Monday, March 13, 2006

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I've had a few questions about what specific brands I use for different things, so I thought I'd share with y'all ...

Feed:
When I lived in Seattle we got feed from KleenMama's HayLoft. The stuff is amazing. These days Linda (who is a good friend of mine) is manufacturing her own feed. It is reasonably priced and I would pay for it in a heartbeat! but unfortunately shipping is way out of my price range. I go through about 100# of feed a month and shipping that much just isn't an option.

So in North Carolina I feed Blue Seal Cavy Ration. It's good stuff, when supplemented with a good hay.

Hay:
Same story - Linda's got amazing Kentucky Bluegrass hay which I absolutely love. But too much to ship ...

So, believe it or not, the only decent hay I can get is an Alfalfa-Grass mix. The mix seems to be not-too-rich on their little systems and complements the feed really well (my babies and growing youngsters are huge on this combination).

Water:
Nothing special. For the first eight or nine years I had the cavies I supplemented Vitamin C - but not anymore. I find it unnecessary with the fresh feed I get, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend supplementing to others if you have any doubts about the freshness quality of your feed. A lack of C in one bag of feed can go a long way, so along the same lines, if you aren't really familiar with scurvy symptoms and pretty in tune with your herd, I would recommend supplementing.

Other stuff? Really, that's pretty standard. In the past, I have used Calf Manna and 12% Sweet Feed, but as I've gotten more experienced I've decided I really don't like the pigs to have corn and 12% has a lot of corn in it. Calf Manna is a lot of added fat they don't need.

I used to feed a ton of fruits and veggies, too (literally a serving every day to everyone) but I don't anymore. Quite frankly, I can't afford it, but I am also completely and totally satisfied with what I'm doing. If I had any doubts at all about the regimen they're on, I would supplement them with extra veggies, COB, etc., in a heartbeat.

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