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[Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>]

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?
>
>
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