The birth of a cria is an incredible and exciting experience,
and one of the best rewards of owning alpacas. We have been very
fortunate in being present for all of our first 5 cria's births. Some
farms don't even get to see one. No matter how many books you read or
videos you watch, when this birth is happening, it's completely
different.
For 10 months, you wait and wait and wait, you make sure the dam is
getting the proper nutrition and medical treatments that she needs. Then
you see the cria moving more and significant growth. Daily you watch
the dam and her behavior, then one day, she's in labor
Pre-Labor
As much as two weeks to a few days prior to delivery, you may see the dam:
- Lying down with legs kicked out to side and appearing uncomfortable
- Vulva may stretch so that you can see it’s pink lining (easy to
miss because it only lasts a few hours). May appear relaxed or puffy.
- Irritable behavior
- Mammary glands enlarge – perhaps up to 25%, nothing dramatic like a cow
- The very best predictor for her due date is her previous history
- Using the breeding planner, you ought to be able to make a
fairly good prediction (within a few days) of when to expect to see
labor start.
She may begin to act normally again. However, she should be
monitored to see if she begins to strain. If you see amniotic fluid
leaking from the vulva – prepare for delivery.
Stage One - Active Labor
Most alpacas deliver during the day - the most popular hours are between 10am and 3pm.
You may see some, all, or none of the following signs:
- Amniotic fluid leaking from vulva
- Noticeable bulging and softening of perineum (genital area)
- Lengthening of the vulva
- Other alpacas sniffing her hindquarters
- Restlessness
- Lack of appetite
- Lack of cud chewing
- Frequent trips to the dung pile, sometimes without peeing or pooping
- Frequent trips to water trough
- Yawning
- Rubbing the top of her head against the ground
- Rolling
- Getting up and lying down frequently
- Increased humming
- Lying down with hind legs kicked out to one side
- Kicking at her belly with hind feet
- She’s still grazing and acting like nothing is happening. many
females don't give much sign that they are in labor while others show
discomfort
Now is the time to start recording your observations in detail – just
be sure you keep track of times and what you observed right up through
the first few hours after the cria is born. These notes will be
valuable to you the next time that female (or her female offspring)
gives birth. Prior history (or dam’s history) will often predict what
to expect.
THINGS TO WATCH FOR:
- Straining or vigorous rolling for more than 2 hours without moving on to the birthing. WHAT TO DO: CALL THE VET
could indicate the cria is not in proper position for delivery. Some
rolling and straining is normal, what you are looking for here is
intensity.
- Significant dripping of amniotic fluid. WHAT TO DO: CALL THE VET
- Stage I labor lasting more than 4 – 6 hours. WHAT TO DO: CALL
THE VET could indicate the cria is not in proper position for delivery.
- Signs of labor begin in late afternoon or evening. A higher percentage of late day deliveries are difficult. (dystocia).
Stage Two - Actual Birth
Birth normally takes between 30 to 60 minutes.
You should see the following signs:
- Contractions
- The water sac (amniotic membranes and fluids) bulge from the vulva
- Nose and both front toes are visible
- Shoulders are delivered
- Umbilical cord should break as baby’s hips pass through mom’s pelvis.
- Baby is delivered and on the ground but is still in the sac -
this is normal. It needs to flop around and get itself out of the sac.
This stimulates circulation and appetite. It can take up to 30 minutes
for them to get out. If the legs are fully extended and it still
hasn’t broken, you can tear it with your hands right by the nose. Wear
sterile gloves.
Stage Three - After Birth
After your cria is delivered, it should be up and
trying to nurse within the hour. The dam still has some work to do.
Through out the whole process we are gently touching the cria to help
imprint human contact. The female is usually right by us humming and
smelling her new baby. On occasion there will be that one dam who
doesn’t appreciate to much attention lavished on her cria. If the dam
is being a problem when you are trying to weigh or give shots to the
cria, we suggest catching her first with a halter and tie her away from
you and the cria.
Placenta should pass within 4 – 6 hours postpartum. The placenta can
usually be seen hanging from the animal within 1 hour after birth but
some will not be seen until immediately before it is expelled. Never
try to pull it out. If it’s not coming out on it’s own, CALL THE VET.
Always wear gloves to handle the placenta. There is a slight chance
it could be contaminated with microorganisms that could affect humans.
The placenta material should be disposed of away from wild or domestic
animals. This is important to prevent the possible spread of diseases.
It should be deeply buried or frozen and disposed of in a landfill.
- The dam may appear uncomfortable and may not allow the baby to nurse until it is expelled.
- Once it’s been expelled, spread it out on the ground or barn
floor. The main concern is to check to see if it is intact and complete
as a single mass. There should be 2 sections that filled the uterine
horns. Typically 1 part (usually the left) will be substantially larger
than the other.
- Some people weigh the afterbirth and keep track of the weight for that dam from each birth.
- It should be light red in color with little or no smell.
- You may in some cases also see one or two fluid-filled sacs within the placenta.
- The outer layer texture is rough. Sometimes the sac gets turned
inside out and will be slick to the touch and lighter in color.
- It is rare for a section to be missing, but if it is (and you
are sure that predators have not been at it) the dam should be moved to
an area where the remains of the placenta can be found when they are
passed.
- Expect the missing section to be delivered with 24 hours after birth.
- Dispose of the afterbirth properly.
- Double-bag it in a trash bag and freeze it until trash day.
- Alternatively, it should be buried deep enough that predators can’t get to it. Away from the pasture.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
Placenta is just hanging there. DO NOT
pull it out. That can separate the tissues and leave some inside the
mom or can cause trauma to the uterus. Usually it will become detached
and be expelled within a few hours.
More than 4-6 hours postpartum and the placenta is still not passed or
has not passed complete. This is a Retained Placenta. Continue to
monitor carefully as this can be life threatening. Make sure the vet is
aware what is going on.
More than 24 hours have passed and the placenta is still not expelled CALL THE VET.
Is what I see the placenta or a prolapsed uterus? Sometimes a difficult
delivery can result in a prolapsed uterus. You can tell them apart by
appearance and texture- Placenta – Thinner, lighter appearance. Lighter
red color – translucent.
Uterus – Heavy, meaty appearance. Dark red color.
IF IT'S THE UTERUS CALL THE VET IMMEDIATELY!!
You may want to freeze the placenta in case you need it to rub onto the
cria if the dam is refusing to nurse her cria. It can also be rubbed on
an “orphan” cria to get another dam to accept it. We check the dam’s
bag to see if she has milk and remove the wax tips from her teets. You
want the milk to be sticky (it will feel like Elmer’s glue when it dries
on your fingers). The colostrum is very important for the crias
immunity system. It is important to make sure the cria gets on its feet
and gets its first milk and the precious colostrum. Sometimes this
takes a matter of minutes, others it could take up to a couple hours. We
always monitor the dam & cria until we are satisfied that the cria
has had a good nursing and that mom and cria are bonding well.
One of the best rewards of owning alpacas is without a doubt the birth
of the cria. Before our cria season begins, we start to prepare for
our new arrivals. By going through our breeding information on the
computer, we can determine who is due and when. Make up a list of dams
who due dates are coming up soon and keep an eye out for those who are
close to their due date. We suggest making up at least two calendars and
place one in your barn and keep one in the house/office. We also have a
dedicated “maternity ward” that we can see easily from the house so
that we are able to monitor the behavior of the dams.
It is also important to prepare a birthing kit. We have a large gym bag
that will hold all our supplies and can easily be carried out to the
pastures when needed. Some of the birthing essentials that we put in the
bag are:
- Iodine or Betadine Surgical Scrub: This is what we will use to
treat the navel, either in a small canister or by using a small bottle
with a nozzle cap. So that we do not have to touch the navel with our
hands.
- Rubber Gloves, Long & Short: We keep full length gloves and
short fitted surgical latex gloves just in case we need to assist with a
delivery.
- Lubricant: This is also in case we need to go in to assist a delivery.
- Stethoscope: To check a crias heart rate or listen for breath sounds.
- Thermometer: To check the temperature of the cria or dam.
- Shoe Lace or Thick Floss (you need to be careful with floss as
it can cut through if it is too thin or tied to tight): In case there is
extensive bleeding from the umbilical cord.
- Cria Scale: A sling scale to check the weight of the cria at birth.
- Towels: We keep a few towels on hand as well as paper towel. We will use the towels to help dry off the cria.
Birthing Checklist
Before our cria season begins, we start to prepare for our new
arrivals. By going through our breeding information on the computer, we
can determine who is due and when. Make up a list of dams who due dates
are coming up soon and keep an eye out for those who are close to their
due date. We suggest making up at least two calendars and place one in
your barn and keep one in the house/office. We also have a dedicated
“maternity ward” that we can see easily from the house so that we are
able to monitor the behavior of the dams.
It is also important to prepare a birthing kit. We have a large gym bag
that will hold all our supplies and can easily be carried out to the
pastures when needed. Some of the birthing essentials that we put in the
bag are:
- Iodine or Betadine Surgical Scrub: This is what we will use to
treat the navel, either in a small canister or by using a small bottle
with a nozzle cap. So that we do not have to touch the navel with our
hands.
- Rubber Gloves, Long & Short: We keep full length gloves and
short fitted surgical latex gloves just in case we need to assist with a
delivery.
- Lubricant: This is also in case we need to go in to assist a delivery.
- Stethoscope: To check a crias heart rate or listen for breath sounds.
- Thermometer: To check the temperature of the cria or dam.
- Shoe Lace or Thick Floss (you need to be careful with floss as
it can cut through if it is too thin or tied to tight): In case there is
extensive bleeding from the umbilical cord.
- Cria Scale: A sling scale to check the weight of the cria at birth.
- Towels: We keep a few towels on hand as well as paper towel. We will use the towels to help dry off the cria.
Reproduction
Female alpacas produce one offspring (called a
cria—pronounced creeah) per year after a gestation of around 335 days.
Twins for alpacas are rare.
Birthing is usually quick and trouble-free, and occurs during daylight
hours with the mother standing during delivery. If the female is in
labor for hours, she keeps lying down and getting back up or she stays
lying down on her side; CALL A VET!
Crias are usually up nursing and running with the herd within an hour or
so. Newborn cria alpacas average about 15 to 20 pounds. Occasionally,
new mothers do not have sufficient milk for their newborn crias. Having
some frozen baggies of goat or cow colostrum (first milk) available,
along with a nipple that works and bottle to fit the nipple can save a
cria's life.
The female, being an induced ovulator and able to be bred year-round,
will be ready to be bred again in approximately 21 days after giving
birth. Females are devoted and protective mothers and will suckle the
cria until weaning at about four to six months. Age at first breeding
for females should be at least 18 months old. Llamas, guanacos, alpacas
and vicunas can interbreed and should be pastured separately.