GUINEA PIG MANAGEMENT MANUAL - Benson Institute

The animals live in protected areas to avoid predators and to separate them by sex, age, and
physiological stage; in this way, ectoparasites are efficiently controlled (fleas, ticks, lice etc.)
consanguinity is avoided, and the death rate of the animals is reduced.
Figure 8: Technical commercial breeding
Under this breeding system, a mixture of food is generally used that consists of forage supply
and supplementary food. This feeding system fulfills nutritional requirements and obtains
optimum output from the animals.
TECHNICAL BREEDING PERMITS US TO:
• Avoid colony breeding to elude animal deterioration.
• Avoid a specific food system, using resources from the region or the different seasonal
alternatives.
• Avoid consumption of the best animals and lets us select animals for the coming
generations.
• Avoid inadequate installations because the guinea pigs need to live in a protected
atmosphere that allows for separation by class, age, and sex without the presence of other
predator species like dogs, cats, rats and others that can attack them.
• Avoid hydric limitations because the guinea pigs need to drink water for normal
development.
• Avoid closed environments; the guinea pigs need a ventilated area to live in. For best
use, areas that do not have light, ventilation, or are not secure can be adapted.
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