Examinando por Materia "Guinea pig"

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Cavy production in South America: Current situation and future trends
(Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, 2017-08-10) Barrantes, Christian; Chauca Francia, Lilia Janine; Falconi, Patricia; Reyna, Angel
Cavy production in South America takes place mainly in the Andean regions of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia. Since its domestication (sometime between 3000 and 6000 years ago) the cavy has been used in these countries as a source of animal protein produced with simple handling systems and adapted to the different geographical and cultural contexts. The production of cavies in these countries has grown significantly in the last years due to the promotion of its culinary and nutritional qualities. Also migration of population from rural to urban areas has brought their customs and generated a process of transculturation into the cities, which has turned massive the consumption of cavy meat. The increase in consumption has been accompanied by a growth of supply that, with some differences between countries, has allowed the development of commercial production. This adds new challenges to the ones existing in family production, which is more closely related to food and nutrition security. As a cultural food, cavies are also exported in small quantities from Peru and Ecuador (about 23.5 tons per year from both) to the USA and some European countries to cater for the demand of the Andean diaspora. The prospects of this productive activity are very good, expecting greater demand for the product in the future. However, there is need to work in promoting the association of small farmers, the creation and/or strengthening of support services to this activity (e.g. credit, technical assistance and others) and the development of technologies for both small- and largescale producers.
Psychrophilic anaerobic digestion of guinea pig manure in low-cost tubular digesters at high altitude
(ELSEVIER, 2011-03-29) Garfí, Marianna; Ferrer Martí, Laia; Villegas, Vidal; Ferrer, Ivet
Guinea pig is one of the most common livestock in rural communities of the Andes. The aim of this research was to study the anaerobic digestion of guinea pig manure in low-cost unheated tubular digesters at high altitude. To this end, the performance of two pilot digesters was monitored during 7 months; and two greenhouse designs were compared. In the dome roof digester the temperature and biogas production were significantly higher than in the shed roof digester. However, the biogas production rate was low (0.04 m(biogas)(3)m(digester)(-3) d(-1)), which is attributed to the low organic loading rate (0.6 kg(VS)m(digester)(-3)d(-1)) and temperature (23°C) of the system, among other factors. In a preliminary fertilization study, the potato yield per hectare was increased by 100% using the effluent as biofertilizer. Improving manure management techniques, increasing the organic loading rate and co digesting other substrates may be considered to enhance the process.
The roles of breeding and husbandry for improving cavy production in Peru
(Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, 2017-08-10) Chauca Francia, Lilia Janine
Animal production is supported by four pillars: genetics, nutrition, livestock management and health. In Peru, the cavy program started making changes by handling the reproduction system. The population was organized for mating in groups with 1 male and 7 females; the feed was only forage, supplemented by a ration adding necessary nutrients. Cavies were selected for production characteristics that allowed the formation of breeds (‘razas’). Biosafety management programs were applied to prevent animals from getting sick. The genetic improvement program began with selecting two essential characteristics, resulting in economic benefits to the producer. Precocity permits cavies to come to market in less time (56 days old – breed ‘Peru’), with an efficient feed conversion ratio (2.68 : 1) and a carcass yield of 72%. Its relationship muscle : bone in the hind limb (hip, thigh and leg) is 5.6 : 1; and better muscle structure was determined by histological cuts. Prolificacy (breed ‘Andina’) determines a litter size of 3.9 offspring/delivery and the ability that 78% of the breeding present post-partum oestrus. Interracial crossbreeding allows a hybrid that improves productivity on farms by forming non-inbred populations. The optimum first breeding age was determined for females at 8 or 9 weeks and for males at 12 weeks. Oestrus synchronization allowed better management of nursing, with better environment and feed management. The mortality rate decreased achieving survival of larger litter size. In the highlands, improved productivity was attained by crossing improved cavies with the original native cavies, while preserving genetic diversity of the native animals. After years of research, producing cavies went from being just a domestic self-sustaining activity to a productive and large-scale activity that has generated jobs for rural women. Cavy meat consumption of children and pregnant women has helped to reduce malnutrition in Peru.