Partial and total substitution of fresh alfalfa for hay in the feeding of growing and fattening guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus): an alternative for the dry season

During haymaking, fodder loses, among other things, vitamin C, to the extent that it is lacking in the daily diet of the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus). It is known that this vitamin is essential for guinea pigs because the guinea pig body does not synthesize vitamin C due to a lack of the enzyme L-gu...

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Main Authors: Felipe Escobar-Ramírez, Teodoro Espinoza-Ochoa, Rene Antonio Hinojosa-Benavides, Ruggerths Nilo De la Cruz-Marcos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Selva Andina Research Society 2023-04-01
Series:Journal of the Selva Andina Animal Science
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.org.bo/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2311-25812023000100016&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es
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author Felipe Escobar-Ramírez
Teodoro Espinoza-Ochoa
Rene Antonio Hinojosa-Benavides
Ruggerths Nilo De la Cruz-Marcos
author_facet Felipe Escobar-Ramírez
Teodoro Espinoza-Ochoa
Rene Antonio Hinojosa-Benavides
Ruggerths Nilo De la Cruz-Marcos
author_sort Felipe Escobar-Ramírez
collection DOAJ
description During haymaking, fodder loses, among other things, vitamin C, to the extent that it is lacking in the daily diet of the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus). It is known that this vitamin is essential for guinea pigs because the guinea pig body does not synthesize vitamin C due to a lack of the enzyme L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidase, resulting in a dependence on fresh or green fodder. In comparison to the information available on the use of fresh forage in guinea pig feeding, there is much less information based on experiences with hay feeding, a situation that motivated this study, with the purpose of evaluating the animal response to the total or partial substitution of fresh alfalfa (Medicago sativa) for hay, supplemented with commercial concentrate enriched with vitamin C. The trial was conducted with 27 male guinea pigs weaned at 3 weeks of age, and lasted 8 weeks. The animals were divided into 3 treatments with an equal number of replicates distributed according to a completely randomized design. The treatments were: T1 Fresh forage 15 % of body weight (BW), T2 Fresh forage 7.5 % BW + hay 1.5 % BW, T3 Hay 3.0 % BW, supplemented in all cases with commercial concentrate enriched with vitamin C administered at free choice. It was determined that by total or partial substitution of fresh forage by alfalfa hay, statistically similar results were obtained for dry matter intake level 3447, 3512 and 3738 g, body weight gain 790, 775 and 782 g, feed conversion 4.36, 4.53 and 4.64 and carcass yield 70.0, 68.2 and 69.9 %. It is concluded that alfalfa hay can totally or partially replace fresh alfalfa, taking care that another part of the ration (concentrate) provides a sufficient amount of vitamin C, a forage administration method that could be adopted as a new alternative for guinea pig feeding, mainly during the dry season.
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spelling doaj-art-954030f5582e4e3c85c81cda69593d632025-08-20T04:02:27ZengSelva Andina Research SocietyJournal of the Selva Andina Animal Science2311-37662311-25812023-04-011011629doi:10.36610/j.jsaas.2023.100100016Partial and total substitution of fresh alfalfa for hay in the feeding of growing and fattening guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus): an alternative for the dry seasonFelipe Escobar-Ramírez0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7186-6851Teodoro Espinoza-Ochoa1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1122-817XRene Antonio Hinojosa-Benavides2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0452-3162Ruggerths Nilo De la Cruz-Marcos3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7539-4003Universidad Nacional de San Cristóbal de Huamanga. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Unidad de Investigación e Innovación. Portal Independencia N° 57. Tel. (066)31-3433. Móvil: 051-940155097. Ayacucho - Perú.Universidad Nacional de San Cristóbal de Huamanga. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Unidad de Investigación e Innovación. Portal Independencia N° 57. Tel. (066)31-3433. Móvil: 051-940155097. Ayacucho - Perú.Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Huanta. Facultad de Ingeniería y Gestión. Unidad de Investigación. Jr. Manco Cápac N° 497 Huanta. Tel. 968048904. Ayacucho - Perú.Universidad Nacional de Huancavelica. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Unidad de Investigación. Jr. Victoria Garma N° 330. Tel. +985832562. Huancavelica - Perú.During haymaking, fodder loses, among other things, vitamin C, to the extent that it is lacking in the daily diet of the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus). It is known that this vitamin is essential for guinea pigs because the guinea pig body does not synthesize vitamin C due to a lack of the enzyme L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidase, resulting in a dependence on fresh or green fodder. In comparison to the information available on the use of fresh forage in guinea pig feeding, there is much less information based on experiences with hay feeding, a situation that motivated this study, with the purpose of evaluating the animal response to the total or partial substitution of fresh alfalfa (Medicago sativa) for hay, supplemented with commercial concentrate enriched with vitamin C. The trial was conducted with 27 male guinea pigs weaned at 3 weeks of age, and lasted 8 weeks. The animals were divided into 3 treatments with an equal number of replicates distributed according to a completely randomized design. The treatments were: T1 Fresh forage 15 % of body weight (BW), T2 Fresh forage 7.5 % BW + hay 1.5 % BW, T3 Hay 3.0 % BW, supplemented in all cases with commercial concentrate enriched with vitamin C administered at free choice. It was determined that by total or partial substitution of fresh forage by alfalfa hay, statistically similar results were obtained for dry matter intake level 3447, 3512 and 3738 g, body weight gain 790, 775 and 782 g, feed conversion 4.36, 4.53 and 4.64 and carcass yield 70.0, 68.2 and 69.9 %. It is concluded that alfalfa hay can totally or partially replace fresh alfalfa, taking care that another part of the ration (concentrate) provides a sufficient amount of vitamin C, a forage administration method that could be adopted as a new alternative for guinea pig feeding, mainly during the dry season.http://www.scielo.org.bo/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2311-25812023000100016&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=escavia porcellus; consumption and weight gain per unit weight; carcass yield; muscle mass yield
spellingShingle Felipe Escobar-Ramírez
Teodoro Espinoza-Ochoa
Rene Antonio Hinojosa-Benavides
Ruggerths Nilo De la Cruz-Marcos
Partial and total substitution of fresh alfalfa for hay in the feeding of growing and fattening guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus): an alternative for the dry season
Journal of the Selva Andina Animal Science
cavia porcellus; consumption and weight gain per unit weight; carcass yield; muscle mass yield
title Partial and total substitution of fresh alfalfa for hay in the feeding of growing and fattening guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus): an alternative for the dry season
title_full Partial and total substitution of fresh alfalfa for hay in the feeding of growing and fattening guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus): an alternative for the dry season
title_fullStr Partial and total substitution of fresh alfalfa for hay in the feeding of growing and fattening guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus): an alternative for the dry season
title_full_unstemmed Partial and total substitution of fresh alfalfa for hay in the feeding of growing and fattening guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus): an alternative for the dry season
title_short Partial and total substitution of fresh alfalfa for hay in the feeding of growing and fattening guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus): an alternative for the dry season
title_sort partial and total substitution of fresh alfalfa for hay in the feeding of growing and fattening guinea pigs cavia porcellus an alternative for the dry season
topic cavia porcellus; consumption and weight gain per unit weight; carcass yield; muscle mass yield
url http://www.scielo.org.bo/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2311-25812023000100016&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es
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