Really thinking about Guinea Pigs

So I've learned you can do them outside. Plus I know it's a spanish favorite.. Plus there's like 3 or 4 Spanish stores in my county so I was thinking about calling around seeing if anyone would be interested in the meat, if they are I think it'd be worth it especially if I managed to get enough of them. The problem would be getting them. I'm pretty interested in doing them now that I know they can make it outside but I don't know if they could make it through the winters here... Hmm.. Anyone done outside guinea's? *This isn't anything I plan to start any time soon but I wanna research all the things I need to know before I really consider doing them. I need to weigh out the pros and cons and such. I'd just like some real people advice to go along with everything else I find

Ok, so, you are dealing with pasteurellosis:

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Bringing in new rabbits:

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And, considering quitting rabbits altogether, the same day:
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To me, it sounds like you already have a lot going on.

My honest advice would be to suggest slowing down a bit, maybe learn how to dispatch and process the buns first. Maybe help sort out the situation you have going on where people claim ownership of a rabbit that you have to care for.

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Have you thought of what you would do if that bun starts showing signs of pasteurellosis?

As Zass said, slow down and get every thing else under control first. I'd wait until you have 6 months or so of no new problems/issues crop up. You don't want to spread disease unknowingly or take on way too much.

Pigs are not as easy as rabbits. You must provide them with more care; need good space, good air quality, plenty of room, heat source in winter if kept outside (I've done this, if you don't their lil toes and ears can freeze), Vit C every day added to their diet, understanding that they are higher risk of losing babies as they don't tolerate moving as well especially while pregnant AND can be more complications during (lose momma and babies), some breeds are even harder to care for because of breed issues (I'm watching my teddies for increase in skin problems and infections as some lines are horrible about this)....TONS of research would be a good idea while you wait and get other things in order. Read every thing you can find on google, take with grain of salt, decide on favorite breed or breeds if looking at several. Pigs are not an easy sell around here, so you have to be prepared to keep every thing you breed or eat/feeder them....just depending on preferences.

The guinea pig group talks about how they are easier than rabbits. :lol: It's different and people have different preferences on what chores are better making them seem easier. I find them far easier and cheaper but slower to raise meat off a regular guinea pig.

If you want to keep pigs outside you need pigs that are used to outside. They are a very adaptable animal but only slowly. If your pigs have not been raised outside they should be bought in winter (when depends on your winters) and allowed to adjust. They will not survive in raised cages this way. They need to get down on the dirt with shade and plenty of air flow from 70s F on up. They will need to adjust to cold as well and have a very sheltered area. The food and water needs to be included in the area kept warm by the pigs (or any artificial means) because pigs will die of dehydration rather than leave the warmth of the herd. Hay bales as insulation and for burrowing are used often.

If you want to sell to a restaurant you aren't going to get anywhere with the regular pet guinea pig. You need cuy aka giant peruvians. They have been imported to various countries with growing popularity recently. Where pet people bred nice little, tame pets their natural area continued to breed them for better and better meat. Guinea pigs are a far cry from cuy that are actually used for meat. Cuy will get to 2lbs in 8weeks to be butchered or 5-8lbs full grown while guinea pigs will get to 1/2lb in the same time period and might not even top 2lbs. Keeping of cuy has some differences. They are more durable to weather because they have been raised without ac/heat and often fully outside through the generations and can sometimes be kept on properly designed stacked or hanging wire cages without the foot injuries. They are also rather wild, spook easy, and more difficult to handle and tame with a lifespan closer to 3years. They cost still often $100+ for those reasons. Cuy crossed to guinea pig are hit or miss what luck you will have with traits.

Jeez I'm sorry for thinking about future plans. Yes I had a doe die of pasturella a few days ago but I had already made plans to get this doe. She's an inside rabbit which is the only reason I did. I thought about quitting because I had someone basically try to tell me they were taking over my rabbitry but the way it was said wasn't the way it was intended. This guinea pig thing. Won't be for at least another 2+ years from now. I'm more concerned about my rabbits. Cuy is what I want to breed. I just ain't sure where I'd get them haha! Yeah I've got a lot going on but I'm thinking about things I could do in the future. Just like I've said I plan to eventually get about 2-3 Red laced blue Wyandottes and start selling fertilized eggs *The earliest I'd be doing this is spring next year.* I like to think ahead and find things I can do and learn about them. That way when I get to a point of being able to own them I know what I need to do and what I need to get and how I want to do it. I like being prepared. I thought Guinea pigs were a pretty fun idea because I had some when I was 8-10 I believe... I had a lot die until we realized we needed a pair and then we had 3 babies, Mom died after my mom's ex dropped her and then we had to bottle feed the babies *They were only a few days old* Dad died I think a week or two later.. And the three babies we gave away to some nice lady. So I've had a little experience with them haha >3< They are very expensive to get purebred cuy huh? haha.. I should probably look more into cuy and add up all the costs, I know it's not gonna be cheap but then again neither is owning rabbits. <br /><br /> __________ July 4th, 2016, 12:56 pm __________ <br /><br /> Does anyone on here have Cuy? Could you post a pic if you do? I wanna see how big they are because they are like 5-6lbs and if they are as big as these google pics show them I'm amazed! It's crazy!

good job on thinking ahead. Do take your time and consider EVERYTHING you can think of.

Knowing that they are expensive, somewhat wild, and big.. Consider your speed (wildish animals can and often do bite and a bite from a 6 lb guinea pig/cuy would NOT be fun) and ability to raise them.

Consider what happens if you can't sell them. How to process them....if wanting to sell to restaurants would you be allowed to process them or could you find a processor to do them?

Housing, could you do them on the ground or up in wire cages.

Go visit someone who has them, even if you have a drive a bit, that will give you a better idea

Think over every possible pro and con and figure out solutions to them as best you can... That's what planning ahead is all about eh? have fun with it.

It would be at least another two years before I got any cuy, if I was going to. As far as biting.. Well our parrot bit me.. It hurt.. Guess I'll be investing in some decent gloves. Before I got them I would make sure I had somewhere that would want to buy them. I know there is a rabbit meat market out here because a lot of people go hunting so they typically like eating stuff like that. There's a few spanish stores so I figure maybe they'll be interested although I'm not sure where they are really from but I've heard it's something they really enjoy so I thought why not... I haven't called around yet or anything since there's no point just yet when it'll be like 2 years before they would be getting any haha! I'm gonna see if I can find anyone local and if not it might have to wait just a bit before I can get out. *Currently no car insurance plus car is messed up.* As far as housing goes. Well jeez I don't know. I'd probably do hanging cages because someone previous said their feet can freeze.. I probably won't get into cuy because the more I hear the more it sounds like they aren't worth the hassle if you ask me.

The 2 brown and white are baby cuy. Quite a big younger than the not yet breeding guinea pigs they were in with. They are longer bodied too and stand taller from it. I think it helps them on wire bottom cages. Those sides are 2x4s.


They are kept many ways. On the floor (including loose in the kitchens), in sheltered areas with stone block divided pens, outdoor pens of grass, or bamboo bottom pens are popular. Keeping them in wire cages is new and we are still trying to figure out the exact spacing and bar size that works as a floor since there are mostly just pics of the type of cages with minimal info often in other languages. Sadly I hate to admit my one male died. I was down with food poisoning and my husband failed to realize it had taken up residence in the house in the cage and not left. Since my vit c is in the water it suffered dehydration and vit c deficiency and I spent 2 months trying to get it healthy again but laying in a curve in a house too small for it with vit c defiency and the speed they grow it was deformed in just a week. Most don't give even regular guinea pigs houses for the complications it can cause. Partial cage covers or double open ended houses are sometimes used.

Cuy are spreading fast. In 2 years there might be people closer to you. For disposing of extras as backup for now the demand far exceeds supply for breeding stock. Longer term they do sell well as pets at a slightly lowered price but they need to come with a warning of their nature and shorter lifespan or you need to sell the better personality cuy x regular guinea pig crosses.