Re: [AlpacaTalk] feed
Hi Wendy,
Sorry, this email got caught in Yahoo's spam filter for some reason,
others you've sent today and recently went through fine! Weird!
Stillwater minerals are made for llamas and alpacas. That's what we
have always used. You can get them straight from Stillwater, at their
website, and I believe they offer free shipping. However, they are only
available in large quantities. It's not a problem for the minerals,
since minerals are rocks :) but vitamins do have a shelf life, and
degrade after a short period of time. Even "stabilized" vitamins are
only good for no more than a year, and that's really pushing it! We
recommend that people who use our feed only have enough on hand that
they'll use in no more than 3 months. Since we get a new ton every two
weeks, they don't even need to have it around that long! But that's
beside the point...
Perhaps you and some other breeders in your area can "go in" on some
Stillwater or Cache la Poudre, or some other alpaca or llama mix, and
replenish with fresh stuff every few months? Zinpro 100 comes in a 5 lb
bucket, if you have a small herd, even 5 lbs will last a long time!
Quality Llama Products, Useful Items, I think Jeffersvet all carry
camelid products. And try googling alpaca mineral or something like
that.
We don't grind the flax seed, I think the alpacas do a fine job of it
on their own. Some people will say that there is increased risk of
tooth/gum abcess from a seed getting wedged in the gum, but I feel that
risk is negligible, no more than a piece of straw or hay, I think...
And flax will go rancid very quickly once its ground. Seeds are meant
to stay fresh if left whole, until they sprout. Nature is really great
that way. :) EFAs are essential Fatty Acids. Flax seed is loaded with
em and it really improves fleece luster, crimp, color, and character.
We feed about 1 tablespoon topdress daily. Just make sure there is no
chance your alpacas can access it even if there is a "gate incident".
Someone lost two dams when they each ate around 1 cup of flax seed
after breaking out of their stalls and into the barn. Many seeds,
including flax, contains small amounts of prussic acid, which is a form
of cyanide. Consumed in large quantities, it can cause problems.
Smaller amounts of prussic acid does not cause any harm and is
eliminated by the metabolic processes. I have seen it recommended to
substitute chia seed for flax, but it costs over 3 times what flax
does! For a herd of 50+, it can be prohibitive!
So very long story short, if I had no access to a good, grain free
alpaca feed, I would feed either alfalfa or timothy hay pellets
topdressed with 1 T flax seed, and a bit of mineral mix either topdress
(according to instructions) or free choice. For pregnant and nursing
dams, we also topdress with up to 2 T of stabilized rice bran. Some of
our older girls really get thin as their crias grow!
But I can't stress enough, and I haven't talked about this in a long
time, is that we do not feed grain to our alpacas. They are modified
ruminants, and they're just not evolved to process starches and sugars
in the gut. Causes acidosis and leads to ulcers. We lost a color
champion to a perforated ulcer on her 1st birthday when we did feed a
corn/grain-based feed. And had our fleeces micron blow out up to 10
microns in one year, in young animals! We knew it had to be the feed!
Ok, I'm tired and have a headache. I'll write more tomorrow and answer
any questions. :)
Heather
On Dec 17, 2008, at 7:07 PM, Wendy Edwards wrote:
> hi Heather - i have often wondered about the feed we give our alpacas
> - here on the island, alpaca farmers "all" seem to feed the bagged
> alpaca pellets with (a few without) dairy mix - i questioned this when
> we bought our first alpacas, but the folks we bought them from told me
> that is what they are fed. Since then i have read a lot and sought out
> advice on feeding - apparantly there isn't anywhere here that will
> make up a custom feed.
>
> I have tried various feeds and supplements in addition to the alpaca
> pellets, some they would eat grudgingly, some not at all. I don't know
> what Stillwater minerals are.
>
> We have access to good orchard grass hay and the alpacas have free
> choice hay at all times. I feed my males the same feed as my females,
> although in a smaller amount. Last year the shearer told me all my
> animals are fat. I know this is not a good thing
>
> after following along on this discussion (Alpacatalk) i have bought a
> bag of flax seed. Heather, my question is do you grind the flax before
> you feed it to your alpacas? Also, and this is likely a dumb question,
> what is or are EFAs? Healthy animals and fine fleece are my goals but
> the feed issue is a huge one for me.
>
> thanks for any clarification you can provide.
> Wendy
> DreamWeaver Alpacas
> BC
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posted by Chaddo at 8:28 PM
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