ILR Staff - Front Row LtoR: Kathy, Carol, Salena; Back Row LtoR: Susan, Dar, Allen, Jan
Important announcements from the ILR
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Election Time Your Election Packets are in the mail. You have the opportunity to vote for one board member for a five-year term. The candidates are: Barb Baker, David Seiffert, or Mark Smith. NOTE - Mark Smith's statement was in error in the original election packet - it was partially his but not all of it was his. Please disregard it and it you have not already received it, you will soon be receiving a #10 envelope with Mark's correct statement and a yellow ballot to use to revote if you've already sent in your blue ballot but changed your mind after reading Mark's correct statement. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused anyone. |
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The LAMARIBBEAN Cruise . . . in celebration of llamas An ILR Conference Reunion of Old and New Llama Friends - registration info provided in this issue!! January 29 - February 3, 2007 |
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A NEW I Want A Llama publication will be coming out this summer. You have an opportunity to reach old and new llama owners by being included in the advertising section for a mere $50. Call the office for specifics - you'll be able to sign up online in the near future. |
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Events Calendar |
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April 7, 2006
RE: The LAMARIBBEAN Cruise . . . in celebration of llamas
Dear ILR Members,
Let’s celebrate llamas! A few months ago we sent out an e-mail to see what the interest was for a conference cruise and enough of you responded – “Yes, let’s do it” that it’s a go – January 29- February 3, 2007 . It was decided by those representing various associations (all had been invited to be involved) that the ILR head this up. So, we are proceeding.
Many of us have been involved in the llama industry for many years, others have not. One thing we think we can all agree on is llamas have been good to us in many ways; another thing is llama people are some of the best people in the world. We certainly agree!
We would like to invite you to celebrate, learn, and brainstorm with llama friends, old and new, about the llama industry now and in the future AND experience the wonder and delight of a cruise – the Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas! As an FYI – if you check online, you will see the cruise advertised for a lower rate. The difference is the online price does not include taxes and gratuities. The price on the enclosed flyer includes taxes, lodging, all meals on the ship, and gratuities. Drinks and shore tours are additional costs. Going ashore and doing your own thing does not cost extra.
We have a great time planned to incorporate both the conference and cruise venues. If you have family or friends that would like to join us for the cruise but not be involved in the llama conference, they are welcome to do so. They would register for the cruise but not the conference.
You will register for the cruise on one form and the conference on another.
Cruise Info
Itinerary
Diane, our cruise specialist, will work with you for your cruise arrangements including providing information about the airports to fly into in Houston; the transfer arrangements from the airport to the hotel in Galveston (approximately one hour away) where she has a block of rooms reserved for those coming in the night before or, if you fly in on the 29 th, the transfer to the cruise ship that day. The hotel in Galveston is right by the cruise port.
We have a limited number of cabins reserved until April 30; some of those are suites. A $200 deposit will hold the cabin of your choice. Any additional cabins after these will be subject to availability and might be at an additional cost so reserve your cabin as soon as possible. Suites are more limited than other cabins so if you would like to reserve a suite, we recommend doing it soon to increase your chances of availability.
Conference Info
We’re looking forward to you joining the fun with us. Send in your cruise reservation and your conference registration as soon as possible. The sooner we have an idea of how many people will be joining us, the better job we can do of planning.
Sincerely,
Jan L. Wassink
for the ILR Board of Directors
Kathi McKinney , Karen Baum , Mark Smith, Sally Taylor, Sally Rucker
2007 Lamaribbean Cruise / Conference Registration
. . . in celebration of llamas
An ILR Conference Reunion of Old and New Llama Friends
In order to register for the ILR Lamaribbean Conference you need to register in two places.
1. Cruise Registration - click here for the form and cruise registration information. You can either print the form and send it in to the address indicated or call the number provided and talk to Diane. If you have any questions about the ship - amenities etc., give Diane a call.
2. Conference Registration - click here to register for the conference online.
If you would have friends or family who would like to go on the cruise but not be involved in the llama conference activities, they are welcome to join us. They would just register for the cruise but NOT the conference.
Guidelines for Spending Time with Crias and Young Llamas - Part 2 of 2
– by Gwen Ingram and Jim Krowka
Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of 2 of a lengthy article. Part 2 was in the March ILRe-port. You can check it out on the ILR's website www.lamaregistry.com or call the ILR office (406-755-3438) for a copy of the article.
Correction must occur regardless of supposed intent (or lack thereof), or the body language that accompanies them. Accidents do happen, but in the llama-llama interactions, intent is never considered by the receiving party. All transgressions are consistently met with the same reaction. Young llamas that accidentally bump an adult llama immediately learn to be more careful at all times around adults. Your goal is to demand that same level of respect.
Some people have been told that a baby that lays its tail over its back will grow up to be aggressive. Not so. Submission is acknowledgment that we are in charge, and approaching with submissive posturing is OK – as long as none of the other rules are broken. Breaking rules is the important issue.
Be aware that sometimes a cria (or more often, a weanling) uses the submissive posture as a deception in order to gain access to something they want. The difference is that those llamas also break a rule, usually entering our space with submissive posture accompanied by a warbling hum. The attempted communication translates as, “see, I’m a baby llama and the rules say you can’t hurt me, so now you have to give me what I want . . . yeaaaaaaah.” In this instance, submissive posturing is used as part of manipulation (and is not itself the problem), and the actual transgression should be corrected immediately.
First, bending over or squatting (facing away) can trigger a male cria’s emerging sexual instincts and make him abruptly decide we are interested in becoming pregnant. This is a normal mistake for a young male who feels new hormonal urges and isn’t sure yet where to direct them (this behavior can be directed at dogs and other animals as well). Swift, sound correction will mean this normal mistake occurs only once.
Second, bending over to shovel manure can trigger one (or both) of two instincts in adolescent males: the human appears submissive, and the human is (GASP) interfering with . . . TERRITORIAL MARKING! We’ve never had a llama we raised take exception to us removing manure, but a number of rehabs have hysterics over the notion and attack; many normal adult males have a tizzy fit and run up to mark the spot as soon as we’ve departed with the wheelbarrow. We ALWAYS watch out when scooping poop – better safe than sorry.
IMPORTANT LESSONS FOR HUMANS TO TEACH TO YOUNG LLAMAS: There are two lessons that tell crias and weanlings what they can expect from humans, and that these things won’t harm them and can be tolerated. An important difference between these lessons and the foregoing guidelines is that the lessons cannot be put into easy-to-understand llama language – the young llama must put aside fear to discover that your predator-like actions are not, in fact, at all predatory. An important benefit of teaching these lessons is that as the young llama accepts these, she/he is not only becoming less scared of us, but more respectful of our position in llama-human interactions. And the younger these lessons are learned, the safer for all concerned. When possible we begin these lessons at birth (see “blow drying,” below).
Touching “lessons” or desensitization is best done gradually, with the llama off-lead to keep the human honest. The llama will give you permission to touch her or him in easier areas before she/he’ll be comfortable allowing you to proceed into more sensitive areas. If the llama protests with a possible threat, the appropriate action to instill respect is not to force the touching issue, but rather to get the llama to yield (move its feet away). You can then begin desensitizing the last place the llama felt comfortable with.
Many young crias will, with proper socialization, become comfortable with approaching you. Correct reinforcement for this is to send a message that both humans and llamas will get something out of the interaction: “If you want to approach the human, you get to say ‘hi,’ but you are going to get a touching lesson. It is not going to be bad or too long, but it is a tradeoff that must be tolerated.”
For older crias who are OK with the touching, the lesson becomes, “Humans get to approach me and I will stand still ‘cuz that’s how it works.” Once they realize that you are after them, most crias will present their side and put their ears in the “conflict” position – neither forward nor back, and indicating that their intellect is in conflict with their instincts.
This is good – it says they respect your position (instinct says “be careful”) as well as your wishes (brain says, “I am expected to stay right here”). This is, in essence, the llama giving you permission to proceed. Respecting that every llama needs some time to consider whether to give permission doesn’t make us targets for disrespect, but actually the opposite. If we respect llamas’ deepest emotional needs, they feel safe with us and loathe doing anything that might turn us against them.
The touching lessons reveal when a young llama is reacting to instinctive triggers (such as defending legs) and needs careful work to form a learned response – human touching is different from other-llama touching. This further reinforces our position as somebody not to be challenged, but to cooperate with.
A FINAL KEY INGREDIENT
Not all male llamas are stud quality. Moreover, there are far too many male llamas that can be considered “stud quality” to justify keeping them all intact, even if they are equally excellent.
In all likelihood, their sisters (and some brothers) are already contributing to the gene pool. There is no advantage given to the species when individual llamas are bred just because it can be done.
Although it is certainly not true that castration is necessary to make safe any llama who was handled at a young age, it is also not true that a male llama is happier or more valuable if he is intact – rather the opposite. Timely castration is a key ingredient to having a llama friend you can enjoy with the least amount of stress, and a llama who is fun to be around is far more valuable than one who requires constant attention and discipline (and hormonally-driven instincts have a way of keeping even the best trained male llama consistently testing his environment and his handler). Spaying females results in similarly positive changes. For llamas with inherited tendencies that make them anything less than super easy to handle when intact, you not only do yourself and the individual llama a favor by neutering them, but when you remove them from the gene pool, you take a worthy step toward preserving “the very best of the breed.” And, as if that weren’t incentive enough, well adjusted geldings – particularly top-notch animals – are in demand.
BLOW DRYING NEWBORNS FOR OPTIMUM TOUCH ACCLIMATION
Many have found that the best possible foundation for ensuring that llamas are comfortable being touched by humans is to blow dry the newborn cria with an electric hair dryer. Drying the cria saves its energy (resulting in an average ½ to 1 pound weight gain the first day instead of the commonly accepted ½ to 1 pound weight loss). It allows you an opportunity to observe the cria for difficulties and defects. And it presents your touch as a very positive experience.
First, remove all of the membrane from the cria. Then take the cria to the area where you will blow dry (remember not to block the mother’s view of her baby – keep the cria visible and between you and her so she can feel assured of its safety).
Next, begin to blow every part of the cria dry, including the legs and feet. Use your hands to move and fluff the soaked fiber, and to evaluate dryness. Be very careful around the cria’s eyes, and be sure you don’t burn delicate, relatively unprotected areas such as the ears and scent glands. If your bare hands are not comfortable, you can bet that the cria is also uncomfortable. Thorough blow drying (including interruptions) usually takes about an hour or a bit longer.
We initially allow crias to get up and wander around whenever they choose, bringing them back to the blow drying spot when they get tired and cush (or plop!). However, when the cria is nearly dry, we make sure that we hold the cria down firmly at least once, preventing it from getting up, until the cria itself chooses to cease struggling. We’ve found this to convey an important lesson for the cria – that we are FAR stronger and not worth fighting with (eventually to become an illusion, to be sure, but one that is extremely helpful for mutual safety) – and that omission of this lesson now makes it that much harder and exponentially more traumatic when it must be learned later in the same fashion.
After blow drying, further structured touching of the neonate doesn’t seem to have any advantage in our experience. We instead leave the cria with its mother (usually the cria is close to nursing if it hasn’t actually done so already) and check up on the pair occasionally for awhile, greeting the cria briefly if it shows interest in us.
It is important to remember that crias who have been blown dry won’t retain the initial lesson very well unless you continue to reinforce it through their various maturation stages. At about three days, crias’ flight response kicks in, and you will have to work for a week or so to break through their new-found instinctive distrust. Blown-dry crias respond much more quickly and completely at this stage.
Continued leg handling is important, even for blown-dry crias. If an older male cria or male weanling has age-mates that wrestle with him and try to bite his legs, you will find that touch acceptance backslides dramatically. Again, a week or so of careful work on your part will quickly restore the young llama’s trust in your actions. A young llama who was not blow-dried as a cria or whose leg-handling lessons were ignored will take much more time because he must not only put aside instinct, but learn something dramatically counter to everything she/he’s experience thus far.
Don’t despair, if a young llama wasn’t blown dry as cria, it is certainly possible to achieve touching acceptance and instill respect for restraint with a reasonably good outcome. However, a good foundation is always preferable, and it’s one more thing that separates the dedicated llama breeders who produce a few, well-adjusted llamas from the cria mills.
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It should go without saying, but somehow it escapes people anyway – those who don’t understand normal adult llama behavior and how to spot and head off dangerous llama behavior are ill-suited to be mentors to impressionable young llamas. The first and best piece of advice we can give to you is: BEFORE you attempt to follow these guidelines with young llamas, take at least a couple of years to learn about llamas with the guidance of two trained adults and the support of their responsible sellers. These “teacher” llama will not only teach you, but also will later prove an invaluable asset for socializing any immature llamas you might later acquire.
Another good learning approach is to arrange to apprentice at a llama farm with any llama owner / trainer (whether they breed or not) who is getting good results as evidenced by respectful and happy, well-adjusted llamas. Any young llamas in your future will benefit from the expertise you will have gained.
Crias and young llamas can be very enjoyable, but that joy must be tempered with responsible handling on our part if the fun and joy of a relationship with the adults they will become is to be lifelong, safe, and comfortable. As long as we keep our responsibilities and the llamas’ well being foremost in mind, the potential for enjoyment throughout each llama’s lifetime is boundless – beginning at the miraculous moment of birth.
About the Authors
Gwen Ingram and Jim Krowka have had llamas in their family since 1985. They have successfully rehabilitated many difficult and dangerous llamas as well as offered international email consultation for anyone needing to resolve llama-human problems. Gwen and Jim have always handled their crias continually beginning at birth, resulting in 100% well-adjusted adults, including many singly-raised males. They have recently begun offering “Get Connected” workshops that incorporate their vast experience and effective techniques, which are proving wildly successful in naturally forging strong, trusting, and respectful relationships between llamas and their humans.
You can contact Gwen and Jim at lostcreekllamas@att.net
Reprinted from The Llama Lletter Vol. 20, No. 3 – the newsletter of the Willamette Valley Llama Association.
PREPARING FOR THE NEWBORN CRIA
– by Karen Baum, DVM, Little Doc's Veterinary Care, Huddleston, VA
Preparation should start when the mother is bred. To have a successful pregnancy keep the mother in good condition. Shearing can be especially important during hot, humid weather. Deworming on a set schedule is of added importance in pregnant females. Give the appropriate vaccine boosters (such as Covexin 8) 4-8 weeks prior to the due date. Check all vaccines and medicines if they are safe to use in a pregnant animal. Since products are not labeled specifically for lamas, apply precautions across species. Supplement your mother's diet the last third of pregnancy to allow for rapid fetal growth and colostrum/milk production.
Most of the fetal growth occurs during the last trimester of pregnancy, i.e. the last 3 ½ to 4 months. Concentrates should be built up slowly – by ¼ (one quarter) pound per day – to the desired level. A guide in pregnant sheep and goats is to build up to 2 (two) pounds of grain per day for late pregnancy. Sheep and goats are similar in weight or smaller than alpacas but much smaller than llamas (about one half or less). Sheep and goats frequently have multiple offspring but the total weight of all offspring may not be any more than the weight of a single baby alpaca or llama. The demands of the fetal growth would be similar for sheep and lamas. Sheep have a very efficient digestive system too.
Get the mother used to going into the chute. Just give her a little grain the first few times to make it a positive experience. Gradually work your way back to her udder (milk bag) and check it for filling. This will allow you to monitor udder development and her to become used to being checked. Once the cria is born you can then check for milk with minimal stress.
Have everything on hand months before you think you will need it. It is the premature cria that needs the most help. Even if you do not use the equipment immediately your neighboring lama owner might call you in a panic to borrow it! Being prepared can ward-off disaster. AVOID BIRTHING DURING THE HOT, HUMID OR COLD, WINDY, ICY SEASONS.
Be sure to have plenty of TOWELS on hand to dry the cria, especially during cold or drafty weather. Have a CLEAN, DRY, DRAFT FREE (as much as feasible) place for birthing or immediate post-birthing care. Try to cover cracks in the wall during cool or cold weather, in particular those down low. Use lots of straw or hay to insulate the newborn cria from the cold of the ground. Bedding or newspapers make excellent insulators to cover the cria with to protect against chilling. Keep the bedding deep and dry to avoid heat loss to the cold ground or floor.
Wool sweaters, children's sweatshirts or vests help insulate the cria even when walking about. Special cria blankets, dog jackets and towels can also be used for this purpose. Be careful that the garment does not trip the cria. Watch closely as many items stretch when worn. Wool seems the most natural. Old sweaters that shrink or child sizes can fit most crias well. Now when you shrink someone’s favorite sweater it can go to a good cause!
A hand held hair drier expedites drying of the cria. This can be most useful when it is chilly or windy. Rubbing with the towel also stimulates the cria. Pay particular attention to the legs and neck. These are long appendages with large surface areas that dissipate a lot of heat. Shivering indicates the cria is cold; shivering also indicates the cria is attempting to maintain body temperature. Keep the cria dry, avoid chills and feed the cria well. IT TAKES ENERGY TO STAY WARM, TO GROW AND TO LIVE!
Plastic milk cartons work well as hot water bottles. Wrap them in a towel when placing them next to the cria. Putting a hot bran mash in a plastic bread bag or Ziploc bag is an excellent, safe source of heat for the cria. It holds the heat longer than water bottles and can be conveniently reheated in the microwave. Eventually the bran mash will ferment so the pressure needs to be released or the mash changed. The STANFELD heating pads for swine work well for crias to lie on to keep warm. The power control needs to be purchased as well to keep the pad from getting too warm.
Be very careful with other heat sources such as heat lamps: they poise the dangers of burning an animal if too close or igniting the bedding in the barn. Ceramic radiant heaters are safe, dependable and inexpensive to operate. The initial purchase expense is readily returned in economical operation. Some units can be wall mounted out of the way to heat the room.
Oxygen can be a lifesaver. You have to decide to make the investment. One use will pay for that investment. You will need a tank, a regulator with a flow meter for medical grade oxygen, tubing to go from the flow meter to the cria and a mask (home made from a plastic jug or bottle). Check into what is available in your area, amount of oxygen in different sized tanks and cost. Figure on 3-5 liters per minute flow rate. Although welding oxygen can be used in a pinch the flow rate for welding is much higher. It behooves you to have a medical grade oxygen regulator and flow meter on hand, which will fit the tank available.
EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A TUBE AND 60cc DOSE SYRINGE, AS WELL AS COLOSTRUM, ON HAND TO FEED THE CRIA. Tubing assures that the amount is taken in by the baby. It is critical to the health and well being of the cria that you are capable of tubing the baby. Even if you have never tubed a cria have everything on hand. Someone can teach you when needed, either in person or over the phone. Your veterinarian may not have the appropriate equipment therefore YOU, as the owner or manager, need to be prepared. An 18 french red rubber feeding tube that is 16" long works well in crias. (Sovereign, Monoject, Sherwood Medical)
HAVE COLOSTRUM ON HAND BEFORE THE BABIES ARE EXPECTED. You cannot have too much on hand. The antibodies are absorbed the best the first 6-12 hours. By 24 hours of age virtually no antibody absorption occurs. There are antibodies in the colostrum which continue to help protect locally in the gut, even after 24 hours. The colostrum can be stored in the freezer for at least a year.
COLOSTRUM is the first milk the mother gives. It should be THICK, STICKY and YELLOW (especially goat or cow colostrum). It is rich in antibodies and vital nutrients. If the dam's colostrum is being supplemented continue feeding colostrum for at least 24 hours. Use colostrum that is THE FIRST MILKING. Collect extra first milking colostrum from a goat or cow, preferably one which has had babies before. Ideally vaccinate the goat or cow 1 -2 months prior to giving birth (and colostrum) with Covexin 8 and any other vaccines you use on your llamas or alpacas.
Often the first sign of birthing is the newborn. Early signs of imminent birth include restlessness, vocalizing, straining, appearing to urinate frequently and an abnormal position. If lying down the mother may lie to the side, then push. A bubble appears then the nose or feet or both. The feet should precede the nose and head. Often the newborn animal will thrust its legs out from the birth canal.
The baby can get stuck in the birth canal with elbow lock. Gently pull one leg then the other out straight. The shoulders can be another sticking point. The hips may be wide and make it a tight squeeze to get out. Always check for another baby whenever you assist a birth. Be clean and gentle with birthing. Use lots of lubrication. Sterile KY jelly works well.
Have iodine, or better is chlorhexidine (Nolvasan) solution to DIP THE NAVEL IN. DIP THE NAVEL soon after birth and several times the first day. Give, or ask your veterinarian to give, an injection of vitamin E and selenium (such as BoSe) if indicated in your geographic area. Watch for the meconium to pass. It is the first manure that is dark and thick. If the baby is straining consider an enema. Warm soapy water works well. Be gentle and be careful when giving an enema. Ask your veterinarian to teach you how to give one before trying on your own.
Make sure the mother recognizes and follows the baby. STRIP, SIP & DIP. Open the teats on the mother. Make sure the baby is nursing. Dip the navel several times, or hourly, until it is dry. Be sure the mother and baby have access to clean water. Sometimes the mother likes lukewarm water to drink, especially when it is cold out.
Dry the cria, get a weight. Put on a wool sweater to help absorb the moisture. Be sure to keep the cria warm, especially when it is wet. They get chilled easily when first born and in the early days. Monitor the amount of poop and frequency of urination. The baby should be active with lots of hard sleep time.
Any time there is any doubt about the quantity or quality of colostrum the mother has, give the newborn 8-10 ounces within two hours of birth. Some farms do this as a routine to all crias to give them a good start. It will not deter them from nursing. It will give good nutrition and antibodies so critical to health of the newborn.
Give another 8-10 ounces within 6 hours of birth. Within 12-24 hours of birth the cria needs to consume 10-20% of body weight in colostrum. A 15-pound cria needs 1 1/2 – 3 pints (24 – 48 ounces). “A pint a pound the world around”. A 20-pound cria needs 2 - 4 pints (32-64 ounces) within 24 hours of birth. A 25 pond cria needs 2 ½ - 5 pints (40-80 ounces). Three pints equals 48 ounces, which means six feedings of 8 ounces each or five feedings of 10 ounces each. That means feeding every 4-5 hours. Yes the baby can take that volume. If it is premature and inactive 4-ounce feedings every 2 hours can be given in the beginning. Frequency can be decreased as the feeding volume is increased. Unless the feeding volumes must be small the night feeding can be eliminated after the first night. You need your sleep, as does the cria and mother.
Some crias will eagerly take a bottle. You will have to be persistent and patient with other crias to get him/her to take the bottle. The nipple, which has worked well for me, is the "NUK" orthodontic nipple, which is hourglass shaped. You will need to cut a slit or "X" in the tip for adequate flow. The "ANSA" bottle with a hand hold (donut) shape works well with the "Nuk" nipple. The oblong donut shape exposes more surface area to the warm water when heating it. The 10-ounce volume is also convenient.
Give the BoSe (vitamin E & selenium) shot under the skin between the ribs to the newborn in the first couple of days, in areas which are selenium deficient. Putting the mother and newborn separate from the rest of the herd for a day or two can aid bonding. They can be in a stall where they can see the rest of the herd or group they are with. The mothers and crias can be put in small groups. Try to do what is best for the mother as well as the baby.
If the cria needs supplementation after the first 24 hours you can switch to goat milk, KID MILK REPLACER (mix 1:4 parts powder: water on a volume basis) or whole cows milk. I like Land-O-Lakes Kid Milk Replacer. MAKE SURE IT IS NOT MEDICATED. Be sure the cria continues to get at least 10 - 20% of body weight per day. This means giving 32-64 ounces per day to a 20 pound cria. Start feedings at 8 ounces each, gradually increasing the amount per feeding up to as much as 16 ounces in an active cria. This reduces the number of times you need to tube or feed the cria. Between feedings the cria should nurse the mother if healthy and strong enough.
Weigh the cria daily. Increase the amount fed until you see at least 1/4 pound gain per day. 1/2 to 1 pound per day gain is common in high producing mothers. If the mother comes into milk gradually cut back on the amount supplemented, as long as the cria continues to gain. Reduce the number of feedings if possible versus the amount per feeding. Again, this will allow the cria more time to nurse the mother and less time to get bonded to you. It is also more time efficient to feed less often. When tubing the number of times per day should be the minimum necessary. Do not let your baby starve - keep it fed and gaining. That's the best for all involved. When the cria is getting plenty to drink urinations should be voluminous and frequent. The belly should feel full. Compare the one being supplemented with others in the herd.
The "Nuk" nipple can be adapted to a calf bucket. A flat washer (which plumbing stores usually carry) is needed because the "Nuk" nipple is thinner than the calf nipple you remove. Once the cria accepts the nipple, transition from a bottle to a bucket is usually smooth. This is particularly useful when the cria is supplemented for longer periods, such as when the mother does not come into milk.
As long as the cria is with its mother there should be little danger of becoming berserk if supplemented. Switching to a bucket with a nipple is especially good to avoid an overly friendly animal once the cria grows up. This is especially true of males. Being with the mother, or the herd if the mother is gone, is essential for proper bonding, learning alpaca/llama behavior and security. The cria often nurses the mother after being fed, even if the dam has little or no milk. Work closely with your veterinarian to be prepared.
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The Brownderosa |
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Hinterland Llamas |
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Little Doc's Veterinary Care |
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Llama Things Carolyn Myers Rt. 1 Box 62 Lakeview, TX 79239 806-867-3423 800-552-6213 carolynmyers@arn.net www.llamathings.com |
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Mountain Oaks Ranch |
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Rocky Mountain Llamas |
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Steven's Llama Tique and Suri Alpacas |
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Tally Ho's Big Sky Ranch |
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Traditional Lama Coalition |
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Wilkins Livestock Insurers, Inc. |