What To Expect During The Birth Of Your Alpaca
The birthing of an alpaca is a beautiful experience. First time breeders, however, may be unsure of what to expect from the mother during labor, as well as how to care for the newborn alpaca.
The good news is that most alpaca do not need assistance with giving birth to their cria. If you aren’t paying attention to your pregnant alpaca, you might even miss the birth! If missing the birth is not an option, make sure you are available starting at eight in the morning around the estimated date of labor. Because the alpaca wants its cria to be dried by dark, labor usually begins from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon.
The first stage of labor takes one to six hours. The mother alpaca will be uncomfortable and is likely to roll around on the ground, humming to her unborn cria. As the mother nears the second stage of labor she will begin to experience strong contractions. This stage usually lasts less than an hour. When the pushing stage begins, provided the fetus is in the proper position, the baby should be born within thirty minutes to an hour. Hearing the cria cry out is normal, one must simply make sure that its airways are cleared of membranes. The mother will go into the third stage of labor to expel the placenta in four to six hours. By then, usually an hour after birth, the cria should be able to walk! The newborn alpaca may even have started to nurse, as having colostrum within the first twelve hours of birth is very important.