Ritmo de cecotrofia en cuyes (Cavia porcellus)

To study the feeding behavior of the guinea pigs, in terms of food consumption, con- sumption of cecotrophs and excretion of hard feces, was the objective of this study. For this purpose, 16 adult male type A1 guinea pigs were used, which were individually housed and fed a commercial pelleted diet. For 24 hours and with a frequency of approximately one hour, the rhythms of food consumption, excretion of faeces and excretion of cecotrophs were recorded. I record the data in three moments. At the time, only the consumption of food and the excretion of feces were measured. At time two and three, half of the ani- mals were given an Elizabethan collar to prevent them from cecrophilia. For the analysis of the results, a mixed model of repeated measures was used. In which the main effects were the treatment, the time and their interaction and the random effect was the animal nested to the treatment. The means were compared using a protected t-test. At time 1, for food consumption and stool excretion, no differences were detected between day and night (P ≥ 0,44). At time 2, avoid cecotrophy, reduced feed intake and excretion of feces at ap- proximately 50 % (P ≤ 0,05). While between day and night no differences were detected for the consumption of food, excretion of faeces and excretion of cecotrophs (P ≥ 0,08). No differences were detected between the time of day and allow cecotrophy (P ≥ 0,44). Additionally, it was observed that the animals that did not have the collar did not excrete cecotrophs. It is analysis of the food consumption rhythms showed peaks of food consum- ption at 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00 (P < 0, 001). On the other hand, the excretion of feces was reduced in the first hours of the morning, but after 15:00 the excretion of feces increases (P < 0,001). In the animals with Elizabethan collar, no differences were detected in the rates of excretion of cecotrophs (P = 0,241). In conclusion during the 24 hours peaks of food consumption are observed that shows a rhythm of food consumption and possibly in the morning the animal spends time to consume cecotrofos. Key words: nutritional behavior, cecotrophy, cecotropes