raising guinea pigs for meat

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I am interested in raising guinea pigs (cavy) for meat.Any one have any info, or sources they might be able to share? Thankyou!

-- cynthia kilness (cynkil@webtv.net), July 08, 2000

Answers

GASP!

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), July 09, 2000.

I know guinea pigs are a major foos source throughtout most of asia,, they eat dogs also, so Gerbil,, they would GASP at you and your steak LOL

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), July 09, 2000.

A pet store should have at least a book on raising hamsters. Same principles should apply.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 09, 2000.

They were originally imported to Europe from South/Central America, where they had been kept for this purpose. If you allow that we eat more animal protein than we really need, then a guinea pig is a handy- sized package - no meat storage problems, and most of your diet is beans, maize, squash and pumpkin - and essential vitamins like chocolate and chili.

I've thought about this one too - I hope someone can come up with more information than I could.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), July 09, 2000.


Eat DOGS!! GASP!!! Don't let my rat dog collection hear this. They will take off for points unknown!

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), July 09, 2000.


I, unfortunately, don't know anything about raising them. I suppose the same rules as rabbits would apply. Except they may need to be kept inside a building to keep them warmer. Do you have a market for them or is this an experiment? The ARBA (A rabbit/cavy association) may have more information for you. I would suppose they would butcher just like rabbits. Only smaller. What will you do with the skins? Just musing here....

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), July 09, 2000.

Yes indeed, they have been used in Peru as a food animal for a long time, there, they are usually raised by the kitchen hearth and can reach 4 lbs in size.In less than a year a pair can produce a flock of 40.They're a different variety than the ones we keep here for pets. They would be easier to raise than rabbits, I think. In my situation. I would not save the skins, just the meat.Maybe can them, one to a quart jar for later....I've done small chickens that way and they come out delicious! Thanks for the feedback.

-- cynthia kilness (cynkil@webtv.net), July 09, 2000.

Cynthia, I don't know of anyone raising cavy for meat in this country. Our experience was the pet market although small made us a bit of cash. We used to live on a rural highway and had a sign on the road for baby bunnies ($10) and guinea pigs ($12-15). They are actually really nice animals to raise, although I admit I've never eaten one. They generally have small litters (about 4) but one of our sows consistently had about 7. Gestation is quite a bit longer than rabbits. They are easy to care for but require a source of vitamin C (either from guinea food or if you feed rabbit food as we do from a good source of green vegetables). Kim

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), July 09, 2000.

Our guinea pigs eat more than our rabbits, and are not as prolific. This time of year they get outdoor food and of course kitchen waste like carrot & potato peelings. My females usually have 4, one of them miscarried 7 last month. Their gestation time is 60-63 days, but they are born with all their fur, open eyes, and are eating out of the food bowl within hours, they can be weaned and sold at 3-4 weeks, that's not what the "books" say but I'm speaking from experience. So, when you figure a rabbits gestation time is 30-31 days, but then take twice the time to wean you may do just as well with cavies. Just expect smaller litters. You can sell them on your own for an average of $13 (depending on your area)and if we have some we can't sell our local pet store will pay $5. I've never eatin one, so can't help you there but I know a man that has had them on mission trips and he thought they were good eating.

-- Lenore (archambo@winco.net), July 09, 2000.

You know -- I've eaten most things at one time or another in my life, but I can honestly say that I've never eaten a rodent. Despite the world hunger problems, I think I'll just raise another few rows of beans and keep it that way.

Cynthia, I don't mean this as a slight, but I simply can't see myself eating something like that -- it's purely cultural, I know, but for me it would be like eating a puppy.

There are, however, an awful lot of restaurants in the larger cities that are always scrambling for the newest and greatest "designer" meat. It seems to me that if you live anywhere within a short distance of a major centre like this you might have an open market. Good luck!

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), July 09, 2000.



Tracy, I fully understand your reservations, but you see, I find rabbits too adorable to butcher for food, and I can't raise chickens here (codes) but I'm not too fond of guinea Pigs at all....I know they're just big rodents, but I have read that they taste good.And they are one animal I can see myself easily dispatching with no qualms.I've eaten frogs legs, not bad, and squirrel (none around here unfortunately) they're pretty good, I would just like to raise some animal protein of my own, without hormones and such.

-- CK (cynkil@webtv.net), July 09, 2000.

I have a grandguinea pig named Callie! She has long hair & is a mamber of our grandson's family! She has a least 4 babies in each litter she has & the pet store said, they would give the boys $10.00 each, for each litter they want to sell! The boys always play with them so they are cute, & friendly & good play mates, for who ever wants to adopt them! It was so traumatic for the family the first litter we sold, so Grandma took them to the pet store to be sold! Grandma cried, when she left them--with money in hand! I thought when I got home, if they did not sell right away I would buy them back at pet store prices. The town is about an hour fron where we live--the next week when I was in town, I went to check to see if my great- grandguinea pigs were there. I asked the girl in the store, if she had any guinea pigs? She said , "Oh last week we got in the cuties, long haired, healthy babies--but, they only lasted a couple of hours! I think long haired babies, that are healthy & played with bring better prices than the others. There is no way I could ever dream of eating one! They are family members, to us! Sonda in ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), July 09, 2000.

From a goat lover and a goat eater, I now apologise with all of the folks who I have teased over the years who don't eat their livestock. To eating rodents I say Yikes! Vicki McGaugh

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 10, 2000.

Oh, how I wish I could remember the name of that book! There is one! In the mid- or late-70's the title is something about alternative livestock ??????

The guy was trying to find other resources that weren't as hard on the land as cattle can be or used differant resources than plainn pasture. For instance the largest rodent, Capybara, is as big as a large dog or medium pig, is native to South America, and thrives in swampyjungley areas, so why clear cut and put in non-native cattle? That sort of thing.Plus the possibilities here.

Anyway, they have been eaten in South America for about forever. they raise them in or around the house like we would rabbits (the kids play with them and so-on). They got the name "Guinea Pig" because the early settlers thought they looked like tiny pigs when dressed out in the marketplace and they cost a guinea apiece. at least that was the story I got.

I wish I could remember the name of that book! I found it in the Washougal Wa library while I was researching variuos animal subjects. If you could find that it would help alot! as it gives ideas on the subject from the point of veiw of it being livestock not pets and the variety that would get you the size that would be preferable.

-- Novina West (lamb@stellarnet.com), July 10, 2000.


Hi Cynthia, Make sure you start with a young female or one that has had a litter in the past. If they are not bred before 8 or 9 months of age the females pelvic bones fuse in place. If she became pregnant after that she would be unable to give birth. Someone else mentioned the vitamin C. They need lots of it. Ours gets about a cup of broccoli or kale every day. Orange is good too but can give them the runs if they get too much.

Lots of guinea pig sites on the web (under "pets")but I wouldn't mention "meat" over there!! Best Wishes, Pauline

-- Pauline Adderley (tworoosters_farm@altavista.com), July 10, 2000.



I've thought about doing something similar, but with chinchilla's (not chinchilla rabbits). They are a little smaller then rabbits, but bigger then guinea pigs. The fur of this animal is valuable enough to be worth saving.

As for an alternative to not being able to have chickens, try pigeons (squab) & quail. These are small enough to keep as a cage bird. And though some people might object to you keeping the quail (like chickens) if anyone even knows, no one can say anything about pigeons as they are a common pet & hobby bird (many city buildings have coops on roofs belonging to hobby fliers though some are eaten there too.)

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (In) (jwlewis@indy.net), July 10, 2000.


Gerbil, don't worry! We wouldn't do it to a friend ;-)

I found some stuff! There's a lot more about this subject on the Web than there was last time I looked. Key seems to be using the word "cavy" rather than "guinea pig" on searches. The bigger different variety mentioned is probably the proper cavy, which can still crossbreed with domestic guinea pigs. Makes sense to me, even if only to provide insurance against losing all your mammal meat if your rabbits succumb to a disease. Note that escaped capybara have gone feral (yes!) in the UK, destructive of wetlands, dams, and marshy ground - and if you look at the size of a capybara that's a hellacious big animal to be burrowing into your dam or levee walls. Some of these links probably contain info on the books mentioned above:

G UINEA PIGS FOR MEAT PRODUCTION

TOPIC: GUINEA PIGS

Cavy Cousins

Microlivest ock: Little-Known Small Animals with a Promising Economic Future

Dont know, but I agree quail and squab sound a possibility. Some information here: Game birds and waterfowl

Squab handbook



-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), July 11, 2000.


Thats the one! The microlivestock one just above is the one I was thinking of! A little of everything in there!

-- Novina in ND (lamb@stellarnet.com), July 11, 2000.

"Microlivestock: Little-known Small Animals with a Promising Economic Future" was published by the National Research Council in 1981. Soft cover, 448 pages. It does include rodents. At one time it was available from agAccess (916-756-7177)as stock number BOS006 for about $30. They carry a number of agriculture-related books.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 11, 2000.

I have an older rabbit book that does have quite a bit of Cavy info. Most of the info is geared towards meat production instead of pet store stuff. If you have some questions you can't answer I might be able to look them up for you. I have not raised them myself, but a friend tried raising them to sell to pet stores. Apparently the demand wasn't great in So Ca because she finally gave up after not being able to sell for any real $$. She fed her breeders rabbit pellets with citrus fruit for the Vit C. They all looked beautiful. I could probably eat one, but then I don't see them as that much different than a bunny or squirrel!

-- Elle (hotging@aol.com), July 14, 2000.

I have been moving closer and closer to becoming a full vegetarian and this post has moved me much much closer! We raise Angora rabbits for their hair and will soon get chickens but for eggs only...laying hens not meat chickens. I guess it all depends on your outlook on life tho....

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), July 15, 2000.

There is a bit of information on raising Guinea Pigs in the 1984 Yearbook of Agriculture: Animal Health - Livestock and Pets. Also on mice and rats.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 15, 2000.

Gosh folks! To those of you who are repulsed by the idea of eating a rodent - I suspect you have never tried squirrel! I'm talking big fuzzy gray squirrels or fox squirrels. It is the absolute best tasting meat extant, or at least that I have had. Try it, you'll like it! GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), July 15, 2000.

I've been thinking about raising guinea pigs for food for a umber of years, but haven't yet because of sertian restrictions I just recently ovecame. Sick and tired of the terrible meat coming out of the markets, I'm starting a laying flock of chickens this year as well as a meat flock. Also, I intend to get a pigeon cote going and am seriously consiering raising guinea pigs. I know that Chileans and Peruvians have cavies around the houses, especially in the high Andies where temperatures can get pretty cold. They butcher and eat the cavies the way our ancestors did chickens, into the pot or the frying pan, or whatever. My advice is go tgo the library and get a book or two on raising cavies, keeping in mind that they will be oeiented toward raising pets and you won't. Get a few animals and get started. You'll find out more by experience in two or three months than you will in years of research.

Good luck. I'm with you. Feel free to communicate if you need to chat or commiserate or whatever.

-- Will Wyckoff (willwyckoff@netscape.net), February 04, 2002.


A friend of mine used to have guinea pigs for pets. When she moved out west, Amtrak said she couldn't bring them on the train. "Why not? -- you let people bring their dogs and cats." They're rodents & they reproduce like rabbits, was the explanation. "Well, just how late do you think the train's going to be?"

-- snoozy (bunny@northsound.net), February 06, 2002.

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