When your cavy is at least 6 months old, feed about 1/8 cup of Timothy-based guinea pig pellets per day, along with a generous amount of hay (premium, quality hay should make up 80% of your cavy's diet). Don't forget to include fresh veggies as part

<hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>How much of the Guinea Pig food pellets should I feed my cavy?</summary>When your cavy is at least 6 months old, feed about 1/8 cup of Timothy-based guinea pig pellets per day, along with a generous amount of hay (premium, quality hay should make up 80% of your cavy&apos;s diet). Don&apos;t forget to include fresh veggies as part of their diet too. It&apos;s essential to consult with your exotic vet for the best plan for you and your animal.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>Where can I enter my guinea pig&apos;s birthday in my account?</summary>We aren&apos;t able to store pet birthdays in customer accounts. We hope to add this feature in the near future!</details><hr>

Guinea Pigs

My rabbit is older. Do I need to do anything special?We’ve got a great free ebook all about Elderbuns right here. What hay should I feed my new baby bunny?Your new bun should get plenty of alfalfa for at least their first six or seven months of life.

My rabbit is older. Do I need to do anything special? We&#x2019;ve got a great free ebook all about Elderbuns right here.<hr data-start="354" data-end="357">What hay should I feed my new baby bunny? Your new bun should get plenty of alfalfa for at least their first six or seven months of life. During this time, it isn&#x2019;t necessary to add in other types of hay, as little ones need the extra protein and nutrients that alfalfa provides.Between seven months and a year, you can start mixing in orchard, timothy, and oat hays while gradually decreasing alfalfa. This helps with the transition to a predominantly 2nd cut Timothy diet, or whatever hay works best for you and your bun.As far as pellets are concerned, young rabbits do need alfalfa-based pellets. Once they reach about seven months, they can transition to adult pellets that are timothy-based.At about 12 weeks of age, you can slowly begin introducing vegetables into your bun&#x2019;s diet, one at a time, to make sure everything agrees with them.<hr data-start="1218" data-end="1221">Should rabbits eat alfalfa? Pets over a year of age should only be fed alfalfa as an occasional treat, as it&#x2019;s very nutrient-rich. Some buns may have a harder time transitioning away from alfalfa since it tends to be very appealing.You can try mixing alfalfa with 2nd cut Timothy hay and gradually reduce the alfalfa over time. If your rabbit needs something softer, 3rd cut Timothy can be a helpful option. We also recommend a timothy hay-based pellet for adult rabbits.When in doubt, your exotic veterinarian is always the best resource since they know your pet&#x2019;s specific needs.<hr data-start="1816" data-end="1819">Where can I enter my rabbit&#x2019;s birthday in my account? We aren&#x2019;t able to store pet birthdays in customer accounts at this time, though we hope to add this feature in the future. Our Birthday cake product page has a spot to add your little one&apos;s birth or Gotcha date.<hr data-start="2005" data-end="2008">What should I do if my rabbit is showing signs of GI stasis? GI stasis is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that requires urgent attention.Signs to watch for include not eating or refusing food, low energy or unusual stillness, and small, misshapen, or no droppings.If you notice any of these signs, contact an exotic or emergency veterinarian immediately.A veterinarian can check for blockages, provide fluids and pain relief, and support feeding if needed.If you&#x2019;re unable to get to a vet right away, you can take a few supportive steps. Keep your rabbit warm and comfortable, monitor their condition closely, and encourage eating such as leafy greens or pellets if they&#x2019;re willing.These measures are only temporary and are not a substitute for veterinary care.Helpful resources: <a data-start="2831" data-end="2883" rel="noopener" target="_new" href="https://rabbit.org/health/rabbit-health-emergencies/">https://rabbit.org/health/rabbit-health-emergencies/</a> <a data-start="2886" data-end="2920" rel="noopener" target="_new" href="https://rabbit.org/care/gi-stasis/">https://rabbit.org/care/gi-stasis/</a>If this concern is related to a delayed or incorrect hay order, please reach out to us and we&#x2019;ll work quickly to help.

Rabbits

For the best freshness, we recommend using our feed within 3–4 months of purchase. Think of it this way: the pellets are the healthy entrée, and the botanicals and seeds are dessert. Your hens might reach for dessert first, but they'll come around to

<hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>How long can I store and use your feed?</summary>For the best freshness, we recommend using our feed within 3&#x2013;4 months of purchase.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>Why won&apos;t my chickens eat the pellets?</summary>Think of it this way: the pellets are the healthy entr&#xE9;e, and the botanicals and seeds are dessert. Your hens might reach for dessert first, but they&apos;ll come around to the pellets &#x2014; that&apos;s where most of the nutrition is. A little patience goes a long way!</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>What&apos;s the niacin level in your Chicken Layer Feed, and is it enough for ducks?</summary>Yes! There&apos;s about 120 mg of niacin per pound in our Layer Feed &#x2014; plenty for ducks and other poultry.Curious about the details? Read more about <a href="https://help.smallpetselect.com/en-US/niacin-levels-in-our-layer-feed-395401">niacin levels in our layer feed</a>.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>Can I sprout or ferment your feed?</summary>Yes, you can. We&apos;d recommend checking with your avian vet before changing your flock&apos;s diet, since they know your birds best.If you&apos;d like to try it, our Sustainable Scratch or Garden Goodness Layer Feed both work well for fermenting. It takes 3&#x2013;4 days, and should be fed to your flock within 24 hours once ready, or it will go sour.For step-by-step tips and recipes, check out our <a href="http://smallpetselect.com/pros-and-cons-of-fermenting-chicken-feed">blog</a> on fermenting chicken feed.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>Does your starter feed include pro- and prebiotics?</summary>Yes! Our starter feed includes prebiotics, probiotics, and natural enzymes to support healthy digestion, along with beneficial bacteria. We also add yucca root, which helps absorb ammonia and support your chicks&apos; respiratory health.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>What size is your chick starter, and do I need to make it into a mash?</summary>Our chick starter comes in 1/8&#x201D; pellets, cut short &#x2014; a size we&apos;ve refined with customer feedback over the years. It&apos;s gentle enough for tiny chicks and won&apos;t create dust, though some owners like to crush it slightly for the first couple of days.You&apos;re welcome to make it into a wet mash if you prefer, but it isn&apos;t necessary &#x2014; our chick bits are designed to be dust-free and easy to eat as-is either way.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>Isn&#x2019;t fish meal a controversial ingredient?</summary>Not with ours! Our fish meal comes from sustainably wild-caught fish sourced off Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, and it&apos;s preserved naturally with vitamin E and rosemary oil rather than ethoxyquin.Fish meal earns its bad reputation when it&apos;s not sustainably caught, comes from poorly-fed farmed fish, is sourced from polluted waters, or includes lower-quality additives &#x2014; none of which apply here.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>Is the wheat in your Layer Feed free of glyphosate (Roundup&#xAE;)?</summary>Yes &#x2014; our wheat is completely glyphosate-free. We source it directly from a Pacific Northwest farm that grows it for human food, not as feed-grade wheat, so you can count on higher-quality ingredients throughout.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>What&#x2019;s the difference between feed and scratch, and why do I need both?</summary>Feed makes up the bulk of a healthy chicken diet and is built from cracked corn and other grains.Scratch is a fun treat &#x2014; tasty, but not especially nutritious, so it&apos;s best offered occasionally. It does double duty by encouraging your flock to scratch through their litter, which helps keep their coop cleaner.For more on feeding basics, check out Fresh Eggs Daily and our Chicken blog.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>When do I switch feeds from starter to grower to layer?</summary>Starter (1&#x2013;8 weeks): About 20% protein to support rapid early growth.Grower (8&#x2013;18 weeks): About 18% protein as growth slows.Layer (18+ weeks): 15&#x2013;18% protein, depending on the product.Every flock develops at its own pace, so watch for signs your birds are ready to move to the next stage rather than switching by the calendar alone.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>Why do my chickens need oyster shell if there&apos;s already calcium in the feed?</summary>Once your hens start laying, feed alone often isn&apos;t enough. Most hens begin laying around 20&#x2013;21 weeks, so we recommend introducing oyster shell around 18 weeks to help them prepare.Oyster shell provides the calcium hens need to form strong eggshells. Without enough of it, their bodies will start pulling calcium from their bones, which can eventually slow or stop egg production.</details><hr><details style="line-height: 2;"><summary>How much grit and oyster shell should I offer my chickens?</summary>Both should be available at all times.Grit stays in the gizzard and helps break down food, since chickens don&apos;t have teeth. Oyster shell dissolves in the gut and provides calcium &#x2014; hens are good at self-regulating how much they need, so it&apos;s safe to offer it freely.</details><hr> Have more questions about your feathered friends? Browse our <a href="https://help.smallpetselect.com/en-US/general-questions-396057">General Questions</a> FAQ.

Chickens

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