Baby Barn (you might want to enjoy looking at the photos first, then come back to read this)
The baby barn is set up for multiple functions, including vet intervention for difficult births; Isolating mom and cria the first 24 hours to assure colostrum and bonding; to severe weather protection for the more vulnerable, or to the whole female herd; Injections, worming, grooming, nail trimming, etc for both moms and babies. However the general day to day use is working with the crias while their moms are in for the daily supplements they need for lactation, at the same time a new cria is growing inside them. Many are super dams, virtually pregnant the majority of their lives with a 11 ½ month gestation, and bred back 12 days postpartum. They are also nursing a cria for 6 to 9 months of that pregnancy. This is a tremendous drain on their bodies, so the moms also get weighed every day and we provide their necessary supplements in individual stalls to be sure they get all of their individual ration. An important note is the majority of these ladies are only content when they are pregnant and nursing, and act depressed when they are left open for an extended time.
While the moms are eating it is the perfect time to check the crias daily weight gain and provide a short lesson to develop the personalities we want, and then let them have some play time (recess). The play time not only provides entertainment for the observers, but jumping in and out of the trailer and stomping through ”the box “are also life lessons.
Important note: Llama crias are super cute and respond to cuddly, but, and this is a big but, crias that have been part of a petting zoo have to be destroyed about the age of 2, or used as a guard animal, because they have become too aggressive to humans.
Llamas are quite unique, and their training has to be unique too, different than horses or dogs, even old-world camels, if you want the optimum outcome. Of course you can skip the cria training, and still end up with a great packer. We just want an animal that has a true symbiotic relationship with humans based on mutual trust. The more different people involved in the “playtime“ or going for a walk or obstacles contributes to this outcome.
Llama crias (babies) are primarily born in the middle of the day, or so the books say. Depending on weather, eventually we carry them into the barn to spend their first night in the barn in a stall with only their mom.
This is the proper way to carry a new born cria, they quit struggling quickly, if at all, and then they seem to enjoy the ride from the high vantage point, looking around and taking in their new world. We become a focal point in that new world, and believe this is the first stage of building trust.
In a natural birth the cria is generally expelled until hanging by their hips, then they hang there for several minutes. When they are born in the barn with assistance we hang them head down to drain any fluids, and this is a little assist to suck out some mucus
Wyoming Hayley says hello to Comet
Poka meets Vaughn, who is destined to become a future herdsire.
We like to dry them with a towel first, the rubbing stimulates them in addition to drying and desensitizing.
The towel is followed up with a blow dryer, continuing the drying, stimulating and desensitizing. This is done intermittently to allow mom and cria time for bonding
Hookup for the first milk, the all important colostrum
Sondy and the new addition getting acquainted, this displays llama's natural curiosity even as a newborn cria