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fiber falling out
I searched everywhere google would take me to find specific info on what causes fiber to fall out by the handful & besides stress, i haven't really seen anything that "feels right" to my gut (& i'm all about intuition) to explain what i'm seeing with 2 yearlings...both are having fiber fall out literally by the handful. one yearling developed diarrhea 2 weeks ago & was immediately put in a quarantine area downwind from everybody else (lesson learned from the "snots" a couple years ago) . he was alone but could see alpacas around him including his normal pen mates...fecals revealed scant coccidia but nothing else. treated with albon, biomycin, probios, pep talks & prayer. 10 days later noticed his fiber falling out (can it happen that fast from stress?????) & put him back with his buddies (7 juvie to yearling males whose fecals were negative & who weren't showing any signs or symptoms of illness but treated w/ same med routine as him just in case); on day 11 i began 2nd round of albon on entire group. yesterday noticed fiber hanging on another male; thought at first he'd been wrestling w/ other boys but when i got my hands on him, found same condition as the other one. this guy is 18 months old & hasn't left his pasture since weaning at 6 mos of age. he's one of the oldest in that pasture. I feed blue seal pellets, as much orchard hay as they want & have free choice minerals available at all times. they body score 2.5-3 on scale of 5 . hope like **** this is an isolated condition but just in case i find more today when i literally pull the fleece on the entire herd, i wanted some input as to possible causes. any & all input will be MOST appreciated!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Terrie Reynolds on -
It's a huge learning curve for us human caregivers isn't it???? Just when we think we've got a hand on things...WHAM! Reality comes knockin'!
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Permalink Reply by Cindy Lavan, Chase Tavern Farm on -
I would check liver levels. If you have the runny stool and fleece falling out, you might have liver issues.
Cindy Lavan
Chase Tavern Farm
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Permalink Reply by Terrie Reynolds on
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thanks Cindy, i'm going to do blood work up on both boys today.
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Permalink Reply by Bruce Bennett on -
Question would be is the fiber breaking off and falling out or is it coming right out of the skin. If you have had a long wet spell with the weather you may have a fungal infection. We are learning that fungal infections in alpacas are alot more common than one would think and they can be miss diagnosed as bugs, or bacterial infections or other ailments. The fungal infection can make the hair fall out and can be caused by all sorts of stuff especially mites. And they can get mites even if you worm religiously. The fungal infection can also infect lungs, nasal passages, throat (thrush) and most of the internal organs, along with the intestines, hence the runs. If the skin is wet or looks infected where the hair is falling out, it's a good chance it's a fungal infection and they are a bear to get rid of. The only way you can tell what kind of infection it is, is to take a sample and grow a culture, or the vet should. Also, mites and other bugs can cause fiber to fall out and even if you worm every month, they can still get mites.
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Permalink Reply by Terrie Reynolds on
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Anyone who needs proof that alpacas need a buddy please look at these pics. One of our yearling males developed diarrhea & immediately moved him to a quarantine pen...the pen is located downwind of all other pens/pastures (for respiratory quarantine) but still within sight of other alpacas (for company). The male that had the diarrhea... is the white one. Neither the brown male or the rest of the yearling males had any signs or symptoms of illness whatsoever. Within 72 hrs of being quarantined the white males fiber began falling out in clumps as did the brown males. In hind sight I remember seeing the brown male eat his grain & graze on hay but he spent the vast majority of his time chewing his cud at the far end of the pasture...closest to & within easy eyesight of, the white male. In the middle of December in the mountains of WV, I had 2 males with fiber breaks to their skin, over 80% of their body...immediately after discovering that they had fiber breaks they were covered in sheep covers to hold their fiber close to their bodies for warmth. Once the white male had fully recovered, both males were moved to our birthing area (not in use in the winter). This area has a heated room & faces southeast for solar warming & out of the prevailing winds. While we can understand the white male's fiber break, the only reason that we can attribute to the brown males fiber break is depression...he missed his buddy. Both males have regrown their fiber & are doing great! Both have lovely fleece but both will become geldings. Stress manifesting to this degree is not a trait that we would risk reproducing in their offspring. So if anyone says that they don't need a buddy...show them this story!
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Permalink Reply by Ann Merriwether on -
Hi,
I've not had fiber break (tender fleece) in an alpaca yet (knocking on wood here). I had three sheep with it this year. One had a parasite issue. The other two got into the grain (my youngest daughter accidentally left their gate open and a door open) Both developed acidosis and it was touch and go to save them. Both developed horrible wool break. Now I'm not sure what to do with the fleeces. I had them sheared a few weeks later so the break is near the skin. I hate to spend money on processing but I hate to ditch the fleeces too. What do folks do with tender fleeces?
Thanks
Ann
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Permalink Reply by Terrie Reynolds on
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Good morning Ann,it's my understanding that tender wool can't be trusted...weak wool=weak yarn. Perhaps ok for felting?
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