Feeding of guinea pigs in the growth phase based on tropical grasses from Morona Santiago

Abstract

The feeding of guinea pigs in the growth phase based on tropical grasses was developed on the ESPOCH farms Sede Morona Santiago, for which 20 guinea pigs 60 days old were used, which were distributed in five treatments (Tripsacum laxum, Pennisetum sp, Pennisetum purpureum and Axonopus scoparius) including the control and four repetitions, each experimental unit was made up of one animal, which had an average weight of 409.6 g. to which they were randomly housed in an individual metabolic cage to observe the productive behavior and use of the pasture, and to assign the treatments at random to each guinea pig. Dehydrated feed was supplied daily after recording its weight, in the same way forage residues and excreta were weighed, data that were used for the analysis. Once the information obtained was compiled and processed, it was possible to notice that the weight of the guinea pigs after 60 days of investigation, consumption of dry matter, quantity of feces produced, and dry matter used did not register significant differences, but the use of protein, fat, fiber, Acid Detergent Fiber (FDA) and neutral detergent fiber (FDN) registered statistical differences. Concluding that the balance has a greater amount of protein and fat used, although the fiber content is scarce, in the same way the availability of FDN and FDA in the Tripsacum laxum grass is in a lower proportion when contrasting with the other grasses used in the investigation.