got leaf) - I don't think they've read the EU rules Do you have access to your own grass (so you know what's been on it)? A pick of grass a day gives them lots of greens at no cost. And helps with the mowing....
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Post by teddypig on Mar 23, 2008 20:11:55 GMT
Yes we have a little garden so they can graze outside, and I can pick them grass to have in their cage. I am also growing grass in seed trays to have in their cage sometimes.
I shamefully admit I don't eat as much veg as I should - peas, carrots and potatoes, and sometimes sweetcorn is as much as I have normally. I think getting the piggies will make me start eating more healthily again as I'll have to buy more things for them!
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Post by PigPog on Mar 24, 2008 18:16:49 GMT
One thing I always do when in the supermarket is get a balance between vitamin c rich veg and normal veg. I try to give them one vitamin c rich veg and one normal veg per day, as my pigs each have two pieces of veg at dinner time. The other thing is I'm careful when buying things like cabbage that can be gassy. I try to make sure I don't buy too much gassy veg for that week! I do find myself referring to my own article sometimes too!
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Post by Hugs-Cavies (Doris) on Mar 24, 2008 18:55:22 GMT
We tend to buy the same things every week, but there are the occasional seasonal differences. We get our cellery and parsley from a little turkish supermarket. The Cellery is huge and comes with the leaves left on - Emma will verify this! The pigs love it, and its reasonably priced too.
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Post by 2piggiesforme on Mar 25, 2008 13:35:33 GMT
thank you so much for the tips i gave my guinea pigs some carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and cucumber today the black and white one loved it bit scared about the tri coloured one never see him eat.
jackie
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Post by eppingstrider on Mar 25, 2008 14:15:54 GMT
I hardly ever see George drink, but Fred's a really thirsty boy, so I expect they'll sort themselves out ok. Just keep an eye on them and they'll soon come round. I've just reread this thread and picked up the message about celery and beetroot leaves. That's why my boys turned their noses up at beetroot leaves then. I thought I'd read they were ok in moderation? Talking of turning their noses up: 1) I came back from the post office at lunchtime to the usual wheek of where's our grass (they had some for elevenses), so gave them a cauliflower leaf. Fred actually sniffed it, turned his nose up, gave me a very dirty look and shuffled off. 2) When I first got them, I got those herb treat sticks, the nettle ones, but they didn't like that and left it. I dug the last one out of its wrapping this morning and tried again (you can tell I'm short of veg today) and Fred decided it was a delicacy that he'd keep all to himself! Am I being too tolerant of their tastes and letting them get spoilt? Reason for Editing: added a bit
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Post by Hugs-Cavies (Doris) on Mar 25, 2008 19:51:55 GMT
I always try veg a couple of times before I give up, they might not like the look of it the first time.
It was like this with greens with one of our rescue guineas. Now he scoffs them all up!
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Post by eppingstrider on Mar 25, 2008 20:00:10 GMT
Mm, come to think of it, I didnt eat mushrooms or carrots till I was 18, and parsnips not till I was about 25 (last year ). So I suppose some things need to be tried a few times. I might go out and pick some nettle tops very carefully while they're young. If the boys don't appreciate them, they'll be excellent on the compost heap! Apparently we can eat them too - a bit like spinach. Not sure I'm ready to try just yet
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Post by PigPog on Mar 26, 2008 0:06:07 GMT
Jackie - I had a sow who didn't eat for a week after we brought her home. Most pigs aren't that extreme but they do take a while before they feel settled enough to eat in full view of you. ES - Spoiling them on veg and grassy treats is okay! As long as they're not getting loads of gassy or fatty veg, keep treating them and you'll be their best friend forever. Beetroot is poisonous I believe. Some of my pigs refuse certain things, and just like humans, they have different tastes so to some extent you have to cater for that. Most of the time though they generally eat what you give them.
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Post by guineapoo on Apr 25, 2008 8:32:30 GMT
Yes, our guineas have their very own shopping list. They get the best stuff, me and Tuk get stuck with ASDA value 8p noodles at the mo as we're a tad on the skint side!
The shopping list consists of...
Lettuce Cucumber Carrots Growing Parsley Growing Basil Peppers Oranges
They dont seem too keen on any part of sweetcorn other than the leaves, and they don't like parsnip, turnip or swede. Tomatoes always remain uneaten (fussy beggars)
If we can afford it, we get them melon as a treat, which disappears within seconds. They also like brocolli and sprouts every now and then.
We never feed Apple - more from paranoia than anything else as we had a piggy (RIP Maklak) who died from a fungal infection caused by the acid attacking the sensitive membrane in his mouth. It was truly awful. Munch is the only one who we know can have apple, and we daren't try it on the rest just in case.
...ooh, they also like the odd bit of banana too.
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Post by eppingstrider on Apr 25, 2008 20:31:47 GMT
Mine usually eat tomatoes, but dont often get them (I dont often buy them, so they have to wait till its the tomato season!). They will take a segment of a normal sized one I'm cutting up for my own use, or a whole (or cut in half cherry one). They sometimes leave it for a midnight feast though. Sometimes they'll eat the outside and then come back for the inside later.
Maybe eating corn depends on how fresh it is - again when in season mine comes pretty much straight from the farm and is the sweetest you can imagine. The boys dont get a chance at anything but the outer wrappers.....they love the tassles.
I've given them some mango skin today - but just after a pick of grass, and I know which they're concentrating on as I type this.....
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Post by eppingstrider on Jun 8, 2008 20:39:41 GMT
..just a little update - they didnt like mango skin, by the way!
I occasionally give a strawberry as a treat but noticed that they ate everything, stalk and all, so when I take the stalks off my strawberries (have to keep some for myself!) I give them the stalks which they love - possibly even more than the fruits! So the other day I decided to try them on a strawberry leaf (I grow strawberries in pots - not ripe yet!). They love strawberry leaves!!
They also enjoyed a fresh beetroot leaf, but they turn their noses up at older ones. They don't like any part of broad beans (leaves, pod, bean), but love leaves and pods of peas.
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Post by Hugs-Cavies (Doris) on Jun 8, 2008 21:03:54 GMT
I think Beetroot leaves are a no no, I will find out for you though.
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Post by lisa on Jun 9, 2008 9:44:08 GMT
Beetroot is absolutely fine but NO leaves or stalks as the leaves are toxic to gps, they have a very high level of folic acid which could cause heart problems Mine love beetroot I just have to remember the next day that their poop is red because of the beetroot not because they are bleeding lol! Mine have a varied diet of veggies and herbs depending what the store has in stock and some times if its on offer with the more expensive items, I try to get various veggies they love all colour peppers, broccoli stems and florets too, carrots, cucumber, parsley, basil, apple, grapes as a treat, parsnip at times ooooo the list is enless. I want to try pak choi as it seems this is a fav with lots of pigs, anyone tried it? Edited to add a bit.
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