As most piggy parents would know, guinea pigs LOVEEEEE their food! Fortunately for our hungry little critters there is a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits that can be added to their diet for diverse colours, textures and flavours to keep their palate satisfied. 

What should my guinea pigs DAILY diet consist of? 

🐹 Hay or grass is the single MOST IMPORTANT part of a guinea pigs food diet, and should make up about 80%+ of their total daily intake. Good quality, long strands of hay such as Timothy, Oaten, Meadow and Pasture hay are the most common types available in Australia for daily feeding. 

🐹 Good quality, uniform pellets with a high vitamin C content such as Burgess Guinea Pig Pellets are a great choice to help supplement their diet and increase their daily vitamin C intake. We recommend AVOIDING muesli type mixes, as this can promote 'selective feeding' where guinea pigs will pick and choose what part of the pellet they will eat and leave - resulting in an unbalanced diet and nutritional deficiencies. Read more about our Top Pellet Picks here where we have compared and analysed some of the most common pellets on the market today. 

🐹 Fresh fruits and vegetables. This is where a lot of our piggies favourite snacks and variety comes into play. There are so many different fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs that are safe for guinea pigs, however depending on their nutritional content, some should be offered more frequently and more occasionally than others. 

How much should I feed my guinea pigs per day? 

HAY: Guinea pigs should have access to fresh hay 24/7 - there is NO LIMIT for how much hay they can be offered per day. 

PELLETS: The exact amount recommended will depend on the brand of pellets you choose to feed, and we recommend following the guide on the back of the bag. Burgess Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets for example, recommends 45g-60g per day depending on the size of the guinea pig. 

 VEGETABLES: Each guinea pig should be offered about 1 cup of fresh vegetables per day. 

FRUIT: Due to their high sugar content fresh fruit should be fed in moderation, about twice per week as a treat. 

What vegetables can be fed daily? 

🌿Capsicum - all colours. (Red capsicum is highest in Vitamin C)

🌿Choko (high in Vitamin C)

🌿Cucumber 

🌿Zucchini 

🌿Lettuce (all types EXCEPT iceburg)

What vegetables can be fed in moderation (2-3 times a week)

🥕Asian Greens (Bok choy, pak choy, choy sum)

🥕 Asparagus 

🥕 Broccoli (may cause gas)

🥕 Brussel sprouts (may cause gas and bloating)

🥕 Carrots and carrot tops 

🥕Cabbage (may cause bloating)

🥕 Cauliflower 

🥕 Celery 

🥕 Chicory / Endive 

🥕 Corn including kernels, leaves and silk

🥕 Green beans 

🥕 Pumpkin 

🥕 Radish 

🥕 Tomatoes (Do NOT feed stems or leaves)

What vegetables should be fed sparingly? (Once a week or less)

🍍Beets 

🍍 Kale (high in calcium)

🍍 Parsley (high in Calcium)

🍍 Pumpkin 

🍍 Silverbeet (high in calcium)

🍍 Spinach (high in calcium)

🍍 Sweet potato 

🍍 Turnip (high in oxalates)

What vegetables should BE AVOIDED

Read more about toxic foods for guinea pigs here: 

🌶 Potatoes

🌶 Onions 

🌶 Chives 

🌶 Spring onions 

🌶 Rhubarb

🌶 Garlic 

🌶 Mushrooms 

🌶 Honey 

🌶 Rice 

🌶 Nuts 

🌶 Iceburg lettuce (can cause diarrhoea)