Health Care for Alpacas
What we do and Have to help with your Alpaca Herd
Finca
Serena's Alpaca Ranch Basic Health Care for Adult Alpaca and Cria Alpaca
I am providing you with this information to help you make the best decisions for you and your animals. Please speak to your own veterinarian if you have any questions or problems. My advice is to know the behavior of your own animals (what is normal and abnormal). No one knows your Alpacas better than you!
Males and Pet/Fiber Animals - Based on Southern Maryland Conditions
Dectomax Wormer to Prevent Meningeal Worm:
All adult alpacas (along with crias over 4 month of age) must be wormed with injectable Dectomax no later than every 60 days. This must be injectable. Pour-on Dectomax does not prevent Meningeal Worm (which can be fatal to alpacas). Dectomax MUST be injected to prevent and kill Mengingeal Worm, just pouring it on their skin will not give you the desired result here! Dectomax is dosed at 1cc per 70 pounds of body weight. Give the shots SQ; giving them IM causes the drug to be metabolized too quickly. Use 20 x 1 (3cc) luer lock syringes to administer this injection SQ. I purchase my syringes in boxes of 100 from PBS Animal Supply or KV Vet Supply for cost effectiveness.
Rabies Vaccination:
Alpacas must have an ImRab3 Rabies vaccination once per year. Crias should be given RV at 4 months and 5 months of age, then once per year after this. I do not recommend giving pregnant females RV. Therefore, breeding females should get RV before breeding or post-partum before their breed-back.
By law in the state of Maryland, your veterinarian must administer RV. We recommend our wonderful veterinarian – Dr. Rania Lisas of Tidewater Veterinary Hospital in Charlotte Hall, MD. Her phone number is 301-884-3231. (This is the only injection that the
veterinarian must do; the owner can do everything else for regular alpaca care.)
CD&T Vaccination:
All alpacas must have a CD&T injection once per year. Crias are given CDT at day three, one month, two months, 4 months, and 6 months of age, and then every year after this. Give pregnant females CDT 30 days before they are due for birthing, as this will help to increase the new born cria’s IgG levels. This liquid is very thin in nature; thus you do not need to use a thick needle I use a 23 x 1 luer lock syringe to administer this vaccine. Always administer 2cc (SQ) regardless of body weight. (So a young cria needs the full 2cc’s as well!). It must be kept refrigerated.
Mineral Supplementation:
Special minerals developed just for alpacas/camelids must be available at all times to all alpacas. It is a free choice mineral supplement (powder) which they will eat when they need it. It is called the Alpaca Blend E Mineral Mix – made by Dr. Norm Evans – and can easily be purchased or ordered through Southern States or your farm supply store. Just keep the mineral mix inside the barn in a dry place, and replenish as necessary.
Water:
Clean water must be available at all times. Multiple water buckets and/or water sources are preferred. Buckets must be raised off the ground so that the alpacas can reach them but not be able to put their feet inside the containers. Alpacas love to play in water, especially when it is hot. It is best that they not contaminate their drinking water with dirty feet. Coccidia infections can be easily transferred this way, especially to crias.
Shearing:
Alpacas living permanently in Maryland must be shorn once a year, preferably in April or early May. Alpacas can die from heat stress if they are not shorn. If you shear later than this, you can risk the alpacas getting a severe sunburn on “barer” skin in the summer. Bad sunburns can cause many problems and increase the risk of fly strike or peeling skin – not to mention the added stress and major discomfort on the alpaca.
Grass/Hay:
The absolute best food for alpacas is healthy green grass (preferably orchard grass and endophyte free soft grasses). Good pastures can make a tremendous difference and make life much easier for the alpaca owner. Alpacas don’t need alfalfa, unless they are underweight and need extra supplementation. Alpacas do not eat much – only about 1-2% of their body weight per day.
Alpaca Food Supplement – A Grain Mixture:
We recommend the alpaca food/supplement made by Dr. Evans. At the present time, Blue Seal makes this food. Depending on the body score of the alpaca, the alpaca may need around a cup of feed per day as a supplement. Some thin alpacas may need considerably more than this, and others may not need any grain whatsoever. Heavier, adult male alpacas may not need any grain during the summer when grass is plentiful. Yet during the winter months, mostly every alpaca will need at least one to two cups of supplement every day. The alpaca owner will need to adjust grain amounts throughout the year, based on body score, animal weights, cold weather, etc.
Feeding too much grain without adequate soft hay and grass consumption is a recipe for ulcers and lots of health problems. Pregnant females who are nursing will also need more supplementation. You need to determine the amount of supplementation based on the needs of each individual alpaca at different times of the year.
Body Scoring:
Body Score your alpacas on a regular basis. This is the best way to determine their overall health and whether adequate amounts of nutrition are being provided. Once a male alpaca has reached adulthood, regular weighing is not as important as body scoring. I am constantly putting my hands on all my alpacas, not just at “herd health” when administering Dectomax. Try to keep alpacas at a #5 body score. If they fall below this, increase their grain rations and provide better hay. If they are too fat – a body score greater than #7, then decrease their grain or limit grain entirely based on the time of year.
Vitamin Supplementation:
I give all of my newborn crias a Vit. A/D shot on their first day of birth (1/2cc). All vitamin injections are given IM. After this, all of my crias will get 1cc of Vit. A/D at one month and two months, especially if they are fall crias or born during periods of reduced sunlight. Dark animals also appear to need more Vit. A/D than light colored animals. Depending on other factors. Vitamin A it can cause birth defects if given to a pregnant female.
Giving more than one type of injection per day may also increase an animal’s potential for severe reactions to the drug.
Poop Removal:
Clean up the poop piles every day. Take the poop away from the alpaca field. Do not pile your poop inside the same field as the alpacas. This will minimize the potential for parasite problems and keep flies away in the summer. Alpaca poop is an excellent fertilizer and can often be used directly without composting.
Normal Basic Information:
Normal Temperature: 98 to 104 degrees
(temps can vary based on whether the alpaca is sunbathing, but you
definitely need to treat the situation with temps above 104 degrees!)
Adult Pulse Rate: 50 to 90 per minute
(handling a stressed alpaca will certainly increase the pulse)
Cria Pulse Rate at Rest: 75 to 100 per minute
Respiratory Rate at Rest: 20 to 30 per minute (cria and adult rates)
Reasons to Call the Veterinarian:
1) Any alpaca that can not rise.
2) An alpaca with the inability to coordinate movement.
3) An alpaca with seizures (but it is not uncommon for some alpacas to react with a
seizure type of behavior when going into strong sunlight after being in a dark barn.)
4) An alpaca which has excessive drooling or vomiting saliva for more than an hour
(Choke from grain is not uncommon). Some alpacas eat their grain supplement too
quickly. Under these conditions, put large rocks in the feed bowl to help prevent them
from gobbling too much food in one swallow.
5) Any alpaca that does not eat for a day or has bad breath for more than 2 days.
6) Any adult alpaca which has diarrhea present for over 24 hours.
7) Any pregnant female experiencing labor for more than one hour.
8) Any pregnant female showing sign of discomfort for more than 3 hours.
9) Any animal with a temperature over 104 degrees (some alpacas love to sunbathe; their
temperature can get high during these conditions). If heat stress is an issue, you may
need to hose down the alpaca with very cold water, do some fast shearing of fleece, and give
Banamine.
10) An alpaca mother which has given birth but has no milk or colostrum. (I have had
excellent results with giving Domperidome (orally 2.5cc twice a day) for at least 5-7
days. This must be given to the dam immediately after birth to stimulate milk
production. Dr. Pollard’s Herbs (Stimulation/Lactation Herbal Blend) also can work
well to stimulate the dam’s milk production. Some folks have also had good results
adding more cracked corn and brewer’s yeast to the dam’s diet. For the cria, I always
have frozen llama plasma on hand from Triple J Farms in Bellingham, Washington. I
may even give a valuable female cria an extra boost by giving this plasma within the
first 8 hours after birth.
11) Any cria diarrhea which is present more than 24 hours.
12) Any female that is not pregnant after 5 or 6 breedings (and this is after you have
changed the male.
13) A newborn cria that can not stand within 3 hours after birth. (This cria may be
“crashing” and needs supplementation immediately.)
Additional Questions/Concerns:
The best advice I can give you is to know your animals and know the difference between normal and abnormal behavior.
Different climates and areas will often present other issues to deal with, which are not listed here. The advice which I am providing is based on alpaca life in southern Maryland and from my many years of experience. I am not a trained veterinarian, but I have often found that my own experience and knowing the behavior of my own alpacas is crucial to my successful husbandry techniques which saves me money and keeps my alpacas healthier and happier in the long run.
My source of alpaca veterinary information is Dr.Norm Evan’s Book: The Alpaca Field Manual. This is a MUST for any alpaca breeder/owner. Also, one of my favorite remedies to have “on-hand” is Banamine, which I dose at 1cc per 100
pounds. I prefer to give this SQ – twice per day for no more than 3 days, but you must talk to your own veterinarian
about this before administration.
Cria Check List:
1) Check breathing – clear nostrils and mouth of epidermal membrane and check mucosal membranes.
2) Dip the umbilical cord. Nolvasan (chlorhexidrine) solution has been shown to be the most effective in reducing bacterial counts in research trials. Nolvasan is made by Fort Dodge Pharmaceuticals. Nolvasan needs to be diluted to a (0.5%) solution by pouring 4 ounces of Nolvasan into 12 ounces of tap water. Diluted Nolvasan must be kept in a dark bottle and discarded after two weeks. A smaller quantity may be prepared by placing ½ ounce (1 tablespoon or 15ml) of Nolvasan in 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons of water). When you dip the cord, completely saturate the entire cord multiple times. I like to use an old film canister. Throw away the Nolvasan in the film canister after each succession of dips.
3) Dry cria with towels if she is cold. In cold weather, you will need to move the cria and dam into a heated/draft free area in the barn until she is dry and her temperature is at least 99 degrees. You may also use a hair dryer on the cria to dry her off and keep her warm. Cria coats may also be needed. Be careful when using a cria coat, as some dams may reject their crias when the coat is put on them, but this is rare. Use care and common sense. It would also be best to use a “clean” cria coat – and one that has not been recently worn by another cria. Cria “smells” are extremely important to the new dam. You don’t want to cause confusion or rejection based on another cria’s smells. A cold cria will also not absorb colostrum properly, which is important to assure a good IgG. Thus keeping the cria warm enough is critical to its health and future survival.
4) Check the sex. (You probably did this first!)
5) Move dam with the cria into a small fenced in paddock in view of her friends so that it is easier for the cria to the find the teats and start nursing as well as to bond with the dam. Some dams so not do well when confined; therefore, use common sense and make changes to accommodate each dam’s requirements. A dam which is “pacing” and stressed will not allow her cria to nurse easily.
6) Re-dip the umbilical cord with Nolvasan. You will need to dip the cord at least 3 or 4 times - 5 to 10 minutes between each time. If the cord is excessively long on the cria, cut it short (leaving ½ to 1 inch away from the skin). You can cut this using clean, sharp scissors, or tie a string of dental floss around the cord to cut it off. Make sure you dip the cord immediately after cutting it short!
7) Strip dam’s teats; check for presence of colostrum and note consistency. Also note the size and
shape of the teats. Clean udder area if only muddy or dirty. Dam may be very uncomfortable at this
time, especially if she has not passed her placenta. I give the Dam 1 1/2 cc of Benamine after birth.
8) Weigh cria once she is dry.
9) Re-dip umbilical cord. This may seem like a lot to do, but these first steps can all be done within 20 minutes or so.
10) Leave dam and cria alone to bond for at least an hour. Observe from a distance to record when cria is first standing and attempting to nurse.
11) Start a record on the cria a system for future vaccinations, weighing of cria, and fecal
checks.
12) If the cria is not nursing within 2-3 hours, assist. First, try holding the mom and helping the cria attach on her nipple. Second, try milking out the dam a little, putting the colostrum in a shot glass and then using a syringe without the needle and placing it directly into the cria’s mouth. Then place the cria back under the dam’s udder. Patience is required. It is very important that the cria get as
much colostrum as possible and as early as possible for optimal IgG transfer. Colostrum is sticky and often much “thicker” than milk; you don’t want to waste a drop as it is truly important for the cria’s health. It is like “gold”! Thus it is not wise to try to put this very thick colostrum in a bottle. There is not a large volume of it, and you don’t want to waste any of it, which can mostly stick to the
sides of the container, and not get into the cria!
13) I like to use llama plasma for my especially valuable crias. Llama plasma can be purchased from
Triple J Farms in Bellingham, Washington. Their phone is 360-398-9512. I will either slowly syringe the defrosted plasma into their mouths within the first 8 hours after birth, or completely tube them with it in 2 – 3 tubing sessions. Never defrost the plasma in a microwave. Just put it in a bowl with warm water – sitting upright. I have had a few of these plastic plasma bags leak from the top,
so I have learned to always keep it upright. Sometimes, I will use cow/bovine colostrum which can be purchased at Southern States or your local farm store. It is a powder and must be mixed with warm water immediately before use. You can either put this in a bottle, or slowly syringe it into their mouths. Remember, that the bovine colostrum will not show up on a camelid IgG test. Too
much bovine colostrum can also cause loose stools in crias. My absolute favorite product to use is the llama plasma, but it is expensive – at least $125 per bag plus the overnight shipping costs, but it does raise the IgG. I will often order multiple llama plasma bags from Triple J at once; this reduces my shipping costs tremendously. Once the extra bags arrive, I will keep them wrapped in plastic
bubble wrap to protect the bags. I will store them in my freezer with ice packs around them until I am ready to use them. If the plasma somehow defrosts, it must be used immediately. You can not refreeze plasma. Therefore, keeping it completely frozen is important. Try not to use cow’s milk within the first 24 hours after birth unless it is absolutely necessary for the survival of the cria, as this has been shown to close down the IgG absorption of the cria’s intestines much faster.
14) Give oral E-Coli Vaccine (3cc) kept in the refrigerator within the first 6 hours after birth. You can purchase this oral E-Coli vaccine from PBS Animal Supply or KV vet Supply. It is a bovine product.
15) Give 1/2cc Vitamin A & D Shot – IM – around 12 hours after birth.
16) Watch for cria to defecate. If the meconium doesn’t pass the first day, give the cria a 2 ounce warm
water enema. This is very important, as a “stopped-up” cria will not nurse very well. Use the baby enema it is much smaller.
17) If the dam doesn’t have much colostrum, milk, or volume in her udder, start her on Domperidome or
Equitox paste (Equidone 11%). This needs to start immediately after the birth in order to be the most effective. Give the paste orally to the dam (5cc - twice per day). Use up the entire tube, which is usually around 40cc’s. Dr. Rob Pollard Herbal Mix (lactation stimulation) also works very well in stimulating milk production in the dam. Feed 2oz – twice per day – for llamas, or feed 1oz – twice
per day for alpacas. You can purchase this from Useful Lama Items, or contact Robert Pollard, DVM directly at 16615 Isom Lane Sonora, CA 95370. Alfalfa Forage is very good for milk production also.
18) If the dam has had a difficult birth, and she is very sore, I would start her on 3 days of Banamine. The dam may also have very sore teats, which will inhibit the cria from nursing. Give Banamine (SQ) with a small gouge needle. I would dose it at 1cc per 100 pounds of the dam’s body weight. Give this to her twice per day – morning and evening.
19) After 24 hours, weigh and pull blood sample for IgG testing. This may also be a good time to pull enough blood for ARI registration purposes (blood can be stored in the refrigerator with an anticoagulant for DNA blood testing.) Call your vet to check on the cria and draw blood.
Subcutaneous Injections: A New Technique by Dr. Ian Davison
As a surgeon and alpaca breeder, I have occasionally been called upon to exercise the skills and understanding gained in one field in the conduct of the other. To date, I have had no call to restrain patients with manacies of the
type used for shearing; nor have I yet been spat upon by even the most recalcitrant of surgical subjects.
But I have had the unhappy experience of skinning several alpacas whose demise has been met through a spectrum of misadventures ranging from stillbirth to old age, and snake bite to sarcoeystosis. My recurring impression,
each time I repeat this melancholic ritual, is how extremely thin is the subcutaneous layer beneath the skin. Unlike many animals most especially humans, the layer of fat beneath the alpaca’s skin is either extremely thin or
nonexistent for much of the body, and the skin rests loosely but directly upon the muscle of bone that constitutes the frame of the alpaca.
It raises a question as to why this animal should be so, especially in animals that have evolved mechanisms which make it peculiarly well adapted to harsh high altitude climate of the South American Andes. Perhaps the external coat
of the fleece provides such efficient insulation against thermal extremes that it no longer requires the alpaca equivalent of the human’s “undercoat” of fatty tissue.
But that is not the point of this article. I have long struggled to find a way of efficiently delivering subcutaneous vaccinations to alpacas without injecting into the muscle, a mistake which is likely to result in the formation of painful
abscesses. The difficulty of keeping the tip of the needle within the very thin subcutaneous layer is compounded by the conspiracy of fleece which obstructs vision and access, and an animal that is likely to respond suddenly and
violently to the unexpected displeasure of a needle. I have employed a variety of strategies, which have included at times injecting
into glabrous skin of the perineum (under the tail), where vision is not obscured by the shroud of fiber, and bending the needle at the hub so that it can be delivered with a sliding action through the skin rather than a puncturing one.
But all without uniform success. Until that is, I hit on the idea of using “short” needles. I reasoned that, if the skin was (say) 2mm thick, then a needle that was only 3 or 4mm long would penetrate below the skin surface if introduced perpendicularly, but would be most unlikely to penetrate the deeper muscle layer (or at the very worst, do so in such a superficial way that a muscle abscess would be a most unlikely result). But needles do not come that short. The job was therefore to bring the hub closer to the needle tip, so that its effective length was shorter. This can be very simply achieved by cutting the very tip off the needle cover, so that the needle protrudes beyond it just a millimeter or two. The injection is then administered, with the cover still on the needle, by a stabbing motion through the fleece at virtually any point on the body of the alpaca. The needle tip is prevented from penetrating any further than is allowed by the needle cover, a distance which can be predetermined by the person administering the injection.
Using this technique, I find I am now able to inject subcutaneously with both certainty and efficiency, and have a cavalier disregard for where on the torso of the animal I direct my aim. In fact, suing this technique with a spring loaded injection gun and an alpaca race, I expect to be able to inject the entire herd in a time that would have been previously unimaginable! The same technique could just as easily apply to intra muscular injections of antibiotics or vitamins, where people are unused to administering injection, and concerned that they might inadvertently inject too deeply into bone or a body cavity. In these circumstances, the needle cover would be cut shorter to allow for more of the shaft of the needle to protrude beyond it, but virtually
eliminating the worry of injecting too deeply.
Happy Injecting!
Finca
Serena's Alpaca Ranch Basic Health Care for Adult Alpaca and Cria AlpacaI am providing you with this information to help you make the best decisions for you and your animals. Please speak to your own veterinarian if you have any questions or problems. My advice is to know the behavior of your own animals (what is normal and abnormal). No one knows your Alpacas better than you!
Males and Pet/Fiber Animals - Based on Southern Maryland Conditions
Dectomax Wormer to Prevent Meningeal Worm:
All adult alpacas (along with crias over 4 month of age) must be wormed with injectable Dectomax no later than every 60 days. This must be injectable. Pour-on Dectomax does not prevent Meningeal Worm (which can be fatal to alpacas). Dectomax MUST be injected to prevent and kill Mengingeal Worm, just pouring it on their skin will not give you the desired result here! Dectomax is dosed at 1cc per 70 pounds of body weight. Give the shots SQ; giving them IM causes the drug to be metabolized too quickly. Use 20 x 1 (3cc) luer lock syringes to administer this injection SQ. I purchase my syringes in boxes of 100 from PBS Animal Supply or KV Vet Supply for cost effectiveness.
Rabies Vaccination:
Alpacas must have an ImRab3 Rabies vaccination once per year. Crias should be given RV at 4 months and 5 months of age, then once per year after this. I do not recommend giving pregnant females RV. Therefore, breeding females should get RV before breeding or post-partum before their breed-back.
By law in the state of Maryland, your veterinarian must administer RV. We recommend our wonderful veterinarian – Dr. Rania Lisas of Tidewater Veterinary Hospital in Charlotte Hall, MD. Her phone number is 301-884-3231. (This is the only injection that the
veterinarian must do; the owner can do everything else for regular alpaca care.)
CD&T Vaccination:
All alpacas must have a CD&T injection once per year. Crias are given CDT at day three, one month, two months, 4 months, and 6 months of age, and then every year after this. Give pregnant females CDT 30 days before they are due for birthing, as this will help to increase the new born cria’s IgG levels. This liquid is very thin in nature; thus you do not need to use a thick needle I use a 23 x 1 luer lock syringe to administer this vaccine. Always administer 2cc (SQ) regardless of body weight. (So a young cria needs the full 2cc’s as well!). It must be kept refrigerated.
Mineral Supplementation:
Special minerals developed just for alpacas/camelids must be available at all times to all alpacas. It is a free choice mineral supplement (powder) which they will eat when they need it. It is called the Alpaca Blend E Mineral Mix – made by Dr. Norm Evans – and can easily be purchased or ordered through Southern States or your farm supply store. Just keep the mineral mix inside the barn in a dry place, and replenish as necessary.
Water:
Clean water must be available at all times. Multiple water buckets and/or water sources are preferred. Buckets must be raised off the ground so that the alpacas can reach them but not be able to put their feet inside the containers. Alpacas love to play in water, especially when it is hot. It is best that they not contaminate their drinking water with dirty feet. Coccidia infections can be easily transferred this way, especially to crias.
Shearing:
Alpacas living permanently in Maryland must be shorn once a year, preferably in April or early May. Alpacas can die from heat stress if they are not shorn. If you shear later than this, you can risk the alpacas getting a severe sunburn on “barer” skin in the summer. Bad sunburns can cause many problems and increase the risk of fly strike or peeling skin – not to mention the added stress and major discomfort on the alpaca.
Grass/Hay:
The absolute best food for alpacas is healthy green grass (preferably orchard grass and endophyte free soft grasses). Good pastures can make a tremendous difference and make life much easier for the alpaca owner. Alpacas don’t need alfalfa, unless they are underweight and need extra supplementation. Alpacas do not eat much – only about 1-2% of their body weight per day.
Alpaca Food Supplement – A Grain Mixture:
We recommend the alpaca food/supplement made by Dr. Evans. At the present time, Blue Seal makes this food. Depending on the body score of the alpaca, the alpaca may need around a cup of feed per day as a supplement. Some thin alpacas may need considerably more than this, and others may not need any grain whatsoever. Heavier, adult male alpacas may not need any grain during the summer when grass is plentiful. Yet during the winter months, mostly every alpaca will need at least one to two cups of supplement every day. The alpaca owner will need to adjust grain amounts throughout the year, based on body score, animal weights, cold weather, etc.
Feeding too much grain without adequate soft hay and grass consumption is a recipe for ulcers and lots of health problems. Pregnant females who are nursing will also need more supplementation. You need to determine the amount of supplementation based on the needs of each individual alpaca at different times of the year.
Body Scoring:
Body Score your alpacas on a regular basis. This is the best way to determine their overall health and whether adequate amounts of nutrition are being provided. Once a male alpaca has reached adulthood, regular weighing is not as important as body scoring. I am constantly putting my hands on all my alpacas, not just at “herd health” when administering Dectomax. Try to keep alpacas at a #5 body score. If they fall below this, increase their grain rations and provide better hay. If they are too fat – a body score greater than #7, then decrease their grain or limit grain entirely based on the time of year.
Vitamin Supplementation:
I give all of my newborn crias a Vit. A/D shot on their first day of birth (1/2cc). All vitamin injections are given IM. After this, all of my crias will get 1cc of Vit. A/D at one month and two months, especially if they are fall crias or born during periods of reduced sunlight. Dark animals also appear to need more Vit. A/D than light colored animals. Depending on other factors. Vitamin A it can cause birth defects if given to a pregnant female.
Giving more than one type of injection per day may also increase an animal’s potential for severe reactions to the drug.
Poop Removal:
Clean up the poop piles every day. Take the poop away from the alpaca field. Do not pile your poop inside the same field as the alpacas. This will minimize the potential for parasite problems and keep flies away in the summer. Alpaca poop is an excellent fertilizer and can often be used directly without composting.
Normal Basic Information:
Normal Temperature: 98 to 104 degrees
(temps can vary based on whether the alpaca is sunbathing, but you
definitely need to treat the situation with temps above 104 degrees!)
Adult Pulse Rate: 50 to 90 per minute
(handling a stressed alpaca will certainly increase the pulse)
Cria Pulse Rate at Rest: 75 to 100 per minute
Respiratory Rate at Rest: 20 to 30 per minute (cria and adult rates)
Reasons to Call the Veterinarian:
1) Any alpaca that can not rise.
2) An alpaca with the inability to coordinate movement.
3) An alpaca with seizures (but it is not uncommon for some alpacas to react with a
seizure type of behavior when going into strong sunlight after being in a dark barn.)
4) An alpaca which has excessive drooling or vomiting saliva for more than an hour
(Choke from grain is not uncommon). Some alpacas eat their grain supplement too
quickly. Under these conditions, put large rocks in the feed bowl to help prevent them
from gobbling too much food in one swallow.
5) Any alpaca that does not eat for a day or has bad breath for more than 2 days.
6) Any adult alpaca which has diarrhea present for over 24 hours.
7) Any pregnant female experiencing labor for more than one hour.
8) Any pregnant female showing sign of discomfort for more than 3 hours.
9) Any animal with a temperature over 104 degrees (some alpacas love to sunbathe; their
temperature can get high during these conditions). If heat stress is an issue, you may
need to hose down the alpaca with very cold water, do some fast shearing of fleece, and give
Banamine.
10) An alpaca mother which has given birth but has no milk or colostrum. (I have had
excellent results with giving Domperidome (orally 2.5cc twice a day) for at least 5-7
days. This must be given to the dam immediately after birth to stimulate milk
production. Dr. Pollard’s Herbs (Stimulation/Lactation Herbal Blend) also can work
well to stimulate the dam’s milk production. Some folks have also had good results
adding more cracked corn and brewer’s yeast to the dam’s diet. For the cria, I always
have frozen llama plasma on hand from Triple J Farms in Bellingham, Washington. I
may even give a valuable female cria an extra boost by giving this plasma within the
first 8 hours after birth.
11) Any cria diarrhea which is present more than 24 hours.
12) Any female that is not pregnant after 5 or 6 breedings (and this is after you have
changed the male.
13) A newborn cria that can not stand within 3 hours after birth. (This cria may be
“crashing” and needs supplementation immediately.)
Additional Questions/Concerns:
The best advice I can give you is to know your animals and know the difference between normal and abnormal behavior.
Different climates and areas will often present other issues to deal with, which are not listed here. The advice which I am providing is based on alpaca life in southern Maryland and from my many years of experience. I am not a trained veterinarian, but I have often found that my own experience and knowing the behavior of my own alpacas is crucial to my successful husbandry techniques which saves me money and keeps my alpacas healthier and happier in the long run.
My source of alpaca veterinary information is Dr.Norm Evan’s Book: The Alpaca Field Manual. This is a MUST for any alpaca breeder/owner. Also, one of my favorite remedies to have “on-hand” is Banamine, which I dose at 1cc per 100
pounds. I prefer to give this SQ – twice per day for no more than 3 days, but you must talk to your own veterinarian
about this before administration.
Cria Check List:
1) Check breathing – clear nostrils and mouth of epidermal membrane and check mucosal membranes.
2) Dip the umbilical cord. Nolvasan (chlorhexidrine) solution has been shown to be the most effective in reducing bacterial counts in research trials. Nolvasan is made by Fort Dodge Pharmaceuticals. Nolvasan needs to be diluted to a (0.5%) solution by pouring 4 ounces of Nolvasan into 12 ounces of tap water. Diluted Nolvasan must be kept in a dark bottle and discarded after two weeks. A smaller quantity may be prepared by placing ½ ounce (1 tablespoon or 15ml) of Nolvasan in 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons of water). When you dip the cord, completely saturate the entire cord multiple times. I like to use an old film canister. Throw away the Nolvasan in the film canister after each succession of dips.
3) Dry cria with towels if she is cold. In cold weather, you will need to move the cria and dam into a heated/draft free area in the barn until she is dry and her temperature is at least 99 degrees. You may also use a hair dryer on the cria to dry her off and keep her warm. Cria coats may also be needed. Be careful when using a cria coat, as some dams may reject their crias when the coat is put on them, but this is rare. Use care and common sense. It would also be best to use a “clean” cria coat – and one that has not been recently worn by another cria. Cria “smells” are extremely important to the new dam. You don’t want to cause confusion or rejection based on another cria’s smells. A cold cria will also not absorb colostrum properly, which is important to assure a good IgG. Thus keeping the cria warm enough is critical to its health and future survival.
4) Check the sex. (You probably did this first!)
5) Move dam with the cria into a small fenced in paddock in view of her friends so that it is easier for the cria to the find the teats and start nursing as well as to bond with the dam. Some dams so not do well when confined; therefore, use common sense and make changes to accommodate each dam’s requirements. A dam which is “pacing” and stressed will not allow her cria to nurse easily.
6) Re-dip the umbilical cord with Nolvasan. You will need to dip the cord at least 3 or 4 times - 5 to 10 minutes between each time. If the cord is excessively long on the cria, cut it short (leaving ½ to 1 inch away from the skin). You can cut this using clean, sharp scissors, or tie a string of dental floss around the cord to cut it off. Make sure you dip the cord immediately after cutting it short!
7) Strip dam’s teats; check for presence of colostrum and note consistency. Also note the size and
shape of the teats. Clean udder area if only muddy or dirty. Dam may be very uncomfortable at this
time, especially if she has not passed her placenta. I give the Dam 1 1/2 cc of Benamine after birth.
8) Weigh cria once she is dry.
9) Re-dip umbilical cord. This may seem like a lot to do, but these first steps can all be done within 20 minutes or so.
10) Leave dam and cria alone to bond for at least an hour. Observe from a distance to record when cria is first standing and attempting to nurse.
11) Start a record on the cria a system for future vaccinations, weighing of cria, and fecal
checks.
12) If the cria is not nursing within 2-3 hours, assist. First, try holding the mom and helping the cria attach on her nipple. Second, try milking out the dam a little, putting the colostrum in a shot glass and then using a syringe without the needle and placing it directly into the cria’s mouth. Then place the cria back under the dam’s udder. Patience is required. It is very important that the cria get as
much colostrum as possible and as early as possible for optimal IgG transfer. Colostrum is sticky and often much “thicker” than milk; you don’t want to waste a drop as it is truly important for the cria’s health. It is like “gold”! Thus it is not wise to try to put this very thick colostrum in a bottle. There is not a large volume of it, and you don’t want to waste any of it, which can mostly stick to the
sides of the container, and not get into the cria!
13) I like to use llama plasma for my especially valuable crias. Llama plasma can be purchased from
Triple J Farms in Bellingham, Washington. Their phone is 360-398-9512. I will either slowly syringe the defrosted plasma into their mouths within the first 8 hours after birth, or completely tube them with it in 2 – 3 tubing sessions. Never defrost the plasma in a microwave. Just put it in a bowl with warm water – sitting upright. I have had a few of these plastic plasma bags leak from the top,
so I have learned to always keep it upright. Sometimes, I will use cow/bovine colostrum which can be purchased at Southern States or your local farm store. It is a powder and must be mixed with warm water immediately before use. You can either put this in a bottle, or slowly syringe it into their mouths. Remember, that the bovine colostrum will not show up on a camelid IgG test. Too
much bovine colostrum can also cause loose stools in crias. My absolute favorite product to use is the llama plasma, but it is expensive – at least $125 per bag plus the overnight shipping costs, but it does raise the IgG. I will often order multiple llama plasma bags from Triple J at once; this reduces my shipping costs tremendously. Once the extra bags arrive, I will keep them wrapped in plastic
bubble wrap to protect the bags. I will store them in my freezer with ice packs around them until I am ready to use them. If the plasma somehow defrosts, it must be used immediately. You can not refreeze plasma. Therefore, keeping it completely frozen is important. Try not to use cow’s milk within the first 24 hours after birth unless it is absolutely necessary for the survival of the cria, as this has been shown to close down the IgG absorption of the cria’s intestines much faster.
14) Give oral E-Coli Vaccine (3cc) kept in the refrigerator within the first 6 hours after birth. You can purchase this oral E-Coli vaccine from PBS Animal Supply or KV vet Supply. It is a bovine product.
15) Give 1/2cc Vitamin A & D Shot – IM – around 12 hours after birth.
16) Watch for cria to defecate. If the meconium doesn’t pass the first day, give the cria a 2 ounce warm
water enema. This is very important, as a “stopped-up” cria will not nurse very well. Use the baby enema it is much smaller.
17) If the dam doesn’t have much colostrum, milk, or volume in her udder, start her on Domperidome or
Equitox paste (Equidone 11%). This needs to start immediately after the birth in order to be the most effective. Give the paste orally to the dam (5cc - twice per day). Use up the entire tube, which is usually around 40cc’s. Dr. Rob Pollard Herbal Mix (lactation stimulation) also works very well in stimulating milk production in the dam. Feed 2oz – twice per day – for llamas, or feed 1oz – twice
per day for alpacas. You can purchase this from Useful Lama Items, or contact Robert Pollard, DVM directly at 16615 Isom Lane Sonora, CA 95370. Alfalfa Forage is very good for milk production also.
18) If the dam has had a difficult birth, and she is very sore, I would start her on 3 days of Banamine. The dam may also have very sore teats, which will inhibit the cria from nursing. Give Banamine (SQ) with a small gouge needle. I would dose it at 1cc per 100 pounds of the dam’s body weight. Give this to her twice per day – morning and evening.
19) After 24 hours, weigh and pull blood sample for IgG testing. This may also be a good time to pull enough blood for ARI registration purposes (blood can be stored in the refrigerator with an anticoagulant for DNA blood testing.) Call your vet to check on the cria and draw blood.
Subcutaneous Injections: A New Technique by Dr. Ian Davison
As a surgeon and alpaca breeder, I have occasionally been called upon to exercise the skills and understanding gained in one field in the conduct of the other. To date, I have had no call to restrain patients with manacies of the
type used for shearing; nor have I yet been spat upon by even the most recalcitrant of surgical subjects.
But I have had the unhappy experience of skinning several alpacas whose demise has been met through a spectrum of misadventures ranging from stillbirth to old age, and snake bite to sarcoeystosis. My recurring impression,
each time I repeat this melancholic ritual, is how extremely thin is the subcutaneous layer beneath the skin. Unlike many animals most especially humans, the layer of fat beneath the alpaca’s skin is either extremely thin or
nonexistent for much of the body, and the skin rests loosely but directly upon the muscle of bone that constitutes the frame of the alpaca.
It raises a question as to why this animal should be so, especially in animals that have evolved mechanisms which make it peculiarly well adapted to harsh high altitude climate of the South American Andes. Perhaps the external coat
of the fleece provides such efficient insulation against thermal extremes that it no longer requires the alpaca equivalent of the human’s “undercoat” of fatty tissue.
But that is not the point of this article. I have long struggled to find a way of efficiently delivering subcutaneous vaccinations to alpacas without injecting into the muscle, a mistake which is likely to result in the formation of painful
abscesses. The difficulty of keeping the tip of the needle within the very thin subcutaneous layer is compounded by the conspiracy of fleece which obstructs vision and access, and an animal that is likely to respond suddenly and
violently to the unexpected displeasure of a needle. I have employed a variety of strategies, which have included at times injecting
into glabrous skin of the perineum (under the tail), where vision is not obscured by the shroud of fiber, and bending the needle at the hub so that it can be delivered with a sliding action through the skin rather than a puncturing one.
But all without uniform success. Until that is, I hit on the idea of using “short” needles. I reasoned that, if the skin was (say) 2mm thick, then a needle that was only 3 or 4mm long would penetrate below the skin surface if introduced perpendicularly, but would be most unlikely to penetrate the deeper muscle layer (or at the very worst, do so in such a superficial way that a muscle abscess would be a most unlikely result). But needles do not come that short. The job was therefore to bring the hub closer to the needle tip, so that its effective length was shorter. This can be very simply achieved by cutting the very tip off the needle cover, so that the needle protrudes beyond it just a millimeter or two. The injection is then administered, with the cover still on the needle, by a stabbing motion through the fleece at virtually any point on the body of the alpaca. The needle tip is prevented from penetrating any further than is allowed by the needle cover, a distance which can be predetermined by the person administering the injection.
Using this technique, I find I am now able to inject subcutaneously with both certainty and efficiency, and have a cavalier disregard for where on the torso of the animal I direct my aim. In fact, suing this technique with a spring loaded injection gun and an alpaca race, I expect to be able to inject the entire herd in a time that would have been previously unimaginable! The same technique could just as easily apply to intra muscular injections of antibiotics or vitamins, where people are unused to administering injection, and concerned that they might inadvertently inject too deeply into bone or a body cavity. In these circumstances, the needle cover would be cut shorter to allow for more of the shaft of the needle to protrude beyond it, but virtually
eliminating the worry of injecting too deeply.
Happy Injecting!
Editor’s Note: It is important if using this technique to remember that the
needle cover is there to protect you from accidental damage. Whenever you
are using a syringe, you should take great care anyway. We use this technique
but keep an uncut cover handy and put that on when we are not actively
injecting. Safety first!
Rick’s Note: When I originally saw this, my thought was “why bother.”
One day, I had 16 injections to give as the alpacas came off the trailer.
I decided to try it, and after completing the task in about 30 minutes, I’ve
never gone back to the “old way”.
needle cover is there to protect you from accidental damage. Whenever you
are using a syringe, you should take great care anyway. We use this technique
but keep an uncut cover handy and put that on when we are not actively
injecting. Safety first!
Rick’s Note: When I originally saw this, my thought was “why bother.”
One day, I had 16 injections to give as the alpacas came off the trailer.
I decided to try it, and after completing the task in about 30 minutes, I’ve
never gone back to the “old way”.
Finca Serena Alpaca Ranch - Maryland - 443-498-8476
Financing, Policies and Services:
Finca Serena Alpaca Ranch offers many different financing options. We are very flexible and trying to meet your needs the best possible way there is. We always do our best to make things work for all parties involved. We offer superior customer service in every alpaca purchased. Let us know what works for you, and we will do the best we can to make it happen. Every alpaca sale is different and we do not have financing terms set. Please call us to discuss your situation so we can make it work for you.
Finca Serena also provides 60 days of free boarding after the sale; after the 60 day of free boarding, we will charge a $5.00 per day per alpaca for boarding. Boarding alpacas must have full insurance coverage. All questions regarding theses issues will be fully addressed and listed in the alpaca sales contract before signatures are obtained.
Full guarantees and warranties are fully explained in Finca Serena's sales contract. We have different sales contract based on the type of alpaca being sold.
Unfortunately, Finca Serena can not transport the Alpaca/s for you, but we can help you arrange transportation!
And rembember your Success is our Success!
Services
Boarding $5.00 per day
Hands on Training
Shearing (only local, call for price)
Full customer support
I can provide you the knowledge, advise and guidance to start a successful Alpaca breeding program.
Finca Serena Alpaca Ranch offers many different financing options. We are very flexible and trying to meet your needs the best possible way there is. We always do our best to make things work for all parties involved. We offer superior customer service in every alpaca purchased. Let us know what works for you, and we will do the best we can to make it happen. Every alpaca sale is different and we do not have financing terms set. Please call us to discuss your situation so we can make it work for you.
Finca Serena also provides 60 days of free boarding after the sale; after the 60 day of free boarding, we will charge a $5.00 per day per alpaca for boarding. Boarding alpacas must have full insurance coverage. All questions regarding theses issues will be fully addressed and listed in the alpaca sales contract before signatures are obtained.
Full guarantees and warranties are fully explained in Finca Serena's sales contract. We have different sales contract based on the type of alpaca being sold.
Unfortunately, Finca Serena can not transport the Alpaca/s for you, but we can help you arrange transportation!
And rembember your Success is our Success!
Services
Boarding $5.00 per day
Hands on Training
Shearing (only local, call for price)
Full customer support
I can provide you the knowledge, advise and guidance to start a successful Alpaca breeding program.
Finca Serena Alpaca Ranch - Maryland - 443-498-8476
Hands-On Alpaca Ownership
There are essentially two ways to own alpacas. The first approach is to simply purchase the animals and begin raising them. The second approach is to purchase the animals and place them in the care of an established breeder. This arrangement for care and boarding of an animal on behalf of another is know as agistment. Under this method you, as owner, typically would still make the important decisions about care, breeding, sales, etc.
The hands-on method of raising alpacas, as either a part or full time business, requires that the alpaca breeder own a small ranch or acreage. The property would need to be properly fenced and have a small barn or shelter. Many new owners already have outbuildings suitable for alpacas. The alpaca owner is presumed to supply the day-to-day labor.
Many new buyers start with two females and purchase stud service. The financial returns are similar at different ownership levels, so don't feel that you have to be a large ranch to participate.
Financial Observations
- The major tax advantages of alpaca ownership include the employment of depreciation, capital gains treatment, and if you are an active hands-on owner, the benefit of offsetting your ordinary income from other sources with expenses from your ranching business.
- The financial return using the agisted approach, should you elect to board your animals, is also very good. There are breeders who would be happy to discuss agisting alpacas on behalf of prospective owners.
Raising alpacas at your own ranch, in the hands-on fashion, can offer the rancher some very attractive tax advantages. If alpacas are actively raised for profit, all the expenses attributable to the endeavor can be written off against your income.
Expenses to include
Feed, fertilizer, veterinarian care, etc., but also the depreciation of such tangible property as breeding stock, barns, fences, vehicle mileage, fees for the preparation of your income tax return, livestock feed, labor hired to run and maintain your ranch, ranch repairs, maintenance, interest, breeding fees, taxes and insurance, rent and lease costs, depreciation of animals used for breeding, depreciation of real property improvements such as barns and equipment, travel expenses, educational expenses, advertising, attorney fees, ranch fuel and oil, publications, breeders association, miscellaneous chemicals, veterinarian care, small tools, agistment fees.
Methods of Financing your Alpaca Purchase
Most alpacas are sold for cash. Many buyers convert other assets to purchase their first alpacas. Some people have a line of credit for investment purposes; others use their equity in real state to secure funds. Some breeders offer financing for your purchase. It is typically short term and involves paying for the animals before you take delivery of them.
Alpaca Purchasing Contracts
Every purchaser should require a written contract when acquiring an alpaca. A typical contract will call for a veterinarian exam certifying the alpaca's health at the time of purchase. Other clauses might warrant that a breeding male will, in fact, settle females and that he is not sterile as a condition of sale. A contract for the purchase of a female alpaca will often warrant that she is anatomically complete and capable of producing live offspring.
Many alpaca owners who have been involved in the alpaca lifestyle have found it both personally and financially rewarding.
Finca Serena Alpaca Ranch - Maryland - 443-498-8476
