Cuye (guinea pigs) for meat

[Jujubear29]

Does anyone here raise Cuye or Guinea pigs for meat?

I’m getting back to raising rabbits for meat and would like to try raising Cuye also but they are not easy to find.

 

[eco2pia]

huh. here they are at every big box pet store? I always thought that, like quail, they would be almost more work than they are worth? I would love to hear someone expound on why they are awesome?

 

[eco2pia]

Please don't take that as discouraging! I do like quail for the eggs, but I have gotten lazy as nothing is quite so easy to kill, clean, cook, and eat as a rabbit. I would love to raise lamb or something red meat based, but I lack the space, and rabbit are sooo easy.

 

[Jujubear29]

I don’t know if I missed a post about someone saying they are awesome.

I want to try raising them for meat. I’m talking about a larger breed then the pet store Guinea pigs.

 

[tambayo]

Cuy i.e. meat breed guinea are from what i hear from pet breeders : stressy, keel over from hartattack when startled, so not worth it. Usually kept in quiet barns somewhere just for meat not breeding stock for third party.
Although some pet guineas are/were crossed with them, leading to bigger, fat, health problems animals. Pick the pet version, they are more robust/resiliant and easier to get. If you need more, 2 in the pot works too.

 

[ladysown]

you can, with patience, find bigger pet quality guinea pigs. Are they worth it? Yup. They aren't as easy to skin as rabbits, but it is doable.

 

[Jujubear29]

So do either of you know anyone who is breeding them? I’d like to get in touch with them.

 

[Nibbles]

What type of recipes would you use this meat?

 

[Jujubear29]

I’ve never cooked or ate them but I would think I could prepare them the same as I do a rabbit.

I’ve seen them roasted in videos a lot.

 

[Rabbittracks]

Does anyone here raise Cuye or Guinea pigs for meat?

I’m getting back to raising rabbits for meat and would like to try raising Cuye also but they are not easy to find.

I just saw a youtube video on raising guinea pigs for meat. It's fast becoming a delicacy in other countries. They basically need practically no care. You provide them with shelter like pallets topped with dirt that they can duck under when predators lurk about and they free range. The nice thing about them is that they are no impact on the land and actually improve it by their manure. They mow the fields down and they are prolific breeders. I'm thinking about it myself.

 

[Jujubear29]

I just saw a youtube video on raising guinea pigs for meat. It's fast becoming a delicacy in other countries. They basically need practically no care. You provide them with shelter like pallets topped with dirt that they can duck under when predators lurk about and they free range. The nice thing about them is that they are no impact on the land and actually improve it by their manure. They mow the fields down and they are prolific breeders. I'm thinking about it myself.

I’m telling you, wouldn’t it though? I just can’t find the big kind that are raised in Peru and other places. So far I’ve found some that are bred bigger than the pet store version but they are far away from me. A days drive.

 

[Rabbittracks]

So do either of you know anyone who is breeding them? I’d like to get in touch with them.

I don't know anyone breeding them but I would think with a bit of research you may be able to find someone.

 

[ladysown]

There is a fairly extensive post on RT about how to prepare cuy, so you might want to search for it.

I know that I found a breeder of them once searching on Facebook. I can't remember who it was.... I have a vague recollection they were in Kentucky.

A greaser meat but tastes just fine fried up in a pan.

 

[Nibbles]

Thanks for that information. I'll check it out as I'm curious.

 

[eco2pia]

I don’t know if I missed a post about someone saying they are awesome.

I want to try raising them for meat. I’m talking about a larger breed then the pet store Guinea pigs.

I was hoping you were going to tell me about them, saying they were awesome!!

In all seriousness, I have very little experience with them, but given the average litter size and number of litters per year, with a conservative projection of 15-20 pups per pair, I think you could easily breed the pet version towards the goal of a "meatier" version, though I would argue the MOST important factor sounds like it would be easy breeding females who have successful litters no matter what their body type. I would have to taste the meat to become motivated to do it myself I think. In my area the rats would kill them, and I would have to house them indoors or in very secure cages.