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Where to Find Alpaca Info

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Alpacas are great animals but you’re unlikely to find information about them on a www.direct.tv channel special. They get paid less attention than their llama cousins so if you’re interested in learning more about these furry companions try one of these sources:
Talk to a Breeder: There are tons of alpaca farms all across the US and many of them are run by families. Get online and strike up an email conversation with a breeder to get your specific questions answered and if you’re nearby pay them a visit.
Talk to a Vet: Veterinarians often know more about obscure animals than you’d suspect and it’s because of their rigorous training. Talk to your local vet about the animals and see if they can refer you to a specialist somewhere closeby or who you can reach online.
Library: It may seem outdated but your local library likely has a number of still-relevant sources on alpaca farming, breeding and shearing. Make a trip to the shelves to see what you can find and you may be pleasantly surprised.

What To Expect During The Birth Of Your Alpaca

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

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.

What You Need To Be Ready Your Alpacas Birth

admin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Alpaca’s are beautiful animals and will give birth to beautiful offspring. The average time of gestation is about 11 months. The owner of an alpaca will need to have some items on hand for when their alpaca goes into labor and gives birth. One of the most important things to have on hand before your alpaca goes into labor is your veterinarian’s phone number. This is very important in case something goes wrong during the birth. Latex gloves come in handy when helping with the delivery. Make sure to have a good supply of towels on hand to dry off the baby alpaca. A shoe lace comes in handy to tie off the umbilical cord and iodine for cleaning. Other items to have on hand that may be necessary are lubricating jelly, thermometer, vet wrapping, nipples, bottles, blanket, pain medication, and a catheter. I recommend taking a birthing class before helping your alpaca deliver, because occasionally things will go wrong and you will need to know what to do. The experience is well worth it and you will be amazed at how easy the birthing experience actually is for an alpaca. If you have any problems call your vet.

How To Pair Alpacas For Successful Breeding

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Careful consideration should be made when selecting alpacas for successful breeding. One thing to note is that Alpacas do not do well solo. They are social animals. Some folks starting out with an Alpaca farm purchase bred females, but it is not a good idea to purchase just one Alpaca. When starting out, sometimes a buyer may also request a gelded Alpaca as a companion pet.

When selecting male and female Alpacas for breeding, there are several different considerations to make. There are different reasons for breeding Alpacas. Some Alpaca owners will breed them for show or producing fleece. The Alpaca female properties should have qualities as a strong body, a good bite, good fleece, good coloring, good mothering instincts and good reproductive abilities. It is not a good idea to purchase an Alpaca from an auction. The male Alpaca is not normally ready to breed until 3 years of age. The male as well needs to be checked for confirmation.

It is advised to research several breeders and bloodlines before purchasing an Alpaca. It is also wise to have a veterinarian certificate of health and reproductive health. Also, most buyers receive a contract for the Alpaca for health, confirmation and reproductive health. When selecting breeding Alpacas, it is important to research the bloodlines to ensure the breeders are not related or to purchase Alpacas from different regional areas. A good adult Alpaca is very costly to purchase and it is wise to protect this investment.

How To Select Alpacas To Breed

admin — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Learning how to select Alpacas to breed can prove time consuming. You should buy the best animal you can. Researching online will help you as you go through the process. Before purchasing your “stud stock,” females and males used for breeding, you should consider these items.

The first thing you should consider involves the animal’s health. The seller should proved veterinary information verifying the animals good health, especially when spending over 6,000. Choose females that have had at least one baby (cria) and find out all about the pregnancy. Genetics should also appear on your list of qualities wanted, so ask about any problems in that area. Phenotype, the physical appearance, will give you an indication of its value. Check on its shear data. Lastly, you should check the pedigree. You should do some research so you have an idea on bloodlines.

While you learn how to select Alpacas to breed, you should research how to care for them. These animals, native to South America, require some specific care, but usually they are quite healthy. One thing that makes an Alpaca special is their soft luxurious fleece. Called “the fiber of the gods,” many people appreciate the Alpaca’s highly valued coat.

How To Care For A Pregnant Alpaca

admin — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Alpacas are a wonderful type of animal to breed, as anyone who has raised them can attest. They are friendly and do not cause many problems while they graze. Up to eight of them can be raised easily on any given acre of land, since they do not pull up the roots of the plants they graze on. Taking care of a pregnant Alpaca is both a treat and hardwork.

One of the most important items to keep in mind when caring for a pregnant alpaca is that their nutritional requirements increase quite a bit.I found some more information here. If they have enough pasture land and hay then this may be fine. However, make certain that they get enough vitamin D and E. Do not supplement their calcium intake during this time as too much calcium intake can lead to a condition known as hypocalcaemia due to the inability of the pregnant alpaca’s kidneys to excrete the calcium during this time period.

Do not be alarmed when your pregnant alpaca spits. This is one of the key indicators that she is in fact pregnant. The female alpaca will routinely spit on the breeding male, and possibly anyone or anything else they can find. A spitting alpaca might very well be a pregnant alpaca.

How Long Is The Gestation For Alpacas

admin — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Alpacas are one the least-maintenance animals out there. They don’t eat very much, require little space and can breed anytime of the year. Ovulation in an Alpaca is caused by the very act of breeding, so offspring is very easily produced by simply placing a male and a female together in a pen for a couple of weeks. Introducing them and bringing them together every few days for two weeks is usually more than enough time to produce an offspring. To this day, breeders have been unsuccessful in their attempts at producing artificial inseminations or viable embryo transplants within the alpaca industry.

Once pregnant, an Alpaca has a gestation period of eleven to twelve months. They normally give birth to one offspring called a cria. The cria will stand within ninety minutes of being born and will nurse for about six months. There are several websites online that provide Alpaca gestation calculators. You can enter an estimated time of conception and it will give you an estimated time of birth. Alpacas usually give birth during the day, but human intervention is rarely needed. Nonetheless, it is recommended you keep a watchful eye on the mother in case of any complications.Related Article : Alpacas delivering cria

What You Will Need to Start Successfully Breeding Alpacas

admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Raising llamas is a fruitful breeding choice, as they are sweet stoic animals. Once considered exotic, it’s now common to see llamas at county fairs and petting zoos.
Llamas originate from South America, and found mainly in Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and Peru. They’re closely related to the alpaca, and a distant relative of the camel. There are no specific regions on where llamas are bred in North America, as there are no restrictions on where to breed them.
They are one of the easiest animals to raise and only cost a few hundred dollars to keep, along with veterinary costs.The whole story can be found at http://putthelotioninthebasket.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/heres-a-lama-theres-a-llama-and-another/ Llamas need to be vaccinated once a year and wormed. They rarely get ill. Llamas need a good fenced pasture, minimal shelter and access to clean water and hay if grass is not available or growing at times. To breed llamas, for smaller farms, have one or more breeding females to take outside for breeding unless you have your own herd to sire with other outside females. The females are normally bred around 3 years old and males around 2-4 years. Llamas are lovable gentle creatures and similar to raising sheep, you can breed them yourself for fun or profit.