Alpaca Cria
Sire and dam selction must take place before the creation of your cria. Sire refers to the father and dam is the name given to the mother. Once bred it is about an 11 month wait for that special baby. Sire selection is based on breed standards. These standards are a guide related to a combination of traits. They have a goal of directing the genetics of a herd towards the ideal alpaca. Approximately half of breeding standards are related to conformity. Every attempt is made to keep conformity faults out of a herd. Some problems with conformity are not related to heredity. The other half of breeding standards are related to fleece. Coverage and fleece color are important. For more information regarding fleece quality be sure to check out the fleece section of this website. Breeding is strictly monitored when breeding alpacas. We make every effort to monitor the delivery of our babies as well. Once your cria is on the ground it needs to be weighed, inspected and carefully monitored the first few weeks of its life. Newborn care is mostly montoring but is especially critical in the first few days of life. When your cria is a healthy 4 to 6 months old it is time to register your animal. Your alpaca is now considered viable.
The Ideal Alpaca , Problems With Conformity , Fleece Color , Breeding , Delivery of Cria , Newborn Care , Quality Fleece , |
Cria is the term used when discussing a baby alpaca. The birth of cria every spring is one of the most exciting times of the year on our farm/ranch.