[Gpdd] (CARE) Corn, cranberry juice, strawberries, lemons

[Sandra Oliver-Poore]

 Hi Gang, lots a questions about foods for nwebies lately so heres my
offering.
The Penny Giggles enjoy all parts of the corn, raw of course, including the
silks, although I do remove the yucky brown stuff.  The one thing to
remember is to be careful to wash parts usually discarded for human
consumption as there maybe excess perticides.

Also I came across a report of a study on cranberry juice preventing /
curing UTI's that you may find interesting.  It said that cranberry juice
reduces UTI's in humans by a large percent if taken daily  (or I read
frequently)  but it doesn't cure one in progress (although there may be some
some benefits during.), If you can afford it all buy the unsweetened 100%
cranberry juice from the health food isle.  Freeze it in ice cubes and
defrost one at a time.

I love to invite the penny giggles to share strawberries with us.  We pinch
off the tops of ours and pitch them into the piggy pens where they are
greeted with wheeks of delight.They get some whole ones too.

Some of my piggies like lemons too.  I scrub all citrus fruit really well to
rmove pesticides well as they often eat the rind. I dont hesitate to feed
celery tops and stalks although they are cut in pieces no longer than 1 inch
which probably cuts the strings enough.

courgettes are (french) zuchinni

I agree with Judi about potatoes, I don't believe in feeding high calories
or very starch foods to g pigs.  Except bananas and oatmeal for sick or thin
piggies.  Except Willie who demands bananas, I let him have a little. The
green parts in potato skins are poisonous to piggies and people.

I don't give very much sweet fruits as well. Remeber gpigs are prone to
diabetes.  The bulk of fresh food should be high fiber low cal veggies.
Piggies are born to eat and eat and eat all day long.  This is why low cal
fibrous stuff is best.  Hay all day.  Also high protein foods are too rich
for piggies.and will wear out their kidneies.  Avoid nuts seeds, yggurt,
grains, cooked foos cheese etc.

Another important point for piggies.  Make sure to train them to eat from
spoons and syringes now while they are healthy. This is the time to offer
small amounts of fruit juice oatmeal, pellet mash and yogurt so they are
ready for caring when they are sick  Note also that sick piggies must be fed
frequently when ill, as often as you can when they are ill.  Once or twice a
day won't sustain them. Hourly is best, even at nite.  Keep handfeeding for
at least 2 weeks after a piggy seems to have recovered. althoiugh you can
decrease the frequency.  Teach them to eat chewable Vit C tabs as treat.
Piggies learn to eat from copying their mothers and herd mates, this means
you.  I train to new foods by bringing the food to the table and having some
for me some for them. They get the hang of it.  I feed these new foods
during grooming and they come to look forward to treats then