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Llama Giving
Birth
One question we are often asked is, what happens when a llama
is about to give birth
and do we need to do anything.
We have compiled a series of photos which
explains and will allow you to follow the events and behaviours leading up to,
during and after a llama gives birth. I should add that we always* allow
all our llamas to birth naturally in the fields as this has a number of distinct
benefits such as being more hygienic (stables can harbour lots of harmful
bacteria), more natural and so less stressful for the llama giving birth
(particularly if she is with the rest of her herd), providing the ground is
soft, a better landing for the new born cria,
* Unless we believe due to experience and
observations that there could be a problem birth or that there will be adverse
weather conditions such as heavy storms, very cold winds, snow, sleet, hail etc
which could adversely effect the new borne cria and mother during or immediately
after the birth. New born cria are wet at birth and have very little
resistance to cold and can quickly succumb to hypothermia if not given the
chance to dry out fairly quickly.
Whilst natural birthing out in the paddocks is
always preferable, there are some potential drawbacks if problems arise. The
ability to intervene and assist with the birth can be a problem depending on the
location, outdoor weather is always a factor which needs to be considered
(stables are normally dry and warmer than a paddock), the administration of
medication by yourself or a vet if necessary can be more problematic. It
is really down to personal experience as to which is the best course of action
to take when a llama is due to give birth, bring her in or leave her out, only
you can decided. Or you can ask for advice as most professional llama
breeders that we know will freely give their advice on issues such as this.
Also be aware that llama births are all
different, some can be over very quickly in a few minutes whilst others can take
several hours.
We hope you enjoy following the sequence of
events leading up to the birth of a beautiful healthy cria.
When she is almost ready to give birth, the llama will normaly seperate herself from the rest of the herd, start to walk around testing the ground (finding a suitable place to give birth) nearby, then carry on eating, test the ground again. She will also often cush down and roll over on her side a number of times to assist the unborn cria to get into exactly the right possition. A the cria starts to push, the llama will often raise her head and curl her lips indicating that she is in pain (contractions). The first sign of the new cria will be the forelegs protruding from behind. This can be seen quite clearly in the photo. This will be shortly followed by the crias head. After a few and many minutes (during which mum may well just carry on grazing and walking around with just the forelegs and head visible) the rest of the body will start to appear and you will clearly see the mum straining and pushing the cria out. At this point it all happens quite quickly. The newborn cria will land on the floor with a thud and normally just lay there soaking wet and covered in bits of cord etc. At this point we normaly dart in and quickly check the baby is ok (4 legs, 2 eyes, etc) the sex of the cria and make sure that the cord is not obstructing the breathing in any way. At first it can appear that the newborn cria is dead. This is quite normal but if you keep a close watch you will see the cria breathing and then it will start to try and move around. Some of the other llamas in the herd will often approach and sniff the new member of the herd. Here we can see the cria taking a deep breath ad trying to raise it head. After only a few minutes, the cria will try to stand up. This will take a while and can be heartbreaking as it keeps falling over. Do not try and assist, it will stand in its own good time. Now we are starting to make a little progress. You will note that whilst mum stays very close she is quite content to carry on grazing. Now the cria is up and about, but still very unsteady on its long legs. It is off in search of its first feed. We continue to watch from a distance until we are certain that the cria has had its intake of colostrum which is so essential for kickstarting the crias immune system.
Now the vria is a bit more steady on its feet, mum (and her immediate family who stayed nearby) are keen to go and join the rest of the herd. As they slowly set off, mum will now start to pass the afterbirth. This can be clearly seen in the picture. The llama can take quite a while to completly pass the afterbirth. Here she checks that it is all comming out OK. Not everyones cup of tea, but this shows a good afterbirth ejection. It is important to check that the sack is intact and that the whole afterbirth has been ejected. If it is broken of incomplete you should call the vet and inform them as this could lead to internal problems later. This photo was taken just 1 hour after the cria was born. The cria has been feeding, is sanding beautifuly and the sun has dried the coat which has fluffed out nicely. A healthy and happy mum and baby. The other llama (white) in the picture is her son who was last years cria.
When she is almost ready to give birth, the llama will normaly seperate herself from the rest of the herd, start to walk around testing the ground (finding a suitable place to give birth) nearby, then carry on eating, test the ground again. She will also often cush down and roll over on her side a number of times to assist the unborn cria to get into exactly the right possition.
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