Record keeping is an essential part of alpaca breeding and it is something I am particularly stringent with.
Now that all the birthing is over here at Barnacre I have been looking at all of our data to plot all the averages and spot the trends and anomalies. Amazingly the Barnacre average gestation at the start of 2010 was 346 days, and this years average is 346 days even with the bad winter and many more births (15) than we have had in previous years.
Our average birth weight was 7.68kg, even taking into account tiny Minimus who was 4kg, who is now a healthy 12.52kg. Our cria weight gains have been much higher this year than in previous years which we are thinking is probably down to the new field we have rented. It has not been grazed for many years and according to a Shepard friend this would allow different types of grass to appear with a higher calorific value.
All very interesting - well I think so!
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
Debbie, you and Barbara make a right pair with your nerdy tendancies! only joking, I've always found statistics fascinating, and I must get around to producing a graph of my cria weight gain, now that I have three to make it worthwhile. It is interesting that the exceptional winter doesn't seem to have affected your herd, although I expect it does depend on the actual timing of the severe weather relative to the stage of pregnancy.
Funnily enough my average gestation..last 2 years is 346 !! Looks like the new field..is helping with the rapid growth of this years..babies.....Jayne
I'll have to work out my average now!
That's really good growth from Minimus. Well done!
Post a Comment