Cria Care
Disclaimer: The comments and statements in this article are based on our personal experiences, interactions and discussions with other breeders and our own alpacas. If you are seeking medical advice regarding alpacas you should contact a qualified veterinarian.
Birth
It is important to remember that less intervention by you and others is better for both the expecting mum and cria.
A fellow breeder used a 15-minute rule approach to alpaca labour and that is every 15 minutes the cria should progress (e.g the nose to head and feet to front legs and neck to shoulders and then the rest of the cria's body follows quickly afterwards).
When will my alpaca give birth?
Alpacas are pregnant for 11.5 months. On average alpacas give birth at 345 days. That being said people have reported alpacas giving birth as early as 330 days and the latest we have heard is 380 days (although extremely rare to be so late).
Our first three female alpacas delivered their cria in the afternoon between 12 noon and 3:00 pm. Many alpaca breeders report that alpacas give birth typically between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm. However, some breeders have experienced some births as early as 6 am and as late as 10 pm.
What are the stages of alpaca labour?
Female alpacas go through three stages of labour.
Stage one typically has no obvious signs but you may notice your female alpaca goes to the poo pile more often, be restless, move away from the herd, lying down with their back legs to the one side, lying down on their side.
Stage two: This stage should take no longer than 45 once the cria appears. Nose and feet should be forward. The baby will "practice breathing" during this time as it is still receiving oxygen via the umbilical cord from its mum. A fellow alpaca breeder advised us that the cria should make progress every 15 minutes, if not and mum is no longer pushing or something seems off call your vet!
Stage three: The placenta should be expelled shortly after. There should be no holes in the placenta and should hold fluid inside. If after four to six hours she has not passed the placenta you should contact your local vet. It is advisable that you remove the placenta by putting it in a plastic bag (USE GLOVES!!) and dispose of it appropriately. This reduces the risk of predators being attracted to the area. In addition, unlike other mammals, alpacas do not eat the placenta and should not lick it either.
Cria is stuck...
If you cria has not progressed then it may be time to intervene.
Example: Nose/Head not presenting but legs present. You will need to intervene and reposition the cria's head forward so that the nose is out. Make sure once facing forward that the legs are correctly positioned. Ensure the cria's nasal passageway is clear.
Example: Mum stops pushing after an hour but cria is presenting correctly. If mum is still contracting, you will need to pull the cria out in time with the contractions (pushing) - this is to reduce tearing. Grab the cria above the knees and lean back and pull. Once the shoulders are out, the cria can hang from mum and will essentially fall out on the next contraction. The reason for allowing the cria to hang is to allow any fluid to drain from the lungs.
Newborn Cria Care
A newborn cria progresses in stages.
Right after birth/labour
Female alpacas do not lick or clean the afterbirth off their cria. The cria will roll and wiggle on the ground to remove the afterbirth. If the afterbirth is over the cria's nose and mouth area grab a towel and gently wipe it away. If it is raining or a cold windy day you may need to assist the cria and gentle rub the cria clean.
After 15 minutes: Cria should be able to cush and hold their neck and head up off the ground.
By the first hour: Cria should be up on its feet and up and walking.
By two hours: Cria should be nursing from mum's milk bar.
The cria's first poo should occur within 24 hours after birth. Remember the less intervention is better but if your cria is straining, not suckling or is lethargic you should contact your local vet.
Disclaimer: If your alpaca is unwell, you should seek professional veterinary treatment. We are not trained vets and are only sharing our personal experiences.
Cria Temperature
Many websites and sources of information vary on this.
Warnambool Veterinary Clinic states that "at birth, a cria's temperature should be between 36.8-38.6 degrees celsius."
Jane Vauhans Glove Box Guide states between 37.5 to 38.5 degrees celsius.
Leading American breeders say between 100 to 102 fahrenheit (37.7778℃ to 38.8889℃).
Image source: Cria Genesis https://criagenesis.cc/are-your-crias-growing/
Cria Weight & The Importance
It is critical that you weigh your cria in the first 12 hours of life. We weigh them after they have nursed and bonded with mum, typically at six hours old. According to leading camelid vet Dr Jane Vaughan, if the cria is less than 5.5kgs they may require a plasma transfusion within 48 hours to ensure viability and you should contact your vet immediately!
If your cria is under 5.5kg you will need to support the cria to ensure its viability.
Read FPT below if your cria is under 6kg.
How much weight should my cria gain?
Your cria should gain on average 150grams per day in the first few days of life. Following that, your cria should gain up to 450grams per day (which will be dependent on the amount of milk produced by mum, suckling undertaken by cria, and how active your cria is).
The graph attached shows our 2022 cria's growth progression over the first 3 weeks of life. You will see that Lavander had a dip in weight gain around day 5. At that time, Lavander had been sneezing and likely had pneumonia from not draining all the fluid out of her lungs at birth. She received treatment over the next few days which is reflected by the curve.
Cria searching for milk but has not nursed/sulked
If after four hours your newborn cria has yet to suckle from its mum but is still looking for milk it may be time to intervene.
Firstly, move your cria out of the sun. If you can move them into a closeby shelter/barn/pen with mum is ideal. Mum should follow when you pick up the cria if not following you may need to halter her and bring her in (by this stage mum should have passed the placenta, if not it may be time to contact your local vet).
Secondly, mix 20ml of warm pre-boiled water with two heaped teaspoons of 100% glucose powder (usually available at your local pharmacy and some supermarkets) and pour the mix into a pre-boiled bottle. ENSURE THE MIX IS WARM AND NOT TOO HOT!!! When feeding a cria you need to make sure their head and neck are back over their body. You may need to gently move their head back and open their mouth to help them suckle. The cria should suckle by themselves. You can encourage suckling by gently rubbing their neck to get them to swallow. THE CRIA MAY NOT DRINK ALL THE MIX, half the mix is more than fine!
If you are unsure, call your vet!
Should I give the cria colostrum supplement?
Colostrum is NOT a milk replacement. Colostrum provides the cria with the much needed antibodies they need for a healthy gut. Ideally, it is best if the cria can get this from their mum.
After five hours, if the cria has not suckled from its mum and you have given them the initial glucose mix as above at four hours and still the cria has not drunk from mum then we recommend giving them colostrum supplement.
Colostrum is absorbed the most in camelid within the first 6 hours but can be absorbed up to 12 hours. After 24 hours, if no colostrum has been consumed most likely a plasma transfusion will be required. As such, after 24 hours there is no point to giving colostrum. however, it can be given between milk feeds. NEVER MIX COLOSTRUM AND MILK REPLACER TOGETHER!
How to prepare a bottle for colostrum?
Ensure your bottle and teat are sterilised by placing them in boiling water.
Follow your colostrum supplement's instruction guide. We use IMPACT Colostrum Supplement.
Within the first 12 hours of life, IMPACT Colostrum Supplement outlines that you should give 60grams of colostrum to 200ml of warm water = 240ml of colostrum mixture. This amount needs to be given over several feeds 2 to 3 hours apart in that first 12 hours of life.
Supplementing colostrum & cria is still trying to suckle
If cria is still trying to suckle from its mum we were advised by a fellow breeder and the following is what worked for us: We made up a half first IMPACT dose. At the 1st feed (e.g 6 pm) approx 20mls, 2nd feed (e.g 8:15 pm) approx 50mls, 3rd and last feed before you go to bed for the night (e.g 10:30 pm) approx 50mls. Leave mum and bub overnight together in a barn/pen/shelter with plenty of hay to keep the cria warm and water and feed for mum. In the morning do not rush to feed the cria as the cria will be hungry and with the extra energy you have provided it should successfully latch onto its mum's milk bar.
If bub has not drunk from mum overnight/early morning: then it is ideal if you can milk its mum to get the colostrum from its mum into its system. Use a sterile container to collect this from her. You may need a second set of hands to hold her still. She will not have a lot of milk as the act of suckling increases her milk supply. Her teats may be blocked by a wax plug which is easily removed. After giving the cria the colostrum from its mum, or if its mum has not produced any milk, you should give the cria (within the first twelve hours of its life) the remaining colostrum supplement first dose - again over several feeds within that twelve-hour feed. Then subsequently follow the instructions that your colostrum supplement product provides.
If you are unsure, call your vet!
Milk replacement...
If after providing colostrum to the cria and after 12 hours the cria is not drinking from its mum, this is when you will need to purchase an alpaca milk replacement. Once you give the cria a milk replacement it cannot consume its mum's milk as the antibodies and gut development is different. This is why you should encourage and attempt to assist the cria from drinking from mum first. Giving milk replacement means you will need to bottle feed the cria. It was recommended to us to have Vytrate on hand just in case the cria gets milk scour (diarrhea) - if this happens we recommend contacting your vet. If milk scour occurs you will need to ensure you keep the cria's backside clean to prevent flies which can lead to other life-threatening issues.
Table from: Cria Genesis at https://criagenesis.cc/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CriaGenesis-Cria-milk-supp.pdf
How much milk replacement should be consumed/given to the cria?
If you are feeding a cria, you will need to do so every 2 hours.
Crias should consume 10% of their body weight or 700mls of Full Cream Cows milk in 24 hrs. This equates to 100-150mls every 2 hours. As the cria grows the amount required to be fed will increase. We encourage you to consult your local breeder or vet in this regard.
Disclaimer: If your cria is unwell, not thriving, or flat, you should seek professional veterinary treatment. We are not trained vets and are only sharing our personal experiences.
It is raining and cria has just been born what should I do?
If it is raining steadily (not just drops) you should first aid the cria by removing the afterbirth by rubbing it with a towel. Make sure to avoid the area above its tails as that is how its mum will recognise its smell. Secondly, you may need to pick up the cria and move cria and mum under shelter in a pen.
You will need to check the cria's temperature with a thermometer as it may be at risk of hypothermia.
If you think the cria is not thriving you should call your vet!
It is raining and cria is up nursing/walking/etc what should I do?
Dry them with a towel and put a cria coat on them. This will provide them with extra warmth and protection. If it is raining heavily/thunderstorms you should consider putting your alpacas in a stable/shed/barn.
General Cria Care
It is raining, what should I do?
Ensure your new mums and cria are in sheltered paddocks with trees or a shed/barn. If it is raining heavily/thunderstorms you should consider putting your alpacas in a stable/shed/barn out of the wealth. Alternatively, put a cria coat on (a dog rainproof coat works well). Ensure that you can fit two fingers under the cria's belly strap.
Disclaimer: We are not trained vets and are only sharing our personal experiences. Any dosages provided are as per stated on the product bottles we use and are specific to those brands, or from our own personal experience. Check your own brands dosages and consult your vet as to what dosage your own animals required.
Vaccinations
According to leading alpaca vet, Dr Jane Vaughan, Alpaca Cria should receive their 5-in-1 vaccinations as follows:
The first dose (priming dose) at 8 weeks of age;
Second dose 4-6 weeks after the first dose;
At six months of age
At 1 year old then follow adult vaccination routine.
Read Dr Jane Vaughan's article on vaccinations at: https://criagenesis.cc/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/CriaGenesis-Vacc-5-in-1a-1.pdf
ADE Injections
In Australia, alpaca cria will need ADE injections. It was recommended to us by another local alpaca breeder to give cria AED as follows: at 3 months, 5 months, 7 months and then onto the adult program. The cria will get everything it needs from its mum before this so ensure mum is healthy.
Cria dosage of Hideject ADE:
If Injecting: 0.5ml
If given orally: 1ml
Always read your products labels and contact your local vet for advice.
Corfota Injections
Corfota should be given at the same time as ADE.
Cria dosage of Hideject ADE:
If Injecting: 1ml
If given orally: 2 ml
Always read your products labels and contact your local vet for advice.
Disclaimer: The comments and statements in this article are based on our personal experiences, interactions and discussions with other breeders and our own alpacas. If you are seeking medical advice regarding alpacas you should contact a qualified veterinary.
Glucose Water
1 heaped teaspoon of glucose powder to 100mls of water or apply honey to gums (only if the cria is alert otherwise it is dehydrated and needs liquid).
Chest/Respiratory Infection
Listen to the chest for crackling when breathing in and out. Crackling is a sign of infection. Breathing should be clear if normal.
Sneezing but nothing in the nose can also be a sign of infection.
If you suspect a chest or respiratory infection, contact your local veterinarian as antibiotics and anti-inflammatories will be required.
Crias legs are slightly bent
If your crias legs are slightly bent (not deformed but just a slight bend) then they made need some ADE and Coforta. This can be done by giving their mum ADE and Coforta, as the good stuff will be transferred through her milk to the cria. Alternatively, you can give 0.5 mls of Hidejet ORALLY and 1ml of Coforta ORALLY. The reason for orally is so that you don't overdose the cria and so that they can urinate out what they don't require (similar to humans taking oral supplements).
Cria born with straight ears which are starting to curl (Curled ears)
Some breeders say to leave the ears and they will straighten themselves. We find tapeing around the middle of the ear (holding the ear in the correct shape whilst doing so) with electrical tape when you notice the curling and leaving the tape on for four days does the trick. This is to allow the cartilage time to form and become more rigid.
Things we have learnt...
As alpaca breeders, we are constantly learning more about alpacas and you can always learn a new technique or how to do something better.
If you have a new technique or something which you have learned and would like to share, please email us at: dulcealpacas@gmail.com
What is Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT)?
FPT or Failure of Passive Transfer is the cria failing to absorb sufficient antibodies that is obtained by colostrum (the initial milk from its mum). If your cria has FPT it will require a plasma transfusion asap!
Sadly in Australia, many vets and alpaca breeders do not know that you can conduct an IgG test. According to Camelid Veterinary Service, it is best to test them between 24 hours and 48 hours. The test can be done once the cria has reached 12 hours of age. IMPORTANT, the early you test the cria the more likely intervention is likely to assist the cria. If you leave it too late, the cria will get sick and potentially die.
What sample do they take for an IgG test?
Your vet will take a blood sample from your cria - only a small amount - and run the test.
When should I check for FPT or do a IgG test?
According to UK Camelid vets, you should take your cria to a vet immediately for potential FPT if one of the following applies:
Low birth weight (<6kg in alpacas and <7kg in llamas )
Evidence of prematurity (curled ears, unerupted incisors, socks on feet)
Difficult birthing or caesarean
Congenital defects (e.g. cleft palate)
Maternal issues (first time mum, no bond between mum and baby, no milk, mastitis)
Disclaimer: The comments and statements in this article are based on our personal experiences, interactions and discussions with other breeders and our own alpacas. If you are seeking medical advice regarding alpacas you should contact a qualified veterinary.