A LPA CA A ND LLA M A
Newly born cria should be up and suckling soon after birth.
BREEDING AND RAISING YOUNG
donor animal. Artificial insemination (AI) is not yet a viable option for alpaca and llama; however veterinary research into AI is underway.
Alpaca and llama can be bred all year round and do not have regular oestrus cycles like other livestock species. They are classed as induced ovulators, with ovulation being stimulated by the male during the mating process. There are however more difficulties for the newborn cria to encounter in winter, or the heat of midday summer, so many breeders in New Zealand try to get their females to give birth in either autumn or late spring. Gestation is long compared to other livestock, at around 11½ months for alpaca and llama (which can be longer as they tend to extend their gestation if the weather is not ideal). Females are commonly mated at 12 months of age, although it’s best to wait until 24 months of age, as females are more matured.
Birthing of cria normally goes smoothly and it is rare that assistance is required. Generally birthing occurs during daylight hours, late morning to mid-afternoon. Animals that are still in labour as evening draws in may be in trouble, so it is recommended to call the vet in this circumstance or anytime during the birth process if a female appears to be having difficulties.
A stud service (where a male is leased for a short time) or an existing on-farm male can be used for breeding. Embryo transfer (ET) is another option that is becoming more common, but mainly for large herd managers. It is normal for a female to birth 1 cria per year hence the move to ET which can help to speed up the growth of a quality producing herd as the cria carries the genetics of the
Farmlands Lifestyle Guide
Young cria should be fairly active soon after birth and should be up on their feet within an hour and feeding not long after that. If a cria appears to be having problems and is not feeding within 4 hours of birth, intervention may need to occur to ensure survival and hand feeding with a suitable milk replacer may be required until you are confident the cria is feeding from its mother. It is important that cria get adequate colostrum in the first few days of life, to attain the passive immunity the immunoglobulins found in colostrum provide. A cria that does not receive adequate colostrum will be more at risk of succumbing to disease, particularly during the first few months of life, as their own immune system is still developing.
Crias at risk include: •
premature cria.
•
cria that are slow to start feeding after birth.
•
cria born during cold and wet weather that are slow and weaker.
•
cria with mothers with health issues that may hamper good quality colostrum production.
•
cria with mothers with poorer mothering abilities.
Bottle feeding or tubing cria with sourced good quality colostrum can be a solution. Some farmers also advocate injecting cria with plasma collected from adult animals as a way to get a guaranteed level of immunoglobulins into them. Contact an expert on this to find out more information on how this system may work for you. If hand rearing an orphan cria is required, products designed for lambs can be used, such as a lamb milk replacer and a lamb hard feed. Calf products should be avoided, as they often contain coccidiostats that should not be fed to alpaca or llama.
www.farmlands.co.nz
13