Why raise Alpacas? Click Here for a short Movie
What is a cria? And other baby questions.
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| © Rosemarie Mogerman and Alma Park Alpacas all rights reserved. |
What is a cria?
A cria is what an alpaca or llama baby is called. Alpaca babies can be
anywhere from 8 to 25 pounds at birth. I like to see 14 - 16 pounds for
spring births and above 12 pounds for fall births. Gestation for spring
births is typically longer than for fall births and hence the weight
variation. Average gestation for an alpaca has a longer window than
most other animals and can go anywhere from 330-370 days.
Evaluation the cria to see if it is premature or dysmature is more
critical and necessary than the actual length of gestation. Keeping
good breeding records is essential since a female will typically give
birth in the same time frame year after year except during her maiden
year.
How do I know if the cria is healthy?
There is a 1-2-3 rule we employ for crias. In one hour, the cria should
be up and standing albeit shaky. In two hours the placenta should be
passed by the dam (except in the case of a dystocia - this can take 10
hours or more). In three hours the cria should be nursing. Since
alpacas are born without immunity, the must get that dose of colostrum
from their moms in the first 6 hours of life. If they are not nursing by
6 hours intervention is necessary. Oral colostrum substitute or a
plasma transfusion is called for. Trying to milk out the mom and
feeding it to the baby is better than a substitute colostrum source,
but this can be difficult especially for new breeders.
What to do when baby arrives
As soon as the baby is born (or if a girl sneaks one out- as soon as we
notice it), we do 3 things immediately.
Most females give birth unassisted, but there are times when they do
need a little help and it is always a good idea to keep an eye on the
pregnant girls. Dystocias (like a breech birth) can occur and need
intervention by a knowledgeable breeder or a vet to correct the
position of the cria. It is important that the correction does not take a
long time as you put the baby at risk as well as the mom for infection.
My rule is call the vet first, start working and if you have not
successfully positioned the baby in 15 minutes - STOP!
In extreme cases, cesarean section may be necessary. This is very
rare and typically the girl goes on to have normal deliveries after this
experience.
What to do if the baby is normal, healthy and nursing?
A cria is what an alpaca or llama baby is called. Alpaca babies can be
anywhere from 8 to 25 pounds at birth. I like to see 14 - 16 pounds for
spring births and above 12 pounds for fall births. Gestation for spring
births is typically longer than for fall births and hence the weight
variation. Average gestation for an alpaca has a longer window than
most other animals and can go anywhere from 330-370 days.
Evaluation the cria to see if it is premature or dysmature is more
critical and necessary than the actual length of gestation. Keeping
good breeding records is essential since a female will typically give
birth in the same time frame year after year except during her maiden
year.
How do I know if the cria is healthy?
There is a 1-2-3 rule we employ for crias. In one hour, the cria should
be up and standing albeit shaky. In two hours the placenta should be
passed by the dam (except in the case of a dystocia - this can take 10
hours or more). In three hours the cria should be nursing. Since
alpacas are born without immunity, the must get that dose of colostrum
from their moms in the first 6 hours of life. If they are not nursing by
6 hours intervention is necessary. Oral colostrum substitute or a
plasma transfusion is called for. Trying to milk out the mom and
feeding it to the baby is better than a substitute colostrum source,
but this can be difficult especially for new breeders.
What to do when baby arrives
As soon as the baby is born (or if a girl sneaks one out- as soon as we
notice it), we do 3 things immediately.
- Take babies temperature
- We take the babies temperature to see if it is high enough for
colostrum absorbtion (99F-101F) as well as to see if the baby
needs a coat. Even in hot weather, the baby may be chilled from
being wet and will need to be warmed up until dry.
- Dip umbilical cord
- Using a diluted iodine solution or diluted Nolvasan solution works
best. Iodine (10% iodine solution in a 1:4 ratio with water).
Novalsan (1:10 ratio with water). I prefer iodine, but many
people use Novalsan.
- Weigh the baby (this is if baby seems ok)
- We weigh the baby and the placenta recording both. If the baby
seems weak or "dumb" we skip this step and move onto other
care. We consider a "dumb" baby one that is trying to nurse from
the wall or a corner or any dark spot. At that point we interven
in order to get the baby to find the mother's udder.
Most females give birth unassisted, but there are times when they do
need a little help and it is always a good idea to keep an eye on the
pregnant girls. Dystocias (like a breech birth) can occur and need
intervention by a knowledgeable breeder or a vet to correct the
position of the cria. It is important that the correction does not take a
long time as you put the baby at risk as well as the mom for infection.
My rule is call the vet first, start working and if you have not
successfully positioned the baby in 15 minutes - STOP!
In extreme cases, cesarean section may be necessary. This is very
rare and typically the girl goes on to have normal deliveries after this
experience.
What to do if the baby is normal, healthy and nursing?
- Check placenta for tears in the horns. Monitor dam's
temperature if anything looks torn and call the vet. A retained
piece of placenta can cause an infection. - At 12 hours, dip the umbilical again.
- At 24 hours, pull blood for an IgG or have your vet come and do
it. There are several ways to do IgGs in crias now. Either the
RID plate or the rapid turbitity test. - If the IgG is 800 or above do nothing. Monitor baby's temp and
weight for the first week daily.
| Wynona giving birth to Karli |
| Karli head up and looking around - 5 minutes after birth |
| Click for Alma Park Blog |
| Call us Today 732-620-1052 or email us using this form or at |
