On occasion, we have had to fee our cria using a milk substitute. Sometimes the mother was not producing enough milk, was completely absent or the cria was too sick to nurse. If the mother is available, I would highly encourage you to milk the alpaca dam for the milk. If you do need a supplement, below is a comparative chart for milk substitutions. While llama milk is the closest substitute possible, it is not available to us in our area. So, we buy raw goat milk from a local farm and freeze it until it is needed. If at all possible, obtain / purchase unpasteurized milk.Understandable, this is not a common on-the-shelf product. We are in contact with a local woman who raises goats (establishing the relationship prior to an emergency). We have also found Raw / Non-pasturized Goat Milk at a higher end pet store. And, when in doubt go online. Powdered or frozen colostrum is also recommended to have on hand when needed.
|
Milk Composition Comparison
|
||||||||||
|
Species
|
Llama
|
Cow
|
Goat
|
Sheep
|
Whole Milk
|
2% Milk
|
Yogurt
|
½ Whole & 1/2 Cream
|
3 t yogurt/ 8 oz milk
|
TdC Milk Replacer
|
|
Fat, %
|
2.7
|
3.7
|
4.5
|
7.4
|
3.3
|
2.0
|
1.5
|
2.65
|
0.0408
|
2.6908
|
|
Sugar, %
|
6.5
|
4.8
|
4.1
|
4.8
|
4.9
|
4.9
|
11.7
|
4.9
|
0.3263
|
5.2263
|
|
Protein, %
|
3.4
|
3.4
|
2.9
|
5.5
|
3.3
|
3.3
|
3.5
|
3.3
|
0.0979
|
3.379
|
|
Ca, ppm
|
1701
|
1080
|
1400
|
1189
|
1189
|
1991
|
1189
|
0.0055
|
1189.06
|
|
|
P, ppm
|
1215
|
<llama
|
0.0089
|
|||||||
|
K, ppm
|
1201
|
1680
|
>cow
|
|||||||
|
Cl, ppm
|
732
|
980
|
>cow
|
|||||||
|
S, ppm
|
425
|
>llama
|
||||||||
|
Na, ppm
|
272
|
340
|
0.0533
|
75% DV
|
0.0533
|
0.0085
|
0.0618
|
|||
|
Mg, ppm
|
150
|
115
|
||||||||
|
Zn, ppm
|
4.19 ± 0.95
|
|||||||||
|
Ba, median ppm
|
0.278
|
0.188
|
||||||||
|
Cu, median ppm
|
0.109
|
0.052
|
||||||||
|
Fe, Mean ppm
|
0.65
|
0.194
|
10% DV
|
|||||||
|
ME, kcal/100g
|
70.02 ± 9.40
|
85.16
|
103.57
|
155.56
|
||||||
|
TS
|
13.1
|
12.7
|
13.2
|
19.3
|
||||||
|
Lactose
|
6.5
|
|||||||||
|
*Significant farm effect.
|
||||||||||
|
** "…relative proportions of protein subclasses differ; caseins predominate in both species, but llama milk has no detectable ßlactoglobulin and has a higher proportion of lactoferrin."
|
||||||||||
|
"…carbohydrates(complex or simple?)provide relatively more, and fat relatively less, of the energy needs for the nursing cria compared with that of domestic ruminants."
|
||||||||||
|
Trace mineral concentrations in llama milk compare favorably w/ those for cow milk.
|
||||||||||
|
All cites and data from Morin, et al., 1995.
|
||||||||||
|
Replacer
|
Whole Milk
|
Whole Milk
|
2% Milk
|
2% Milk
|
Yogurt
|
Yogurt
|
Yogurt
|
Yogurt
|
||
|
Serving Size
|
8 oz, 224 g
|
8 oz, 244 g
|
6 oz, 170.25 g
|
1t
|
1t
|
|||||
|
G
|
%
|
G
|
%
|
G
|
%
|
G
|
%
|
|||
|
Fat, %
|
8
|
3.3
|
5
|
2.0
|
2.5
|
1.5
|
0.0694
|
0.0408
|
||
|
Sugar, %
|
12
|
4.9
|
12
|
4.9
|
20
|
11.7
|
0.5556
|
0.3263
|
||
|
Protein, %
|
8
|
3.3
|
8
|
3.3
|
6
|
3.5
|
0.1667
|
0.0979
|
||
|
Ca, ppm
|
0.290
|
0.1189
|
0.290
|
0.1189
|
0.339
|
0.191
|
0.0097
|
0.0055
|
||
|
Na, ppm
|
0.13
|
0.053
|
0.13
|
0.0533
|
0.75
|
0.4
|
0.0208
|
0.0085
|
||
|
Ca, %DV
|
25
|
|||||||||
|
Na, %DV
|
3
|
|||||||||
|
Fe, %DV
|
10
|
|||||||||
|
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18
|
||||||||||
|
Yogurt
|
||||||||||
|
Ca content: 452 mg / 8 oz; 8 oz is 227
|
Wallaby Yogurt, Vanilla Creamy Style Low fat Organic
|
|||||||||
|
6 oz (452 mg/ 8 oz) = 339 mg Ca = 0.339 g Ca
|
Ingredients: cultured pasteurized reduced fat milk, org. evap. cane juice,org. extract of vanilla, org. locust bean gum, pectin.
|
|||||||||
|
If 36 t = 6 oz then 1 t = 9.4 mg Ca
|
L. acidopiles, L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, bifudus
|
|||||||||
|
1T = 3 t then 1T = 28.2 g Ca
|
||||||||||
This information was compiled by Brenda Gallagher Tierra del Cielo Alpaca Ranch, Watkins, CO - 2012