Determination of the optimal culling age of guinea pigs fed with alfalfa vs. a supplementation with wheat hulls

© 2000 Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. All rights reserved. The relationship between nutrition and optima culling age of Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) was determined at the El Mantaro Station of the Veterinary Institute for Tropical and High Altitude Research, VITA. A total of 40 weaned Guinea pigs (average age 14.5 days) were fed two diets: Tl alfalfa and T2 alfalfa plus wheat hulls (afrechillo) both fed ad libitum. A random block design, with sex defining the block, and 4 experimental units of 5 animals each, was utilized for both experirnents. Optima culling age, determined by regression analysis utilizing food consumption/live weight and age/live weight., was found to be 12.9 and 11.8 weeks formales, 12.9 and 12 weeks for females fed diets TI and T2. Average consumption of dry matter/animal/day was 57 and 59.6 g for Tl and T2 males, and 53.6 and 59.3 g for TI and T2 females, with average weight gains of 8.6 and 9.4 g/animal/day formales, and 7.5 and 9.2 g/animal/day for females. Nutritional conversion indices were: 6.6 and 6.2 formales, and 7.0 and 6.4 for females, on diets Tl and T2. No statistically significant differences were found (P> 0.05) between the treatments in regard to sex, food consumption, weight gain or nutritional conversion. Production costs were lower for T2 than Tl, averaging 4.08 versus 4.31 New Soles formales; 4.13 versus 4.32 for females, and the optima] age for culling was also reached approximately one week earlier among animals on the T2 combination alfalfa and wheat hull diet.