DAFI Alpacas

Many breeders have trudged through the snow on blustery winter mornings to find their barn full of abominable snow-pacas. The alpacas are covered with snow yet seem to be toasty warm. Of course! They are wearing soft, well-insulated, luxurious alpaca coats.

Adult and yearling alpacas in full fleece rarely have a problem with the winter weather experienced in most of the United Cold Weather TipsStates - as long as they have shelter from wet conditions and from the prevailing winds. However, there may be times when you may find your alpacas shivering. Suris are thought to be more susceptible to the cold as their mid-line along the back does not have the fleece coverage of a huacaya. Some believe that Suris carry a bit more fat along their back to provide insulation. Newborns and nursing crias are most likely to suffer from hypothermia, so here are a few tips to keep your alpacas healthy and happy during the cold weather.

Prevention is always best. The alpacas must have adequate shelter. If they are in a three-sided shed, be sure that the opening is away from the prevailing wind and that it is deep enough so that they can escape blowing rain and snow. Provide insulation from the cold ground. Many breeders use straw as bedding. I have found Abominable Snow-Pacathat thick, perforated rubber mats work well and help me avoid the tedious task of picking bits of straw off the fleeces. A combination, mats on straw, works well in the more northern tier of states. If you live where the winter is extreme, consider hanging radiant heaters in protected areas of the barn. These are the most cost effective heaters but must be hung high enough to prevent injury or fire yet low enough to provide adequate warmth. The kind of heating "pad" that is used in kennels for puppies is also a good investment for the colder climates.

Young crias may require special care during the winter months. Have a good supply of cria coats in different sizes on hand. If there is a sudden, severe drop in temperature or the wind blows and Mom is not coming in the shelter, put a coat on the cria – at least during the night. A cria cannot absorb the nutrients from its mother’s milk if its core temperature drops below 100F. Be sure to take the coat off if the temperature climbs, the wind stops and/or the sun is shinning.

If you find a cria who is slow to respond, recumbent or whose rectal temperature is low, take immediate action to warm the cria. Put a blanket on the cria; move it into a heated area – with Mom if possible – use a hair dryer, heating pad or hot water bottle to warm the cria. Be careful not to burn the cria – just get it warm. Wrapping a cria in a the type of space blanket found in most camping supply stores and blowing hot air from a hair dryer or wrapping a hot water bottle with the cria works well. As a last resort, immerse the cria in warm water. Personally, I do not like to get a cria wet if I can avoid it, but such action has been known to save a cria’s life. However, prevention is the best medicine, and hopefully you will never have to take such drastic action.

Don’t forget to check for frozen water during the winter. Alpacas may be cold but they still need water. Some automatic waterers come with automatic heaters, but they still may freeze as will buckets and water troughs. Electric water heaters can be purchased but be sure they come with a guard to prevent the heating element from burning an alpaca’s nose or burning through the side of the trough and causing a fire.

Here is a shopping list for those breeders who live in areas where the winters get cold:

    Cria coats in two or three different sizes
    Hair dryer, heating pad, hot water bottle
    A space blanket
    Kennel heating pad and/or Radiant Heater
    Water heater - or hammer for breaking ice from buckets
    A CAMERA and film – so you can take lots of pictures of your silly looking snow creatures!