There are four toes on the forefeet and three on the hind feet. We love the outdoors and train our dogs to explore the wild places with us, off-leash, as can be seen here: https://jumpshare.com/b/GniZ2SuBmyixVVwxzqII Guinea pigs make a variety of sounds or vocalizations, some of which most owners will recognize. At this roadside food stand and many others like it in rural Peru, the house specialty is roasted guinea pig to go. ... Peru, we knew that part of our culinary adventure had to be cuy or guinea pig. Just by the by: I have a younger sister named Sheree, second name Kim. I finally passed my driving test (sadly not on the first attempt), I travelled to South America for the first time and had my first experience eating guinea pig. Guinea pig, (Cavia porcellus), a domesticated species of South American rodent belonging to the cavy family (Caviidae). That cute fluffy pet that we keep in the UK and the US, I ate him.Â. "There's a clear cultural prejudice against eating guinea pigs, and rodents in general, in the United States," Miller says. But there may be more to gain from eating guinea pig than bizarre foods bragging rights. Like with pork in Ecuador, the animal is sometimes blow-torched prior to cooking to remove the hair.Â, Having always appreciated how cute guinea pigs are, I wondered how I would cope with trying to eat one. Surprisingly, after smelling the meal heading towards us, I was no longer concerned about whether I would be able to stomach the delicacy. In the United States, most guinea pigs intended for human consumption come from Peru as whole, frozen, hairless rodents in plastic bags. That is definitely less land than the average cow requires! Surely though, as a meat-eater that is ridiculous? Since then, demand has climbed every year, according to Carlos Atorga, who opened Urubamba in 1976. Current destination: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Â, Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases [U.K]. Owing to their size, cows require a huge amount of food to sustain them and allow them to grow to the size required for the meat market. She cooked some last night and it is delicious! I am fortunate enough to live in an area in which venison is available at a small fraction of the price of more conventional cuts and I avail of it when run out of meat to eat. This depends on your perspective. At least they’re consistent in their non-meat consumption.Â. Here you will learn all about guinea pigs: how to feed them, handle them, about their behaviour, how to choose a cage, bedding, about their health, social life, and much more – everything you need to know about guinea pig care in one place. You may best know the guinea pig as a nervous little pet that lives in a cage and eats alfalfa pellets. The good bacteria is a guinea pig’s gut is essential for breaking down and digesting complex foods, such as … The Salt contacted several federal regulatory agencies, including USDA and Fish and Wildlife, but none seemed to track guinea pig imports. The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also known as cavy or domestic cavy (/ ˈ k eɪ v i /), is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia.Despite their common name, guinea pigs are not native to Guinea, nor are they closely biologically related to pigs, and the origin of the name is still unclear.They originated in the Andes of South America. We are currently doing such immeasurable harm to our planet in the name of feeding ourselves which we could easily reduce through lifestyle changes. No skimping on plentiful grass hay, fresh water, and vitamin C. The guinea pig diet is mainly hay; we’re talking about 80% hay. I do worry about what people will think when they find out. Yes, you read that correctly. From a personal point of view, I would definitely recommend Cuenca’s restaurant ‘Tres Estrellas’ in which to try guinea pig. hide caption. Your guinea pig may also have trouble eating. Some vegetables can be provided few times a day, some few times a week . The Wheekwell Guide shows what your guinea pig should be eating every day and which vitamins they require. I don’t know if guinea pigs eat less food than cattle. Ileus can be caused secondarily by an underlying illness or stressor which in turn causes your guinea pig to stop eating. In the West, it would be fair to say we are all very removed from what ends up on our plate. Woods says a guinea pig herd consisting of two males and 20 females can sustain itself while providing meat for a family of six. It is all about Guinea Pigs! I have been told by locals to avoid the rainforest regions and instead try Cuy in the Andes mountain range. I am actually based in Norfolk too – how funny! Not going to lie, thinking about that as you’re pondering your menu choice isn’t helpful. "Guinea pigs don't require the land that cattle do. The thought of … The animals go for $17 a plate, each cuy splayed down the middle like a lobster and served with a front leg and a back, an eye, an ear and a nostril. Although your dog can't properly digest these things, none of them are harmful. We have never eaten guinea pig, but will not hesitate to try if it is offered. Guinea pig (Cuy) is a delicacy that is very typically associated with typical Peruvian cuisine but it is also eaten throughout other countries of South America such as Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia.. But, if you do, guinea pig meat is a healthy option. There are a couple of ways to cook guinea pig, generally either roasted, baked or fried. Sort: Relevant Newest # eating # chewing # guinea pig eating # chewing # guinea pig # cute # halloween # costume # pirate # guinea pig Guinea Pig Feeding Mistakes To Avoid. In just months, such a collection may have doubled in size. However, we spoke with the owners of two Peruvian food importers who said cuy consumption in the United States is certainly rising. I know this isn’t the best start to a travel blog but honestly, I find the world terrifying. Widespread consumption of guinea pig would certainly be one way to offset this damage. The sinewy meat was dry and sparse, and I went away hungry. The average price of a guinea pig between two people in Ecuador is around $25. Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are all countries which have seen these furry little rodents grace local plates for thousands of years. The rearing of cattle produces a huge amount of greenhouse gasses, owing to the methane emitted by the cows when they release wind. As I am carnivore, eating only meat, animal products and animal fat, I have no qualms about what meat I eat as long as it tastes good. Then there is the consideration of rodents in mass numbers developing diseases. I envy you your ability to travel the world. The steady amount of produce in your guinea pig's diet means that you need to be conscientious about removing uneaten fruits, veggies and other perishable foods before they spoil. It is not a recent development that has seen guinea pigs end up on the plates of humans. But here, in the Andean mountains of Ecuador, guinea pigs aren’t treated as cuddly companions; they’re bred, boiled and deep-fried for dinner. Great post. Guinea pigs are overly sensitive to being held, so limiting their exposure will keep them happier. Eating roasted or fried guinea pig is an ancient tradition in parts of South America, and still common today. But others describe what sounds like a different creature. Guinea Pig Bowls on Amazon.com. The desire to maintain and protect the Amazon Rainforest is heavily impacted by the need for farming space, which has resulted in crazy levels of deforestation. While guinea pig may be attaining star status as a hold-your-nose-and-roll-the-camera bizarre food, whether an animal so favored as a pet in the United States will become a mainstream piece of protein is, perhaps, doubtful. Guinea pigs are cute and cuddly and eating one is like eating your pet dog. Good luck with both projects! Who knows. Changes to a guinea pig’s diet must be done gradually. For all of the vegetarians that have just clicked the back button on their browser and all the meat-eaters crying ‘savage’ from behind their computers, allow me to explain a little bit about the history behind eating guinea pig and why eating guinea pig could just save the planet! There is nowhere suffering from the consequences of deforestation as much as the South American countries. They take up less space and people can produce their own meat. We have and prepared right it is not bad at all. This can include antibiotic therapy, but sometimes surgery may be recommended. You need to consider the yield of how many pounds of meat per pound of food fed to the animal. He says the nose, ears and fingery little hands are the best bites of all — but Oka removes the animals' extremities to avoid offending sensitive diners. South American restaurants on both coasts seem to be pushing the trend, answering to demand mostly from Andean expats for what is considered a fine and valuable food in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. Whilst there is evidence to suggest Europeans have never commonly eaten guinea pig, that is not the case in South America. One portion of Cuy is good to share between two people and also comes served with potatoes, beans and corn. 147 GIFs. Urinary tract infections should be investigated by a veterinarian, who can decide the best course of treatment. (You can’t be any more useless than me.) Guinea Pig Losing Weight Despite Eating, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other connective tissue. Yes, that little hamster-like creature you had as a childhood pet is somewhat of a delicacy in the Andean highlands and has been a traditional part of the Peruvian and Bolivian diets since pre-colonial times. I ate a quarter of a grilled guinea pig recently during a cycling trip in Ecuador. Most venison is rendered palatable by soaking it in a brine consisting of 1 tablespoon of salt to each litre of water. In fact, they probably bring up childhood memories of our first fluffy family addition. It always amazes me how many people are willing to eat meat but won’t acknowledge the process which has to happen for the food to reach our plates. 🙂. My motto is “if it lies on my plate long enough for me to stab it with a fork, I’ll eat it.” It’s estimated that indigenous people in the Andes Mountains have been eating domesticated cuy (pronounced “kwee”) since 5000 BC. Middle-class foodies with a taste for exotic delicacies are also ordering, photographing and blogging about guinea pig. Sometimes the reason why guinea pig stops eating lays in the actual product that your pet is avoiding.In a majority of cases guinea pigs stop eating vegetables because they are fed with excessive amount of treats and pallets. Header photo by Nestor Lacle under CC by 2.0 Flickr.com. Blend or mix a guinea pig "smoothie" that contains hay, water and ground up … That’s what adventure is all about though, right? Whilst guinea pigs aren’t the meatiest animal you could choose to eat, there are a number of benefits to picking this dish over other kinds of meat. Things as simple as moving the cage, introducing a new guinea pig, an upper respiratory infection, and even ectoparasites like lice can stress your guinea pig out enough so that it doesn't eat and develops ileus. Make sure your guinea pigs have access to fresh water all the time, and if it’s from a bottle make sure it works and your guinea pigs are able to extract the water. We all know that such gasses are bad for the environment which could lead us to conclude that guinea pig farms are a more environmentally friendly alternative. "But finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint is a good idea, and so is eating small livestock, like guinea pigs. Guinea pig is most likely to stop eating if the food is too hard and/or unpalatable. It is definitely worth doing your research when it comes to finding a place to eat Cuy. In fact, archaeologists believe that guinea … 49 shares. Phil Whitehouse/via Flickr A traditional food, Guinea pig (called cuy in Peru) has been served whole on special occasions since Inca times. That is, only let one person hold the guinea pig each time you get them out of the cage, especially if that person is a child. In the United States, most guinea pigs intended for human consumption come from Peru as whole, frozen, hairless rodents in plastic bags. People might appreciate eating meat more if they had to raise and slaughter the animal themselves. For more strange foods you can try in Ecuador, check out this post on jungle town Misahuallí! If you are willing to give your guinea pig a good home with proper food, attention, living space, grooming, and veterinary care, you will be rewarded with a happy, healthy, cute, and fun guinea pig. Courtesy of Curtiss Calleo A review of these common guinea pig care no-nos helps you avoid them so your guinea pig buddies live the good life. 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