DMAR Update for Week 12/21/08:
DMAR Valentino and DMAR Royal Peruvian Princess: Our two newest crias are both thriving and doing well. Valentino had a little bit of retained fluid at birth which caused him breathing issues. It sounded like he had a snotty nose that he needed to blow. It was agitated when he nursed and the first day he went to open mouth breathing. This isn’t what you want to see as all alpacas must breathe through their noses. Crias especially since they continue to breathe through their nose as they are nursing. However with some naxcel, banamine, and pure oxygen Valentino had cleared up the fluid by day 2 and is now a rambucious two week old cria. Princess, on the other hand, has been battling some diarrhea that started out with a case of e-coli. Her poop was yellow and pasty which is a sure sign. I immediately started her out on Albon and within a week the e-coli was gone, but not the diarrhea. We are currently giving her pepto-bismol and probios. It is getting better, but we aren’t too concerned as we see her nursing regularly (getting hydrated) and is running around being active. The diarrhea we are contributing to mom’s rich milk as we believe she only produces heavy cream and not milk.
DMAR Store will be open all this week for the last minute Christmas shoppers. You can stop by the ranch store, but please call for an appt first at 520-803-9569 or you can shop online at http://www.dmarstore.desertmtnalpacas.com. You can still get the items ontime if you select next day or 2nd day shipping.
Registrations have now opened for the 2009 SouthWest Regional Alpaca Show held at the Arizona State Fairgrounds on March 7th & 8th. The alpaca show is free to the public and if you ever wanted to learn more about alpacas attending a show is a great way to network and meet alpaca ranchers and ask questions. Tom and I are the event show managers, so please contact us at swralpacashow@yahoo.com if you have any questions. The show website may also answer a lot of your questions and that address is http://www.swras.org.
Our maremma dog, Bianca, is due sometime this week or next. We are excited as always to welcome her new pups. The whelping box is in place and Bianca has made herself comfortable in it many times now. I truly felt like she gave a sigh of relief when she saw me putting it in place. I know she was searching a location to have her pups and now she needs to search no more. This week Tom will place a camera in the feed room where the whelping box is, so we and online viewers can watch. Remember that you can reach the web cam by going to http://www.desertmtnalpacas.com and clicking on the Live Cam link at the top menu.
Don’t forget that in January we will have the Alpaca Know How Seminar. This is great for all you need alpaca ranchers to get a hands on as to how to select a good quality alpaca from a pet quality. For more information click on the DMAR Seminar link on the left hand side menu.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
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