Cold Weather Tips

Here are some cold weather management tips for your alpacas.

First, watch out for any animal shivering. This is danger, danger,
danger. Cold affects the rumen protozoa and they stop digesting forages.
Consequently, the rumen shuts down, the alpaca cannot generate heat and
death can be only hours away.

Dominant (alpha) animals will find the warmest areas and will push out
younger or other less dominant animals. The alpha animals also hog the
hay and will prevent other animals eating. Be especially careful of
yearlings as they are having troubles finding their way in the group.

Yesterday, I had to put two yearling males in a stall in my girl's
barn with heaters. Older animals also get pushed aside.

As we know, alpacas can deal with cold, so long as there is little
wind.

So get some shelter (tarps, hay bales, etc) up to protect them from the
wind. Suris are especially susceptible to wind chill. But check all your
animal's body scores as the huacaya fleece will hide a thin body
frame. Those thin animals are especially vulnerable to the cold.

Another tip is to bring them hot water to drink. I fill up 5 gallon
plastic pails half way with steaming hot tap water and carry them (one
in each hand) to the barn where I mix with some cold water to about 100
F. Even though I have "heated" water buckets, the water in those
is maybe 45 F. I also put in one scoop of dry Gatorade (mine love the
lemon lime flavor) in a full 5 gallon pail. The electrolytes in Gatorade
assist with digestion, protozoa and rumen function. The alpacas line up
to drink deep long draughts. I do this several times a day in bitterly
cold weather. The smiles they give you are one reward for your work.

To keep bucket water warm for a longer time, I wrapped the outside of
the plastic five gallon buckets with aluminized bubble foil (aka

"TecFoil") available at Home Depot/Lowes/etc. Secure it in place
with the metal foil tape (in hardware). The bottom gets insulated with
two layers. Water syats warm for hours longer.

Males especially need extra warm water to flush out their urinary
tract.

In cold weather, they will not drink enough water and consequently do
not have a full vigorous stream of expelled urine. The weaker stream
allows crystals to accumulate along the "S" shaped urinary
urethra and they often get winter urinary tract blockages. More warm
water allows them to flush out deposits that normally are swept away
with urine flow.

Forget cleaning out the barn! Allow waste hay and droppings to
accumulate. Spread out more hay on top as this provides a warm
"bed" for them to lie on. Straw is actually a far better
insulator compared to hay as it has more trapped air volume, but you may
not have time to get it. Many farms in Switzerland allow the
accumulating composing heat from floor manure/bedding hay throughout the
winter to keep their livestock warm. And they keep livestock in the
lower levels of their houses! Quite a clean out in the spring . . .

Another more high tech approach is to use those red electric heat lamps
above bedding spots. Just be careful to put on the wire shield so an
alpaca can't accidently hit it and get burned. Electric dog
"whelping mats" (PetCo, PetsMart) provide a very toasty bedding
place for cold animals. As with all electricity issues, take care with
water, electricity, extension cords and the cold (brittle) wires.

Put lots of jackets on young and older animals. The females that had
crias this fall are especially vulnerable. They are lactating and that
puts a huge energy demand on them. This cold adds another. Many are also
rebred. One result of a sudden severe cold snap is abortion.

Don't lose your pregnancies due to cold weather shock.

You don't need expensive alpaca jackets from Useful Camelid Supply.

Old wool sweaters, ski jackets, etc. all work. Cut the sleeves off at
the elbows and slip them on. Zippers go along their backbone. Recall leg
warmers from the 80's? They fit on necks to keep the alpacas warm
(and given away free at Goodwill). My females like the red ones . . . .

Funny looking, but WHO cares. I often get the jacket/sweater rejects
(frayed sleeves) at the local Goodwill store for nothing.

Do not double the daily pellet/grain ration. Increase it maybe 25-30%,
but NOT more. Rather, POUR on the hay. Don't scrimp now. This would
also be a great time to throw out some alfalfa hay (not pellets).

Normally, alfalfa is too "hot" a forage with excess protein for
the average alpaca. But this sudden cold is not normal. The rumen heat
of digesting forage, especially from alfalfa helps alpacas (a ruminant)
keep warm. Grains do not provide this digestive heat. Note horses,
without a rumen, do need more grain in the cold. About 2 lbs of daily
extra alfalfa forage per alpaca can be a life saver. And they love it.

Two 70 lb alfalfa bales (~ $8 each) with ten alpacas should last you
about a week.

Vet schools will be deluged with cold weather cases this week.

Hypothermic stress causes ulcers, abortions – and a lot of deaths. I
am not trying to cut off their revenue source, but rather helping you
save some $ and your animal's health!

Keep warm and PREVENT hypothermia as it is much less expensive
(compared to treatment).

Dr. Steve Hull

Stephen Hull, MS, PhD, Tom Cameron, DVM & families "a full service
alpaca farm including seminars and consulting"