A new type of livestock with a regenerative job. You saw it here first.

[@oneperson5760]

I was so glad to see this video, as it confirms exactly what I've found in raising up a herd of outdoor guinea pigs here in Louisiana. They need a dry spot with well insulated shelter in the winter, and deep shade and cool thermal mass in the summer. But we've also 'lost' some escapees over the years. A deer hunter on our property was in his raised deer stand, and said he saw a guinea pig come out of the brush. That was 2 years after that particular piggie had escaped, so I know they can survive the wild for a bit, with no human care or manmade shelter, year-round. Once, i bought some piggies from a local person, of mixed types. I found that the fancier hair varieties do not survive well outdoors, so a smooth coat type is important. Also, its likely that the indoor pet trade has made many of them physically unfit for outdoor living. However, from 2 males and 5 females, I've got quite a land race project going. Meaning, I put them out there, and the ones who are of sturdy enough constitution to survive the elements will go on to breed, while the weaker ones do not. I accepted higher losses at the beginning as the weaker ones de-selected themselves. Now, after almost 3 years of pastured piggies, it's very rare for me to lose one to weather conditions, given proper shelter for the season. Since I've pretty much got them selected for outdoor hardiness, now I've culled for body size for meat production. From about 60 piggies, I narrowed it to my 2 heaviest males, and 10 heaviest females. The extra males who didn't make the cut went out to wild pasture and did very well until predators got them. I think had the foxes and bobcats and coons not got them over time, they'd still be thriving with no care from me except their cinderblock house I built them. The extra females were dressed and went into the freezer. The reason for this sort of selection is that i don't want to ever release females into the wild. Because they do so well outdoors, i don't want them to establish and over populate locally and have the neighbors bothered by them. Predators do a good job of tending to them, but i still don't want to take that chance with females. Now that I've got them selected for hardiness and size, I'm dallying with predator resistance. Pet genetics have made them too slow and oblivious to danger. I'm allowing some pressure from hawks, so that the faster and more observant ones will be selected to continue on. My numbers are kind of low right now, only about 20, but those 20 seem to be too fast for the hawk. They schloop into their pipe tubes when they see the hawk coming and the hawk usually leaves frustrated. Years of pet breeding had done a number on their suitability as farm animals, but once I do maybe another year of land race selection, I ought to have a fine breed of piggie to sell or trade, and for their very best use as mowing and compost generation. You could use them as meat in a pinch, but they're really more valuable for mowing and compost. And it's just so darn cute to see a herd of them out happily munching on green lawn, eager to see you when you come with treats! Despite all this selection pressure away from pet genetics, my oldest male who has survived all the hurdles will come to take peppers or carrots from my hand. He's my favorite and his name is Chevy, because he's black with an orange chevron marking on his face. He's no good for breeding anymore because younger more dominant males always attack him and lame his back end. I built a special hospital shelter just for him, as he's had spinal damage and paralysis twice, and recovered both times. I just can't put him in with other males, so he's free roaming over the whole property, wherever he wants to go. He usually stays near my busy paths in the garden and close to the fence where the other piggies are. But he always comes to take a treat from me.

[@parccarreg]

Thanks for the detailed comment! Very interesting to read your experience with them. We too have found that the long haired ones don't do well outdoors - they are a mess! Hair gets matted and wet. We're also selecting for heavier guinea pigs. You're right though - a good source of meat when you're in a pinch, but quite fiddly as there are lots of bones to pick through. We just LOVE having them - so cute and so good as mowing and pooping!

[@CairnsLobster]

Great reply mate! Andre

[@predatorgetter]

I agree on the smooth coat. Fancy hair just makes them less hardy to extreme temperatures or susceptible to mites.

[@ShalomShalom-d5c]

Really nice story, I totally enjoyed reading it. I had rabbits & they added a lot to my garden/compost in many ways, but I can see where guinea pigs would be better.

[@DGibsonxio]

Do they burrow like rabbits?

[@WinkTartanBelle]

I’ve kept cuy (aka Guinea pigs) as small meat stock for about 10 years now in a colony system. They do much better than meat rabbits in my Texas climate. They take up little room, need minimal barriers as they don’t jump, climb, or dig. They do quite well on native forage, garden waste, and cover crops. Their manure is not “hot” and makes excellent fertilizer fresh or aged. Their litter sizes are reasonable and the young hit the ground able to begin eating solid food, eyes and ears open, fully furred and mobile. As a small meat stock, they are perfect single serving size and stack efficiently in the freezer when spatchcocked. They are delicious either with or without the skin and prepared in any number of ways, so butchering is a easy. Even when “free ranging” they return to the colony HQ and don’t wander very far from there. Highly recommend.

[@parccarreg]

Wow, thanks for sharing. You've confirmed pretty much everything we have experienced and researched. I'm amazed at how many people raise guinea pigs on farm. How many do you have?

[@HelenEk7]

Did you film some videos or write blog posts about your operation?

[@dawnvalfre]

I’m in Abilene and used to be a top 10 show breeder of Guinea pigs and genetics is kinda my thing so selective breeding for meat would be easy enough. We have 5 acres and I’d love to know more about your setup. My biggest concern would be the heat of course. Please reach out to me, I’d love to know more.

[@helenlbrewer9977]

I have never heard of eating guinea pigs in my lifetime, what does it taste like. I live in Missouri USA

[@WinkTartanBelle]

@@parccarreg My core colony is around 20 animals. I arrived at this number over time, adjusting it to fit my needs and abilities. I'm getting older, so adding to my physical workload at this time of life is a no-go. I harvest an average of around 60-90 animals a year, depending on weather and my timing. This number is about right for our personal human and animal consumption over the year, with a little leeway to offer some for people who need the meat for their raw animal pet feeding. Fun fact: Many dogs and cats are allergic to some protein source or another, but very few are allergic to cuy.

[@Frombie_01]

A chap in Northern Queensland (Australia) has been using guinea pigs in his permaculture garden/orchard for quite a few years. Guinea pigs have been eaten in Peru for hundreds if not thousands of years.

[@kenknutson1598]

To heard your worms, slowly pull the black plastic sheets in the direction you want them to go. Keep a light on the trailing end of the sheet. The worms will go away from the light and go towards the dark.

[@EmbracethechaosPortugal]

Guineapigs are grown and eaten as a cheap protein source in Portugal..ideal for single or elderly cpuple households,ofcourse in rural areas nearly everyone has a fruit and vegetable garden, complete closed system living.

[@oneperson5760]

Closed loop systems are my goal. I was thrilled to see the huge piles of compost with worms in it in this video. I use chickens for their eggs and for garden clearing seasonally, when I switch over to the other garden plot. If the zombie apocalypse (financial crash, true pandemic, or solar CME) happens, I want to not need inputs from shopping at the feed store every week. I plan to use sorghum and the worm bin to feed my chickens, and it looks like stepping up my guinea pig compost to a larger size like this gentleman has would be ideal. I've purchased many bags of soil to top up my garden beds as the organic matter decays, and just this year started a large compost area to make my own. Everything goes in it, old eggs, dead animals, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and lots of guinea pig poo. I hope to soon be independent from the feed store. This video gives me encouragement that it's really possible to close that loop and need very few, if any, inputs on our place. I know my soil needs phosphate, but it's not hard to lay in a long term supply of that. Hopefully, as I get the phosphate in my soil, it will circulate in this closed loop system and not deplete much.

[@markcassidy1428]

Got any good recipes

[@EmbracethechaosPortugal]

@markcassidy1428 from what I've seen here they usually use similar to chicken or rabbit, mostly one pot wonder stews,or breaded and fried, theres not a lot of meat,similar to that of a large quail but ofcourse cooking the whole carcass adds important protein and the bone broth type elements.

[@PuppyNutter3]

What would you say the taste is comparable to?

[@EmbracethechaosPortugal]

@@PuppyNutter3 quail or rabbit

[@amandasmith3177]

Thank you, and I just subscribed. I have two wormeries in the garden and now the garden produces flowers and food. A couple of years ago, when digging the soil, noticed not 1 single worm, no ants, and the soil was not good. Since the wormeries, the garden is thriving. Best wishes to you and yours in all your endeavours

[@parccarreg]

great to hear! thanks for subscribing

[@graceydavis429]

I remember David Bellamy did a series back in the 70s showing them running round peoples homes / mud huts in Papua New Guinea, the lady of the house picked one up, bashed it on the head and put in on the fire. He said it was 'blooming delicious', We had much loved Pinky and Perky at the time and it cut a bit. Keeping the grass down is a great reason to house them. I believe grass was introduced for the 'perfect lawn' but mostly to aid a very profitable gardening industry, sales of mowers, weed killers etc and of course grass is not highly palatable. Prior, we had purslane and chamomile lawns both of which only grow to a few inches and are very beneficial to health.

[@UtahGmaw99]

I remember that too. It was interesting. I had a pet guinea pig as a pet at the and I didn't like how they did that to the poor thing. But now I know it was best as it was very quick.

[@graceydavis429]

@@UtahGmaw99 Very true, he opened up a new world for me. Shame he was censored for his views on climate change.

[@UtahGmaw99]

@@graceydavis429 Yes things are very different now. I never would have thought it would turn out this way.

[@predatorgetter]

I've been raising guinea pigs similarly in Utah for about 4 years now. The willow here must be different as mine don't like it much. We have invasive Russian Olive and Chinese elm trees and they love those and strip the bark. They'll eat almost any garden waste. I'll also gather invasive Phragmites (common reed). So, those without much property have ways of gathering free fodder. Guinea pigs actually are very delicious. I also cull whole, freeze and feed to my dog. I've trained him to leave the live ones alone. I've sold a few to local Peruvian friends. I put a shovel or two of manure in a bucket of water, soak for a day and pour around my plants and trees for a manure tea. I use a lot of ground up paper and cardboard as bedding that gets mixed with the manure for extra carbon in the compost. I also put that directly around my fruit trees. It gets the worms working around the plants to improve our heavy clay soil and helps retain moisture with our dry, hot climate. I use upside down totes similar to your barrel halves to help them weather the cold and storms and to help provide shade.

[@parccarreg]

very interesting thanks for sharing!

[@UtahGmaw99]

I'm in northern Utah. I was wondering if we have a similar climate as opposed to southern Utah.

[@oneperson5760]

I'm glad to hear that! After OP mentioned how much they love willow, I spent a few hours reading about willow trees and finding which ones will grow in my area. Then i had the bright idea to just go on a walk around my place with a tree ID book and see if i already have some willow, to gather a few test leaves for them. Sounds like you have a great system worked out for compost and compost/manure tea for the garden. I'll have to try that! It's so awesome to hear from others who also manage guinea pigs, learn what they do, and see how we've found similar solutions to problems. I wish my dog would have taken them as food, but he was old and set in his ways. My cat turned his nose up at fresh, warm liver. Cat is too spoiled!

[@predatorgetter]

@@UtahGmaw99, I'm a bit north of Ogden. So likely we do have similar weather. They do fine as long as they can stay dry and find a shady spot in the heat. It's best to remove all but one or two males as they will fight over the females.

[@xanadu1jw]

@@predatorgetterdo they fight if there are no females?

[@lis819]

There’s a guy in the Netherlands (Bosgoed Animal Paradise) who free ranges his Guinea pig flock…lets them out in the morning and calls them back at night and they do a marvellous job of avoiding predators - a really interesting video :-)

[@parccarreg]

Yes we were inspired by that video. In our case we've decided to keep them in runs in order to maintain control and stop them eating crops

[@lizlsnyman-bouwer4238]

Goodness! 15 guineapigs can munch that much in a day?! That’s just incredible!!!!

[@parccarreg]

I know right!

[@1truthseeking8]

​@@parccarreg you are raising them for meat though right ? How is the fat balance? 21:59 Oh wait, you're not raising them for meat....

[@lunarminx]

We had seven that each got a cup of leafy greens daily with carrots and peppers thrown in. The sold pellets are supposed to be a minor part of the diet. I bought hay by 50-40 lbs of the third cut hay for them. Near the end I was growing leafy greens indoors for them and the bearded dragons.

[@Rhodietoo]

I started with gunea pigs at school, and had a small business supplying the local pet shops. One day in th early 70's a man working locally but from Malawi approached me to supply gunea pigs for eating, as they are similar to the rock hyrax they were used to eating, as I was already breeding meat rabbits and broilr chickens, I was used to selling for slaughte, and had a profitable business for years, until conscription at 18. My cage design was two storied, with the bottom wired, (too many digging predators) and moved them on my parents large lawn three time per day, with a lucene patch for subsidised food in summer, and hay made for winter. The top story was solid, half enclosed for sleeping, with wood shavings for bedding through the whole top story - cleaned weekly, and spread directly onto my experimental no till veg garden. Used the same design except the nest area was insulated, and a wooden plank with a small entrance which was put in place for winter to reduce the door area for the nest box, for my children when we moved to Wiltshire UK. This same cage was sufficient wheb I later moved to Eyemouth Scottish borders, and no problems with cold an wet through winter - though I did add plenty of straw during the coldest months - gunea pigs are very adaptable, and just common sense hutches will work. I gave the cage and gunea pigs to a local child when we left (mine were grown and left home) and they were still thriving years later when we spoke to the family, What do you anticipate the future market being for the Welsh bred gunea pigs?

[@parccarreg]

Very interesting thanks for sharing! I think guinea pigs are a great way to manage grassy paths and borders whilst improving soil health. I don't think there will ever be a market for their meat here in the UK - not unless there is serious food shortage. People generally want convinient and familiar food.

[@leeennise.a3338]

After I ate guinea pig in Ecuador, I was hooked. Its the perfect permaculture livestock. An herbivore that poops out ready to use compost and has 8 pups 3 times a yr in the tropics

[@chazzyproductions524]

Cuy...a delicacy in South America...extremely high in protein and vitamins. You will have people that have a problem with it but is a staple in many countries. Congrats and best of luck!!!!

[@oldladylinda]

I like your channel. You do not use other peoples videos to create revenue. You are an honest, hard working man who has vision. I wish you and your family years and years of prosperity and happiness. Great Video!!

[@chrisheitstuman6360]

Now you have reignited my guinea pig/cuy rancher dreams...still working on my wife and the little lasso roping skills for round up time. Will be following the duck progress and guinea pigs with great interest!

[@parccarreg]

Haha, that's what we need - a little lasso! Glad I've reignighted your interests :)

[@alxp-zd1zj]

@@parccarreg do they eat rushes?

[@parccarreg]

@@alxp-zd1zj oh I don't actually know. Good one to test!

[@alxp-zd1zj]

@@parccarreg nope. tried. not eating em.

[@user-so2kz5hq5w]

How can u put them in blueberry area without hawks etc getting them? We've got pheasant netting on the currant batch so we can put chicks in and protect berries from thrushes etc. but it's only 10 bushes not 700.

[@sallyrose8075]

I love how the algorithm throws me a new channel - subscribed!

[@parccarreg]

Glad you found us!

[@Cagsjdr5]

Guinea pigs are soooooo cute… their little whistles of excitement ❤️ I used to rotate my run around the backyard lawn…they fed the grass while eating jt.. was great

[@crazydragon4277]

I wish I could have outside pens like you, but I'm in Florida United States. I have large predators like panthers, Bob cats, coyotes, and bears.

[@oneperson5760]

I have mine outside in Louisiana, similar climate and critters. We also have plenty of coons, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, and the occasional 'mountain lion'. Because of deer and coons, we had to move our garden and chickens right up against the house and put a 10 foot fence all around it. Makes about a 90ft x 80ft square, subdivided and cross fenced into alternating chicken-garden plot, a wedge along one side for guinea pigs, and about a 25x30 little front garden for raised beds. So, our piggies seem pretty safe inside the 10' fence. A hawk visits occasionally, but i figure he'll just improve genetics by picking off the slow ones. None have been gotten by quadrupeds.

[@parccarreg]

We have electric fencing around the perimeter. So there paddocks are safe from ground predators

[@itsamysticlife3500]

We have those predators in Tennessee. My neighbors use a strong charge electric fencing along with wire fencing. Two strong wires are spaced with one about 6 to 8 inches off of the ground and the other at the top of the fence. So far it's kept critters out of his small livestock pens. He does have issues with leaves and branches on his netting top, but seasonal brushing and blowing helps keep them from weighing down and collapsing the net.

[@Utubeisassho]

Pythons, don't forget pythons lol

[@lindajam8202]

And alligators. And snakes.

[@evelynwoolston7]

I thought you were insane when you said you were breeding Guinea pigs but now I get it! A genius solution. I'm not sure I could eat one however, no logical reason though.

[@jw6180]

Wow, I’ve never heard of this. Good luck and Thank you ! 🙏🏻💪🙌

[@markcrockford9679]

Thankyou very much ! I have been hoping to learn a bit more about Guinea pigs , that was very informative , I did enjoy the overview to show how they fit in your whole system !

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

Very interesting video. Thank you for sharing your farm with us, I learned quite a bit from watching

[@logannichols5848]

Guinea pigs are the first domestic meat source and have been farmed for thousands of years.

[@bluejay3945]

We ate roasted guinea pig with a native family in the sacred valley of Peru. Tastes like pork to me but lots of tiny bones. The Peruvians keep them in the kitchen to keep the floor clean.

[@valkyrie1066]

I love it. I have seen the documentaries, it look like such a good fit for available forage and space. Perfect serving size as well.

[@horseblinderson4747]

Just occurred to me you could put 3-5 in a 4' x say 27" mobile and run them between 30-36" corn rows, which you could just rip a furrow in with a sub soiler and plant right in it. Fifty foot rows they could get down in a week could overseed right over a yard then come autumn could seed winter rye in between as it's drying then you could shred the stalk up for coop litter. The rye would do well also seeing it just got all that nitrogen.

[@parccarreg]

Interesting idea! Out pens are 8ft x 8ft. We will be experimenting with different sizes...

[@RoosterGal]

I was thinking about a similar idea. We're looking at different cover crops and they could do the work and add to the soil when it's time to terminate and start planting. Plus keeping them in long narrow cages between rows throughout the season.

[@parccarreg]

@@RoosterGal Yes I love that idea. They could feasibly be kept in cages right next to a veg crop

[@Amber-mv8wz]

Recently in response to a prepper-oriented video about which livestock is best for preppers or off grid homesteads I mentioned guinea pigs & I think most folks thought I was nuts. They have much to recommend them though. They are one of the ONLY animals that can thrive on grass, weeds, & veggie scraps. No outside inputs needed. To my mind the other great thing about them is that slaughtering a few pigs for a meal wouldn't leave you with meat that you'd either have to find a means of preserving or be left to rot. There's literally no drawback to simply leaving them alive until you need the meat. Don't ask, I've never eaten guinea pig & I don't know any good recipes but it's meat so I'm sure I could figure it out. lol

[@parccarreg]

Exactly. If you don't have cold storage they are uniquely suitable!

[@NaTashaBailey111]

So loving this idea!!! Much love from my farm in Missouri USA 🇺🇸 ❤🫶👩‍🌾

[@lindamarshall8279]

Your choice is so well thought out and trialed. While I get GPs are ‘cute’ and furry there is no reason they should not be used as an alternative meat source. I hope it all goes well for you. 😊

[@jenb1214]

What a creative solution! I will seriously take a look at this for my blueberries

[@margaretporkolab7166]

We had Guinea pigs for rat control. Rats cannot tolerate the shrill of the guinea pigs. That was my experience with them.

[@geriannroth449]

Incredible

[@pvp6077]

Now that's interesting

[@hermanhale9258]

The first thing I thought was, they look like rats as they scamper around - I bet rats get in with them! Why has no one developed a guinea pig rat-b-gone product?

[@lis819]

Good to know!

[@iamdd2159]

Wow, fascinating I just may try this..

[@donchonealyotheoneal5456]

So I had to a Peruvian guineapig with the long hair. He lived in our yard without a fence for a year and he mowed our yard lived under the mower. I moved it every day.He was so wonderful. We loved him very much. His name was Poncho. He was such a good boy!

[@firstnamelastname-uq9hr]

Ours was called Gee Pee, i loved her so much.She was very old when she died naturally,never got another though.She liked to lick my nose when i lay by her.

[@jacquelineclauson4891]

So glad this is working and that you aren’t eating them.

[@firstnamelastname-uq9hr]

Why not eat them,they are very tasty, and healthy meat....see how Peruvians do them.

[@sarahpauline4904]

@@firstnamelastname-uq9hr Because there is no need to..

[@dennishansen9023]

we use a chicken tractor, on 16 square meters. there are approximately 40 female guinea pigs and one male guinea pig and they have young all summer and keep the grass completely down by moving every day.

[@parccarreg]

wow, nice job. How do you move the coop? That's quite large. We found that the ground has to be very flat to avoid little exit points under the frame. Our pen design is quite good at flexing to the contour of the ground. Does yours have mesh on the bottom?

[@valkyrie1066]

There we go; my experience has been in chickens but I wondered if a guinea pig tractor wouldn't work well. NICE!

[@annmarieschantz9724]

I used to have pigs as pets. Had a rat problem and had my male roam free in home, after that the rats left,never had problems again.😊 They are great pets. Have you really amazing personalities!! Usually live for 6-8 years . I'm allowed pets where I live now,so I decided on getting more, however I got t a rescue dog!! It's a lot different than a piggie at least they do it get into garbage, and poo is way smaller.

[@oneperson5760]

Our piggies outdoors must be far too kind. You know how rodents are sometimes hard to see, because they're so gray and they move so fast? I suspected i had a rat or field mouse outside in my piggie pasture, living among my piggies and eating their food. I did my evening feeding, then quietly sat on the big feed box to wait and watch. Sure enough, a long tailed rat would dart out of the shelter, grab a pellet or a piece of bell pepper, and scurry with it back inside. The guinea pigs didn't even react, like they were long accustomed to their housemate. They seemed to be like "Bob, you don't need to run off with it, mate! Just eat it where you find it. Relax." Oddly, if the rat had the same sit still while you munch habits, it would have been far harder for me to pick him out among all the piggies, but his constant darting was quite distinct. A rat trap placed outside the pen worked fine to get him. Maybe your male guinea pig was facing off against a male rat, and he did his little rumble-strut dominance thing and scared the rat away. My males don't tend to be overly aggresssive.

[@MrCard031584]

By the way ive been growing guinea pigs for 9 years now. Rabbits for 10. Chickens for 8. Ducks for 8. Geese for 4. Goats for 3. And this year we plan to get some cows. Just know southern nevada, USA is one of the worst places on the planet to try and create a homestead.

[@parccarreg]

interesting! thanks for sharing

[@valkyrie1066]

My childhood dream; you've almost reached it! LOL I just cling to a pet chicken. Great to hear it. Except for location, that is.

[@zen4men]

Worst place? Due to Marxist government regulations? Weather? /

[@KarenLee-mq8xz]

McCard031584 since I lived in Pahrump for over 20 years, you are correct. BUT depending on your time and cash the kids at 4H did well. Pahrump was first a cotton farming town, then lettuce and several folks have greenhouses to sell there produce to Vegas.

[@PaigeNHCosta]

They are a common livestock in Peru. I ate them at the fanciest restaurant in Arequipa.

[@Defender_messenger]

I’m getting guinea pigs for my regenerative garden. I won’t be eating them but I’ll be using them to clear grassy areas!

[@parccarreg]

great!

[@Sara_Rockafella]

Inside the bark of willow IS natural asprin. Weeping is the elite version but the rest do the trick just as well.

[@mary-ruthflores4107]

In Peru and many other countries they are raised for meat and leather

[@ErdriedDeirdre]

Thanks for explaining why you didn't try to raise rabbits. I forgot that rabbits have that disease.

[@The-Good-Life-Off-Grid]

Yep, we’ve had an awful lot of rain this year and slugs are a problem real problem this year it’s hoping you sorted😢

[@Troy-y5b]

Get some chickens

[@The-Good-Life-Off-Grid]

@@Troy-y5b i would love to get more chicken but unfortunately the government has just decided that we have to register them and I only do meat chickens by the time I’ve registered them. It will be time to put them in the freezer then I would have to register that I don’t have them anymore. A nightmare of paperwork I’m sick of government telling us what we can do, our freedom is slowly being taken away from us. 😡😢

[@corinneyeager]

This is mind blowing 😳🥰🥰🥰 Even a big lot could do this,so much easier than chickens ‼️ Saving this and sharing it. Never heard of anything like this. THANKS AGAIN‼️‼️‼️‼️ MAY MY FATHER,GOD,BLESS YOU 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@parccarreg]

🙏

[@sandrabeck8788]

I read a report that a pet company in the US got the wrong “breed” of Guinea pigs from South America, they were larger, not very easy to domesticate, and were a meat breed. They did not make good pets. I’m wondering if you heard of this, and if they would be better for mowing and raising for meat. Your set up looks brilliant !

[@parccarreg]

Yes! The meat breeds or Cuy are much larger and quite feral. We would love to get some but cannot find any in the UK

[@ColinLennard]

Hi, in this video is the first time that I have seen "Farmed Blue berries" grown. I noticed that when you picked the berries that the tree/bush was very flexible, which gave me an idea on how to make the picking/harvesting easier. Have or make a fan, possibly 4' - 6' & weave the branches into the fan. Of cause you will see the advantages for the collection of the fruit. As for the fan depending on how much you are prepared to spend will decide the value of the fan. I suggested a fan as opposed to a line simply because of the distance between plants. As for the gunnie pigs I believe that in Peru that they keep/have the gunnie pig alive in the kitchen & should the want some more protein the dispatch the animal.

[@censusgary]

Slugs are supposed to be good to eat. I’ve never prepared them, so I won’t give any advice, but you can find recipes if you look around.

[@cherylstrohrigl1358]

You can put a salt barrier around your blueberries that slugs won’t cross

[@stoneageart9965]

I raise mine in town,use the wheelie bins to do the breeding and free range them out the front at other times. I get $20 for a baby and $30 if they are fluffy. Currently I have about 7 females and 5 males. I will sell off the adults and keep the best babies before winter.

[@valkyrie1066]

we have a few chickens; my daughter has been asking abut rabbits; I'll counter with cuy. we are short on space.

[@stoneageart9965]

@@valkyrie1066 If you can keep the boys from the girls you can keep them in check. This is way harder than you would think,lmao Hence the side hussle of pet piggies. ATM it is spring and the boys are chasing the girls all over the lawn,babies in a month or so ready for Xmas. I got them when meat started to sky rocket and they are not bad eating,ATM I am not bothering,just breed a new generation each year and sell the adults to the pet store. I have a enclosure of about 2 mtrs by 1.5 mtrs for up too 15. (that is packed at 15,currently it is about 8 plus males)

[@wackyrice1]

once you've taken the guinapigs out, simply put the worms into that space, as I see it is a contained system. It's in a poly watering tub, right? It would be a perfect space for all your worm composting. The castings will grow the best crops ever. Worm castings, if there are enough of them are prized by every gardener, and quite valueable.

[@nordwest23]

Thank you for such an informative upload Blessings to you and your family and your farm!😎✌🐧

[@calgal5752]

Guinea pigs are eaten in lots of countries in South America as well as Portugal to name a few.

[@shirley7137]

Greetings from the USA, you won me over as a subscriber. This has been the talk in my networking today.

[@parccarreg]

Thanks for subscribing!

[@hermanhale9258]

I clicked on in the middle and thought I heard you say "our blueberry rose". I was so intrigued!

[@bensabelhaus7288]

Cuy actually being used properly, nice.

[@christineelsey3104]

1st time viewer.. & my kids had a couple of guinea pigs when they were young kids (they are now in their 30s).. It was incredible how much poop 2 could make... Too bad I didn't have a worm bin back then.. lol... Very interesting.. I'll have to check out the channel...

[@SusanWoods-ww7wi]

My son in law is from Ecuador, they use them for meat, also, but they are not a weekly thing. They can be quite pricey!

[@LaineyBug2020]

Tried watching this again and I have a suggestion I hope will boost the quality of your footage. Invest in a good Gimbal and research motion footage image stabilization. Meant with the best intentions as someone who gets migraines from shaky cam footage! ❤️

[@neilmckechnie6638]

Are your worms ordinary garden worms or leaf-litter composting worms? Its great to see circular farming in action.

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

Fantastic stuff. Do you know whether they eat willow dry, as tree hay? I love the idea of getting another yield from the biomass willow. KZbin is so frustrating at times, I can't believe I've not had your channel suggested before now.

[@parccarreg]

Yes I believe they would eat dried willow leaves but they always prefer fresh. We do need some hay in the winter though

[@dwightehowell8179]

I would have thought the giant Welsh/Flemish rabbets would have been a better choice but it's your money and your work. Best wishes and God bless.

[@parccarreg]

I discussed why I'm not interested in rabbits here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXSYeIxvZ5ikZ5Ysi=fAS-LAfR9lqfyzdw&t=989

[@pvp6077]

Short answer: Rabbit disease is bad. Guinea pigs arent susceptible.

[@JohnsGuineaPigs]

I am also breeding guinea pigs for their grazing ability and as a food source. I could tell they were guinea pigs from the thumbnail of the video. The square of mowed grass is a familiar site.

[@parccarreg]

Nice!

[@Crosbhealach]

If its a plant, slugs will eat it. At least you dont seem to have Moon slugs like we gave in Halifax NS. 1 can defoliate an entire garden. Their tongue us also strong enough to draw blood(found the out the hard way when I picked one up, took it like 5 licks). I find with ducks you need to watch them to make sure they dont eat some leaves, so you cant just leave'em there. But running through every so iften may work.

[@parccarreg]

That is absolutely terrifying. A slug that can draw blood?!? I can't handle that

[@patience1226]

Hello from California, USA. I just found your channel and subscribed. I'm looking forward to future videos!

[@parccarreg]

Thanks stay tuned!

[@HelenEk7]

Awesome! Love your guinea pig set up. Guinea pigs is an under-utilised recourse.

[@parccarreg]

GPs are so under-rated!

[@HelenEk7]

@@parccarreg I also like that you live in Wales. Most homestead channels seems to be American - which is fine, but their climate tends to be very different compared to Europe. I can relate to it raining all summer.. Greetings from Norway.

[@parccarreg]

@@HelenEk7 Nice to meet you!

[@carlstepanian]

Thanks for sharing this wonderful information, Great ideas!

[@bigunone]

Book written in the 1800s about raising guinea pigs, told my cousin's youngest she wouldn't even let me see her's As desert dweller it is amazing to see what can grow when you get water from the sky Seem to be a lot of "I'm not going to get into that"

[@corinneyeager]

Going to check my books,thanks‼️🙏

[@bigunone]

@@corinneyeager One of the free Ebook web sites had it

[@LeonardMagnusson]

i bet catching them is a comedy show. come on film it.

[@parccarreg]

haha, soon!

[@dawnvalfre]

Actually you can teach them to come to food like anything else, or just turn over the hides. Remember they are like us they don’t make their own Vit C and if their diet doesn’t provide it they can develop scurvy, it causes them to drag their back legs. Vit C can be provided in their water

[@annmurry1628]

I use to have guinea pigs to as well as rabbits as i use to show them and the poo from them both and shavings was very good for your ground to grow your grass or flowers

[@ElmariMeyer-v5w]

My uncle had a g pig tractor on wheels - to mow his lawn - excellent

[@jen4730]

Thank You. I admire your work.

[@parccarreg]

thanks!

[@The-Good-Life-Off-Grid]

IA is doing my head in I’ve just been looking through my messages and your channel popped up amazing. I actually breed guinea pigs for meat and to eat my grass. 😂.

[@parccarreg]

wow, I'm glad you found us. Nice to meet you! Great to hear you are already doing a similar thing

[@stoneageart9965]

Build a small shed with a entrance for the piggies,you can let them out in the morning and they will spread out and mow your property. You do need a good dog to keep preds at bay

[@parccarreg]

We don't want them running wild eating our crops!

[@stoneageart9965]

@@parccarreg use fencing 1 foot high lmao. They prefer grass and like some cover to hide in.

[@censusgary]

I’ve always wondered why these critters are called Guinea pigs, since they are not related to pigs (they’re rodents) and they do not come from Guinea (they’re from the Andes).

[@MegF142857]

I'm surprised more don't use guinea pigs or rabbits as mini-livestock that can eat grass. So with worms, then do you have chickens. Circle of life. Gotta subscribe because you are smart & innovative.

[@EmmaWilliams-j2l]

Not sure why you were shy to share - Guineapigs have been used effectively for grazing in UK for decades using movable covers

[@parccarreg]

As pets sure. In a farming context I don't see many examples, especially at scale

[@TheTlangdon]

I’d never heard of it. I’ve only known Guinea pigs as pets.

[@toddberkely6791]

the brits are a bit sensitive with which animals can be eaten and which not

[@parccarreg]

@@toddberkely6791 Indeed, it's strange how culture makes such a big difference.

[@toddberkely6791]

@@parccarreg its just part of being, well, part of cultures..... i studied anthropology but no amount of cultural relativity will let me eat dog, i think. however, i think the practicalities of guinea pigs *vastly* outway the stigma. i think they will get accepted into the diet over the next decade, maybe you are ahead of the curve!

[@katipohl2431]

Great ideas here, subscribed. Love and greetings from Germany.

[@parccarreg]

Thanks great to meet you!

[@enriquilloastral3463]

First comes the adaptability to weather .. then comes size... Then comes attitude... soon enough, army of docile (hopefully lol) guinea pigs 😂😂 im joking, but this is a possibility.

[@guineapigfarmer6064]

A new type of live stock thats been live stock for at least hundreds of years. Yes Guinea pigs have a lot going for them. Although meat rabbits are far better for the shear amount of meat one can raise. All the best.

[@parccarreg]

Indeed, in many parts of the world it's common. In the West it's almost unheard of! Rabbits are not do-able due to disease pressure unfortunately

[@lunarminx]

Are they normal sized or like the cuy ones bred for meat? They are supposed to be 3 times the size. I love piggies and had up to 7 mixed sex byt the males were neutered in a 42"x84" c and c cage. People freak of the idea of them being food but some places do not eat beef or pigs. It's so darn rare gor people to their personal pets and they don't realize they are just a food source for many.

[@oneperson5760]

I've seen those gigantic piggies too, but i think you run into some issues when keeping them. Like, they jump higher and are harder to handle, so they're not as easy to keep. I''d love to get a female one and add her larger genetics to my herd, maybe select for slightly larger body size, but not so big that they jump over the fence.

[@valkyrie1066]

I like chickens. I've had them as pets, and livestock for meat and eggs. I could deal ith it. I tell people that I do eat meat I don't eat FAMILY. I already have one with that title.

[@ChrisBGramz4u]

Interesting livestock. How much meat does one get? What's the best way to cook them?

[@parccarreg]

No idea yet!

[@garrygregor-uz8lb]

While in Peru in the 80's I found a great lunch cafe.After trying eveything on their menu (5 options), I chose one dish in particular that through bad translation on my part thought was a pork dish.One day I invited a peruvian friend to lunch and ordered my favorite.He waited until the meal was finished before informing me with a grin that wehad just eaten guinea pigs.Aftet 10 seconds of doubt and my friends explanation of how the Peruvian peoples had raised them for food for thousands of years I was on board.I am now in an off grid paradise where in the next few years I intend to start raising meat.Am already predisposed to raise pigeons instead of chickens for meat,chickens for eggs of course and guinea pigs instead of rabbits.Am worried that trying to do so may put me in contravention of some stupid animal protection law.I love and treasure all animals and see only hypocrisy in those that condemn alternate sources of protein as having crossed some moral line.I guess I won't be sharing the secret of that tasty "pork" I use in my fried rice special...Great to see your setup.Good going mate.

[@Crosbhealach]

They're a traditional meat animal in Peru & Bolivia which is where they're from.

[@NaomiSims-w5g]

What do they taste like?

[@donaldfitzgerald8950]

Over twenty years ago, there were enormous mink farms in upstate NY, lots of the workers there were Peruvian, who made meals all the time out of guinea pigs they raised behind their dwellings 👍

[@patience1226]

Fantastic video!

[@ginaroebuck3328]

was great watching your video. may get some guinea pigs. good luck wuith the experiment.

[@bingcheah]

Two questions: 1.Would the guineas nibble on the blueberry bushes? 2. How do the guineas do in the Winter? How do you keep them warm enough?

[@parccarreg]

yes, they would nibble the blueberries - but we'd pen them away from them. GP's do fine in our winters which don't often get much below -5C. You need to give them shelter from wind and rain though

[@bingcheah]

Thank you so much for your response! I’m a perennial farmer myself, working on integrating animals for the same reasons you are. I know how busy this work is, so I appreciate your sharing. I’m in upstate New York so it gets quite a lot colder than Wales! I’m currently working on getting geese and Muscovy ducks to do my mowing… looks promising so far. Do you have videos on your experience with using geese?

[@parccarreg]

@@bingcheah ducks and geese are a great option for cold environments. I don't have a video about geese, but we have kept them in the past - really great addition to the farm being 100% grass fed. Perhaps we'll do more with them one day

[@tedhodoba3637]

We ate guinea pig in Ecuador where they are raised for food. A staple food in the Andean countries.

[@johnoleary528]

Many thanks for sharing this video, really informative. If I lived closer I’d deliver the slugs and snails that destroy some of my garden plants here in London 😊

[@parccarreg]

Thanks for the comment. Ew! Please don't post us any slugs haha.

[@johnoleary528]

@@parccarreg 😂😂

[@brianmccune4363]

Feed excess worms to the ducks, nice guild idea!

[@ericdelevinquiere9902]

Interesting, I use to have same issue with mowing in a much warmer climate, this could have worked with the exception of snakes that could easily get in and make this a full time buffet!

[@oneperson5760]

they breed so well that you could lose a few to snakes and still be alright. If you lose too many to anything, you'll notice and figure out how to fix the problem. I've had a big problem with mice in my garden, ruining all my squash and pumpkins. I don't mind if the piggies encourage snakes around, because then the snakes will likely also seek and destroy mice from the garden, keeping my pumpkins safe.

[@ericdelevinquiere9902]

@@oneperson5760Where I was doing this was not so tame, snakes would win ( cotton mouths, rattlesnakes, king snakes etc..) and if this is not enough, the raccoons would very quickly finish the job. Hamsters are just too tasty and slow .

[@oneperson5760]

@@ericdelevinquiere9902 These aren't hamsters, they're guinea pigs. They're pretty fast.

[@ericdelevinquiere9902]

@@oneperson5760 It’s a size thing, anything rabbit size or smaller would be quickly eaten. People that raise rabbits here put them in hanging cages to keep predators away and even that can fail.

[@oneperson5760]

@@ericdelevinquiere9902 Ah, we have all kind of snakes here, but we also have plenty of rabbits as well. Maybe the local rabbits are outbreeding the snakes at the moment.

[@lorikeehner4349]

I love this idea, but what do you do in the winter when there is no grass growing or the ground is covered in snow? Do you have to pay for Guinea Pig feed all winter? Anyone tried this in a climate like mine with long, cold winters?

[@kackmalwieder]

yes they can handle wet weather and mild frost.

[@Stadtpark90]

Love it. btw: Why no Patreon?

[@parccarreg]

Stay tuned! We are going to do KZbin memberships

[@TheActiveLifeLived]

I ate somw whwn traveling in Ecuador....its a delicacy there...known as Cuy...it was extremely gamey tasting!

[@JJLom777]

They're not an uncommon livestock throughout the world. No shame. In fact, its how they originally got their name. A "pig" one can buy for a guinea.

[@Kat09tails]

Do you feed any pellets at all or is their diet entirely forage based? Back when I raised guinea pigs for show we also had to supplement vitamin c.

[@parccarreg]

we started off feeding chicken pellet, but stopped a while ago. We primarily feed fresh grass, willow and wheat or barley grass. They don't need anything else

[@notthereyethomestead8413]

Ducks love snails and slugs.

[@parccarreg]

You are correct

[@BG-bx4ey]

My first thought when reading the title was "I probably saw it on BEFRS first" and BOOM... it was true.

[@parccarreg]

BEFRS?

[@lorenv44]

South African here. You're doing good work over there. We need new sources of protein. Your accent will always follow you 😉

[@parccarreg]

Howzit! Nice to meet you. Thanks for the comment. We are all around the world!

[@austin2842]

If you haven't tried them yet, I suggest giving haskap berries a go. They're like blueberries on steroids. Many kilos per plant and super hardy.

[@parccarreg]

thanks will check out

[@grilsegrils9330]

I guess you get extra composting benefits from the guinea pigs. But what is the time spent on them, compared to taking the mowing tractor to keep the grass down? Robot mowers, has it been a thought? Keep doing what and how you do it, looks great and was interesting to watch

[@parccarreg]

Really great question. I have actually considered a robot mower and it's a great idea. There are a few logistical considerations for a robot mower that don't quite work for us right now, but I do like the idea. Mowing with a machine in the blueberry orchard is a real pain - mostly because it is a time sensitive task and I have to keep on top of the grass otherwise the machine gets bogged down. At this point the GPs take up a fair amount of time, but we enjoy it - and we love making compost. We always prefer biological solutions to mechanical ones. I hate repairing machinery which always breaks down when you need it, and is expensive to repair. I also think that the GPs bring additional ecosystem benefits to the blueberry orchard that a mechanical mower does not. Overall though, this is experimental and we're doing what we enjoy. Who knows how any of this will pan out!

[@HelenEk7]

You would miss out on the compost..

[@EmbracethechaosPortugal]

Usa do have Rhd 1 and 2 virus pretty prevalent throughout. Here in Portugal its advised to keep rabbits above the ground level and not feed foarged greens from areas wild rabbits are known to graze,its a huge concern as there have been outbreaks in recent years.

[@parccarreg]

Interesting, I thought that Rhd2 was not as bad in USA as Europe. I see a fair number of people keeping rabbits in the US. I guess that's why do many are in raised hutches.

[@EmbracethechaosPortugal]

@@parccarreg I follow several USA channels around rabbit keeping and homesteading in general on youtube and fb, a lot of meat rabbit production,but some pet/show, several have been wiped out through Rhd in the last few years, many now have very strict bioseciuruty in their rabbiteries and as I said don't feed any foraged greens,some even steam sterilise their hay.

[@anitachisnell8412]

It’s in the UK too from what I understand

[@EmbracethechaosPortugal]

Yet another man made weaponised virus no doubt.

[@parccarreg]

@@EmbracethechaosPortugal Wow, it's REALLY bad. The wild population around here fluctuates hugely as a result of it. We've stopped using tree guards to plant trees on our farm as we just don't need them anymore there are so few rabbits. :(