Breeder's Tips

Alpaca Facilities

Alpacas are native to the Altiplano (highlands) of Peru, Chile and Bolivia. They live in a harsh environment found at 12,000 to 17,500 feet above sea level. The snow, freezing wind and bone chilling cold are the everyday circumstances of these hardy animals. Ichu grass is the natural forage of the Altiplano. It is tough, short and produces little protein. There are no barns and few fences for alpacas in South America. In places other than their natives lands people tend to overfeed, build elaborate barns and generally over do the hardy alpacas care.

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Alpaca Husbandry

Alpacas have a routine that sets the day and the year for their shepherd. They go out early in the morning to graze, and then retire to their shelter or favorite spot in the pasture to -kush- and chew their cud. They repeat this process several times a day. Alpacas generally have a baby each year, which requires that they be rebred fourteen to twenty-one days later and that their cria be weaned five to six months after birth.How you manage this cycle will determine your calendar. If you have cria year round you will need to stay close to home. If you do as they do in South America and breed the females in the spring, your year will be easier to organize. The cria will be born during warm weather and the mothers will graze green pastures while they are nursing.I recommend that you think about arranging your breeding program around the weather and a schedule that gives you the freedom to travel and to be away from the barn without worry. You will need to create a routine that allows for the alpaca chores on a daily and yearly basis.Compared with other livestock, alpacas are relatively disease free. Alpacas are small and easy to maintain, rarely overeat and require no extraordinary care. They simply need shearing, toe trimming, deworming, and vaccinations.

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Birthing Your Cria

Birth is a miracle. I have tried to understand how a female begins with an egg and nurtures life to the point of birth. What is that spark that transfers the responsibility for being from the mother to her newborn? It is easy to understand the mechanics of development and finally birth but that magic moment of vigor and independence that begins with the first breath is still Mother Nature's mystery. Nothing is more exciting.The best advice I can give you about birthing cria is do not over react. Most cria are born without any assistance. At least 95% of all births occur without intervention.In fact premature action by the alpaca's owner can complicate what would otherwise be a normal birth. The problems that do occur are most often simple and easily solved.

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Managing Herd

There are many things to consider when you create your mating management plan: weather, animal preparation, pen mating, pasture mating, mobile mating, pregnancy confirmation, breeding management, rebreeding, and record keeping. The more alpacas that you own means the more you need a well thought out mating plan.

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The Cria is Born

The eye of the shepherd can be quickly trained to the behavior of healthy cria and likewise to those that need help. I come from the school of less is better when it comes to cria. Her mother and nature know best. Your job is to stay out of the way. I recommend observing from a distance after you have treated the navel with 7% iodine or 1% Chlorhexedine and stripped the mothers teats to make sure they are not clogged and are working. Rub the thick drops of milk from the mother on the crias lips and make sure that the nose and mouth are free of mucus or afterbirth.

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