My second little alpaca seems to have an issue with the winter. Last Saturday when I went to feed early in the morning he was laying sideways and did not want to get up. His hind legs did not seem to function. We immediately grabbed him and drove to the Vet. She checked him out (by the time we were finally seen he had been up and squirming for 1.5 hours) and concluded that he was fine. (Heart rate, digestion, temperature, overall behavior, gums...). At home he acted normal and jumped around with his little half brother. We locked the two moms and crias up in the barn for a couple of nights to lay on straw which they did not like at all. But he was fine.
This morning it was a little colder than the last few days and the same thing again. I went down still in the dark. I picked him up and brought him in the straw and covered him with a blanket to warm him up. From all this I conclude that he is getting too cold. I am getting a coat for him today.
What I don't understand is that this is Arizona and when I say "cold" I mean like 28. Is this really too cold for a 6 week old healthy developing cria? Is there anything else I should do besides the coat? Should I keep them locked up? If I don't he is likely sitting on sand instead of straw. And it is not raining or snowing at all. They are out of the wind in a dry area. Right now I keep all the females in a run over night that is about 20 by 30 feet. Should I just line the whole thing with straw since they really don't like being locked up? Or is the blanket going to do the trick?
Thanks! And Happy New Year!
This morning it was a little colder than the last few days and the same thing again. I went down still in the dark. I picked him up and brought him in the straw and covered him with a blanket to warm him up. From all this I conclude that he is getting too cold. I am getting a coat for him today.
What I don't understand is that this is Arizona and when I say "cold" I mean like 28. Is this really too cold for a 6 week old healthy developing cria? Is there anything else I should do besides the coat? Should I keep them locked up? If I don't he is likely sitting on sand instead of straw. And it is not raining or snowing at all. They are out of the wind in a dry area. Right now I keep all the females in a run over night that is about 20 by 30 feet. Should I just line the whole thing with straw since they really don't like being locked up? Or is the blanket going to do the trick?
Thanks! And Happy New Year!