A guinea pig's diet is mostly hay, a small measured portion of pellets that carry vitamin C, and a handful of fresh greens; a rabbit's is the same minus the vitamin C requirement. This guide sets out the daily routine using what Burgess, Oxbow, Laucke and Vetafarm publish, explains why the vitamin C matters for guinea pigs specifically, sorts the pellets and hays we stock, and covers buying rabbit pellets in bulk. Product facts come from the makers' pages or the product listings.
The daily diet, by proportion
Burgess's guinea pig feeding guide puts it in numbers: 85 to 90 percent of the daily diet should be feeding hay, nuggets (pellets) make up only around 5 percent but play a vital role, plus a daily handful of fresh greens and fresh water always available. The reasons Burgess gives are dental and nutritional: the fibre in hay and grass wears the teeth down, and the pellets carry the vitamins and minerals hay does not. The same shape applies to rabbits: hay first, pellets measured, greens daily.
Why guinea pigs need vitamin C in the bowl
Guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C, so it has to come from food every day; Burgess is explicit that a diet short of it leads to scurvy. That is why guinea-pig pellets are formulated differently from rabbit pellets. Burgess includes what it calls protected vitamin C in all its guinea pig food, a form that survives the cooking process; Oxbow's senior guinea pig listing states a minimum of 300 mg of vitamin C per kilogram; Laucke's Ol' Jacks mixes for rabbits and guinea pigs include vitamin C and say why. Fresh capsicum and leafy greens add more. A rabbit does not need the fortification, which is the one reason not to share one bag between the two species if the bag is a rabbit-only formula.
Pellets or muesli mix?
Burgess makes the case against muesli-style mixes plainly: fed a muesli diet, animals may selectively feed, eating only certain elements such as the high-sugar components, which can lead to nutritional imbalances; a single-component nugget prevents selective feeding. Laucke gives the same reason for its micro pellets, made so small pets cannot pick and choose between ingredients. If you feed a mix, watch what is left in the bowl; if it is always the same pieces, switch to a pellet.
Guinea pig pellets we stock
- Oxbow Essentials Adult Guinea Pig Food (2.25 kg), with Young and Senior versions by life stage; the senior listing gives the vitamin C figure and a serve of an eighth of a cup a day.
- Burgess Excel Adult Guinea Pig Nuggets (1.5 kg): the single-component nugget with protected vitamin C that Burgess's own guide is written around.
- Vetafarm Origins Cavy Diet (350 g, 1.5 kg, 6 kg): Vetafarm's Australian, vet-formulated complete diet for guinea pigs, fed alongside hay and fresh vegetables.
- Laucke Ol' Jacks Rabbit & Guinea Pig Micro Pellets (10 kg): a complete diet for both species with vitamin C included, in the micro pellet that stops selective feeding; the economical choice for several animals.
- Green Valley Rabbit & Guinea Pig Pellets (5 kg): a plain pelleted feed for both species.
Rabbit pellets, including bulk bags
- Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Food (2.25 kg), with Young and Senior.
- Vetafarm Origins Rabbit Diet (350 g, 1.5 kg, 6 kg) and Origins Junior for young rabbits.
- Peters Fibre Right Adult Rabbit (1 kg): Peters' fibre-focused adult rabbit food.
- Laucke Ol' Jacks Premium Rabbit Pellets (20 kg): the bulk bag. Laucke lists it at 18 percent protein and up to 20 percent fibre, made with clover, lucerne and grains with a full vitamin and mineral profile, as a complete food for growing, breeding and lactating rabbits, fed ad lib with fresh water and hay alongside. Note the protein: it is formulated for breeders and growers, so a single pet house rabbit on it needs its pellets measured, not free-fed.
- Green Valley Rabbit & Guinea Pig Mix (4 kg, 10 kg, 20 kg) and Laucke Ol' Jacks Rabbit & Guinea Pig Mix (10 kg, 15 percent protein, vitamin C included): the bulk mixes, with the selective-feeding caveat above.
Bags over 10 kg ship as bulky items with their own rates; the 20 kg pellets suit breeders, rescues and multi-rabbit households rather than one indoor bunny.
Hay: the 85 percent
Hay is the bulk of both diets, and it should be a grass hay for adults: Peters Oaten Hay (1 kg and 1.5 kg), Peters Timothy Hay (1 kg), Oxbow Western Timothy (4 kg) or Multicube Pasture Hay Cubes for a tidier format. Lucerne (alfalfa) hay and pellets are higher in protein and calcium and suit growing, pregnant or nursing animals more than a sedentary adult; our small-pet nutrition guide covers that split. Keep hay in front of them all day and change it when it is soiled.
A simple daily routine
- Morning: fresh hay topped up, a measured pellet serve (follow the bag; Oxbow's senior guinea pig serve is an eighth of a cup), fresh water.
- Daily: a handful of fresh greens; for guinea pigs, include a vitamin C source such as capsicum or leafy greens.
- Weekly: check the bowl for sorted-out pieces, weigh the animal, clean the water bottle spout.
- Any change of pellet: mix it in over a week. Laucke's bags carry the warning that sudden diet changes can cause digestive problems, and it applies to every brand.
Hand-rearing or a sick animal off its food is a vet matter; Wombaroo Guinea Pig Milk is the purpose-made replacer for young guinea pigs, and Oxbow Natural Science Vitamin C is the supplement for a guinea pig your vet has asked you to top up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best food for guinea pigs?
Hay for 85 to 90 percent of the diet, a measured serve of guinea-pig pellets with vitamin C (Oxbow Essentials, Burgess Excel, Vetafarm Origins Cavy or Laucke Ol' Jacks micro pellets) and daily fresh greens, per the makers' guidance.
Do guinea pigs need vitamin C in their pellets?
Yes. Burgess: guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C and a diet short of it leads to scurvy. Buy a guinea-pig formula, not a rabbit-only bag.
Can rabbits and guinea pigs eat the same pellets?
Only if the bag is formulated for both and includes vitamin C, as Laucke's Ol' Jacks mixes and micro pellets do. A rabbit-only pellet leaves the guinea pig without its vitamin C.
How much pellet per day?
Burgess puts nuggets at around 5 percent of the daily diet; Oxbow's senior guinea pig serve is an eighth of a cup. Follow the bag for your animal's weight and keep hay unlimited.
Where can I buy rabbit pellets in a 20 kg bag?
Laucke Ol' Jacks Premium Rabbit Pellets and Green Valley Rabbit & Guinea Pig Mix both come in 20 kg, shipped as bulky items Australia-wide.
Shop next: Small Pet Food · Oxbow Adult Guinea Pig Food · Burgess Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets · Ol' Jacks Rabbit Pellets 20 kg · Small Pets
Sources
Product facts in this guide are taken from the manufacturers' own pages listed below and from the product listings on this site; general care points are given as practical guidance, not veterinary advice. Last reviewed 17 September 2026.
- Burgess Pet Care: The complete guide to feeding a guinea pig
- Specialised Animal Nutrition Pty Ltd (Oxbow Australia): The Australian Home of Oxbow Animal Health