Camelid Husbandry...A Trainers Perspective

If you love alpacas, there is nothing better than watching a new baby struggle to her feet and take the first steps. It is heaps of fun, but with the pleasure comes responsibility. A alpaca breeder must deal with many issues an owner does not: intact male(s), prenatal nutrition, birthing and-most importantly-bringing up a new baby. This new baby will eventually go to a new home and should know how to act when he or she arrives.

Your animal handling and training philosophy is very important when it comes to raising animals. There are many ways to approach husbandry issues. You will be faced with conflicting opinions on everything from medical choices to nutrition and in particular how to bring up the baby. Deciding what is reasonable and respectful is your job as the owner/breeder. I offer my perspectives on husbandry issues as a former breeder of camelids and a professional handler trainer, as food for thought.

Breeding Males and Pregnant Females

In my opinion breeding males should be handled the same way that gelded males and females are handled...respectfully. Intact males are the most likely to fight back when handled physically and the least likely to give up when wrestled. It is therefore even more important NOT to practice these behaviors with intact males, treat them with respect and expect the same in return.

When it comes to breeding allowing males and females to get acquainted and breed with some semblance of privacy is important. Don't take the fact that you are alpaca breeder literally! Some owners involve themselves so completely in the breeding act that I fear we will some day hybridize.

To stud or not to stud

Think seriously about NOT keeping an intact male if you only intend to have one or maybe two babies a year. Housing a male next to open females allowing him to breed once or twice a year is almost guaranteed to create an overly aggressive breeding male. This can also give rise to other potential behavioral problems. If you only have one or two females, it may be best to pay for stud service rather than keeping an intact male on site.

Expecting females

Pregnant females are often put into a special category when it comes to training and handling. I am often asked whether or not a pregnant alpaca should be brought to a clinic or if pregnant females who live at the clinic site should be used as part of the clinic. It is ironic that we think nothing of giving a rectal exam to determine pregnancy but are reluctant to halter these same animals and take them for a walk. Personally, I make no distinction regarding handling or training when it comes to a female's state of pregnancy other than the very first and very last few weeks of gestation.

It is logical that in the first few weeks of gestation even a moderate amount of stress could interfere with conception. It is easy to give this amount of time off from training or handling, so it is best to wait. When it comes to late gestation I would suggest leaving females to their own devices in the last weeks of pregnancy when they are highly hormonal and very uncomfortable. Injections, toenails and shearing can be done before the last trimester.

Many people make a practice of separating females into a special paddock when they become due. While this may be convenient for the herd manager, I think this is very stressful for the pregnant female. Alpacas become very bonded to other SPECIFIC alpacas. Separating a female from her cohorts and forcing her to forge a place in a new group is far more stressful then we think. If you must move your pregnant females to a new paddock it would be best to do it sooner than later. If possible determine which animals with which she spends time and move those animals together. Moving the animals two to three months prior to the due date instead of the last weeks will create much less stress.

Birthing

I am a minimalist when it comes to herd management, preferring to do as little as possible to disrupt natural behavior.

When it comes to birthing I believe that-even with the best intent-we humans cause more difficulties then we prevent. Birthing is the business of the mother. Human caretakers, no matter how well intentioned, are not really welcome and cause additional stress. I wrote an article years ago suggesting that the two most important items in your birthing kit are a pair of binoculars and a piece of rope...the binoculars to observe respectfully from a distance and the rope to tie your hands together!

Certainly when a mother is in trouble it is our duty to help. This is BY FAR the exception rather than the rule. By involving yourself in the birth process in an effort to make things easier for the mother, you will never know what is normal. The moment you "help" you have interfered and changed the dynamics completely. You must learn to wait.

If you are new at raising camelids, do your homework and research what is normal*. Call your veterinarian or an experienced breeder to observe with you if you have any doubts.

Always call the veterinarian if you think you have a birthing emergency.

While we humans are not welcome at the birth, the rest of the herd most definitely is. It is highly stressful for camelids of either species to be separated from their herd mates at the time of birthing. In my experience, the herd is interested but respectful of the birth process. Once the baby is born the herd welcomes the newborn and after a good look, wanders off leaving mother and baby to bond. If you have young females in the herd, I think it is invaluable for them to observe the birthing process.

Once the baby is on the ground, leaving mother and baby alone for at least 24 hours is the safest and most respectful policy. Mother and baby have lots of instinctive activities to perform that are critical to their health and well being. This process is like a ballet for two. We humans come crashing on to the stage, mess up the timing and create havoc.

Bringing up Baby.

The easiest, most effective way of influencing a baby's behavior is to work with his or her mother. Mom is the LAW as well as the major influence in a baby's life. Invest some time creating a trusting relationship with your adult female, and you will profoundly affect the attitude of every baby she bears.

Whether you begin at the beginning with a baby born on your farm or you buy a young llama or alpaca and continue his or her education, raising a camelid is a delight. With this joy comes a huge amount of responsibility. You are shaping the life of an animal that will be relating to humans for 20-30 years. Camelids that don't get along well in our world are often doomed to a lifetime of misunderstanding with humans and in some extreme cases must be euthanized.

Babies of any kind are impressionable and have a short attention span. I think it is a great idea to take advantage of early training opportunities to teach young alpacas and llamas how the world works.

Most camelids will accept human leadership early on without question. As the leader it is incumbent upon you to behave respectfully and with integrity. It is important to set limits that will be consistent and appropriate as your baby grows from 30 to 150 pounds (or in the case of llamas 300-400 pounds).

You must remain vigilant when you are with your babies even when you are not "training" them. Animals make no distinction between training sessions and the rest of the day. If you insist that your baby be respectful and observe your personal space in the training pen and then encourage disrespectful behavior in the field when company wants to pet the baby, you could be headed for trouble.

If you are going to spend time teaching, it only makes sense to make sure that your student is able to listen. A baby alpaca must be present for learning and be able to focus. Overly long lessons mean you are preaching to a choir that isn't there. In order to concentrate on a lesson, the baby must feel safe enough to let go of instinctive behavior and pay attention to the handler.

At first it is best to structure lessons with mama alpaca in attendance followed by lessons with a peer group if available. Lessons occur in a catch pen that is safe and secure, pleasant and convenient to the living quarters. An ideal arrangement is to set up your facility so that your baby creep doubles as the classroom.

While I don't agree with the imprinting (intense, repetitive, conditioning of newborn alpacas) approach, I also disagree with the practice of waiting to do any handling until babies are ready to be weaned. You certainly don't want to make a sudden appearance as the "Grand Poohbah" at 6 months of age. This is long after your babies have already decided that you are just an interesting barn "thingee." Once the baby and mother have bonded and you are sure that the baby is healthy (in most cases at 2-3 days old) it is appropriate for you to become an important part of the babies life. Lessons should be short, easy, non- stressful and be designed to introduce you as a gentle, firm leadership presence.

Baby Steps

It is a good idea to work a bit with the mother first. She will have a better sense of what you intend to do with her baby and will be more relaxed.

Your first goal is to teach the baby to override his flight response and accept your touch all over his body-while standing in balance and without restraint. Work with a new baby in a catch pen or mini catch pen with his mother present. A bag of juicy hay, warm water with a bit of molasses mixed in, or other special post-natal treats can be offered to your new mom at this time.

Next time... specific lessons to get the relationship you have with your new baby off to a respectful and pleasant beginning.

This column is excerpted from Marty's new book "The Camelid Companion".