Use of coconut cake (Cocos nucifera) in the productive performance of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) during the growth and fattening phases

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of four levels of coconut cake inclusion (0, 10, 20, 30%) in the diet of guinea pigs on productive parameters during the growth and fattening phases. Four hundred male guinea pigs from the Peru genetic line were used, with an average age of 14 ± 3 days and an i...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Tantahuillca-Landeo, Folke Claudio; Sotelo-Méndez, Alejandrina Honorata; Norabuena-Meza, Edgar Waldo; Meza-Rojas, Elmer Raúl; Rodríguez-Vargas, Aníbal Raúl
Format: Article
Status:Published version
Publication date:2025
Country:Perú
Institution:UNMSM
Repository:Revistas - Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
Language:Spanish
OAI Identifier:oai:revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe:article/29144
Online Access:https://revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe/index.php/veterinaria/article/view/29144
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:guinea pigs
coconut cake
productive efficiency
productive parameters
economic merit
cuyes
torta de coco
eficiencia productiva
parámetros productivos
mérito económico
Description
Summary:The study aimed to evaluate the effect of four levels of coconut cake inclusion (0, 10, 20, 30%) in the diet of guinea pigs on productive parameters during the growth and fattening phases. Four hundred male guinea pigs from the Peru genetic line were used, with an average age of 14 ± 3 days and an initial weight of 294.8 ± 4.0 g. The animals were randomly distributed into four experimental groups, each with five replicates of 20 guinea pigs, for 56 days. Key indicators such as daily weight gain (DWG), final weight (FW), feed consumption (FC), feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass yield (CY), and economic return were recorded. No significant differences were found in the production parameters analysed (p>0.05), with average values for DWG, FW, FC, FCR, and CY between 12.6 and 13.0 g/day, 995.1 and 1020.8 g, 2161.4 and 2471.2 g/guinea pig, 3.02 and 3.49, and 73.06 and 73.64%, respectively. However, the economic analysis revealed that the treatment with 30% coconut cake presented a better profitability index. In conclusion, although the inclusion of coconut cake did not show a better animal response, it proved to be advantageous from an economic perspective.