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Key Points A fundamental animal husbandry skill.Perform monthly as a routine procedure, in combination with mucous membrane colour checking. Perform more frequently in problem cases.Score on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is really skinny and 10 is obese. The ideal BCS is 5.5-6/10.Use weighing as well, to enable monitoring of young growing animals and…

Following on from our resource on Body Condition Scoring of Alpacas, this video demonstrates how to assess for anaemia in alpacas by checking mucous membrane colour.

Background South American Camelids are susceptible to Vitamin D deficiency. In growing animals, this manifests clinically as rickets: affected animals exhibit stunted growth, angular limb deformities and lameness. They may also be lethargic, have depressed appetites, and may walk with a hunched back due to pain and are typically smaller than age-matched herd mates. Vitamin…

Although one always wishes for a trouble-free birthing season with easy birthings, good mothering and crias that are not only able to nurse, but their mother is able to provide all their nutritional needs, this doesn’t always happen. Occasionally a female dies and leaves an orphan cria or doesn’t have milk, or just doesn’t want…