Useful guinea pigs?

ancientmum

Guinea pigs are sweet but can they be useful? Is it ok to use their old bedding in the compost? It is a black plastic Dalek type, I currently put in vegetable waste, teabags, eggshells, coffee grounds and waste paper etc. It tends to be a bit wet as it does not get the sun for much of the day, but is full of worms in the spring and summer. Will the wet straw make it worse and will the droppings compost down? I would be grateful for any advice.

Thanks,

Linda

MrsBartolozzi

Guinea pigs are one of the few pets whose bedding is advised for composting. As they have a wholly vegetarian diet it's perfectly fine to use their poop in the compost bin - it actually contains compost "accelerators" to help break it down. I Found that if the bedding was a bit wet, to add some shredded newspaper or the like to help balance things out.

Guinea pigs are also great little lawn mowers too. If your garden is safe enough you can make a pen for them and they'll eat your grass for you. Just make sure you move the pen around or you'll get bald spots!

wallbash

Have rabbits , all goes on the compost heap .

invisiblecabbage

wallbash wrote: »

Have rabbits , all goes on the compost heap .

even the rabbits?!! :eek:

foreign_correspondent

ancientmum wrote: »

Guinea pigs are sweet but can they be useful?

.. do you know, as I read the first line, my brain assumed you were talking about the eating qualities of guinea pigs..:o and then my next assumption was that the question about 'usefulness' must refer to them being used to keep the lawn short or something, much like a goat (but you would need a lot of guinea pigs!) - however, I see I got entirely the wrong end of the stick :rotfl:... but then I have just been reading the oldstyle board, and if it sits still they will saute it over there!

4li5on

There has been a similar thread in the last few days here

Too much straw will have an adverse effect but rabbit and guinea pig waste products work a treat!

ancientmum

Thank you to everyone that replied. I shall be taking your advice and making lovely compost. May need another bin as for small animals they can sure wee and poop for England.

Foreign Correspondent, I believe that guinea pigs are a delicacy in some parts of the world, or perhaps their owners just get tired of cleaning out all the soggy straw. (phew, holds nose)

Tarry

ancientmum wrote: »

Thank you to everyone that replied. I shall be taking your advice and making lovely compost. May need another bin as for small animals they can sure wee and poop for England.

Foreign Correspondent, I believe that guinea pigs are a delicacy in some parts of the world, or perhaps their owners just get tired of cleaning out all the soggy straw. (phew, holds nose)

yes, they are eaten in Peru I believe, but that tends to be the Cuys, the larger guinea pig.

My cavies are very helpful they ensure that we never have any leftover vegetables and eat the leftovers from any salad we have (not iceberg lettuce though as we don't use that)