Crias just like human babies need nourishment and depend on their mothers to provide them the necessary milk to survive. If all goes according to plan the cria will stand approximately 10 minutes after birth and begin looking for its mother to nurse. What happens if she has not produced any milk? In this article, we will discuss the steps that can be taken before the dam gives birth, what needs to happen when she does give birth and is temporarily out of milk, and what to do when you realize that the dam cannot nurse her cria at all.
Most of the milk producing problems will occur with maiden moms. However, it is not limited to only maidens. In the third trimester of pregnancy when the fetus is growing the fastest you can help boost the milk production by supplementing the daily hay ration with the following:
Now in most cases you will not need the Domperidone, but if you know you have a problematic milk producer you probably will want to spend the $100 or so to get the milk going. Domperidone is also used in humans to help boost milk production.
Remember that there is no guarantee that by adding these supplements you will be free of all milk problems. However, you lower the risk by doing so.
With maiden moms it is a good idea to begin touching each of their teats one month prior to birth. This will get them used to having their teats touched and hopefully they will not startle so much when their new cria comes to nurse.
It is absolutely amazing to see the birth of an alpaca cria. They come out completely soaked, but beautiful. Within minutes they are trying to stand and then they are walking. They are moving because they are hungry and instincts make them go in search of mom for milk. Ideally the cria will have no problem finding mom and latching on to nurse, but realistically we all face having a dam that might have initial milk problems. Do not panic, but observe and exam the dam before reacting. Here are some possible problems:
It is not uncommon for a mother to walk away from her cria and refuse to feed it until the placenta has passed. The dam will still be in labor and the pain of the contractions might be too much for her to allow her cria to nurse. The placenta can take anywhere from one to six hours to pass.
When you are wiping clean the udder check to see if it is full and remove the wax tip from each teat. Test each teat to make sure milk is flowing through. If not simply take a warm, wet washcloth and lay it on the udder. The warmth of the cloth will usually help the milk flow into the teats.
A shot of Oxytocin can help the milk to drop. Please do not confuse this drug with creating milk. If the dam has no milk this drug is not the answer. Never give your dam more than 2 shots for milk production issues. Please consult with your vet on dosage prior to injecting your dam. Not all alpacas react well to Oxytocin, so you will want the best advice on whether or not to use as well as how much.
If the above does not resolve your problem then an udder examination will need to be done. While wiping clean the udder and teats check to see if the udder is hard and hot to the touch. Your dam could have mastitis, which is an udder infection that will take medication to clear it up.
Udder edema is another possible problem. This is where the mammary glands are swollen with fluid. With medication this too can be cleared up. A veterinarian will be able to provide the final conclusion and provide the correct medication after an exam has been performed.
After trying all of the above and your dam has no immediate milk to give, then hopefully you have some colostrum in the freezer that can be defrosted in boiling water. (Never microwave, as it will kill the antibodies). Alpaca colostrum would be best, but I have found this hard to find and expensive. Instead I personally use goat colostrum that I purchase at a nearby farm. I like using Pritchard nipples on the small Dasani water bottles. At first the cria may not take it, but if you add a little Karo syrup on the nipple the cria will usually take it with little problem.
A bottle filled 2 ounces every 2 hours is needed. However, I encourage you to bump the cria up to its mother before each feeding and have it at least lick the teats. It is not fun to be up all night long to feed your cria. If there is any chance that the milk will come in from the mother it will be stimulated with the cria trying to nurse.
After the first day of life and 24 hours of colostrum the cria can be fed regular milk. You can buy store bought goats milk, regular cow milk, or go to a nearby farm for milk. I recommend you feed 2 to 3 ounces every 2-3 hours for the first 3 days. Do not be surprised if the cria is still hungry. It is ok to feed more if you feel necessary. By day 4 and 5 the baby should be taking in at least 4-8 ounces per 3-hour feedings. I normally feed all night long throughout the first 5 days of life. After that I will give the last feeding at approximately 10:30 PM. The first feeding of the next day begins at 6 AM. Believe me that by this time you will want and need the sleep.
You will need to increase the amount of milk as the cria grows. Your feeding schedule will change, as the cria will no longer need milk every 2-3 hours.
If you have a dam that cannot nurse at all you will be bottle-feeding that cria for the next 4-5 months. Try to get the cria eating hay as early on as possible so that the amount of time you have to bottle feed will shorten.
Having a dam that can produce no milk is definitely a problem, but not a showstopper. Being in the alpaca business you need to understand that these issues can arise and you need to be willing to take on the challenge. The cria depends on it.
Remember to diagnose and examine your dam. Some problems can be easily solved and others will take some medication. Worst-case scenario is that you will have to be the milk nurse for up to 4-5 months.
As a parting note to this article, I highly recommend that you purchase Dr. Norm Evans Field Manual. I wrote this article based on our own experience. Between my husband and I we lived almost word-for-word on the what to do with a cria whose mother will not nurse section of the book. The book is a little pricey, but worth every penny!
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