Alpacas have a long gestation period (343 days), but this is explained by the fact that these appealing creatures belong to the camel family. At Bozedown Alpacas they have had experience of normal full term births with known gestation periods over the range of 325 to 387 days. Hence we need to keep a careful watch over our expectant mothers, plus or minus 30 days!

Alpacas rarely carry twins to full term. Usually if born alive one twin is very small and doesn’t survive very long. The only surviving twins known of in the UK. were born at Twycross Zoo in 1989, and were both females. At Bozedown they have had 4 sets of aborted twins in 14 years experience, the latest of these surviving to almost 11 months gestation.

Alpaca young are called “crias”. They are normally born in the morning before noon; this is because in the high Andes, where they come from and are adapted to, it freezes 300 nights in the year and the day warms up quickly and cools quickly and so in order to survive the crias need to be dry, and able to walk and have fed long before nightfall. A small percentage of crias are born in the afternoon. We have had some as late as 8 pm and it is important to make sure that these start feeding before dark, as the first food the mother produces is the precious colostrum, which gives the cria immunity for the first weeks of its life, until its own immune system develops. The colostrum is a rich food, which gives the cria a good start in life. The occasional evening and night-time births need to have especial monitoring.

Alpaca crias normally weigh between 6 and 10 kilos, and are fairly easy calvers, as they have not been bred to produce large offspring, like cattle. They can occasionally have birth distocias, in common with any other species. Most common is one leg bent back. But it is possible for them to have both legs back, or even the neck turned back; very rarely there will be a breech presentation. In all these cases the female will need careful assistance. The alpaca’s birth canal tissue is soft and can be damaged if handled roughly. Small hands please!

We offer husbandry courses for owners, and especially for new breeders to come to Bozedown or Westways in order to gain experience and confidence with their own alpacas. We have births on most days from May to August.

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