Hi Susan,
Haven't lost one to heat, but we did have an early delivery that ended in a dead cria (too early) due to heat. :(( We take heat very seriously here.
Late term pregnant females and new crias are the most likely to suffer from excessive heat. The little ones don't have their thermostats adjusted quite yet and will lay out in the sun way beyond what is healthy for them sometimes. And any mother knows what torture it is being super pregnant in the dead heat of summer... been there done that before.
This particular female of ours is very prone to stress, she can't be shorn, or get too hot when she is in her last trimester- we have learned the hard way, so we watch her very closely in this kind of heat.
Seriously, I just wander around the house wanting to cry it's so hot (yup- I'm a heat wuss) and they are all soaking it up!! Weird animals... :))
Slainte~
Rachelle
ps.... anyone wanna trade a paca for an air conditioner? :))
Black Magic Alpaca Ranch
Honesty, Integrity, Quality
Wyatt & Rachelle Black
P.O. Box 457
6500 Digier Road
Lebec, CA
93243
(661-248-6568)
4f. Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:31 pm (PDT)
Well, its a lot cooler where you are and our alpacas are fine. They have
shade but lay out in the 104-106 degree heat here in So.Cal. and it drives
me crazy - you know, the "dead alpaca syndrome". I still get a start when
I see one off alone like that. We have sprinklers on $25 battery-operated
timers (Home Depot, Lowe's) attached to the hose that go off belly-high five
times a day and that really helps them out. Those carport awnings for
$120 at Home Depot provide lots of shade while letting the breezes in. I
never ceases to amaze me how strong and adaptable these animals are.
Just curious - has anyone HAD an alpaca who died of heat stroke?
SUSAN OLSON
Alpaca Loco
Riverside, CA
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