16.1 Learning Objectives

 

1. to be able to describe the animal production factors affecting the capybara;

2. to understand the animal production coefficients and production parameters for the capybara and to see how this would relate to the production of this species in captivity;

3. to become familiar with an approach for the intensification of capybara production.
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16.2 How is this Unit Organized

 

In this section / unit we would first attempt to identify the most important factors affecting capybara production. Then, we would attempt to simulate an intensive production model.

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16.3 Factors Affecting Capybara Production

 

The major factors affecting the production of the capybara are:
- availability of water for swimming, defecating and copulating,
- abundant supply of forage,
- cool shaded areas for resting during the hot periods of the day.

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16.4 Some specific considerations of these factors applied to Capybara Production in Captivity

 

Any Capybara production system must have water and ponds.

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16.5 An approach at developing an Intensive Animal Production System for the Capybara

 

Concepts in Developing Intensive Animal Species Production Modeling:

Considerations for Species Production Modeling

The Species:

 

[I] The Objectives of the Production System or Model

1. To develop and manage an intensive capybara breeding colony.
2. To grow out the captive reared capybara to market weight for meat.
3. To grow out the captive born capybara for breeding:
• fast growing males for use as breeding males
• fast growing and healthy females for use as replacement breeders.

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[II] The Species Life Cycle

1. Breeding Adult Male [ Capyram ] and Female [ Capy sow ]
2. Neonates [Capulets ]
3. Weaned Growing Young
4. Adult

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[III] The Physiological States for the Production Flow

1. Adult Breeding Male [ Capyram ]
2. Adult Non-pregnant Female [ Open Capysow ]
3. Adult Pregnant Female [ Capysow ]
4. Lactating Female
5. Suckling Neonates [ Capulets ]
6. Weaned Growing Young
7. Mature Female
8. Mature Male

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[IV] Performance Coefficients or Growth Parameters

 

Characteristics	Parameter
Body Length	cms
Tail Length	cms
Mature Body Weight
Male	40 to 53 kg
Female	40 to 79 kg
Birth weight	1.5 to 1.75 kg
Growth Rate	- in the wild 62 to 100g/day
	- in captivity 2.8 kg/ month for 10 months birth to 5 months : 90 g /day 5 to 7 months : 130 g/ day 7 to 10 months : 160 g / day 10 to 12 months : 110 g / day
Market Weight	35kg at 10 months
Carcass Dressing % (DP)	52%

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 [V] Reproductive Parameters
                       

Characteristics	Parameter
Gestation Length	5 months (150 days)
Offspring / litter	1 to 8
Average Offspring / litter	(3 at zoos)
Length of estrous cycle	7 to 9 days
Length of estrus	few hours
Next estrus after parturition
Time for rebreeding	15 days after weaning
Puberty	15 months
Sex Ratio Male: Female	1: 4 to 1 : 5
Lactation Period	16 weeks
Weaning Age                   Extensive                   Intensive	16 weeks 5 weeks
Parturitions / Year	1.5
Breeding Season	All year
Age at First Breeding	12 to 24 months at 30 to 40 kg
Age at first litter	17 to 29 months
Breeding Season	All year
Calving Interval	??? Work it out ??

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[VI] Animal Specific Needs as influenced by the Factors affecting Animal Production Needs
           
a. Housing-
Animal needs to have a pond or water source as they copulate and defecate in the water.
Stocking Density in the wild 0.3 to 1 animal/ ha.

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b. Nutrition and Feeding-
- The animal is a hindgut fermentator.
- Herbivorous animal, forage aquatic species , fish and meat.
- The caecum is up to 70% of the digestive system.
- The animal could eat grass as well as any ruminant.
- Adult intake - 3 to 4 kg dry forage / day- 8% Body Weight

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c. Health and Disease Control-

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d. Reproductive Management-
- No external signs of sexual dimorphism;

- Adult male has a large bare sebaceous gland on top of the nose visible at one year;

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[VII] Animal Behavior and Sociology

 

- shy and retiring animal, does not like to be handled;
- when enclosures become too overpopulated the males fight;
- diurnal, most active at dusk and at night;
- thrives in large groups;
- adult males can be aggressive towards man;
- two adult males in the same group will fight.

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[VIII] Design of the Physical Environment Required

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[IX] Management Routines Required

• Daily
• Feeding
• Weekly
• Cleaning ponds
• Monthly
• Seasonally
• Culling and sorting, removal of young males
• Annually

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[X] Variable Inputs Required

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[XI] Output Expectations of the Model/Production Process Flow

 

Intensive Production System Model

1] Permanent Breeding Group - 1 Male to 4 or 5 Females in 30m square corrals

2] Larger Production Groups of weaned young

3] Maternity Group - 1 female / pen with her capulets weaning at 5 weeks.
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16.6 References

 

Garcia, G, W.; Adogwa, A.; Boos, H. and Goddard, C. ( Unpublished): The development of a framework for an intensive production system for the Capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ] 1. Physiological and Reproductive Parameters

 

Goddard, C. (1992): The development of a framework for an intensive production system for the Capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ] Final Year Project; Department of Livestock Science; Faculty of Agriculture, UWI. Unpublished.

 

Gonzalez-Jiminez, E and Escobar, A. (1975): Digestibilidad comparadas entre Chiguire ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ] conejos y ovinos con raciones de differentes porporciones de forrajes y concentrad. Agronomia Tropical XXV : 283 to 290

 

Herrera, E. A. (1992): Growth and dispersal of capybara ( Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris ] in the llanos of Venezuela J. Zoo. London 228 : 307 to 316

 

Mac Donald, D. W. (1981): Dwindling resources and social behavior of capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ] ) J. Zoo. London 194 : 371 to 391

 

Ojasti, J. (1991): Human exploitation of capybara In Neotropical Wildlife Use and Conservation Edited By : J. G. Robinson, and K. H. Redford , University of Chicago Press.236 to 252.

 

Parra, R. (1978): Comparison of Foregut and Hindgut Fermentation in Herbivores In The Ecology of Arboreal Folivores Edited By G. Gene Montgomery , Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC, 205 to 229.

 

Reul, R, H. (1991): Productive potential of wild animals in the tropics. World Animal Review 18-24.

 

Trebbau, P. (1980): Some observations on the capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris Zoo. Garten. N. F. Jena 50 : 40 to 44

 

Zara, J. L. (1973): Breeding and Husbandry of the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ] at the Evansville Zoo
International Zoo Yearbook 1973 : 137 to 139

 

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