Made By Alpaca People For Alpaca People
Breeding Times
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Cynthia Hager (Cindy) on -
Being relatively new and small I'm tiring to keep my girls pregnant. Later I will synchronize my herd and breed for spring cria when the weather and food is the best. That way they will not be heavy with pregnancy in our extreme heat (high desert of Calif.). I will feel I can leave the herd with someone other than the head Shepard (me) and go on maybe the Pacaribbean Cruise!
-
Permalink Reply by Cynthia Hager (Cindy) on
-
Some how it happened my herd is synchronized all cria will be born in late Oct- early Dec. this should be a very good time fall is lovely here in the desert. That is only 5 lady in waiting! OPPs one down a lt.fawn male....I'm sure the rest will be an assortment of color but all females...smiles.
-
Permalink Reply by Tracey Koehler on -
Hey Maryann, are talking about the time we breed for births. ( Spring/Fall) or breeding back after delivery?
When I purchased my girls they were bred for fall births. One turned up open and we decided to hold her until spring. I think spring births would be better, at least in Michigan with the cold ,long winters. Give the babies more time to grow and get a good fleece on them. I hope to gradually move my other Momma to the Spring cycle as well. Our Rosie will be bred this Spring too.
-
Permalink Reply by Scott Sillito on -
We have been working toward a spring (April-May) breeding season, but last year the whole program got twisted around... We have had a couple of fall babies, and haven't seen a big difference by the following spring based on birthdates. We do have some animals whose cria seem to grow at a slower rate. I have only seen it in 3, one was born to a 14 year old dam, and the other two were out of maidens. I guess we will see what happens this year!!
Scott
-
Permalink Reply by Rick Horn - All American Alpacas on -
We normally breed 17 days post partum. We like to spread the births out, but ended up with a gaggle of new crias around the holidays, so we're holding a few open until spring.
Our birthing season is January 1st - December 31st here, so we do have more flexibility than most
-
Permalink Reply by Mada Vemi Alpacas on -
Here in south central VA I breed from Nov 1st to June 1st. The only thing we avoid here is the last 3 months of pregnancy in June, July, and August since it's hot and humid during that time. We rebreed 17-21 days post birth as long as the female is receptive.
In 2008 we did a ton of mobile breedings all over the area and it seems that most people didn't mind doing the late fall/early winter breedings despite the fact that the weather was much colder here than we normally get.
We just had crias Jan 4th & 5th and despite the cold they've doubled their birth weight in 3 weeks. Our next crias due won't get here until late March/early April and I'm more concerned for those because that's the time of year we tend to get rains and warmer temps...coccidia in the making. The cold weather babies don't have to deal with the parasite issues for the most part yet the spring babies arrive at a time when coccidia and other nasty beasties are waking up from a long winters nap.
Dawn
Mada Vemi Alpacas
Dawn@MadaVemiAlpacas.com
-
Permalink Reply by Ann Clayburn on -
very educational you all having different breeding birthing times.
We are in Ontario, Canada so we get all four seasons full force. We try for spring cria and breed no later than Sept.
We Do Not Want Winter babies! crias can get frost bite very easily
We have found breeding 12-14 days postpartum works best for our gals.
-
Permalink Reply by Maryann Marsh on -
I myself try for a lot of things...........
Never last trimester from the end of May thru the beginning of Oct. with our heat
At least 60 days in by sheering time (usually the first week in April) so no re-absorption
At least into mid second trimester during hurricane season
And our birthing times are usually the end of October thru the beginning of may at the latest.
Being in Florida is tricky with our heat but our birthing season can be much more flexible with our mild winters!
-
Permalink Reply by David and Linda Bradley on -
Considering that the perfect of gestation is 11 - 11 1/2 months we personelly don't breed before the middle or end of June. Mid Michigan is still reasonably cold in May and I just don't want to be a worry wort over the cold nights and our ciras. As far as the end of the breeding period is usually no later then the first of Oct. We do have an area of the barn that the chill can be taken off with a heater and a closed in area that is unsulated and can be heated I would rather allow the best part of the year serve my animals to have as much of a natural life as possible during birthing. We had one baby born in a snow storm in Nov. one year and I really thought we had lost him but he is now one of our nicest and storngest of males. However we had to work non stop for near 5 hours after we discovered a wee bit of life in him. NOT AGAIN if at all possible.
-
Permalink Reply by Donna Jaruzel on -
We breed from June thru September. I really don't want any babies arriving any earlier then mid-May and no later then the end of September. I prefer the late spring/summer births over any other time. I want to give them as much time as I can to get big and strong before the cold weather hits. We wait approximately 15 days post birth to re-breed the females.
-
Permalink Reply by Chris Arnold ~Good Shepherd Farm on -
This has been some great reading. We held our females over this year to get them on a Spring birthing cycle. By birthing in the Spring, our cria will have more fleece to keep warm and should be ready to do the Fall shows. With two boys under 11 years old Spring time is baseball, soccer, etc. and in the past i have had to coach. We wait 17-21 days as well.
-
Permalink Reply by Jami Barnett on -
I have heard in the winter some concern for lack of Vitamin D (sun) in cria, is this much of a concern for those of you with harsh winters and shorter days (daylight)?
© 2010 Created by Maryann Marsh.
