Camelids in the Southwest

Although alpacas are hearty beasties we take numerous precautions to ensure their comfort for the summer months. Heat stress is an issue we must address but is even more critical in the southeastern United States. There, humidity adds to the problem.

Shearing annually and providing shade are the most essential steps to take for the prevention of heat stress. We have at least two shade structures in each of our pastures. That way if a more dominant animal keeps a submissive animal from lying under one shelter there is always another shady spot available. Shearing EVERY year is of the utmost importance. Shearing the animals removes the heat retaining fiber that is said to be 8 times warmer than wool. Imagine passing a summer in southern California wearing 8 wool sweaters!

At Alpacas del Valle Cereza we usually shear our alpacas the first week of July. The reason for waiting until then is it is often extremely hot in southern California into and sometimes even through October. In other parts of the country breeders may begin shearing their herds as early as the end of February. We have decided however, to shear our black crias earlier in the season so that they can more efficiently absorb sunlight and receive the benefits of the vitamin D that it provides. A heavy coat of black fiber, while being very warm, can make it difficult for the young animal to receive sufficient sunlight exposure on their skin.

Other things we do to ensure our alpacas comfort during the summer include creating air currents, using misters and hosing off their legs. We have added one or two box fans to each of our small barns to use during the hottest days of summer. We have also installed misters to the barns and shade shelters. We keep the misters up high enough that the animals don't get wet which can lead to fiber rot over an extended period of time. It's obvious and heartening to see how much the alpacas enjoy the fans and misters. They are often seen standing right in front of them with big smiles on their faces.

If you really want to make an alpaca happy, and cause a commotion, then just turn on a hose. Other than food, we've never found anything they enjoy more than having their legs cooled off. It's each 'paca for itself as they jostle and jockey for position. It's important to restrict the water to their legs (under their tail is fine too) and not to wet the body. Doing so can create extremely high humidity making the heat problem much worse and potentially dangerous.

You'll probably be surprised at how very much alpacas love water. If they can get their feet into a container of water then there is no doubt they will do exactly that! Keep this in mind when installing waterers and be prepared to move them a little higher when you find one of the animals standing with its front feet in one you thought was high enough to keep them out. On the other hand you must be sensitive to your crias and make sure they can reach fresh water at all times.

Last Modified: November 9, 2005, 7:46 pm