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: 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 ect.) 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.

A Cold Drink & a Good Book: Sometimes you need to just relax while you wait.

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

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

Goat's Milk: Once again, you should have some on hand in case it is needed. (It is good to note that both dryed colostrum and milk replacer do have an expiration date and should be checked in case it needs to be replaced.)

Bottles & Nipples: We have found that rubber lamb nipples work well and we use plastic pop bottles for feeding if needed.

Chart: We keep a record of what day the cria was born, time of birth, gestation, weight, type of delivery(normal or assisted) , dam & sire and of course the new cria gets a name.

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 front and centre with out stressing the female. Depending on how fast the delivery is we will usually find a good spot in the grass and watch the event unfold. 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, our average weight is 19 lbs, with the occasional low weight of 15 lbs and a heavier weight at 23 to 25 lbs.

Through out the whole process we are gently touching the cria to help imprint human contact. The female is right by our sides the whole time humming and nuzzling her new baby. We do have the odd female who doesn’t appreciate to much attention lavished on her cria, so we do our business and always try to respect the female, by moving slow and letting her smell any weird objects that might be used on her new born.

Because of the large number of females we have on the farm and the fact that it can get pretty hot out in the pastures, we will often move the cria and the dam to a secluded shaded area. There they can bond with out a bunch of nosey alpacas pushing the cria around, and the cria is out of the direct sunlight. The other alpacas are always in sight so the female doesn’t mind spending the time with her cria in a separate area.

We will now pull up a chair and monitor the cria and dam. 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. We will also check the dam’s bag, and remove the wax tips from the mom’s teets. 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 have someone monitor the dam & cria until we are satisfied that the cria has had a good nursing and that mom and cria are bonding well.

We do not give our cria any shots at birth, we prefer to give our females good nutritional supplements with all the vitamins and minerals they and their cria require. This pellet supplement is given year round. Our custom made, pellet ration includes selenium & vitamins A, D & E as well as the other essential vitamins and minerals. Our cria are healthy weights when born, they have strong frames and straight legs. Click here for info on our advanced Nutrition Program.

For the first night we put cria and dam in a stall in our barn. This is to continue with the bonding process and to also make sure the cria stays warm and dry for its first night. All the girls have access to the barn and they spend the night in our enclosed secure area, which happens to be the barn and the barnyard. Our females spend a lot of time in our barn so they are comfortable spending the night in a stall with their cria. They will also get some extra pellet ration for the first couple of days as well.

Because we feed twice a day in our barn, all the females and their cria are shut into the barn for about 20 minutes twice a day. This gives us a chance to monitor our dams and cria to make sure everyone is doing fine. If by chance someone is not doing well we notice right away and look into the problem. We also take this opportunity to bond with the cria ourselves. As they get older they will have access to their own pen and when they are ready, they can eat some pellets and hay while their moms have their rations.

Birthing can be a wonderful event and after delivering over 100 cria it is still something we look forward to each year.

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 with out assistance from our vet, but we always have our cell phone handy and will not hesitate to call if we think its needed. If you are at all unsure, the safest and smartest thing to do is to call a vet.

WRA Boca 20 minutes old	WRA Boca 24 hours old

WEANING

Our cria are weaned between 5 and 6 months, usually starting late October. By the time our cria are 5 to 6 months of age they weigh from 65 to 110 pounds. They have all had their 8 Way vaccinations (first shot at 2 to 3 months old and second shot 2 months after the first one) We separate the male weanlings from the females and they are dewormed as they enter the weanling pens. They will stay in those areas any where from 3 to 7 months. We will put the females back with the adult females at the end of May right after shearing. And the males get the whole area to themselves until we need it for the next round of weanlings, then they join the big boys in the Herdsire area. We do our halter training during this period, and we will also do a fibre assessment on each weanling.

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