EFFECT OF THE INCLUSION OF BARLEY GRAIN AND SUNFLOWER SEED IN A FORAGE DIET ON THE OPTIMUM CULLING AGE OF GUINEA PIGS

• Autores: Lozada P., Patricia, Jiménez A., Ronald, San Martín H., Felipe, Huamán C., Amparo
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2013
• Institución: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:ojs.csi.unmsm:article/1650
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe/index.php/veterinaria/article/view/1650
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Cobayo; energía; dieta; cebada grano; semilla de girasol; forraje; edad de beneficio; guinea pig; energy; diet; barley grain; sunflower seed; forage; culling age

The study evaluated the effect of the energy supplementation on the optimal culling age of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) in the Peruvian highlands. Two hundred guinea pigs of 4 weeks old were distributed in fours treatments during 13 weeks: forage ad libitum (T0), forage ad libitum plus 10 g barley grain/animal (T1), forage ad libitum plus 7 g sunflower seed/animal (T2), and forage ad libitum plus 5 g barley grain and 3.5 g sunflower seed/animal (T3). A randomized complete block design, with initial live weight defining the block, and 5 experimental units of 10 animals each, was applied. The energy supplementation improved body weight gain and feed conversion index (p<0.05), whereas the combination of sunflower seed and barley grain had an additional effect on body weight gain (T3) and the inclusion of sunflower (T2) on feed conversion index (p<0.05). The energy supplementation had no effect on production cost, benefit/cost ratio or optimal culling age.