Growth of Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) with feed for rabbits and supplementation of vitamin C | Crecimiento de cuyes (Cavia porcellus) con alimento para conejos y suplementación de vitamina C

Inglés. Objetive. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the feed intake, digestibility and growth of pigs fed with two feeds (A and K) specially formulated for this species and a commercial feed for growing rabbits with supplementation of vitamin C (RF+VC). Materials and methods. Eighteen Guinea pigs of 248±38 g initial body weight were distributed in a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement 3×2 (dietary treatments and sex). Feed and neutral detergent fiber intake, weight gain, feed/gain, and morphometric variables were measured individually for 30 days. Dry matter and neutral detergent fiber digestibility were measured during the last seven days of the experiment. Results. There were no differences on feed intake (p=0.88); however, the dry matter digestibility was higher (p<0.01) in feeds formulated for Guinea pigs (A and K) and lower in the rabbit feed plus vitamin C. The intake and digestibility of NDF were higher in the RF+VC and lower in feeds for Guinea pigs (p< 0.01). The average daily gain was similar among the treatments (p>0.05). There were no differences (p>0.01) in the morphometric variables among dietary treatments, but there were sex differences as the males were bigger than the females (p<0.01). Conclusions. The results indicate that Guinea pigs can be fed with rabbit feed supplemented with vitamin C.

Español; castellano. Objetivo. Evaluar el consumo, la digestibilidad y el crecimiento de cuyes alimentados con dos alimentos (A y K) formulados para esta especie y un alimento para conejos en crecimiento con suplementación de vitamina C (AC+VC). Materiales y métodos. Dieciocho cuyes (Cavia porcellus) de 248±38 g de peso vivo inicial se distribuyeron en un diseño completamente al azar con un arreglo factorial 3 × 2 (tipo de alimento y género). La ingesta de alimento, fibra detergente neutro, el aumento de peso, la conversión alimenticia, y los cambios en las variables morfométricas se midieron diariamente, mientras que la digestibilidad de la MS y FDN se determinaron al final del periodo. Resultados. No hubo diferencias en el consumo de MS (p=0.88); sin embargo, la digestibilidad de la MS fue mayor (p<0.01) en los alimentos para cuyes e inferior en AC+VC. El consumo y digestibilidad de FDN fueron mayores en AC+VC (p<0.01). La ganancia diaria fue similar entre los tratamientos (p>0.05). No hubo diferencias (p>0.01) en las variables morfométricas entre los alimentos, pero los machos fueron más grandes que las hembras (p<0.01). Conclusiones. Los cuyes pueden ser alimentados con alimento de conejo suplementado con vitamina C.