Cria Milk Substitute Comparisons - Alpacas of Montana

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Cria Milk Substitute Comparisons

  • 3 min read
 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

 

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