peppers and parsley

[TNSWfan80]

which are the best? there's like 4 kinds of peppers and normal Vs. italian parsley......

and does anyone grow there own grass for their pigs? like in a container in doors?

any thoughts?

thanks

[crzy4piggers]

Red Peppers (not the hot stuff just plain red peppers) have the most Vit C in them. Parsely is good however feed in moderation (treat once and a while) it has too much calcium in it and can cause bladder stones or sludge.

I tried growing grass indoors and the pigs loved it however I did not. Little bugs developed from the grass and I had them all over the house. They were relentless so I gave up that indeavour.

I stick to the veggies I can get from the stores and if you go in at the right time you can get bag fulls of the stuff the produce person is throwing away for free! You just have to explain it is not for human consumption and that guinea pigs are going to eat it.

I hope this helps.

[marmilla]

I used to grow parsley for my guinea pigs. They gobbled it up. They also liked my grandpa's alfalfa hay. You could try growning grass in a little green house thing. Just make sure there are some holes in the top of the tray. I never got any bugs when I tried to grow grass, but I also kept mine out on the back porch.

[patnjackmom]

Apples are great for them, too. Variety in fruits in vegetables is a good thing. I alternate between fruits and vegetables everyday with Patrick & Jack. What I do with their vegies during the summer time is make container gardens with some things, like parsley, and peppers. I also grow dill, and tomatoes.

[Spud]

I'm copying this from another board that I am part of. Thanks to shazza in advance for finding it in the first place


HIGH Vitamin C foods:
- Guinea pig pellets with stabilized vitamin C - alfalfa based for youngsters, pregnant & nursing sows, slim or sick pigs; timothy based for healthy, grown, chubby pigs (do not substitute rabbit or chinchilla pellets; avoid mixes with nuts, seeds or coloured bits)

- Parsley - curly or plain (high in calcium)
- Cilantro / Chinese Parsley / Corriander greens
- Celery leaves

- Collard greens
- Mustard greens / Leaf Mustard
- Water Cress
- Garden Cress
- Swiss Chard, Red Chard
- Beet greens
- Spinach (feed in moderation, linked to formation of kidney & bladder stones)
- Carrot tops / leaves
- Peas in pods, Pea Shoots (not dried)

- Dandelion greens
- Grass - wheat, winter rye (grown in pots from seed)

- Kale - curly or plain
- Broccoli, Broccolini (stems are liked better than flowers)
- Broccoli Rabe / Rabe / Rapini
- Cauliflower / Broccoflower
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Red Cabbage
- Tuscan Cabbage / Cavolo Nero
- Savoy Cabbage
- Kohlrabi leaves

- Bell / Sweet Peppers - red, green, yellow (not hot or chile)
- Tomato (sores around mouth can develop; leaves poisonous; artificially grown can be low in vit C)
- Tamarillo (leaves poisonous)

- Orange (caution - sores around lips can develop)
- Tangerine / Mandarin (caution - sores around lips can develop)
- Grapefruit (caution - sores around lips can develop)
- Lemon, Lime (home-grown best, otherwise feed cautiously)
- Cantaloupe Melon
- Honeydew Melon
- Currants - yellow, red or black (leaves also edible)
- Gooseberries
- Strawberries
- Kiwi Fruit
- Mango
- Guava
- Feijoa / Pineapple Guava
- Papaya / Paw Paw / Tree Melon
- Persimmon - american or oriental
- Rosehip


LOW Vitamin C foods:
- Hay - timothy, meadow, alpine and others (must always be available)
- Alfalfa - green or dried (high calcium & calories - good for youngsters, pregnant & nursing sows)

- Romaine Lettuce
- Lettuces - red, green, butter, Boston and other (avoid iceberg)
- Frisee Lettuce
- Arugula / Rocket / Roquette / Rucola
- Green Endive
- Belgian Endive
- Radicchio / Italian Chicory
- Treviso Radicchio
- Salad mix (without iceburg lettuce)
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Anise
- Basil
- Dill
- Mint
- Thyme
- Chives (caution, feed in moderation)
- Green Onion tops (caution, feed in moderation)
- Green Leek tops (caution, feed in moderation)
- Sweet Onions (caution, feed in moderation)
- Celery stalks (cut into small pieces)
- Corn on the cob (strings, leaves & stalks are edible too)
- Bean Sprouts
- Green Beans in pods / String Beans (not dried)

- Carrots (feed in moderation, vit A in carrots said to cause liver problems)
- Yam / Sweet Potato (high in vit A? - leaves edible)
- Beets
- Celery Root / Celeriac
- Kohlrabi bulbs
- Radishes (if mild)
- Turnip
- Parsnip
- Rutabaga (aka Swede)
- Parsley root

- Cucumber (fresh only, not pickled)
- Squash - acorn, banana, butterhorn, spagetti, and others (feed in moderation)
- Zucchini
- Pumpkin

- Pineapple - fresh (sores around lips & mouth can develop)
- Apple (avoid seeds; if too tart, sores around lips & mouth can develop)
- Crabapple
- Pear
- Asian Pear
- Plum, Prune (dried high in sugar - as treat only)
- Nectarine
- Apricot
- Peach
- Cherries (remove pits)
- Cranberries (whole fruit, not concentrate or juice)
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Bilberries
- Blueberries
- Watermelon (can cause diarrhea - high water content)
- Banana (feed in great moderation - can cause constipation)
- Passion Fruit / Granadilla
- Grapes (in moderation, high in sugar)
- Figs (dried high in sugar - as treat only)
- Dates (dried high in sugar)


EDIBLE wild grasses, plants and herbs:
(make sure you know what you are picking! be sure to pick from places free of contaminants such as pesticides , exhaust fumes or animal urine ; pick plants that are healthy looking, without insect damage, fungus spots, breakage, or wilting)

- Grass (common grasses are edible, avoid ornamental grasses)
- Clover (Trifollium repens or Trifolium pratense)
- Dandelion (Teraxacum officinale) - pick leaves, stems, flowers (even root OK)


- Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
- Blackberry leaves (Rubus plicatus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - leaves and flowers
- Caraway (Carum carvi)
- Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)
- Chickweed (Stellaria media)
- Cleavers / Stickyweed / Goosegrass / Bedstraw (Galium aparine)
- Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
- Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaeae) - berries, leaves in moderation
- Cow Parsley (Anthiscus sylvestris)
- Dog Rose (Rosa canina) - ripe fruits
- Duckweed (Lemna minor) - aquatic
- Fennel (Foeniculum capillaceum)
- Field Violet / Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)
- Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
- Lemon Mint / Melissa (Melissa officinalis)
- Linden / Lime Tree (Tilia cordata or Tilia platyphyllos) - flowers with pale yellow leaflets
- Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
- Pepermint (Mentha piperita)
- Plantain (Plantago major or Plantago lanceolata)
- Raspberry leaves (Rubus idaeus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
- Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
- Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
- Silverweed (Potentilla anserina)
- Vetch (Vicia x)
- Yarrow (Achllea millefolium)
- Whortleberry / Heidelberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) - berries, leaves in moderation
- Wild Chamomile (Matricaria chammomilla)
- Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) - berries and leaves

[TNSWfan80]

<avoid mixes with nuts, seeds or coloured bits>

but those are his favorite, the colored bits! (and he avoids pellets!) lol ..why is hagrid so "weird"?!

thanks for the list and for everyones input! helps alot!

[crzy4piggers]

He's not weird. I put it this way to people, if you were to give a child a choice of peas or cheetos what will the child eat? Most children will eat the cheetos. The colorful bits are like cheetos and the pellets the peas. He is being a normal child, that is why my herd only gets "peas".

[Spud]

Yeah, my piggies were picky like that with their mixes, so I just switched them on to a complete pellet food, so that every pellet has everything that they need in it. That way, they can't be selective feeders because everythings the same, and after they've scoffed all of the veg, it's either that or nothing.

[TNSWfan80]

lol good solid point...

[Linda Lee]

Oh gosh, don't think I'd have the patience to wait for grass to grow in my house, and then it would be gone 1 2 3...!
I feed a lot of bell peppers, when on sale I buy the red and yellow bells. Most the piggies eat them but a few won't- like fussy ones that I take from people who no longer want them.
I use to buy parsley but it doesn't last long and too expensive when you have mulitiple piglets to feed.

[TNSWfan80]

sorry for the resurected topic, but have any of you fed your pigs basil, mint, thyme or dill? and is it ok for them to have regularly ...as wanted? on that list on here it didn't say there were any bad fx from these, but...just thought i'd re-check...am starting an herb garden and wanted to make sure it was pig friendly!

[Spud]

I don't know... but how weird! Earlier today I looked up this topic to make out a shopping list

[crzy4piggers]

From what I have seen Dill is listed on a safe for pig site, I didn't see the others. I have parsley, lots and lots of parsley started for my pigs.

[TNSWfan80]

lol, yeah, i look at the list for shopping too!

[Cavy Boar]

Quote: Originally Posted by TNSWfan80 sorry for the resurected topic, but have any of you fed your pigs basil, mint, thyme or dill? and is it ok for them to have regularly ...as wanted? on that list on here it didn't say there were any bad fx from these, but...just thought i'd re-check...am starting an herb garden and wanted to make sure it was pig friendly!

That happens to basil
Well they love it, but don't get it too often



Finish!!!


BTW this is Mickey's predecessor, King Lui.
Rest peacefully on the rainbow meadow, old boy.

We feed herbs like basil, mint, balm, lemon balm and so on in small amounts