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Halter training
Hello Forum
How old should a cria be to start halter training. We always start
on them at 60lbs of body weight. They are strong and can handle some stress
But is that to early or not??????
How old should a cria be to start halter training. We always start
on them at 60lbs of body weight. They are strong and can handle some stress
But is that to early or not??????
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rick Horn - All American Alpacas on -
Ask 87 people, you'll get 142 opinions. I'd say whenever you want to.
I do know some that start at two weeks, halter up mom, halter up cria, walk mom, cria follows.
I start whenever I get around to it, usually post weaning, and always walking two or more at a time
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Permalink Reply by Tracey Koehler on -
Hey Dave, no expert here but we started with Rosie when she was about 4 weeks old. We would start by just putting the halter on her for a little bit . Then after a few days we attached the lead and just let her walk where she wanted. I think the younger the better. They are not so stubborn and the little ones love to follow you around anyway. Of all my animals Rosie and Sonoma who we started on early are the two best, they will let you walk up to them and halter them without a fuss. They love to go for walks around the yard. WE get no pulling or planted feet that will not move ! If you have the time just do it little by little and the sooner they get used to it and know what to expect the better behaved they are.
Just my thoughts! :-)
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Permalink Reply by Eleanor Schenck on -
Dave,
As soon as my cria are born and I've checked that their breathing is ok I put a halter on them. It wears the halter (a baby halter of course) until I'm finished removing the membrane and the booties, toweling the body to dry it, disinfecting the umbilical cord, checking the teeth etc.
I stay with the cria until it is standing and appears to be getting ready to nurse. Then I remove the halter.
Every morning after that I halter it for at least a half hour under close supervision of course. By the time they're a week old-- weather permitting--they get anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes on a lead. You must be careful of stress with these little ones. At the first sign of rapid breathing, flared nostrils etc. STOP!
Both my June cria from this year are fully halter trained and comfortable around people and loud noises. Passing cars and trucks don't bother them a bit. You can never completely "spook proof" an alpaca. But early training will go a long way towards creating a gentle adult.
Just my opinion.
Eleanor
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Permalink Reply by Theresa Reyes-Stassel on -
Eleanor, I must chime in to say that your philosophy and the training techniques of John Mallon have impacted tremendously on me. I have seen in person your little ones and how well they handle halter training and maintenece chores as a result of your immediate approach to desensitizing cria from birth. I applaud your dedication to raising alpacas that are easy to handle and have the best temperaments. I can honestly say that in the five years I have been involved in alpacas ( you know as you sold me my first alpacas) I have yet to find anyone who has such a hands on and successful approach to raising alpacas that are a joy to be around and cooperative with maintence and handling. Thanks so much for the John Mallon videotape.
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth A. Jones on -
We usually start our crias shortly after the first week of birth. It's been my experience that the sooner the cria is haltered and learns what this means, the better. We've tried this approach on cria's from 1 week to 2 months of age and have found the younger cria seem to be more accepting & trusting than the older crias.
Also, when haltering for the first several times, we keep the environment as calm and pleasant as possible. (No barking dogs running thru the barn or unpleasant distractions) Environment is key. . . we don't halter our crias just to do vet checks. WE will halter them and just walk them around with mom sometimes and then let them go. There's nothing worse than haltering an alpaca/cria and then having to stick it with a needle to draw blood or give injections etc. They associate pain and unpleasantries with the halter & lead. Keep it fun, safe, and pleasant. . . and be patient.
For alpacas that aren't born on our farm that don't receive this type of handling I will utilize an inner tube for resistance training. A lot of time this will involve weaned alpacas purchased elsewhere that don't have any knowledge of a halter. I'd rather have the alpaca pull and tug harshly on that inner tube than my arm. This training is done in a safe place in our barn. I've trained quite a few alpacas to lead in and accept a halter but there are some difficult alpacas. Patience is a virtue.
Liz Jones
West Wind Alpacas
Unionville, VA
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Permalink Reply by Eleanor Schenck on
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I place a halter on my cria about 1/2 hour after they are born--under close supervision of course. Assuming there are no issues with the cria or the dam, I halter and un-halter several times daily for the first week. At about 1 week I begin halter training with a lead--very gently and for about 5 minutes or so several times a day--weather permitting. Most of my cria are totally halter trained at 2 to 3 weeks old.
Ellie
Pacapoo Alpacas
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