Cairndinnis Alpacas - Shear Quality

Alpacas are generally healthy, hardy and easy to care for but their veterinary needs can be specialised.

The information given below is a guide to routine tasks and is in no way meant to substitute for advice from your vet who should be called if you suspect any alpaca is unwell.

If you don’t already have a vet for your alpacas you can find out about camelid vets in your area through the
British Camelid Veterinary Association.

Alpacas are herd animals that originate in the Andean areas of Chile, Peru and Bolivia. In the wild they have a potentially harsh climate and efficient predators to contend with. In their herds, a sick animal that doesn’t keep up with the others will be more vulnerable to predators. For this reason, sick alpacas tend to “struggle on” until they are really quite ill.

One of the best ways you can help your alpacas is to get to know their individual habits. That way, if one looks a bit listless, is on its own more than usual or is just behaving strangely, you may have early indication of illness and, if you suspect a problem, you should call the vet straight away.

Alpacas will happily eat grass and are efficient at converting it into energy. They require fibre to assist their digestion and good quality hay should always be available to them. In winter, they may appreciate soaked beet pulp as a top-up to their food intake.

The animals’ condition should be regularly checked - a covering of fat should be felt over the bones of their spine. They should neither be too thin not too fat. It may be helpful to have an experienced alpaca keeper demonstrate this to you.

In their native environment, they naturally take in higher levels of certain minerals and vitamins than are available in typical pastures in the UK. To compensate, a specially formulated camelid mixture will supply the vital nutrients. In particular, pregnant or lactating females and growing cria need this supplement. This is normally fed daily in an amount appropriate to the age and size of the animal and its breeding status.

A vitamin A, D and E drench or paste is frequently recommended, particularly over winter.

Alpacas need constant access to clean, fresh water drinking water. In winter, remember to check that any ice on their trough or pail is broken.

In the height of summer, they may appreciate cooling off in either a shallow pool of water - try a paddling pool - or in the spray of a hosepipe or sprinkler.

You should be alert to the dangers of worms, liver fluke and mites and discuss with your vet a strategy to monitor and treat them if necessary, particularly if your alpacas share their grazing with other species

A program of regular vaccinations against clostridial diseases is important, particularly in a breeding herd. You should consult your vet.

Alpacas’ toe-nails grow continuously and, if they are allowed to grow too long, they will cause the animal discomfort as they may twist the toes and make walking painful. They need to be trimmed and foot-rot shears are ideal for this. Lighter-coloured nails will grow faster than darker ones. Animals that spend some of their time on a hard surface such as concrete will need less trimming that those that spend all their time on grass.

Alpacas have front teeth in their bottom jaw only. The top jaw has a hard dental pad against which the bottom teeth work to enable them to eat. Their teeth constantly grow and must be checked to ensure that they meet the dental pad correctly.

If they are over-long or are not meeting the dental pad correctly they should be trimmed. Most people will arrange for their alpacas’ teeth to be checked and trimmed if necessary when they are restrained for shearing. It is important to check the teeth alignment of any alpacas from which you plan to breed. Badly teeth are penalised in the show ring.

Adolescent alpacas shed their “baby” teeth.

Male alpacas and some females have fighting teeth in both jaws and, if they are left to grow, males will cause each other damage with these teeth in fights. They are usually trimmed right down using OB wire, again at shearing time.

Huacaya alpacas need to be sheared every year - their heavy and highly insulative fleece would cause them to over-heat if it were left on. Suris with their longer, silkier fleeces are generally sheared every second year.

From a couple of days after birth, alpacas are well able to cope with cold as long as it is dry. Cold and wet weather can depress and chill them and they should be provided with a shelter so that they can retreat to it should they wish. However, it is quite possible that they will lie outside the shelter in preference to going into it !

Alpacas don’t have a greasy coat like sheep do and their fleeces soak up rain rather than repelling it. Huacayas with their thick winter fleeces will stay dry “inside” for a long time.

Suris are particularly vulnerable to wet cold as their fleece has a central parting into which rain can readily penetrate.

In summer, alpacas will appreciate shelter from the heat of the sun and from any insects; their field should at the very least offer a shady tree or two.

Alpacas are not likely to challenge fences, and sheep fencing with a top wire or rail should be sufficient. NEVER use barbed wire though, as alpaca fibre is very strong and alpacas entangled in barbed wire will injure themselves pulling free from it.

Alpacas that do end up outside the field on their own aren’t likely to wander off - they will probably stand close to the fence as if trying to will themselves back inside with their paddock-pals !

Alpacas will respond much better to calm, deliberate and quiet handling than to panicky, jerky gestures and shouting. Young animals can be trained to wear a halter and walk calmly in it. Training courses are available to teach you safe and considerate handling techniques.

Retaining their trust for humans enables safe and stress-free handling in later life.

Halters MUST be correctly fitting as alpacas will panic if they feel that their breathing is going to be compromised by a too-loose halter noseband.

Over-handling should be avoided, particularly with male cria.