Abstract

BURGOS-PAZ, William; SOLARTE-PORTILLA, Carlos  and  CERON-MUNOZ, Mario. Effect of the breed size and the delivery number on the Guinea pig's growth (Cavia porcellus Rodentia: caviidae). Rev. Lasallista Investig. [online]. 2010, vol.7, n.2, pp.47-55. ISSN 1794-4449.

Guinea pig is a species with a great potential to produce animal origin protein, given its precocity and fast growth, but just a few reports evaluate the growth of this species and its reproductive characteristics. One way to describe the growth of Guinea pigs is by the use of mathematic non-lineal models, previously used to study many other species, given their easy calculations and data adjustment. Objective. To describe the growth curve of female Guinea pigs by the use of a non linear model and evaluate the correlation of the breed's size and the delivery number on the parameters of the curves, weight and maturity at different ages. Materials and methods. 2505 weight records of 501 female Guinea pigs were analyzed in the delivery and the weaning, at four, eight and twelve weeks of age. The curve was taken by the use of a Von Bertalanffy's non linear model. The significance of the independent variables was determined, maturity at 90 (M90) and 120 days (M120), and the weight at 15 (P15), 30 (P30), 60 (P60) and 90 days (P90) by the use of a mixed model that included the effects of the breeds' size, delivery number, contemporary group and common environment. Results. The variance analysis determined that there is a correlation between the breed's size and the delivery number for the β1, M90, M120, P15, P30 P60 y P90 variables; while there was no correlation for the weight at 120 (P120) and 180 days (P180), and the animals had a similar growth. Conclusions. Von Bertalanffy's non linear model was useful to adjust the weights of the female Guinea pigs and the modeling of the growth of that species. On the other hand, it was evidenced that a higher number of deliveries brought a faster maturity of young Guinea pigs.

Keywords : growth; maturity; non-lineal models; precocity.

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