Low Birth Weight

[llamacrialocks]

I've been raising llamas for three years and notice low birth weights in my crias especially first time Moms.
I feed a grain mixture once daily, hay free choice, pasture free choice, minerals with salt free choice all year.
The llama Moms seem very well fed and are not under weight, if anything a little over weight. They seem to have plenty of milk and the crias are healthy, just low weight at birth.
Example: one little boy was 18 pounds, a little girl 21 pounds, both from new Moms, both crias turned out happy and healthy, maybe a little smaller in body than the higher weight crias.
Any suggestions on how I can up birth weight or do I need to? :confused:

Thank you,
Courtney

[Marty McGee Bennett]

Actually in my reading and discussions with veterinarians particulary Dr. LaRue Johnson it is likely that overweight females will have underweight babies as well as suffer from reduced milk production so perhaps it may be time to put your girls on a diet and ramp up the exercise!