Llama Breeding and Birthing
Llamas as Induced Ovulators
Llamas are slightly unusual in as much as they dont "come into season " like many mammals , but rather they are known as induced ovulators, which means that the act of being bred by the male llama stimulates the release of an egg from the female llamas ovary. This does simplify life for the llama breeder who can time the matings in order to have all llama crias born during the optimum time of year, between May and July ,when the grass is at its best for the new born llama and the lactating or heavily pregnant llama dam, and the daylight hours are long and sunny. Despite being induced ovulators , llamas do however still have follicular waves , creating some periods when they are unable to conceive , so around 25% of first matings are likely to be unsuccessful . Experienced breeders who know their female llamas behaviours very well may recognise these fallow patches and in these cases may remove the male without permitting the mating. Repeating the mating process 7 days later however should prove to be more fruitful .
Llama Breeding Methods
Most experienced breeders will pen mate their llamas , which means that the breeder will bring the male llama to the female llama in a suitable small yard area or breeding pen for the purpose of being mated . If the female llama is open and receptive she will normally kush or lie down for the male fairly quickly , with little or no resistance . Once the mating has taken place the male will be returned to his paddock , and the female llama to hers. 7 days later the process is repeated , and if the female ovulated in response to the first mating she will then reject the male , either by running from him or by spitting at him aggressively . The process is then repeated for a third time in another 7 days , and if the female llama continues to spit off the male llama then an educated assumption is made that she has now conceived . Using this method the breeder has precise dates for the llamas conception , and any potential fertility issues are likely to get picked up very quickly. If the llama continues to sit for the male for three consecutive matings/weeks then the vet should be consulted as repeated unsuccessful matings can do great harm to the female. If mating takes place on week one, and the female llama rejects the male at week two , but sits for him again at week three this would indicate that she did ovulate in response to the mating , but that conception did not follow.
The alternative llama breeding method is paddock mating whereby the male llama is allowed into a paddock with selected females suitable for breeding , which would exclude any pregnant llamas, or any llamas with crias at foot as this would not be a safe environment for those crias. The male llama would remain with these females for three to four weeks , after which time it would be assumed that they might all have conceived . No precise dates are known , and there may be no definitive confirmation by two consecutive rejections of the male 7 days apart . If the female has failed to conceive she may have an undiagnosed problem that goes untreated , made worse by the repeated advances of the male , so this method is altogether less satisfactory than properly conducted pen matings.
Confirmation of Pregnancy in a Llama
Even amongst those llamas who have conceived , between day 14 and day 60 around 10% will suffer embryonic losses , so it pays to continue monitoring the llamas pregnancies. Definitive confirmation of pregnancy can be achieved by a slightly risky rectal scan as early as 3 to 4 weeks after a successful mating , or by a much safer trans abdominal ultrasound scan at 60 days . In the time frame between the confirmed pregnancy at 60 days and the full term date , statistically around 5% of pregnancies may still be lost . Sometimes there are outward signs of these losses , especially in the later stages of the gestation , but quite often the breeder is unaware unless regular checks are made . Unfortunately , ultra sound scanning is far less useful as a diagnostic tool during the middle of the pregnancy when a clear image is not achievable , so most breeders will undertake one last spit off using the stud male at the end of the breeding season , usually in August , and then will check again in April to see if the pregnancy has held.
Fertility Issues in Female Llamas
The act of mating is actually quite damaging to the female llamas delicate internal tissues , so repeated unsuccessful breeding can cause permanent scarring and can ultimately cause infertility .Using the pen mating method , most healthy adult female llamas will have conceived successfully by or before a third mating . If the female is still not spitting off the male after three matings then it is time to consult with your vet . Possible causes for failure to conceive might include a uterine infection which will require a course of antibiotics to clear it up . Your vet will need to know the breeding history of the llama , whether she is a maiden or a proven mother , and what behaviour she has been exhibiting towards the male . Was she continuously receptive on day 7, 14 and 21 , or does she sometimes spit the male off one week only to sit for him again the following week ? From these records he will try to establish if she is ovulating successfully but the egg is then failing to implant , possibly due to cervical scarring or an infected uterus , or is she failing to ovulate at all , which in the case of a maiden might indicate a condition known as hypoplastic or very undersized ovaries. Conversely , is the llama known for certain to be an open female, definitely not pregnant , yet she rejects the males advances every time , displaying great hostility and aggression towards him and covering him in green spit ! This behaviour would be indicative of a condition known as retained corpus luteum , similar to an ovarian cyst, which floods her system with progesterone as if she were already pregnant, in which case the vet would give her a hormone treatment to disperse the corpus luteum. Obesity in the female llama dramatically reduces her fertility , and female llamas over the age of 7 or 8 who have never been bred before also have far more difficulty in conceiving.
Fertility issues in Male Llamas
Young male llamas display sexual behaviours as early as five days old , but are actually incapable of impregnating a female llama until they are considerably more mature ! Anatomically , the young male llama has preputial adhesions that prevent his penis from extending until he reaches sexual maturity , which normally happens between the ages of two and three years old, but some early bloomers reach this stage at 12 months ! Boys will be boys and these adhesions will not stop the male llama from trying , so there are some cases where injury or trauma to the males penis has occurred during this period of sexual development which can result in infertility. A physical examination by the vet would also include checking the llamas penis for any balanoposthitis infection , and his testicles for a condition called orchitis , or inflammation of one or both testicles due to an infection. Male llamas are also susceptible to prostatitis and urolithiasis which can affect their waterworks and their ability to mate successfully . Far more commonly , male llamas can suffer with heat stress , which is rather unfortunate as they are so often expected to breed the llama females in the height of the summer . If the llama is in poor health or is suffering from some kind of systemic disease then his libido is likely to be undermined , so an overall health check would also be advisable. It is commonly found that males used for pasture mating lose interest in mating their female llamas if they have been pastured with them for too long . That same male , if presented with some different females would suddenly rediscover his mojo immediately !
Success in Llama Breeding
Keep notes! Have a breeding diary for recording every mating and every spit off , and make notes on the llamas behaviour each time .Keep stress to a minimum , including heat stress , particularly during the first 90 days of the pregnancies.Good nutrition means fit not fat llamas ! Poor fertility and obesity in llamas go hand in hand , particularly for the females as their delicate hormone levels are affected by their body fat content . Llamas are designed to be lean , and most llamas dont need supplementing with extra calories but simply with specific vitamins and minerals that are abundant in their natural environment in the High Andes of South America , but which can be lacking here in the UK . Heavily pregnant and lactating female llamas are an exception, and these llamas will need a camelid specific concentrated feed during these times . All llamas will need supplementing with vitamins AD&E during autumn and winter , including and especially the crias .
LLAMA BIRTHING
Llama Gestation
Having successfully bred your female llamas in the spring or summer , and having reconfirmed that their pregnancies have held the following April , preparation for birthing gets underway . Pregnant llamas ideally need to be allowed to use what will be their birthing paddock at least 6 weeks before their due date as they like to familiarise themselves with their surroundings and many will pick out a suitable spot in which they want to deliver. 11.5 months or 352 days is an average gestation , but the date can vary considerably either side . Much less than 322 days is unlikely to be viable , but 340 is not that unusual. Equally , many will go over 365 days , and some nearer to 390 although this is very unusual. In general , spring births tend to have a longer gestation than late summer ones , and in larger herds it has been recorded that some years everybody seems to go longer than their normal , and in others the whole group seem to be calving a little earlier on average. Getting to know the normal length of gestation for any particular girl can also be helpful , although they still like to take us by surprise or keep us guessing !
Most of the fetal growth takes place in the last three months of the llamas pregnancy , and proprietary camelid feed should be given to the expectant llamas during this time. It is important to double check exactly who is pregnant and who is spoofing at this point so that you can feed the genuinely needy accordingly , and dont accidentally overfeed those whose pregnancies havent actually taken or held . Overfeeding non-pregnant females will make it even more difficult to get them pregnant next time , and can make it less likely that the pregnancy will hold. Pregnant llamas need to be fit not fat ! and the more exercise they take the better .
Llama Birthing Kit
Some people suggest a pair of binoculars to watch from a respectful distance and a deck chair ! (but you will definitely need a towel, some iodine spray and a bin bag .) You will also need obstetric lube and gloves if you are confident about delivering the cria in an emergency by inserting your hand into the Mum . Don`t forget your mobile with the vets number , and hopefully you won`t need it .
LLAMAS IN LABOUR
In general , most llamas go into labour and give birth in the morning , as nature intended, so that the newborn llama cria has a chance to dry off before nightfall .Some pregnant llamas havent read the manual however , and it is not uncommon for an otherwise perfectly straightforward birth to take place at dusk , particularly in high summer when the daylight hours are long , and the night time temperatures are mild . I think the temperate climate here in the UK may have something to do with this as there is less imperative for an early morning birth here. What is not normal however is for signs of an impending birth to be present in the early morning , but still without any normal progress later in the day , and therefore most problem births are identified in the afternoon and evening .Llama labour can be divided into three stages :
Stage 1 ) The llamas cervix begins to dilate , and at this time she may shows signs of mild discomfort , such as frequently shifting her position when recumbent , rolling , vocalising a little , and making frequent visits to the poo pile but without producing a great deal each time. She is likely to take herself away from the rest of the herd , and display some hostility if one of the other llamas approaches her. The llama will seem to be a bit restless and may not graze or cud as much as normal , if at all. This stage can vary from two to four hours , and is sometimes spotted by the breeder simply because this llama is behaving rather differently to all her friends . If no progress towards actually pushing and starting to deliver the cria has been made after 4 hours in stage 1 then it is likely to be time to call the vet because this can be indicative of a "malpresentation" . These are rare in camelids, and in most cases the cria presents with the head and both front feet coming first , but in a malpresentation one or both front legs might be back , or even the cria might be trying to come out as a breach or bottom first baby ! Too much time in labour will start to cause distress in the unborn cria so if in doubt apply the 4 hour rule and contact your vet unless you have prior experience in conducting an internal examination yourself with the necessary sterile lube and gloves !
Stage 2 ) Once the cervix is fully dilated , the llama will again frequent the poo pile but will be much more actively straining with little or no result , and may also choose to adopt the stance away from the poo pile on clean grass. She may get up and down quite frequently too , and can sometimes be seen to be straining even when lying down , with her back legs out to one side . At this point the llama is actively pushing so its a good idea to check your watch as this stage should progress fairly quickly . Sometimes you will see the waters break but not always . In a normal delivery , which most of them are , you are looking for a nose first , which may still be tightly wrapped in the bag , or you may see some movement of the crias nostrils if the membrane has already torn . (Either situation is normal , but sometimes it helps to gently break this membrane if its still in tact as it releases water and hence lessens pressure. ) What you are hoping to see next are the whole head delivered along with the two front feet , which quite often seem to almost punch their way out , quite often with a burst of fluid . This is a joyous moment as it means that your llama has a normal presentation , and hopefully the rest of the process will be plain sailing ! For the onlooker it can be quite disconcerting however to see the young cria waving his front feet , shaking his little head , and apparently gasping for air ! The cria at this point is still receiving oxygen via the umbilical cord however , so neither he nor you need to panic. Sometimes the llama Mum will choose to lie down again at this point which is even more nerve wracking for you because it looks like the poor little cria must be getting squat ! This time taken to actually deliver the cria is important and useful as it gives time for his lungs to start working , and for his muscles to flex. The llama will be having noticeable contractions , with breaks in between , and the next challenge she faces is to deliver the crias shoulders . Most llamas stand for this part , but some will choose to push whilst lying down . The advantage of delivering stood up are firstly that the cria hangs down , and this gives his airways a good opportunity to drain naturally , and secondly that gravity is on Mums side when she tries to push the crias shoulders out . It isnt normal, no matter how tempting , to rush in and help at this time, and can actually cause damage. It`s important to just watch and wait to see if the llama can do it in her own time . Very rarely , the cria will be so lodged , and the Mum may be so tired if it has been a protracted labour , or the cria may be so super-sized that a little bit of help wont go amiss. In this instance, just holding on to the crias two front feet may offer enough resistance at the next contraction to facilitate delivery . Only do this during a contraction , and in such a way that the traction is in a downwards direction . Sometimes a small or very slight rotation of the cria can help to ease the shoulder out , but still in a downwards direction . Absolutely the minimum force should be applied , and released as soon as the shoulders pass , allowing the rest of the delivery of the body and back legs to follow naturally , and the cria to fall to the ground. The umbilical cord will snap on delivery and the uncomfortable thud as the cria meets the ground will help to stimulate his heart and lungs , so its all as nature intended ! IF things don`t quite go to plan , and you have a head but only one front foot , and you have been watching for the second foot for maybe ten minutes or so then using gloves and lots of lube see if you can find the second foot and if it`s not too far back you may be able to gingerly flex it forward . If you have the head only , and no front feet , after 10 minutes with no change call the vet (or lube up if you are really confident about what you are doing ) In any event , the 45 minute rule applies here . If your llama has been pushing and straining for 45 minutes in 2nd stage labour and no cria is forthcoming then it`s time to call the vet as this is likely to be a delivery that Mum can`t manage by herself , and the cria will also be under stress now too .
Stage 3 )
After the cria has been delivered , the placenta or afterbirth should follow fairly soon after. The length of time this can take is quite variable , ideally and averagely within an hour of birthing , but sometimes coming out immediately after the new born cria , sometimes several hours later. The afterbirth is expelled by further contractions , and it`s normal to see the new Mum move a very short distance away from her cria when straining to pass it . She most commonly does this standing up and squatting , but some will even lie down to deliver it , particularly if they also chose to deliver their cria lying down. It`s important to check that the placenta is in tact by stretching it out on the grass , and that it looks healthy and complete , particularly if it has been a difficult or assisted birth. If in doubt take a photo to show your vet . Retained placental fragments can cause internal infections . The afterbirth should look healthy as well as whole , and shouldn`t be smelly. If the afterbirth still hasn`t passed after 2 to 4 hours then an injection of oxytocin should resolve things . The action of the cria nursing also helps to stimulate the hormones needed to deliver the placenta. If it hasnt passed within 24 hours call the vet ! If at any point you or the vet have had to conduct any kind of internal examination , even with gloves on and a sterile lube, I would always give the Mum a shot of antibiotics. If the birth has been assisted and difficult then a dose of metacam may also be appreciated by the new Mum. Don`t leave the afterbirth on the pasture where it will attract foxes and crows . This is what the bin bag is for !
At the earliest opportunity , spray the crias navel and the short tail of the umbilical cord with iodine , turn the cria over and spray again from the other side . Pull away any retained membranes , particularly from the nose , remove the "slippers" from the crias feet , and if necessary , pat the cria dry with a clean towel , but do all this as quickly as possible and step back to allow mother and cria to bond without your intervention. It`s normal for the cria to shiver , and this helps with muscle tone , but if the cria is in the shade then gently carry the cria into a nice warm patch of sunshine if this is practical.
All being well, the cria should be up and the afterbirth delivered within an hour of birth , but frequently it`s much sooner than this , and the first successful suckling by the cria happens within two hours.