Starting Alpaca and Llama Crias

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By Cathy Spalding
www.gentlespiritllamas.com

The when and how "science" of starting alpaca and llama babies has been as nearly exact as predictions of those clear sunny days in Seattle. Numerous articles have been written over the years sharing experiences, cautions, the "do's" and the "never do's". It appears I am about to embark on a very similar path!

What We Learned In The Early Years

During the early 1980's, it was widespread "knowledge" that one should never really handle a baby camelid much - particularly a male - at least until the universally accepted average weaning age of six months. Do what you must initially to insure the health of the cria. You should retrieve the baby from the birthing spot and place along with mom in a separate stall so they can bond. You could towel or use a hair dryer to blow dry the baby, hold in your arms or place in a sling to record the weight, check the teeth, toes and discover whether it was a girl or a boy. You should check the umbilical cord, cut it if it were too long, dip the cord for sterilization and perhaps clamp. You should administer the camelid "baby" shot series as recommended for your area by your veterinarian. You might check the IgG level giving a plasma transfusion if it appeared too low. It was also acceptable and widely practiced that you might help this newborn cria learn to stand and clear moms teats of the waxy plugs. You could additionally "help" by placing the newborn under mom and guiding its little mouth to a teat hoping to "help" insure that nursing would begin. If the baby would not seem to suckle right away, additional "help" might include extracting a bit of colostrum from mom's teat, rubbing it about her udder area, as well as smearing some on the baby's mouth and lips. It was always important to retrieve the newborn from any dark corners and position back under mom. One should always have some colostrum on hand. If the baby was not seen nursing within a few hours, consider dispensing the colostrum preferably through tubing - if tubing was not possible then bottle feed. Portions of feminine products cut to shape could be taped to the ears should they appear weak or floppy. Be sure to watch for the meconium to pass or give an enema just to be sure. If the weather were inclement, be sure to dress the newborn in a cria coat. Above all - you were just not to handle the baby much!

Believe me, we did that... all of that! Before we knew it, that newborn was suddenly six months old and "ready" to be handled. To this point, their only direct interaction with us had been holding them up on not ready to support legs, grabbing them for restraint and confinement of various sorts, inserting needles and other direct intrusions upon their body.

The Trauma Llama Ranch

Beginning our "formal training" was a frightening experience for both lama and human. We had always held concern about doing the "wrong" thing - and to put words to their behavior - they seemed to express serious concern that our "formal training" interaction was once again a drama about trauma which was flowing on both sides. We jokingly considered renaming our farm "The Trauma Llama Ranch". So many "do's" and "don't do's" and it was clear the young lama was telling me "don't do"! There seemed never a smooth transition for either of us from the stance of "don't handle the baby much" into our "formal training sessions". I searched to discover what was so "magical" about them reaching the age of 6 months? They were much larger and stronger than when we had toweled them dry and "helped" them to stand and nurse. Additionally, they seemed certain to have now formed many more definite opinions about humans.

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