Detailed Explanation of Key Points on Chinese Black Guinea Pig Farming Techniques

The Chinese black guinea pig is a black guinea pig -- a precious herbivorous animal that combines game meat, fur, ornamental value and tonic properties in one. The guinea pig belongs to the class Mammalia, order Rodentia, and is the guinea pig. It has black ears, black eyes, black toes and glossy black fur, hence the name black guinea pig. The guinea pig has a large head, short neck, round ears, no tail and short limbs; the forelimbs have four toes and the hindlimbs have three toes, with short and sharp claws on the toes that do not scratch people. It is not good at climbing or jumping, is docile in temperament, timid and easily startled, and sometimes emits squeaking cries. It grows quickly (can be sold after 2 months of rearing), has a high reproductive rate (sexual maturity is reached at one and a half months after birth and it can then be bred), strong disease resistance, a high survival rate and strong adaptability. The Chinese black guinea pig is a precious herbivorous animal that combines game meat, tonic properties, medicinal value, fur and ornamental value in one. Its successful breeding has added a glorious page to the development of black foods in our country and even the world.

Prospects for Chinese Black Guinea Pig Farming

1. Game meat and tonic properties: The Chinese black guinea pig, developed through the introduction of wild guinea pigs and continuous optimization and selective breeding, has white and tender meat (muscle fibers are extremely fine) and a fresh taste that surpasses chicken, duck and fish; the guinea pig skin is rich in collagen, with a fatty and glutinous texture that surpasses soft-shelled turtle skirt meat. Modern scientific research has proven that black foods are not only rich in nutrients but also have special functions such as eliminating free radicals in the human body, antioxidant effects, lowering blood lipids, anti-tumor effects, supporting yang function and anti-aging. Traditional Chinese medicine in our country holds that black foods nourish the kidney, that the kidney is the foundation of congenital constitution and the source of life is consolidated in the kidney, and points out that black foods can consolidate the foundation and support healthy qi, nourish the skin and beautify the appearance, strengthen the body and prolong life. The black guinea pig is a high-protein, low-fat and low-cholesterol food; the melanin it contains can eliminate free radicals in the human body and prevent excessive lipids, thereby playing a role in delaying aging; its iron content is 3 times that of soft-shelled turtle.

2. Medicinal value: Black guinea pig meat is sweet in flavor and neutral in nature, with the effects of replenishing qi and blood and detoxifying, and is used to treat conditions such as physical weakness, kidney deficiency in the elderly and postpartum anemia. The meat of the black guinea pig can be used to produce drugs for treating epilepsy, and guinea pig blood can be used to extract the drug raw material serotonin. Patients with stomach disease and cardiovascular disease who eat 3-4 black guinea pigs within a short period (about 10 days) can stabilize and alleviate their condition, reduce symptoms and maintain this for a relatively long time.

3. Fur: The black guinea pig is also a precious fur animal. Its fur is black and glossy, and its glossiness is comparable to that of mink. The fur is 2 cm--3 cm long, shorter than fox fur, and conforms to the new trend of modern clothing disinfection. The skin plate is thin and soft and rich in collagen. Monitoring by relevant leather scientific research institutions has proven that the fur of the black guinea pig can be used to produce high-grade fur coats and craft ornaments, and has very high economic value and utilization value.

4. Ornamental value: The black guinea pig has a mild temperament, is easy to raise and manage, and is lively and cute. It is loved by people, especially children, and can be kept as a pet.

Black Guinea Pig Farming Techniques

The black guinea pig is a herbivorous animal. Various wild grasses, vegetables, tree leaves, melon rinds, plant stems and leaves, rice straw and other straw are all good feed for it. Feed it once each in the morning and evening every day. The daily food intake is about 150 grams per animal, appropriately supplemented with a small amount of grains, wheat, corn and other concentrated feed. It is a typical grain-saving small domestic animal. In vast rural areas there are many grassy hills and slopes, and feed resources are very abundant. The black guinea pig can effectively utilize local grass feed, enabling every farming household to obtain huge economic benefits and high-grade game meat and natural black nutritional tonics in a very short time.

1. Preparation of rearing site: The first thing is the rearing facilities. There are many ways to raise black guinea pigs, adapting to local conditions. The commonly used methods generally include: cage rearing, flat rearing in pool-type pens, and three-dimensional large-scale factory farming.

① Cage rearing: This rearing method can be used for small-scale rearing. Its advantages are that it can control reproduction and feeding and maintain cleanliness and hygiene. The cage can be made of wooden strips, bamboo strips or iron wire, with the preferred specification being 60 cm × 50 cm × 40 cm.

② Flat rearing in pool-type pens: Suitable for use in single-story houses and when the shed is wide. Inside the house, bricks, wooden boards, etc. are used to partition off pools with an area of 0.5-1 sq m. It is best to spread some wood shavings or dry grass in the pools, which helps keep warm and absorb moisture. At present, this method is mostly used for rearing.

③ Three-dimensional factory farming: Its scale is relatively large and relatively concentrated, making it easy to manage and operate, and many animals can be raised. Bricks or wood and iron strips are used to build 3-5 layers, with the bottom slightly sloped so that manure flows out, making management convenient. There are small doors in the pools and cages. Generally, the number stocked is determined by the size of the cage or shed. For each sq m, the density is 8-10 animals when low and 10-20 animals when high. Generally, one with length and width of 100 cm × 50 cm can hold 1 male and 4 females; one of 80 cm × 50 cm can hold 1 male and 3 females; one of 60 cm × 50 cm can hold 1 male and 2 females; one of 45 cm × 35 cm can hold 1 male and 1 female. For pool rearing and box rearing, the stocking density should be appropriately reduced. Before stocking black guinea pigs, the house should be sprayed and disinfected with a 0.02% potassium permanganate solution.

2. Feeding: The Chinese black guinea pig has a very broad diet and is a herbivorous animal that mainly eats green feed. Wild grasses, tree leaves, straw and vegetables are all sources of food for it. Generally, feed it once each in the morning and evening, with about 150 grams per animal per meal. To promote the growth of black guinea pigs, some complete mixed feed should also be given, and its composition is similar to rabbit feed. If making homemade mixed feed (concentrated feed), the raw material ratio is: cornmeal 40%, grain meal 10%, bran 30%, peanut shell meal 15%, fish meal 2%, bone meal 2%, salt 1%. Make the feed into pellets or mix with water into wet feed for feeding. The black guinea pig has a very miscellaneous diet, and normal growth, development and reproduction all require sufficient nutrition. Since the black guinea pig is a herbivorous animal and has a relatively high digestion rate for crude fiber, if green feed or dry grass and other plants are not supplied for a long time, molting will occur, so feed supply should combine concentrated feed and green feed. Green feed: use fresh tender grass, such as elephant grass, corn leaves, sugarcane leaves, tree leaves, green vegetables, fruit peels, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.

3. Sanitation management: Black guinea pigs love cleanliness. Whether raised in pens or cages, the environmental sanitation of the rearing room must be well managed. Feeding troughs should be cleaned regularly to prevent feed from becoming moldy, ensure the freshness of feed and drinking water, and eliminate contamination of feed and drinking water by wild rats, cockroaches and the like.

4. Reproduction: Black guinea pigs reach sexual maturity early. Generally, female guinea pigs show sexual characteristics at 35——45 days of age, and male guinea pigs at 70 days of age. However, female guinea pigs are best bred after 70 days of age. Sex identification: a simple method is to press the perineal area with the hand; by checking whether a penis appears and the shape of the external genitalia, male or female can be confirmed. When catching and examining, press the back of the black guinea pig with the right hand, hold its left shoulder with the thumb, and hold the right shoulder and chest with the other four fingers; after lifting it gently in this way, support its body with the left hand. The sexual cycle of the female guinea pig is 16 days, and the duration of estrus is 1——18 hours, with an average of 9 hours. The gestation period of the female guinea pig is 56——68 days, and the litter size is 3——5, with some reaching 6——9. Seed selection: Breeding guinea pigs should be selected for a plump body, thick and strong bones, correct limb shape, bright eyes, good nutritional status and development, glossy coat color, soft and elastic skin, symmetrical and uniformly sized testes in males, and normal external genital development in females. Mating: The duration of estrus in black guinea pigs is 1-18 hours, with an average of 9 hours. Estrus mostly occurs between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. the next day. After the female guinea pig mates during estrus, there is a gelatinous mixture at the vaginal opening. Based on the presence or absence of this plug, it can be judged whether the black guinea pig has mated successfully. Under normal circumstances, black guinea pigs kept for original seed reproduction are all mated using the one-male-one-female method, that is, only 1 pair of breeding guinea pigs is placed in each rearing pool. Female guinea pigs should be allowed to live and reproduce together after the young guinea pigs are weaned; the male can be placed in for postpartum mating within half a day after the female gives birth; both the mating rate and the reproductive rate are high. In large-group rearing, 3 to 4 female guinea pigs are often placed with one male black guinea pig for mating. Never place two male guinea pigs together, to prevent fighting that affects mating. Birth: The gestation period of the female guinea pig is about 68 days, and the litter size is generally 3 to 7. The young guinea pigs are weaned after 15 days and reared separately after weaning. Under normal circumstances, 60-80 days of rearing can meet commercial requirements. During gestation, in addition to increasing the quantity and quality of feed, the site should be kept quiet and clean, and idle persons should not enter and leave at will. Ensure the daily ration is fresh and feed small amounts more frequently. In the late stage of gestation, dry grass should be placed in the cage to let the female guinea pig build a nest and prepare for delivery. The lactation period of young black guinea pigs is 15 days in summer and 20 days in winter. During lactation, the feed nutrition of the female guinea pig should be increased. Black guinea pigs have a high reproductive rate and strong immunity. The service life of breeding guinea pigs is 3 years, and no immunization or drug prevention is needed during the rearing process.

5. Rearing management: Rearing management is the key to black guinea pig farming, with the focus on preventing feed from becoming moldy and deteriorating. Mixed feed is best fed as soon as it is mixed. When pelleted feed is fed directly, clean water should be provided for drinking, or it should be mixed with feed and fed. Feed small amounts more frequently. The daily ration cost is about 40 grams per animal, fed twice a day, and the feeding trough should be kept clean and hygienic. After feeding concentrated feed, fresh green feed should be added at the same time. Green feed is best cut and fed on the same day. The daily amount of green feed collected per adult animal is about 250 grams. Prevent feeding green feed contaminated by pesticides and the like. The rearing room should be kept quiet, manure should be cleaned every day, and utensils should be frequently scrubbed clean. The room temperature is best kept at 18°C-25°C, and the relative humidity at 45%-55%. Do a good job of keeping warm in winter. Prevent rats and snakes from entering the rearing room, and create a comfortable living environment for the black guinea pigs. Keepers should be conscientious and responsible and pay attention to observation, and handle problems promptly when found. Four-season management. Spring management: In spring the temperature is suitable, so more green feed should be fed, reproduction should be carried out promptly, and a certain density and indoor environmental sanitation should be maintained. Summer management: In summer the temperature is relatively high, so heat prevention and cooling work should be done conscientiously, indoor ventilation should be strengthened, the room should be kept clean and dry, manure should be removed promptly, density should be reduced, strict disinfection should be carried out, nutrition should be strengthened, and the physical condition of the black guinea pigs should be kept stable. Autumn management: In autumn the sky is high and the air is crisp, and the temperature is pleasant. Keep the indoor floor, cages and feeding utensils clean, draw up a good reproduction plan, prepare more green feed, and prevent feeding deteriorated feed. Winter management: In winter the weather is cold, so warmth should be maintained, wind should be prevented from entering, and the rearing density of black guinea pigs can be appropriately increased. Because the supply of green feed is insufficient in winter, concentrated feed such as grains and bran can be appropriately increased. Black guinea pigs eat grass, are docile in temperament, reproduce quickly, have relatively few diseases, and have simple rearing methods, low input and quick results. They are very suitable for laid-off workers and surplus rural labor to raise, and are suitable for all ages. Therefore, promoting black guinea pig farming has very good social significance. It can achieve good social benefits and economic benefits.

Disease Prevention and Control

If the rearing methods are mastered and management is strict when raising black guinea pigs artificially, diseases rarely occur, and even if there are deaths from illness, they are extremely rare. If feed deteriorates, feeding is irregular, green feed is unclean, nutrition is incomplete, or management is extensive, diseases will occur. Two common diseases are introduced below.

1. Bloat: Most cases are caused by eating moldy and deteriorated feed or drinking contaminated water, or eating green vegetables still wet with dew or green vegetables with excessive water content, leading to indigestion. It mostly manifests as abdominal bloating, listlessness, reduced or stopped feeding, pale lips, and loose or watery feces that are green and foul-smelling. When diseased animals are found, isolate them immediately and feed drugs such as chloramphenicol or oxytetracycline. The herbal medicine Andrographis paniculata can also be boiled in water and fed, for 2-3 consecutive days, 1-2 times a day. Centella asiatica can also be washed clean, dried in the air and fed raw.

2. Emaciation disease: Due to a long-term single daily ration, malnutrition, or feeding dry grain without adding drinking water, digestion is hindered and feeding stops, or guinea pig stomach diseases occur and cannot be discovered and treated promptly, resulting in progressive weight loss. Cod liver oil or egg yolk can be used for supplementation, and cooked soybeans can be mixed into the feed for feeding. After 10 days, return to the daily feed. At the same time, add poultry multivitamins. If body temperature rises, 20,000-30,000 units of penicillin can be injected intramuscularly, twice a day, for 3-5 consecutive days.