What is the best diet for guinea pigs?
I have a different view of proper nutrition than much of what you are reading here. It is supported by 40+ years of raising guinea pigs which routinely reach a proper adult weight, hold a healthy body condition and produce healthy litters. Proper nutrition means providing all the good quality 18% protein guinea pig chow with vitamin C but without seeds, nuts, crunchy bits or colored garbage, all the good quality fresh grass hay and all the water your guinea pigs want. They should also be getting a moderate amount of fresh greens. Timothy based pellets (14% protein) simply do not provide adequate protein for growing pigs. It is only appropriate for adults which are at minimum 9-12 months and which are having a tendency towards being overweight or having kidney problems. No matter what you read, a good quality pellet provides everything a guinea pig needs to survive and be healthy. The proof of this is that laboratory colonies are routinely raised on Purina 5025 lab chow and water alone
