The weather has held out and we have now taken our second cutting of hay which I will keep for the alpacas this winter. Depending how much we get I may sell some.
So lets just hope the weather holds so that we can get it dried and bailed.




We have a cria with a small hernia at the point where the umbilical cord passes through the muscle wall. Small hernias like this are not uncommon in ruminants as the the whole weight of their digestive system rests there from day one. Unlike humans who tend to lie on their back after birth.

We have used a small pad and vet wrap for now to create a hernia support. I have also ordered the hernia support kit from useful alpaca items as it makes it much easier to take on and off which is essential if you want t know how quickly the opening is healing.

The key things to look for are that the small lump is indeed small and can be pushed back into the body cavity. You will need to call the vet if it is large or if it is red in color and warm to the touch.

Large hernias are more problematic and often require surgery to close the gap. The bigger concern with a large hernia is that it may be hereditary in nature and therefore undesirable in a breeding alpaca.

Adrian Stewart