Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - Re: [Homestead] Notes From the Farm (August 2005)

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Notes From the Farm (August 2005)
  • Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2005 23:20:30 -0700

Well, when someone gave me my first pair of guinea pigs, I didn't know what to expect. Now that I've seen how much gathering would be required, without the benefit of the feed store, I see why children are enlisted to maintain them, in the Andes. Even there they are not pastured, but must be tended like restaurant patrons. But I'll let you know, once I've mastered the pasturing thing, whether it could really be practical for food. If we were really counting on small animals for food, and they could be pastured, maybe it could be worthwhile, and then I wouldn't hesitate.

One other thing that's certain about guinea pigs is that they won't leave, and the flashing I talked about is only for the sequestered females. They're extremely conservative, and only reluctantly stray far from wherever they've spent the night. The plan should work. A cat may occasionally get one, but they're pretty wary, and one can set up lots of hiding tunnels made of pipe, like the ones developed for pastured rabbits.

I'm also keeping geese in the anticipation that they may some day be useful for food, but it doesn't mean I feel like eating goose now, not when there's haggis!

Bill
S. Oregon coast

Gene GeRue wrote:

I don't take either that seriously as cuisine, and they're too cute to
eat as a routine. Yesterday I held a water bottle for a thirsty
escapee, and he seemed so human, so polite. I've never deliberately
killed one except as a mercy killing.


I misunderstood. I thought the motivation was quality protein produced as efficiently as possible. We all have pets of one sort or another. Why not Guinea pigs?


_______________________________________________
Homestead list and subscription:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead
Change your homestead list member options:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/homestead/billj%40harborside.com
View the archives at:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/homestead









Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page