In warm to hot and especially humid climates, shear the fleece of most alpacas and thick or long fibered llamas every year. Animals with thin or slow-growing fiber may be shorn every other year. Animals with matted fleece should be shorn if prevention of heat stress or control of infestation by external parasites are issues in their environment.
Geld non-breeder males no earlier than 12 months, with 18-24 months recommended. Most geldings may be safely penned with either males or females once sufficient time has passed after gelding to ensure infertility. (To be safe, about 2 months.)
Do not breed animals with genetic defects or place them into situations where they can reproduce.
Provide immediate veterinary care for an ill or injured alpaca or llama, including dental care if the animals’ ability to properly process food is compromised.
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SAFE HANDLING
Fit halters on llamas and alpacas so that the nosepiece allows for chewing, yet cannot slide down onto the soft cartilage of the nose and cut off breathing. Crown piece should be snug, holding the noseband in place. Improperly fitted halters can be life-threatening because, unlike some animals, camelids must breathe through their noses.
Because they are often transported, train llamas and alpacas to halter, lead, and load into a transport vehicle. This will result in less stress and simplify transport activities.
Avoid wrapping a lead rope around your hands or body in order to prevent serious injury in the event a llama or alpaca suddenly takes flight.
Exercise great caution when transporting llamas and alpacas during extreme weather, either hot or cold. The transport vehicle must be well-ventilated, and it is essential to check for signs of heat stress (flared nostrils, lethargy) and/or hypothermia (shivering) at reason-able intervals, both while on the move and when parked.
Leave llamas and alpacas untied during transport. Llamas and alpacas tied during transport can suffer severe injury or death. On rare occasions, it may be prudent to tie animals for safety, as when transporting in a vehicle they could jump out of (not recommended).
Do not leave llamas or alpacas unattended in a livestock chute.
Before packing with llamas, take time to learn the saddle system to be used, how to secure it without causing injuries, and how to balance and pack it with weight appropriate for the specific llama. Do not load a llama under the age of two years, and do not fully load a llama until it is well-trained, well-conditioned, and near physical maturity, usually reached at 4 years old.
Select only alpacas or llamas that interact appropriately with people for use in making direct contact with the public. Props and settings should be safe for the animal, the handler and the public.
Spitting is part of a highly sophisticated body language used by camelids to express displeasure, to establish and maintain social order in the herd, and to respond to a serious threat. Camelids accustomed to positive interaction with people will not normally spit at humans.
©Steven and Annie Segal, Used by permission
Fig E
Llama Expressions
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SAFEKEEPING
Never leave halters on unsupervised llamas or alpacas when they are released to their living environment.
With proper halter fit, animals that have been trained for tethered grazing can usually be left unsupervised for short periods of time, such as while on a pack trip, but must not be left staked out full time.
Intact males, if kept together, should normally be penned according to age, size, and disposition. Their behavior should be monitored to guard against excessive fighting. When fighting or intimidation threatens any individual llama or alpaca with malnutrition or serious injury, change the grouping.
Examine the “fighting” teeth of group-housed males at least once per year and trim when needed to prevent injury to one another.
Provide multiple feeding stations to ensure that passive animals have equal access to hay and to reduce possible conflict over food.
Intact males, beginning at 6-8 months of age, should be kept separate from females of all ages. It is possible for a precocious male to impregnate a female. Exception: a stud kept with his females for breeding purposes.
When introducing a female with a cria at her side to a stud for breeding, take care to ensure that the stud does not breed or injure the youngster.
For the safety of other livestock, blunt the canine or “fighting teeth” of male llamas and alpacas as soon as they fully erupt through the gum line. This generally occurs after two years of age. Trim every 1-2 years until teeth no longer grow (7-8 years old).
Llamas and alpacas must be safeguarded against eating poisonous plants or other dangerous materials, both at home and on the road-side or trail. Owners and caretakers of llamas and alpacas should make a point of becoming knowledgeable about the plants that are toxic or deadly poisonous.
Camelids must never be used for human activities that will inevitably lead to the animal’s trauma and/or death, such as being hunted, used for roping practice, or used as live prey for “ranch” predators.
The rare llama or alpaca that becomes completely unmanageable should be placed with an experienced rescue person or group, rather than given away or sold without disclosure of the problem.
Hyperthermia (HEAT STRESS) and hypothermia are life-threatening conditions requiring immediate recognition and response, at home or while traveling.
a. Initial and often subtle signs of heat stress are elevation of core temperature over 104 F (normal is 99.5- 101.5 F), heart rate over 80/minute (normal is 48-68 beats/minute), increased respiratory rate over 40/minute (normal is 10-30 breaths/minute), panting, flared nostrils, lethargy, decreased appetite, reddened skin, and swollen scrotum. Intervene with rapid cooling, using cool or cold water, on front of neck, legs, armpits, underbelly. groin and under tail. Do not wet topline. Also use shade, fans and cool drinking water. Important: Use a rectal thermometer to monitor core temperature of afflicted animal as treatment progresses, as well as to check temperatures of other animals in herd. Consult your veterinarian for assistance.
Far more ominous signs of advanced heat stress are de-creased urination progressing to renal shutdown, open mouth breathing, trembling, weakness, abortion, decreased mental function, and convulsions. Death can follow quickly without immediate veterinary intervention.
NOTE: Heat stress risk is higher in (but not limited to) humid areas. Factors such as obesity, heavily matted fiber, age (old or very young), illness and strenuous exercise add to the risk in any region. When it is hot, check your animals carefully!
b. Hypothermia can occur when temperatures dip to extremes. Wind and wet weather, combined with low temperatures, greatly increase the danger of hypothermia. Most at risk are newborns, who have minimal insulation and poor thermo-regulation, and the very old, very thin or light-fibered animal. Signs include decreased body temperature, shivering, de-creased heart rate, depression and, in extreme cases, slow and shallow breathing. Intervention includes providing deep straw bedding in a dry shelter with protection from wind, blankets, coats, hair dryers to warm wet exposed areas such as ears, lukewarm drinking water and close proximity to the warmth of other animals. Warm water enemas may be helpful in severe cases. Alpacas and llamas may need extra calories from supplements (e.g., corn) in very cold weather, but use in moderation to prevent acidosis.
Shearing the fiber in early springtime, ahead of severe heat, is a preventive for heat stress and also gives time for adequate fiber to grow for winter warmth.
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Acknowledgements
These Recommended Practices were developed by the Standards of Care Committees charged by Camelid Community with writing and gaining broad-based consensus on those practices. They are based on detailed input from a wide range of llama and alpaca owners, breeders, academics and veterinarians from across North America who offered suggestions as part of extensive outreach.
Support for the project has come in various forms – responses to questionnaires, donations of seed money, research, writing, editing, discussion, donated graphic arts and production, and veterinarian and legal document review. To all those who participated in the development of this document, the Standards of Care Committees, which became the Camelid Community Standards of Care Working Group, extend a sincere thank you.
Appreciation is extended to the following individuals, who have made special contributions in their areas of expertise.
David E. Anderson, DVM, MS, DACVS, (OH); Karen Baum, DVM, (VA); Patrick Long, DVM, (OR); Leah & Allan Dewald, MD, (SD); Bob Mallicoat, JD, (CA); Murray Fowler, DVM, (CA); Ty McConnell, DVM, (CA); Nancy Irlbeck, Ph.D., (CO); Jeanne Rankin, DVM, (MT); Michelle Kutzler, DVM Ph.D., (OR); Cheryl Tillman, DVM, (OR).
Camelid Community Standards of Care Working Group members are: Joyce Abrams (OR) and Hilary Ware (ME), co-chairs; Alvin Bean (NC); Dave Belt (Canada); Ruth Epstein-Baak, Ph.D. (CA);
Barbara Greer (MO); Julie Ann Jarvinen, DVM, Ph.D. (IA); Judy Morgenstern (NJ); Teri Nilson-Baird (CO); Sherry Sheridan (OR); Norma Stevens (CA); Debby Ullrich (CA); Marsharee Wilcox (MD)
This document may be reproduced without permission, in its entirety only, as long as the copyright citation is included.
©2005, Camelid Community Standards of Care Working Group