Stepping Stone Farm Alpacas - Stowe, Vermont

Alpaca Weight Loss - Could Be Mycoplasma Haemolamae

2011-08-13T17:40:00.001-04:00

Weight Loss in Alpacas One of the More Unknown Causes: Mycoplasma Haemolamae Following is an article that I am reprinting with permission from the farm that wrote it, Morning Moon Alpacas. My first year of owning alpacas I experienced this nightmare without the vet having any idea what was going on. At the suggestion of another alpaca farm I requested the test. I did receive a positive for the

Alpaca Teeth Grinding

2011-08-13T17:36:00.000-04:00

Alpacas are so stoic that it is often difficult to tell when they are not well or declining. One little behavior to let you know they are in PAIN is if they are grinding their teeth. Pay attention as pain can lead to them going off feed which leads to more serious problems.

Unhealthy Alpaca Cria Dies

2011-06-15T17:31:00.000-04:00

Last year we experienced our first case of what vets call "failure to thrive" or "poor doer". Our star female gave birth to her 6th cria who was fully developed, a good birth weight but the cria couldn't get up and she was hypothermic on a warm, sunny summer day. I gave her over 24 hours of constant support and eventually got her walking and nursing. She never played like the other crias. She had

Controlling Alpaca Parasites Naturally

2011-03-02T16:05:00.000-05:00

A Whole Farm/Organic Approach to Parasite Management Internal parasites are a part of most every livestock producer’s farm. Regardless of whether they are pasture raised or in a confinement setting, livestock will be exposed to internal parasites at some time in their life. In the Northeast, and in other humid climates, parasites can be a major problem and

Alpaca Foot Rot

2011-02-04T17:24:00.000-05:00

As the name suggests, it rots away the foot of the animal, more specifically the area between the two toes of the affected alpaca. It can be extremely painful. It is contagious. It is caused by a bacteria, found in the environment, that gets into the skin. It can affect an alpaca due to wet weather, stress, an injury to the skin of the foot or a mineral deficiency, namely zinc. It is pretty

Blood Draw on Alpacas - Do It Yourself from the Tail

2011-01-18T11:07:00.000-05:00

There are certain things we can do as livestock owners and breeders that can save us a vet visit and bill and allow us to get things done on our own time with less stress for the alpaca. It is very handy to know how to do a blood draw on an alpaca. Whether you need a few drops for an Alpaca Registry DNA test or 1-2 ml for a progesterone test, these simple steps can lead you on the way to being a

Evaluating Your Hay - Quality Hay for Your Alpacas

2010-11-16T21:42:00.001-05:00

You are what you eat. So are our camelids. Most alpaca farms rely on hay to feed their herd some or all of the year. It is important to feed them quality hay or you can end up with thin or unhealthy animals. Hay comes in 1st, 2nd and sometimes even 3rd and 4th cuts depending on the growing season and the weather at cutting times.First cut hay is course with a lot of grasses and doesn’t have a lot

Feeding an Orphaned Alpaca Cria

2010-11-08T18:14:00.000-05:00

It is unfortunate, but does happen sometimes, when a mother either dies or cannot nurse her cria. The good news is that there are options to keep your cria alive and well. One of the four major causes of death for crias is starvation. For the well-being of the cria you need to get him to learn to bottle feed while monitoring him. Bottle Feeding • How Much - A cria should consume 15% of body

Select for Health and Longevity in Breeding Stock

2010-05-30T11:28:00.003-04:00

Stepping Stone Farm Alpacas achieves high quality fiber through multiple aspects of farming. First and foremost, breeding stock should be selected by focusing on health traits. Sires and dams should have a genetic and individual history of a highly productive life, low parasite loads, minor or no heath issues, high breed-back ability, and solid conformation. Second, breeding stock is selected

Marketing Tip: Smile!

2010-04-14T13:59:00.003-04:00

I was walking in town today with my husband and saw a woman walking along pushing a dolly. What grabbed my attention was her fantastic SMILE! It was so happy, sincere and infectious that I burst into a smile myself. I turned to my husband and asked, “Did you see that woman’s smile?" His response, "How could I not?" This propelled us into a conversation about smiles and really has me thinking

How to Take a (Much Needed) Vacation from the Farm!!

2010-04-05T09:06:00.002-04:00

Farming is 24 / 7 / 365 and often physically, emotionally and mentally demanding. Perhaps more than any profession, farmers need a break; a vacation away from the farm for two days, a month or even a year. The benefits of taking a vacation from such work are indisputable. A vacation is a must have, not a luxury. And there are countless creative ways to make it possible. Indisputable Benefits of

Do the Rot Thing - Composting Your Camelid Manure 101

2010-03-16T11:01:00.001-04:00

Human society and its agriculture depend on the health of the soil and water. Your alpaca manure can either be an asset to your farm or a contaminant to the environment. By employing simple on-farm composting techniques you can easily turn your manure into a marketable product or integrate it back into your farm in as little as 120-360 days. Identifying a Composting Site on Your Farm The

Taking Care of the Rumen

2010-03-11T11:09:00.000-05:00

We’ve all experienced it at some point - some major stress in our life or we’ve altered our diet less than gradually or taken medication or something as simple as drinking different water while on vacation and it results in serious digestive upset! Well, alpacas are just as susceptible or more so to gastrointestinal upset than we are. While discussing alpaca digestion can be quite involved, I’ll