Alright guys: Guinea Pigs?

[nrllee]

The lab I worked in kept the breeding colony to breed guinea pigs for experiments. I really only saw it from the 'outside' and wasn't involved in the day to day care but did pick up little pointers from their handlers during lunch breaks etc.

In the lab what did you feed them?
Is there a cheap way to feed guinea pigs if you don't have access to green feed?

They were fed pellets, Vitamin C (very important in guinea pigs) was provided in their drinking water and they get cubes of lucerne to munch on. They were kept on straw.

In the lab, did you leave the male in with the female? I have read that sometimes they can kill the young. I've read that you should put the male in for a week to breed, then remove it. If you can just leave it in there and achieve good results, then that sounds good to me - I like to save work!

To be honest I can't remember if they do or not. I think they take the sows out who are obviously heavily pregnant and put them in a sort of maternity type arrangement in lots of 8-10 max. Then when they wean the babies (at about 4 weeks) they pop the sows back in with the breeding pens again. I don't think the reason was to stop the boar from attacking the babies but it was more so to give the sow a 'break' because she can pretty much get pregnant again straight away after birthing.

Lilian

[GaryD]

Hi,

Any one happen to catch the SBS program "A Dave In the Life" the other night? It featured a segment on Frank and Elisabeth Fekonia during which they killed and cooked a guinea pig for the wandering host of the program.

You can still see it on the SBS web site......here.

Gary

[grassroots]

Gary, I just watched the show with the link that you provided. I thought it a shame that it came over with a negative slant on eating guinea pig. I hope my experience will be a more positive one. It is interesting, different peoples point of view, wether it is the peak oil problem, a religious one or one of saving money.

[GaryD]

Hi,

I agree. I thought the host lacked a little objectivity given the utter garbage that most people eat in the name of food....all of it acceptable in their eyes because they are ignorant of what goes into it.....or what happens during its preparation.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

We've been baby sitting a guinea pig for a fortnight as part of a plan to surprise my Grandson on his birthday.

I was keen to give it a try......to revisit keeping guinea pigs. I'd had some when I was a kid but it never occurred to me back then that they might be a source of food.

As it turned out, Jan and Pig bonded......to the point where to even have the thought of guinea pigs for food is verboten......much less any discussion.

We delivered the birthday present on Saturday.....with the implicit understanding that, if things are not to Pig's liking in her new abode, she's welcome to return to our place....... to live.....like a person.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

I omitted to include a photo of Pig......which my grandson refers to as a mouse.


Gary

[arachdog]

We delivered the birthday present on Saturday.....with the implicit understanding that, if things are not to Pig's liking in her new abode, she's welcome to return to our place....... to live.....like a person.

Lol, thats the trouble with cute animals. They're not quite as defenseless as they first appear.

[Who Me]

Hi,

Any one happen to catch the SBS program "A Dave In the Life" the other night? It featured a segment on Frank and Elisabeth Fekonia during which they killed and cooked a guinea pig for the wandering host of the program.

You can still see it on the SBS web site......here.

Gary

Late reply :-)

Ahh there's prolly a bit to the view that they're a bit fiddly to prepare, well effort for small amount of meat but look at it this way, for those cultures that have little or no refridgeration, small meats like guinea pigs are brilliant. Plus they breed like, well like rabbits. Sort like a full apple tree when you need one, you pluck one ;-)
Now if you're a small household running only cattle, you need to work out a way of preserving a big carcase. Very easy with small animals

I'm a 5th generation farmer so I have no real qualms about eating animals...ok I draw the line certain animals, but I can eat Skippy, Bambi as well as Babe and a few others.

Never eaten guinea pig, someone said they're none feathered quails...must have only been talking about the size surely (?)

Look forward to trying it one day.

[GaryD]

Hi Who Me,

Never eaten guinea pig, someone said they're none feathered quails...must have only been talking about the size surely (?)

Some species of guinea pig (cavy) are quite large.

I found a YouTube video that Featured Frank and Elisabeth Fekonia and their guinea pigs.....here

Like Elisabeth, I've considered guinea pigs as an alternative to rabbits, but Her Serene Highness has decreed that it's not happening......yet!

Gary

[Gerry M]

sorry double post - please remove this one thanks