Capybara Husbandry
Capybaras are the largest living rodents and are native to South America. Full grown adults generally range from 75lbs. to 150lbs. , but some individual animals have been weighed in as high as 250lbs. Their disposition and personalities are somewhat like a cross between a guinea pig and a domestic dog. They can be very playful, affectionate and can even be leash trained if worked with from a young age.
Housing:
Capybaras can be kept in enclosures much like goats or sheep. They can jump surprisingly high for their size/weight but they do not dig or climb fences. They will, however, try to push through and under any openings or holes in the wire so any weak points will be found quickly. I do not recommend using flexible wire fencing with adults unless is attached to sturdy posts and reinforced at the ground level to prevent animals from pushing under and escaping. I prefer to use wood fencing and feedlot panels with either 4"x4" or 2"x4" wire spacing. Minimum fence height should be 4'. They need to have plenty of shade, a pool (preferably deep enough for them to completely submerge), a mud wallow, a small drinking water source that is separate from their swimming water and housing that will allow them to escape wind, rain or any other inclement weather. They are very adaptable and can handle both hot and cold environments but I do recommend that they are given access to heat lamps and plenty of hay bedding when temperatures drop below 45 degrees.
Diet:
Capybaras are true herbivores, their diet in the wild consists almost exclusively of various grasses. In captivity, their diet should consist primarily of guinea pig or livestock feed and plenty of fresh grass or hay. Like guinea pigs and primates, capybaras do not naturally produce adequate amounts of vitamin C and they can develop scurvy as a result of vitamin C deficiencies. In the wild, the large amounts of fresh grass they consume provides the extra vitamin C they need. In captivity, their diet must contain either plenty of fresh grass for grazing or a vitamin C supplement. Most commercial guinea pig diets will contain a vitamin C supplement but these can be very costly if you are feeding multiple adult capybaras. Mazuri and LabDiet guinea pig formulas are available in 25lb and 50lb bags and can be found or special ordered at most feed stores. A much cheaper alternative is livestock or rabbit feed. These will work fine but if used as a staple diet extra vitamin C should be added. The easiest method I've found of doing this is to dust or mix their feed with ascorbic acid powder. I DO NOT recommend feeding fruits, veggies or other items containing large amounts of sugar on a daily basis. Fruits are fine for treats/training but there is some evidence that diets containing large amounts of sugar, even from healthy sources, can cause liver and heart problems. They have evolved as grazers, feeding primarily grass/hay and guinea pig food is the best way to mimic their natural diet.
Health/Medical issues:
Capybaras are generally very hearty animals, they do not require any vaccinations or special medical care. They have powerful immune systems and a naturally high resistance to bacteria. Adults will sometimes have small dominance fights and occasionally nip at each other, not to mention the fact that they can be rather clumsy and play very rough among themselves, so small cuts and scrapes are common, these can be cleaned twice daily with betadine and left unbandaged to heal. I've also had good luck using Farnam Wound-Kote antiseptic spray on injuries that can't be cleaned directly by hand. Access to swimming water/mud will need to be restricted for any deeper wounds or bites to reduce the risk of infection and speed up the healing process. They will occasionally break teeth, one broken incisor is not uncommon but frequent tooth breakage is a sure sign of vitamin C deficiency. Runny noses and runny eyes are very common and not usually cause for concern as capys are very sensitive to dust and allergens. They can also contract sarcoptic mange so I do recommend worming at least twice a year for outdoor animals. Ivermectin can be used to control intestinal and ectoparasites such as mange mites. Ivermectin 1% injectable solution may be given orally at a dose of .04 cc/kg no more than once a week (i.e.- a 30kg animal would receive a dose of 1.2cc's). This can either be squirted directly into their mouths with a feeding syringe or mixed with food.
In addition, the ROUS Foundation for Capybara Veterinary Care has been established to research and provide medical assistance to captive capybaras, check here for more info.
Infant care:
Baby capybaras should be pulled from mom no earlier than 2-3 days unless completely necessary so they can get as much of their mothers colostrum as possible. Most people prefer to leave them with their parents for 10-14 days, if I am raising babies for pets or educational animals I will usually pull them at 2 days old and raise them indoors, this makes for much tamer babies. If babies must be pulled at birth for special reasons they can be bottle/syringe fed colostrum supplement for the first week and Esbilac for the next 3-4 weeks. Normal babies can be fed livestock milk replacer. I prefer to use Land-O-Lakes/Purina Pro-Nurse Specialty Milk Replacer, I've had very good luck with it and babies love it. Bottle feeding is possible but not necessary to have a tame pet, they do very well drinking milk out of bowls. Babies will get comfortable around people from spending time with them, not from bottle feeding. I've done both bottle and bowl feeding and have seen no difference in the end result. I usually mix bowls of milk replacer with Gerber baby rice cereal and a tiny bit of sugar 3-5 times a day. On top of this, my babies always have access to fresh grass and Mazuri guinea pig diet. Some babies will start to eat solids very quickly and others will take a few weeks.
I do recommend keeping baby capys indoors for at least the first 2 months. They should be taken outside regularly to graze but this needs to be either supervised or in a secure pen that will both prevent escape and protect them from predators such as hawks, dogs, cats, raccoons, etc. They should be given full time access to a heat lamp for at least 2-3 months but should also have access to a cooler area away from the lamp to prevent over heating. They are semi-aquatic and their skin can dry out and crack without water, so even indoor pets should be allowed to swim at least once a day.
**This article is a combination of my own personal methods, experiences and opinions. If you would like more reference material a very in depth article on capybara husbandry and zoo quality care as well a comprehensive study on scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) in capybaras can be found below:
| Capybara Husbandry |
| Scurvy in Capybaras |
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