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BEHAVIOR is the number one factor in detecting a possible health problem in your herd. Is she acting unusual? Is that cria looking droopy? That dam is lying down in an awkward position! Visit your herd every day, even if briefly, to take a comprehensive look and get a reading on each alpaca. Get to know your alpacas! |
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We schedule herd management on the beginning of each month. Each alpaca is evaluated by the following:
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Vaccination: |
We follow Dr. Norm Evan's protocol for CDT vaccinations. Crias are given 2cc's at 4 wks, 8 wks, 6 mo, and 1 yr. Adults are given 2cc's yearly. |
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Worming: |
We de-worm every spring and every fall in Utah where conditions are very dry. |
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Vitamins |
We supplement with vitamins during the winter months when sunshine is more sparse. |
We rotate monthly fecal samples to monitor parasitic growth, and we treat only when necessary.
We do not handle or medicate dams the first and last three months of pregnancy, other than ultrasound. After the cria is born, we do herd management on the dam one week later to ensure all vaccinations & medications are current.
We recommend taking a neo-natal class to help you become confident with births and caring for the newborn cria. For the majority of births, nature will take care of everything. We do the following for crias at birth: take a temperature, spray the navel with iodine, administer 3cc of Bar-guard 99, and assess the overall health.
If body temperature is low (below 99 degrees), it is critical to
warm up the cria: towel dry, hair dryer, sunshine, warm room. If
the cria does not progress to nursing, we give it Pedialyte to hydrate
its system and to stimulate its thirst. If the birth was difficult,
we administer Banamine to the dam. If this is the dam's first birth,
we administer Oxytocin or Domperidone to help with milk production
and let down.
The placenta should drop within the first hour after birth. After
the cria is several hours old, we give it an enema and make sure
the meconium stool is passed. We run an IgG on the cria at 24 hours.
We weigh the cria daily for the first week. It is typical for the cria to lose weight the first day after birth, but it should be gaining steadily afterwards. We closely monitor the dam to ensure she is recovering well.
We use a software program to keep detailed records on every alpaca. We also keep a hard copy of all health administrations.
We have had extremely healthy alpacas over the years. We rarely have any sickness or parasitic outbreaks. This is in part due to our practice of not over-medicating our herd. We also keep immaculate grounds. Waste is promptly removed throughout the day; barns are washed several times weekly; feeding pastures are scrutinized. Each alpaca also receives a daily dose of grain developed by Dr. Todd Robinson, camelid nutrition specialist.
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