Alpaca Birth

One of the best rewards of owning alpacas is without a doubt the birth of the cria.   Before our cria season begins, we start to prepare for our new arrivals. By going through our breeding information on the computer, we can determine who is due and when.  Make up a list of dams who due dates are coming up soon and keep an eye out for those who are close to their due date. We suggest making up at least two calendars and place one in your barn and keep one in the house/office.  We also have a dedicated “maternity ward” that we can see easily from the house so that we are able to monitor the behavior of the dams.

It is also important to prepare a birthing kit. We have a large gym bag that will hold all our supplies and can easily be carried out to the pastures when needed. Some of the birthing essentials that we put in the bag are:

• Iodine or Betadine Surgical Scrub: This is what we will use to treat the navel, either in a small canister or by using a small bottle with a nozzle cap. So that we do not have to touch the navel with our hands.

• Rubber Gloves, Long & Short: We keep full length gloves and short fitted surgical latex gloves just in case we need to assist with a delivery.

• Lubricant: This is also in case we need to go in to assist a delivery.

• Stethoscope: To check a crias heart rate or listen for breath sounds.

• Thermometer: To check the temperature of the cria or dam.

• Shoe Lace or Thick Floss (you need to be careful with floss as it can cut through if it is too thin or tied to tight): In case there is extensive bleeding from the umbilical cord.

• Cria Scale: A sling scale to check the weight of the cria at birth.

• Towels: We keep a few towels on hand as well as paper towel. We will use the towels to help dry off the cria.

• Garbage Bags: For any garbage (used gloves etc.) and one to collect the placenta once it has been expelled and we have looked it over.

• Cell Phone: And of course a cell phone in case there is an emergency and we need to call for assistance.

Some items that are not in the bag but are on hand during the birthing season are.

• Dried Dairy Cow Colostrum: You never know when you might need this stuff.

• Goats Milk: Once again, you should have some on hand in case it is needed. (It is good to note that both dried colostrum and milk replacer do have an expiration date and should be checked in case it needs to be replaced.)   Fresh whole goats milk can be purchased at a health food store or in the health food section of your local grocery store.

• Bottles & Nipples: We have found that rubber lamb nipples work well and we use plastic water bottles (Dasani water bottles work best for us) for feeding if needed.

• Records: We keep a record of what day the cria was born, time of birth (if we know), weight, type of delivery (normal or assisted), dam & sire and of course the new cria gets a name.  There are several different types of herd keeping software available.

During our birthing season there is always someone on our farm to monitor the females. We always make note of who is getting close and when we see the first signs of labor we get prepared.

Because we interact with our alpacas on an on going basis, when it comes time to deliver we can be in the pasture without stressing the female. Depending on how fast the delivery is we will usually stand aside and monitor the progress. We will not assist unless we feel the female is having a hard time or the labor is not progressing like it should be.

We know things are close when we see that little nose for the first time. Once the head and two legs have presented themselves we know we are having a normal birth. At this point we usually give the cria time to hang and let the fluid drain from its mouth. If the cria is still hanging there after about 5 minutes and mom looks to tired to continue on her own we will wait for a contraction and gently help the cria to the ground. This is where those towels come in handy.

Once the cria has been delivered, we will first see if we had a boy or girl, then we treat the navel and clear any membrane from the cria’s mouth and nose. We will use the towels to gently help dry the cria and remove any membrane that is still on the cria, always being careful not to pull any membrane that might be attached to the navel. We weigh the cria the first day and every day after for one week.  Then once a week for a month.  Then once every month.  It lets us know that the cria is getting substance from its dam and is gaining.

Through out the whole process we are gently touching the cria to help imprint human contact. The female is usually right by us humming and smelling her new baby.  On occasion there will be that one dam who doesn’t appreciate to much attention lavished on her cria.  If the dam is being a problem when you are trying to weigh or give shots to the cria, we suggest catching her first with a halter and tie her away from you and the cria.

We wait for the placenta to be expelled and before we dispose of it we will check it out to make sure it is in one piece and it looks all right.  You can also freeze the placenta in case you need it to rub onto the cria if the dam is refusing to nurse her cria.  It can also be rubbed on an “orphan” cria to get another dam to accept it.  We check the dam’s bag to see if she has milk and remove the wax tips from her teets. You want the milk to be sticky (it will feel like Elmer’s glue when it dries on your fingers).  The colostrum is very important for the crias immunity system.  It is important to make sure the cria gets on its feet and gets its first milk and the precious colostrum.  Sometimes this takes a matter of minutes, others it could take up to a couple hours. We always monitor the dam & cria until we are satisfied that the cria has had a good nursing and that mom and cria are bonding well.

It is important to prepare for the birthing season. Educate yourself with birthing procedures, we strongly recommend buying a book on neonatal care and taking in a neonatal seminar. Although most deliveries do not need assistance, there will be ones that do and knowing what to do can prevent a tragedy. With our experience minor dystocias can be corrected without assistance from our vet, but we always have our cell phone handy and will not hesitate to call if we think it’s needed. If you are at all unsure, the safest and smartest thing to do is to call a vet.

WEANING

Our crias are weaned between 5 and 6 months.  We separate the male weanlings from the females and they are wormed as they enter the weanling pens. We do our halter training during this period.  It is also a good time to do a fiber assessment on each weanling.

Head

Head & Two Legs!!

In the normal presentation, the nose pops out either first or simultaneously with the two forefeet on either side of the head.

Alpacas do not normally lick their crias, as other species of animals often will, dams simply smell their crias to recognize their scent, and will continue to use scent to identify them even 6 months later when their cria comes to nurse.  The cria’s toenails are covered with a rubbery, cartilage like material, which serves to protect the mother's uterus from the kicks of her cria as she carries it in utero.

Crias are usually walking within 45 minutes and nursing within 2 hours.  It is critical that they nurse as soon as possible.  In the first hours after delivery, the mother produces a thick milk called colustrums that is full of nutrients and antibodies that are important for the cria.  It is very important that the cria gets these antibodies through colostrums or a blood plasma transfusion within 8 hours after birth.  After that time period, the cria become increasingly less likely to absorb the antibodies.  Most often, you are able to observe the cria nursing within minutes to hours after birth and no intervention is needed.

Placenta

Usually, within two hours after the delivery, the dam will deliver the placenta.

Contact us at

alpacas@championalpacas.com

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