Guinea pigs (cuy) are an important traditional food source in Andean South America, farmed under conditions ranging from traditional household husbandry to intensive commercial systems with distinct welfare profiles.
Guinea pig welfare in food systems reflects the enormous diversity of production contexts. Traditional Andean household cuy live in genuine freedom compared to commercial livestock — they roam kitchen and yard spaces, express natural behaviours, have access to varied food and human social contact. Their primary welfare concerns in these systems are uncontrolled reproduction causing maternal exhaustion, cold stress in highland climates and absence of veterinary care for treatable conditions. Commercial intensive cuy production represents a sharp welfare contrast: wire-floor cages prevent natural movement and cause foot lesions; the strong social motivation of guinea pigs requires compatible group housing that is not always provided; and rapid growth protocols prioritise weight gain over welfare. Slaughter welfare is inconsistent — neck dislocation, a rapid method if performed correctly, is widely used in artisanal systems but quality varies. The global expansion of cuy farming risks importing intensive welfare problems into new contexts without appropriate welfare frameworks.