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Breeding Alpacas: Part 6 (Cria Care Beyond The First Week)
- Fostings Alpacas
- Jan 6
- 9 min read
Next in our alpaca breeding mini-series is cria care beyond the first week. For the complete series, check out part 1 (selecting your breeding herd) or part 2 (the mating process) or part 3 (gestation and pregnancy testing) or part 4 (birthing) and part 5 (early cria care) or part 6 (cria care beyond the first week).
Introduction
As the cria progresses beyond its first week of life and continues to grow, attentive monitoring remains essential to support healthy development through to weaning. During this period, several key husbandry tasks must also be carried out, including parasite control, microchipping, and registering the cria with the British Alpaca Society.
Worming
What do we want to achieve?
The aim is to maintain or reduce worm numbers to a burden level which is manageable for the alpaca, otherwise the alpaca becomes sick, malnourished, anaemic, depressed, lethargic, suffers diarrhoea, tissue damage and even death. But remember that it is normal for alpacas to be carrying some level of worm burden and will inevitably pick up more post-worming! It’s about keeping a relative balance.
Non-medicinal aids to reduce worm burden
You can help to reduce worm burden by poo picking every 1-3 days, rotating and resting pasture every 6-8 weeks and following your quarantine protocol for new animals. Donkeys and horses can be rotated on grazing after alpacas (not with, as they can kick alpacas), as they eat, but are not affected by, the same parasites as alpacas.
Why blanket worming is not a good idea
Blanket worming is not recommended as this can lead to medication resistance (like the over-prescription of antibiotics in humans), which can later render medicines useless. Guessing which medication to use may also render the process ineffective, as you need to choose a medication according to the type of parasite present, which requires an FEC (Faecal Egg Count).
How do I know if my alpacas have worms?
Some worms may be evident in poo, but regardless of whether or not you can see worms, it’s good practice to carry out routine FEC (Faecal Egg Count) at the peak worm burden times which are usually in April/May and again in October/November, but also in times of poor growth, ill health, apparent discomfort or high stress periods (such as weaning from the dam). An FEC will determine the epg (eggs per gram) of existing worm eggs and coccidial oocysts.
It is recommended to regularly test your cria for internal parasites using Faecal Egg Counts, as their immune system is developing and vulnerable; particularly at times of stress, such as weaning.
Where to send the sample
In the UK, you can send the sample(s) to Westgate Labs (cheaper service, but do not offer advice on treatment) or Camelid Veterinary Services (more expensive, but offer specialist camelid treatment advice) who will send you a kit and instructions on how to collect the sample.
The Results
The results will come as epg (eggs per gram) count and the type of parasite found. The service may include advising whether treatment is required and which medication to use at what dosage rate - if it doesn’t, take the results to your vets for discussion.
What Medication Should I Use?
The medication you require will depend upon the type of worm present, which your vet will be able to advise on once you have the FEC results. Note: Most wormers are safe for pregnant alpacas, BUT avoid ALBENDAZOLE (Albex, Tramazole, Albacert, Endospec) as these may cause birth defects. Inca Alpacas have a helpful sheet here that you can use to discuss a medication plan with your vet.
Hold off movements
Do not move alpacas to fresh pasture after worming, as this can lead to alpacas ingesting medication resistant worms only. Instead, leave them on the 'dirty' at least a couple of weeks to allow them to ingest a mix of resistant and non-resistant worms to help avoid creating a medication resistant worm population.
Microchipping
Microchipping is often done around weaning time and provides a humane, permanent way to identify each cria. It is essential for accurate record-keeping, helps prevent theft, and assists with tracking lineage. While it’s not a legal requirement for alpacas, many breeders find microchipping valuable for maintaining herd records and ensuring peace of mind.
You can watch this video on how microchipping is done from The Alpaca Vet. If you feel confident doing it yourself, you can purchase chips from Alpaca and Llama Care. Alternatively, if you’re not ready to do this yourself, you can arrange for your vet to carry out the procedure.
After microchipping, check that the chip remains in place and ensure there is no discomfort to the cria. If you notice any signs of irritation or infection around the site, consult your vet.
Registering Cria
If you are considering breeding alpacas, we highly recommend that you become a member of the British Alpaca Society (BAS), and purchase alpacas that are already BAS registered. (Read more about BAS on the next page.)
Alpacas can be registered with the BAS under the following categories:
Listed: non-breeding alpacas such as field pets, castrated males, or any alpacas not suitable for breeding (any offspring from listed alpacas cannot be registered)
Note - for females you wish to register as listed, this cannot be done via the system, so you will need to contact Grassroots directly and ask them to do this for you
Notified: potential stud males who can be fully registered once proven (have cria on the ground)
Fully registered: for breeding females and proven males (males must be accompanied by a DNA test)
Aim to register your cria with BAS after microchipping but before 1 year old to avoid late registration fees!
The British Alpaca Society
Who are the British Alpaca Society?
“The British Alpaca Society are the breed society that help ensure the well-being of the alpacas we love, celebrate and promote them and works to ensure they have a bright and long lasting future in the UK.” ~ Bas-uk.com
Do I need to be a member of the British Alpaca Society?
You don't have to be a BAS member to own alpacas. Not all alpacas are BAS registered and not all alpaca keepers are BAS members. However, it is recommended to become a BAS member and buy BAS registered alpacas if you intend to breed alpacas.
What are the member benefits of the British Alpaca Society?
(Correct as at December 2025)
Free quarterly magazine & Yearbook
Free Fortnightly E-Newsletter
Free bag of Camelibra when you join
2 FREE worm counts for new members and 10% off thereafter for existing members
20% off all Safe4 products
10% off full pallets of Jelka Top Clean Mats
5% off Medisave products
£1 off per square metre of Mud Control Mats
How much is a membership to the British Alpaca Society?
£84 Single Membership
£105 Joint Membership
£25 Junior Membership (8-26 yrs)
How much does it cost to register an alpaca with the British Alpaca Society?
(Correct as at December 2025 and inclusive of VAT)
Listed | £0 | for pet/castrated/non breeding males or females
Birth Notified Males | £6 | for males with stud potential, who can become fully registered when proven (have their first cria on the ground)
Registered Females | £24
Full Registered Males | £54 | DNA testing of proven males now in place (as of 2022) which involves either a blood spot or two nasal swabs
Transfer of a listed alpaca | £0
Transfer of registered alpaca (paid by the seller) | £21.60
Regional Alpaca Groups
You can also become a member of regional alpaca groups - check them out on the BAS website here.
Weaning
Cria need to be at least 25-30KG before weaning. Cria born before August are typically weaned between 4 and 6 months of age and will usually weigh between 30-40 kg. Cria born after August will usually require later weaning around 6 months old to allow them more time to reach the minimum weight target of 25-30KG.
It’s best practice to leave the cria in their familiar environment and move the dams away. This reduces stress for the cria by keeping them in a space they know. It is also recommended to move the dams to a pasture with at least one field or paddock in between, so the cria cannot see or hear them. This helps ease the transition and prevents the cria from lingering by the fence line and not moving away for shelter, water and food.
For female cria that you wish to reintroduce to the main herd, a separation period of 10 to 12 weeks from the dam is necessary to consider them adequately weaned.
For male cria, once separated, it’s best to keep them apart to avoid unwanted pregnancies, prevent anti-social behaviour, and reduce stress for both the cria and the dam by avoiding reintroductions and later separations.
They will be under additional stress from the separation process, which can put strain on the immune system and leave them vulnerable to a worm burden, so it is best practice to carry out a FEC a few weeks later.
Berserk Syndrome
Berserk Syndrome is the term used to describe an alpaca or llama that has become unruly, displaying boisterous, over excitable and aggressive behaviour and, as a result, has become unmanageable and deemed unsafe to handle or even approach from a distance.
Alpacas considered to have berserk syndrome display symptoms such as jumping at or rearing up at people, biting, spitting, flipping their tail over their back & dipping their neck into a 'U' position, pushing into or charging at people, appearing overly confident, attempting to push people over and, if successful, progress to trampling and screaming. Females may also display a disinterest in males presented to them for mating when the time arises.
Berserk syndrome usually begins to manifest from a young age, when a young alpaca is overhandled. Overhandled young alpacas develop strong bonds with humans and, through this misplaced imprinting, they miss out on learning important herd social skills, which in turn results in them having difficulty distinguishing between their own species and humans and when they reach sexual maturity (around 2-4 years old) they will challenge humans as if they were an alpaca playmate or rival...
This behaviour may be considered normal and safe when directed at another alpaca, but is not safe for humans to be on the receiving end of! It is more often seen in bottle fed cria due to the increased attention they received at a young age and occurs more often in males than females.
Although incredibly tempting to handle, cuddle and coo over young alpacas, you should avoid doing this, as it can lead to an alpaca developing berserk syndrome - which is not so cute when the they weigh up to 95KG and start throwing their weight around, wielding sharp fighting teeth! Also frustrating if a potential breeding female will not take to a male.
To prevent berserk syndrome developing, don't overhandle young cria, leave cria to bond with their dam & fellow alpacas, keep alpacas in groups of at least 3+ to enable them to learn important herd social skills and avoid boredom that may lead to them seeking out human companionship, push away over interested cria, avoid getting eye level with young alpacas regularly and, if needed, bottle feed from behind. Continue to discourage any overzealous behaviour as the alpaca grows by pushing them away, extending an arm out to stop them approaching and/or walking away and limiting human contact.
Remember that young animals that are nervous of people & want to spend time with their mothers are completely normal and human interaction with these young animals should not be forced.
If spotted early enough, as it is developing, berserk syndrome may be corrected by discouraging certain behaviours. Castration may be considered for adolescent males to reduce the symptoms of berserk syndrome, but may not be effective, and unfortunately for fully grown adult alpacas where berserk syndrome has bedded in and their behaviour is causing safety concerns, euthanasia may be the only option. Therefore, it is very important to prevent berserk syndrome from occurring in the first instance.
Not yet! - Castration
Castration is conducted by a vet to remove the testicles. Once an alpaca has been castrated they are thereafter referred to as a ‘gelding’. Castration is usually carried out between 18 months - 2 years of age to allow enough time for the alpaca to develop and prevent issues relating to early castration, such as prolonged growth period leading to hyperextended joints and predisposition to joint complications and arthritis. The procedure is usually carried out in Autumn or Winter to prevent flystrike.
Castration can help to reduce fighting in males, but this cannot be guaranteed. See things you can do (besides castration) to reduce fighting behaviour in your alpacas here.
The vet will either provide local anaesthetic (providing the alpaca is calm enough to be handled in a safe way) or general anaesthetic. The vet makes an incision to extract the testes which may be left open to drain or stitched. A close eye should be kept on the area in both cases for a while after to ensure infection is not present.
Under no circumstances should castration rings (commonly utilised for lambs) be used as they can cause extensive damage and undue pain and suffering for the alpaca.
Expand your knowledge
There's a lot to learn about breeding alpacas, such as selecting your alpacas, the mating process, supporting the female through gestation, testing for continued pregnancy, the birthing and what to expect as well as trouble shooting problems including malpresentation - when you can correct it and when to call the vet - as well as early cria care and care beyond the first week. The Alpaca Breeding Course, here at Fostings Alpacas offers all of this in a mixed theory and practical delivery, so you come away confident in knowing what to expect when breeding alpacas.
Disclaimer: Fostings Alpacas are not a veterinarian body. Always consult your vet when creating a health plan for your herd and if you are ever concerned about your alpacas.
