One portion of Cuy is good to share between two people and also comes served with potatoes, beans and corn. The average price of a guinea pig between two people in Ecuador is around $25.

Guinea pig or Cuy as it is called in South America is a local delicacy that’s unique to the highlands of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Cuy is most often eaten for special occasions, an indigenous tradition that dates back hundreds of years to the Incan empire.

The rodents are a traditional hot dish in some Latin American countries, including Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. In Ecuador, people typically cook guinea pigs with salt and serve them with potatoes and peanut sauce. Some people like ice cream made from “cuy,” as the animal is locally known.

Eating Guinea Pig in Ecuador

• Roasting and eating guinea pig at Cuenca’s meat market.
• The Cuenca market.
• Roasting guinea pigs in the Cuenca meat market.
• Roasting guinea pig.

The meat is prized and tastes like a cross between duck and rabbit. When properly prepared, the meat of a guinea pig is rich, fatty, and flavorful, while the skin, when roasted over a hot fire, gives pork crackling a run for its money.

The guinea pigs are sold for meat and at a cheaper price for breeding, with some chicken wire included to help families raise their own stock. The idea is spreading to other areas of PNG, with missions, clinics and aid stations all purchasing guinea pigs to breed.

Yes, they can. Guinea pigs are among the most intelligent rodents. In fact, one study shows that domesticated guinea pigs learn an activity just as fast as their wild siblings. As such, they can be trained to recognize individual words, meaning they can also learn their name.

4 – 8 yearsIn captivity

The minimum size for a group of guinea pigs is two. However, there are good reasons why should consider acquiring three or more at the same time and keeping them together: Several guinea pigs will stimulate each other and encourage active behaviour.

The surprising truth is – yes, guinea pigs can die of loneliness. They need a companion in their life because they are social animals. If they are living alone in the cage then you need to play with it all the time in order to keep them motivated and happy.

It isn’t typical for a guinea pig to kill another one, especially if you intervene and separate them. But, if a fight breaks out when you aren’t there, a larger guinea pig could attack, and kill one that is smaller or younger.

It is ok to have one guinea pig, but it is best to go with a pair or more. Guinea pigs may show abnormal behavior if left alone. If you have enough time to dedicate to your guinea pig, interact and play with them, then you shall do just fine with a single guinea pig.