Help - Llama just had a baby last, it's in the 50's here in FL,

[chickenzoo]

I thought she was just fat, as my other two ( a young male and an older male) are just as fat in the belly..... but yesterday she spent a lot of time laying in the woods with her adopted 6month old alpaca cria. Last night when we went to put her in the run we found her giving birth. I took off the membrane and begun rubbing baby down with towels, it felt so cold. I brought her (baby) in the house and put her on a heating pad as she still felt really cold. She was born at about 10:30 and it took until about 1 before she really started looking alive and trying to lift her head. I kept drying her and rubbing her. At about 2 I went out and milked some colostrum from momma, I got about 5cc's into the baby by a syringe that I let her suck on and slowly dribbled it while she sucked. Momma was not happy with my milking so I didn't push it. I brought out baby for momma to spend a little time with her, but the cold really seemed to bring baby down so I brought her back in the house. This morning I brought baby out again to spend some time with mom. I tried to put babys mouth on a teat, but mom wasn't happy, so I milked mom and got another 9cc's into the baby. Right now it's slowing warming up outside, I have momma and baby in a 3 slant horse trailer with hay on floor and a heat lamp aimed at baby, although I don't think it's very affective. Baby is trying to stand, but still wet noodle stage. She has good sucking ability. She seems way better than last night. I am hoping if I give her some more time with mom calling her, she might get the hang of standing... mom is humming to her, licking her and smelling her nose and feet, laying by her etc..... What else should I do !!!!!!

 

[ksalvagno]

You need to keep getting milk into her. I would be feeding her every 2 hours. Also, if you have a child's (young) vest or a medium size dog coat, get it on her. You could even cut a sleeve of a sweatshirt. If the cria is cold, she will not want to stand. I will even put 2 coats on a cria. Crias are usually bad about staying in a heat lamp but at least that heat lamp should be warming up the area. That is why I have a lot of cria coats and use my "cria coat system" which consists of just adding more coats or thicker coats (baby winter jackets).

How energetic is she? If she is still really weak, I would get some corn syrup into her (at least 3 cc) to get her sugar levels up. You are going to have to keep encouraging her to get up and get milk into her to give her strength. If she doesn't have enough strength, she won't stand up. Getting milk into her every 2 hours will help with the strength and the extra fat and protein from the colostrum will really help with energy. I wouldn't worry about her nursing on mom until she is strong. Then work on getting her on mom. Be warned that she could become a bottle baby if she gets too used to getting a bottle but at this point, you are looking at life and death. Crias go from up and around to dead in a heartbeat.

 

[chickenzoo]

thank you, My friend who has Alpacas & dairy goats came and brought me some colostrum & goats milk and showed me how to tube her. We also have been milking the mom and giving the baby that also.( Very fun to milk a PO"ED llama) My friend says she is premature, only 12 lbs, she has no bottom teeth and her ears are curly. I will be feeding every 2 hours, she is trying to move around but gets tired quickly. She is trying to stand up, and with help she gets it for a moment. She is in my kitchen on a rug & heating pad, she will be staying there until she gets stronger. I hope she makes it, she is so pretty and sweet.

 

[ksalvagno]

I'm glad you had someone to help you. Sounds like she was a preemie. Especially if she is a llama and only 12 lbs. At 12 pounds I would only try to give her 3-4 ounces of milk. Even if you just get 2 ounces in her per feeding that would be good. Small, frequent feedings are best for alpacas and llamas. Is she strong enough to drink from a bottle? You don't want to tube her for long as that can irritate the esophagus. Get the pritchard nipples (red nipple on yellow screw cap). Cut the tip off and use a Pepsi product 20 oz bottle. You want them to get at least 15% of their body weight spread out over the 24 hour period. I would even be feeding through the night with a weak one. The pritchard nipple pretty much pours out so the cria doesn't have to have good suckle reflex to drink the milk.

By the way, I meant Karo Syrup, not corn syrup for quick sugar.

I hope she pulls through for you. Probably the biggest worry would be how developed the lungs are. Also, if the female is in with intact males, they will rebreed her right away. She needs to be away from any intact males.

 

[chickenzoo]

I will have hubby pick up Karo syrup, where in WAL would we find it? Yes i have her on the red nipple with yellow base. She will suck for a little while from the bottle. I have been doing small but frequent feedings. The adult female is away from the males, only the young alpaca male is with her, as he is recovering from an attack of some kind and she watches over him.

 

[redtailgal]

I know Im jumping in

Karo syrup is usually with the breakfast foods, or in the baking isle. It should be on the shelf next to pancake syrup.

Just make sure your remember its KARO not kyro.

 

[chickenzoo]

Baby stood up for a few seconds, she keeps moving about so she must be feeling better. I feel horrible - momma llama knows I have her and is cushed on my back porch, watching through the window. I take the baby out every so often so she can smell and lick her ( this is her first baby). I have some of the towels the baby was laying on out on the porch with momma so she has her smell. She keeps humming to me when she sees me........ so sad. But at least the baby is doing better

Tanks Redtailgal, Ill get some tomorrow since hubby couldn't find it.....

 

[ksalvagno]

Is there any way you could put them in a garage together? It is hard. Sometimes you have to make the tough decisions. I'm glad she is still doing well.

 

[chickenzoo]

Is there any way you could put them in a garage together? It is hard. Sometimes you have to make the tough decisions. I'm glad she is still doing well.

I would, but we just moved to this new farm a month ago, and my garage is full of boxes. I don't feel the baby is strong enough, she gets chilled easily, even in the house, so I don't want to risk it. Momma llama adopts other camilids , so I don't think she will forget about the baby easily. She was at the window this morning watching her. I held her up to the window so she could see she's ok. When it warms up I'll take her outside to let mom lick her. I am worried that the baby hasn't pooed yet..... she has peed but not pooed. She only sucks small amounts of milk at a time... an oz or so. I keep letting her rest a min then give it to her again in small feedings. She tried again to get up this morning. thank you all for your help.

It's funny, I have a llama that adopts other babies and I have a mare that adopts other babies and produces milk for them....... so much mothering energy.

 

[ksalvagno]

I would give her a soapy water enema. I use a 60 cc syringe and put 5cc of dish soap and 55cc of warm water. Mix it up. Then put about 15 cc into her rectum. Give her a chance to poop it out. If she doesn't, then put another 10 or 15cc into her rectum. Do not push it in hard. She has probably been too weak to poop her merconium out but she needs to do it. You may have to hold her up so she can. There is a big plug and then some stuff that looks like a long worm and then usually some very soft stuff. As long as the plug comes out, that is good.