Hello from Western Canada!

My name is Shannon. I have two awesome children and a wonderful hubby. I raise very big rodents called Patagonian Maras. They are cute and look like a deer crossed with a rabbit. I also have a small flock of babydoll sheep, a few emu, a sweet and extra tiny Nigerian doe and a wallaby. I also have Wheaten Terriers and a few other dogs. We have a small organic orchard of about 250 apple trees plus various other fruit trees.
I am excited to be part of this group!

Welcome from North Carolina

Welcome , glad you joined us!

Welcome to BYH I've never heard of Patagonian Maras, please post pics?

what an interesting group of critters. welcome to BYH. and yes pictures please.

Here are some photos of the Maras:






Bottle fed Maras make great pets but definitly aren't for everyone. They need adequate space and could never be in a small cage like many people keep rabbits. However, if you have space, there are many great qualities about Maras. They have little to no odour. And, Unlike rabbit urine- Mara urine will not stick. It's not far off water and just wipes away easily. Maras have long claws but they are very blunt. They almost never need trimming and wont scratch you up like a rabbit's claws can. Maras virtually never bite, even when cornered or grabbed. They are intelligent enough to learn tricks and come when called. Bottle fed babies bond to their owners and will naturally follow you around. They will not chew off a halter like a rabbit will. They can be walked on a leash better than a rabbit but you will still be following them most of the time in an unfamiliar area. They are very inexpensive to feed and are very hardy. They can live up to 14+ years if well cared for. Bottle raised and socialized Maras are not flighty animals. They remain surprisingly calm in most situations. I had a post pounder pound new posts around their enclosuer last year and they sat next to it and watch through the fence and didn't seem worried at all even though it was so loud the ground was shaking. They are rodents and therefore can chew, but do not seem destructive if kept indoors. They do not seem to chew furniture or wires. They can be trained to chew 'the right' object like a big apple branch. I prefer they be outside but I feel that way about rabbits too. I think they are happier outdoors in a large pen. Some will try and dig in carpeting if indoors. They do dig outdoors but I have kept rabbits outside and rabbits dig WAY more and much deeper. Maras can jump high and need a 5 ft fence. Many people keep them in large dog runs. I keep mine in large fenced pens. They make a variety of noises but all are soft. They would never annoy neighbours with noise. Most sounds are just like a guinea pig, to whom they are closely related. Thier long legs are delicate and they would not make a good pet for a rough child. They will come sit on your lap if you are watching tv but most do not like to be picked up and carried for very long. Mars that are not bottle fed do not make good pets. The difference is huge and non bottle fed Maras will be very wild even if the parents are tame.

I hope you all in the US had a great Thanksgiving yesterday!

Thank you for the info and the pics! They look and sound wonderful...

A big howdy and welcome from the Great Lone Star State.

Thanks for the pictures... you got me "that close" to ok-ing another species. Wonder how they would do with my Nigerian Dwarf goats... hummmm

On 20th thought perhaps you should keep them up north with you.

Thank you! I don't find Nigerians work well with Maras because Nigerians ( and all goats ) are so piggy and will steal all the food before the other animal has a chance to eat. The only other animal that worked really well for me with my Nigerians were my emus. I could place the emu feed in PVC tubing that the Nigerians couldn't reach nor stick their head into but the emus could eat out of it just fine.