Eat Guinea Pigs!

I find this interesting and well worth giving some thought and research. However I am not looking at the raise my own for food aspect because I tried it with rabbits and once the litter was born the wife checked on the every day and once they started moving around the cage they got held and snuggled by my wife and girls. Then one fateful day when they were about weaned and I was going to move them so they could grow a bit I was told I could not eat the babies and had to find a home for them. I can imagine what issues I would have trying to eat one of the guinea pig herd. That said my wife has no issues selling animals to folks who may have plans to eat them and we have a growing population of South Americans in the nearby city. I wonder if the USDA certifies guinea pigs?

I actually just learned about people eating guinea pigs in spanish class. They do this in peru. Me personally, I will never try guinea pig because it looks to much like a rodent to me. The craziest thing I tried  was rabbit. When I was a child my uncle gave me some to try but I really didn't like it.

As for now I just see these to animals as pets:)

Ok, so we've hit a topic the new guy is sort of familiar with! My advice: guinea pigs.....meh. I recommend rats. Better feed conversion ratio, fewer issues with "bad moms", and the meat tends to be juicier. Yes, that's right. I raise and eat rats. My business is raising rats for reptile feed, and I realized one day, "well heck, I know I'm feeding these animals a healthy diet, I know they're well treated, why not try it?" Turns out they clean VERY easy, and are great on the barbecue. Similar to rabbit in that it's a dense, protein packed meat. Plus, I much prefer dealing with rats, since they are very intelligent, unlike guinea pigs which I find to be more skittish. I will admit though, it's tough to get past eating them since I really like their personality, and get to know them as they grow.

James Stark wrote:
Ok, so we've hit a topic the new guy is sort of familiar with! My advice: guinea pigs.....meh. I recommend rats. Better feed conversion ratio, fewer issues with "bad moms", and the meat tends to be juicier. Yes, that's right. I raise and eat rats. My business is raising rats for reptile feed, and I realized one day, "well heck, I know I'm feeding these animals a healthy diet, I know they're well treated, why not try it?" Turns out they clean VERY easy, and are great on the barbecue. Similar to rabbit in that it's a dense, protein packed meat. Plus, I much prefer dealing with rats, since they are very intelligent, unlike guinea pigs which I find to be more skittish. I will admit though, it's tough to get past eating them since I really like their personality, and get to know them as they grow.

Well, no one would guess you were raising them for people food in an urban area. What kind of body weight do you get? The wild ones I kill out the back seem pretty small (I wouldn't eat them as they eat many things including rat poison). Does their higher intelligence make them harder to cage? Easier to get to know? harder to kill? I guess if you keep enough to keep you fed (and sell) there is less bonding ... I wonder what other small animals could be grown as food? (lets stay away from dogs and cats just now even though I have friends who see them as food)

Len wrote:
Well, no one would guess you were raising them for people food in an urban area. What kind of body weight do you get? The wild ones I kill out the back seem pretty small (I wouldn't eat them as they eat many things including rat poison). Does their higher intelligence make them harder to cage? Easier to get to know? harder to kill? I guess if you keep enough to keep you fed (and sell) there is less bonding ... I wonder what other small animals could be grown as food? (lets stay away from dogs and cats just now even though I have friends who see them as food)

350 to 400 grams is a good weight. It seems pretty small, but two or three makes a meal, and I can gut and skin one in 60 to 90 seconds, so it goes pretty quick. Caging isn't difficult as long as it's done right. Plus, moms are very devoted, so they don't even try to get out. When we get the occasional escapee, it's usually a matter of waiting for them to come to me. They know me, and know where their food and water is, so they'll come right up to me and let me pick them up. They also like to hang out on my shoulder. It does make them hard to kill, because I really do like them. We raise about 1000 every month, so getting to know individuals is rare, but as a group I know them well.

    I actually wanted to get rats I saw in the pet store. It was a decent sized breed. it was hard enough though to get my wife to accept raising guinea pigs for food. If it wasnt for her mom being from south america it might not have worked.  I might try rats sometime down the road anyway though, as i like diversity, and those things i assume eat pretty much anything.
 
      better feed conversion ratios? Id never heard that.....

I really like the theory of raising GPs for meat, but in practice I think it could be a 'bridge too far', as they say.
Me heading out the back with spanner in hand to see the 'pigs'=dinner time=new flatmate!

Len wrote:
Well, no one would guess you were raising them for people food in an urban area. What kind of body weight do you get? The wild ones I kill out the back seem pretty small (I wouldn't eat them as they eat many things including rat poison). Does their higher intelligence make them harder to cage? Easier to get to know? harder to kill? I guess if you keep enough to keep you fed (and sell) there is less bonding ... I wonder what other small animals could be grown as food? (lets stay away from dogs and cats just now even though I have friends who see them as food)

Other small animals or animals that are not usually known to be eaten are actually are little friends that look like robbers, raccoons. My friend actually said he tried it and it was pretty good. So that could be something to potential grow as a food source.  Anyone here tried raccoon before? If so, how was it?

hoosierboy wrote:
Other small animals or animals that are not usually known to be eaten are actually are little friends that look like robbers, raccoons. My friend actually said he tried it and it was pretty good. So that could be something to potential grow as a food source.  Anyone here tried raccoon before? If so, how was it?

Tried it once. Just too "wild" for my tastes. Very gamey tasting, and tough. (Preparatition could probably have solved that to a degree though) It also wasn't raised, it was hunted wild, so I suspect raising them would make the meat better.

James there is a difference between a tough old coon and a young one. That said I have been around raccoons raised in captivity and they are smart and friendly to the point of me not being able to consider them food. Now taken wild I would. Also it's a personal choice but in a pinch I will eat everything but my dog and horse (don't currently own one) as both of these animals are too useful for procuring food. How? The dog by hunting and the horse by providing a raised mobile platform I can use to cover lots of ground and sneak up on game without spooking it like a 2 legged animal would as well I can shoot off of it.

hoosierboy wrote:
Other small animals or animals that are not usually known to be eaten are actually are little friends that look like robbers, raccoons. My friend actually said he tried it and it was pretty good. So that could be something to potential grow as a food source.  Anyone here tried raccoon before? If so, how was it?

I might get shot for helping coons to grow for whatever reason

Len wrote:
I might get shot for helping coons to grow for whatever reason

Yea, don't do if you think you're going to get shot hehe, I don't think it will be worth the risk . But I'm going to go outside my comfort zone and try foods I haven't before. I gonna ask some people if they know of anyone who knows how to cook raccoon and give it a try. 

Hopefully they cook it right, as James said, preparation would have solved the gamey taste. So I'll see how it is and let you guys know. I'm thinking about just creating a thread on the wildest animals people ate. Would be interesting to see what everyones tried. 

hoosierboy wrote:
I'm thinking about just creating a thread on the wildest animals people ate. Would be interesting to see what everyones tried. 

Strangest thing I've tried is Balut.... tastes like chicken.

H Ludi Tyler wrote:
I only have thoughts.  Personally, I don't think people should not do things because they think or fear "the authorities" might care what they do.  Mostly the authorities don't care.  Don't flounce - don't make a big deal about what you're doing.  Keep a low profile, don't be a neighborhood nuisance.  Keep your place clean.  Treat the animals as well as you can (nice spacious pen, clean water, good food, etc).  Don't slaughter them where anyone can see, and don't talk about it.

In my opinion. 

I agree wholeheartedly , I believe we should raise animals with respect, even if for meat and beyond being clean and unoffensive to others , I don't think it is anyone elses business on your own property and bylaws limitting rights are put in place to deal with  those who actually infringe on other rights. 

Everyone I have talked to who have eat cuy have been latin and have been very enthusiastic about the flavour.  I think squirrels would have awful conversion rates eating high calorie meals . As for them being uncustomary to eat here well that is just a matter of perspective  because just as many people world wide eat very different cuisines including insects and spiders , larvae  etc. and it is more ecologically sound to not spray crops and eat grasshoppers. One point in favour of guinea pigs  , meat can be harvested fresh year round as per demand.  Breeding and maintaining herds can probably be timed to suit demand and does not require a lot of space . And they are not dangerous compared to maintaining large breeding animals like a bull or large hog.  Will you be able  to afford to get hurt .  Well i don't think that is going to be as large a concern having a serious injury or down time from handling the guinea pigs. Also they are small, if you had to relocate, you could pack your breeding stock into a few crates or you can maintain your stock completely under the radar of nosy neighbours if you have a sizeable yard/shed.

Also I think the systems that combine, biodigesting the manure for methane, and using that manure for  fertilizing crops adds an amazing utility as does the feeding of a complimentary aquaponics or aquaculture component.

I think slaughtering any animal is mentally difficult , but physically guinea pig look pretty easy to deal with, right into being a woman and a senior citizen you could likely handle their care and dispatch.    You cannot say that of all animals .  Fianlly i tend to think if you have 40 or so guinea pigs and a mishaphappens an you lose a few , it is not crippling to your breeding .  If you have three cows and you lose one , it could be  far more devastating to your sustainability of your home herd. 

James Stark wrote:
Ok, so we've hit a topic the new guy is sort of familiar with! My advice: guinea pigs.....meh. I recommend rats. Better feed conversion ratio, fewer issues with "bad moms", and the meat tends to be juicier.

James, this is awesome. How do I go about getting started in raising them on a decent scale for meat? Do you have any photos of your set up on the web somewhere? Any information you can point be towards would be great. Thanks, Bob.

Bob Carder wrote:

James, this is awesome. How do I go about getting started in raising them on a decent scale for meat? Do you have any photos of your set up on the web somewhere? Any information you can point be towards would be great. Thanks, Bob.

The system I use is pretty simple. Rack system with automatic waterer. The food is put on top of the steel mesh that covers the top of the bin. The bins slide right out for easy access and cleaning. This is the first one I built. Held 5 bins. My design that I came up with for the rat barn holds 12 bins per rack, and there's 8 racks in the barn.

James Stark wrote:
The system I use is pretty simple. Rack system with automatic waterer. The food is put on top of the steel mesh that covers the top of the bin. The bins slide right out for easy access and cleaning. This is the first one I built. Held 5 bins. My design that I came up with for the rat barn holds 12 bins per rack, and there's 8 racks in the barn.

Ok, that looks like something I could do. The picture gives me a glimpse, but I am a complete newbie to raising anything outside of pond fish and a dog or cat. I am sure I could figure out pet quantity of rodents (2 or 3), but not breeding. How many to a bin? what ratio of males to females (or does it matter?)? That kind of thing. When you clean it out.. can the whole mess go right to compost? It looks like you are using feed pellets... dispatch with stick or cleaver? Cooked whole or stewed? (I am not so sure of family acceptance of eating something that still looks rat like on the table) Do they debone easy?

I would have the same questions about GPs BTW.

A rats breeding cycle is actually quite impressive. When a female gives birth, she goes into estrus (heat) two days later. That means she gets pregnant two days after giving birth, weans her babies in four weeks, and gives birth again as soon as her babies are weaned. I make sure they get a break though, since thats hard work for a mom. Each bin has three females (rats should NEVER be alone. they are very social animals). A male gets put in with each group of females for two weeks in a five bin setup. That way the babies are weaned and out of the bin for a while to let the moms get a good rest and fatten up before having another litter.
Males are the ones that make things smell, so keeping only a few males around keeps things cleaner. Once a male starts breeding, it will fight with other males, so there's never two males together.
I use the mess to mulch around trees. It ages in a pile for at least two months, then gets put into the tree line where I have young trees.
Back when I took that pick, I was using only feed cubes. Since then I've learned how to feed better. They will eat any scraps, especially meat. Plus they get eggs every second day from our chickens. (One boiled egg cut in half per bin. Within two hours, the egg is gone, shell and all. The moms really benefit from the calcium in the shells) Also, any stillborn babies or surplus babies go to the chickens. I never leave a mother rat to feed more than ten babies, even though they can feed more. If one has only a few babies, I'll give her some from another litter. They will foster babies easily. Rats are incredible parents.
Our rats are used mainly for reptile feeders, so they must be whole and intact. We euthanize them with CO2, following vet approved humane methods. Then they go in the freezer. When I keep some for myself, I just put them down with the others. Then skin/gut them and soak them for a couple hours in a very salty brine (like you would a rabbit) Then cook however you like. If you boil them, the meat flakes off the bone almost by itself. Then you can throw the boneless meat into a stirfry, or mix it with dressing for sandwiches.

That is actually impressive James.  And being a horse farmer I have had an aversion to rats that is likely uncalled for. 

Synergy wrote:
That is actually impressive James.  And being a horse farmer I have had an aversion to rats that is likely uncalled for.   

Thank you!

I haven't been around long, but I've already taken so much from this forum that I'm just glad I found a topic I could contribute to.

Wow. Thanks James. You've got my mind ticking away on the possibilities 

Does the meat have a reasonable amount of fat or are they super lean like rabbits? (the more fat the better from my perspective).

Not as lean as rabbits. Females tend to have a little more fat than males. The trade off is they don't get quite as big. Fine by me though. 350g is just right for a female. Young and tender, good amount of fat,.......ok I'm getting hungry.

As long as we're straying from GP's to other small livestock...

My friend's neighbors are from Jamaica, and they raises rabbits and turtles for food, in suburbia.  They have a typical 'goldfish' pond in the back yard with an island in the middle for them to lay eggs on. 

What kind of feed conversion do you get with rats?  I am getting a bit less than 4:1 with my colony raised rabbits.

We have 14 females, 2 males.  We breed a female or 2 each week to have a litter each week.  We average about 400 rabbits a year, and harvest when they weigh 2 kilos (10-12 weeks old)

Rabbits are easy to maintain, and easy to eat.  We also tan their hides for an added product.  I cook up the offal for the pigs on butcher day, and give the heads/feet to the dogs. 

They fit well in our homestead.

I haven't measured the feed conversion since we started feeding them a more natural diet and increased eggs. I do know that they are growing faster than on the old feed, and then we were doing a little better than 4:1. They could also be eating more too since the food is more natural and digestable, so I'd guess it's close to the same, but in a shorter time.

yeah, I'd imagine around 4:1 is probably about accurate.  I like your setup, very nice.

Hi Crunchy Bread,

If the GPs are like rabbits, the "night feces" are eaten pretty much directly from....er...under the tail....it's a special poop - not really poop - and is necessary for their health. Suspending cages above fish tanks or chickens is a perfect permie way to stack productivity.

Hope this helps,
Parker

Crunchy Bread wrote:

H Ludi Tyler wrote:
I'd rather eat someone I knew had the best possible life, than someone who was abused or neglected, that's for sure.

I agree 100%. 

There's a line from Terry Pratchett concerning farm animals: "We determine the time of their birth, and the time of their death, and in between we have a responsibility."  It means that animals are not just things.  They are alive and deserve a certain amount of respect, protection, and caring.  The only way you earn any claim to deserve benefit from their lives, is if you helped them have a decent life.

But as someone inexperienced in killing, I'm just wondering how folks handle it.  It's easy enough to just not think about it when my meat comes in styrofoam packages, but how do I handle the reality of actually TAKING the life I helped raise? 

Even as an atheist, I can see this as a thorny spiritual question.

You aren't supposed to kill something without a bit of sadness at the necessity. I've found that having a ritual helps. I first thank them for the life they will give me and the pleasure of their company. After a shot to the point where the spine and skull meet with an air gun (my preferred method for an instant kill) I quickly bleed them out, letting the blood run onto the ground with a prayer for our mother the earth to nurture their spirit. The animal is thus shown respect as a living being, not just a meat factory.

I have tried them in Peru and it is surely interesting to have some...
They fry them with the skin (only remove hairs), or they can be grilled on the barbecue.
One makes for 1-2 persons, easily.

Just doing some research on this topic, looking into a lot of things about Guinea Pigs (cuy) vs Rabbits, which I already have. Here's what I have learned so far:

Reproduction Rates
Cuys have a gestation of 2 months, then 4 months until butcher size. So, from breeding, you have 6 months to plate. Rabbits are 1 month gestation, 3 months to butcher size, so 4 months to plate.
Cuys have average 3-4 per litter. Rabbits average 6-8.
Cuys can have 3-4 litters per year, for a total of 9-12 pups a year. Rabbits can have 4-5 litters, with a total of 24-40 kits a year.

Space
Cuys require .75 sf per adult. Rabbits require 2.6 sf per adult.
In 8 square feet, you could keep 3 rabbits (1 buck, 2 does). In that same space, you could keep 10 cuy (9 sows, 1 boar) .

Meat Production
From the space example, 2 doe rabbits can produce max 80 kits a year. Kits are butchered at 4.5 lbs, yielding about 2 lbs of meat. So, those 2 does could produce 160 lbs of meat in 8 sf.
In the same space, the cuy could produce max 110 pups a year, and average about 1.5-2 lbs at butcher, yielding about 1lb of meat. So, they could produce 110 lbs of meat in the same space.

Housing/Feed
Cuys can be free ranged, as long as there is protection from predators. They will come back to a home base with shelter, food and water.
Rabbits require 4 ft tall fencing and some fencing underground (or a proper floor). They dig, and you have to take that into account.

Cuys survive on lower quality feed, and fresh greens+grass can be their total diet. Rabbits require higher quality feed, usually good quality hay with some grain.

They both have reasonable FCR at about 4:1.

Conclusion
Rabbits are more efficient in terms of production and space. Cuys do better on homemade diets.

If you have to purchase feed, go with rabbits. If you have lots of local feed resources (grass lawn), go with Cuy.

I have not looked into the Super Cuy breed which has been developed in Peru. They achieve 4 lbs at 4 months old, so have more meat per carcass. They also require more space, so I don't know if they would tip the scales to surpass rabbits.

The best deal would be to have both!

About rats

Len Ovens wrote:

James Stark wrote:Better feed conversion ratio, fewer issues with "bad moms", and the meat tends to be juicier. Yes, that's right. I raise and eat rats.

The wild ones I kill out the back seem pretty small (I wouldn't eat them as they eat many things including rat poison).

If the rat is gutted, can the meat be poisonous?
I guess animals who die after eating them also eat the guts, don't you thiink so?
Of course, one must be sure about it...

I have loads of rats, and if I can find a way to trap them...
It would be so much better than to poison them!
But it would be possible to trap a rat that has been poisoned.

"My rats" are very well fed: my avocados, almonds, my veggies... my oranges and so on!
So I have 2 concerns: security and trapping.

I would also feed my cats with them...

you can use a 5 gallon bucket with some water as a non-toxic rat trap. Just make a ramp to the rim of the bucket, and then put a rotating can in the center covered with peanut butter (coke can on a stick works). When they reach out for the can, it turns, and they fall in.

Thanks Abe
Please some details, as I do not understand how you tighten the can!
Is is vertical or horizontal, and do you put the bait on top or on the rounded side of the can?

ok, put a stick through a can, so that the can may rotate around the stick. The can+stick goes horizontally over the bucket. The ends of the stick will need to be fixed to the rim of the bucket.

It's a cylinder (can) that is horiztonal around an axis (stick) fixed to the rim of the bucket.

Try doing a google search for it, as I believe I have seen this sort of thing online, before.

Ok I understand and this is the most logical indeed!
Then whatever the animal, there is the killing part, and rats are good at defending themselves, they can attack.

I like the idea of CO2 because it is the most respectful and I did not know the method James employs (which I understand for 1000 animals per month!)
I have no idea if this method can be adapted at small scale, and how to create the CO2.
I hope James can tell us more, or if anyone has an idea...

Guinea pigs are usually killed like rabbits, knocking the head and then with a knife.
(sorry about imagining this, but for me, this is the braveness we need so that we do not leave this job to others. This also left the job to slaughter houses in a way that could become inhumane, including the way animals are treated before being killed. So I want to consider this part in a respectful way).
So I am glad to discover what now seems to me the best solution !!
Anyone knows if this has been discussed before?

well, the great thing about the bucket is that if you have water in there, they just drown.

I don't kill rabbits by knocking them in the head. I prefer to dislodge their vertebrae, as it is a faster, cleaner, more humane kill. Basically, you slip their neck in a V of metal, and then pull their hind legs. It is all over in a second.

But for rats, I would just drown them.

Ho, the way I told you was what I saw for killing guinea pig in Peru!
The quicker the better. Do you have a fix frame that you use for this purpose?
If this does not slip it is ok, may be you close the V to a A?

The problem of drowning is time... They just swim until they are tired.
I think that it is terrible and that it is not good for eating the meat...
Do not forget about the stress of suffering and fear, it produces chemicals in the body.

here's what I use for rabbits: http://therabbitwringer.com/

if you are going to eat the rats, then another method might be better.

maybe a little bit late, but we had some GP's before (3 males) as pets. Now I'm looking arround to get started again, for several reasons (feeding on herbs I don't have to cut on the pathways, meat, ...)


they eat their own poop, it's easy to separate on what they will eat again and what not.

If it's on the ground and there is no gp around (let's say within 30cm), it has to become manure, if he/she is eating it, it have to be processed a 2nd time.
They seem to grow on grass a very little bit of extra feed and some water.

i like this idea and wonder its usefulness as a small meat production design for those who live in RV's or similarly sized homes, and the "wastes" from butchering im sure would be readily enjoyed by a pet dog in an instant:)
and 20 mins from hungry to lunch, sounds great to me, not to mention the ability of keeping them in the kitchen, a lot more motivated to make myself some healthy lunch as opposed to store bought food if i dont have to trek through the deep cold snow to get the ingredients

edited to remove off topic bit because i solved my own problem.