IMPROVEMENT OF ANDEAN CAMELIDS

Cesar Novoa 1/

In the last two decades, research has produced much knowledge about the biology of camelids and how to make better use of this resource.

Some erroneous concepts have been modified but many gaps in knowledge need further study. This paper contains a brief description of environment, farm characteristics and a summary of management practices recommended for increased production.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PASTURE GRAZING LAND

The central Andes "Puna" a natural zone for rearing camelids is composed of a series of mountain valleys and plateaux situated between 3600 to 5000 metres altitude. The area commences in the "Pampa de Junin" in the central region of Peru (latitude 11 south) and finishes in the south of Bolivia (latitude 21 south). Due to its diversity, the Puna is divided into three zones: humid, dry and arid.

The humid Puna is close to the eastern Cordillera and the dry Puna is close to the western Cordi Llera, both starting in the central region of Peru and extending as far as central Bolivia. The arid Puna is close to the Atacama desert in Chile and reaches as far south as Bolivia.

The typical climate of the Puna is characterized by low temperatures, frequent night frost and variability in rainfall. These characteristics are related to the altitude. The annual mean temperature is 8 C but improves from October to April, the rainy months. The greatest differences in temperature are during the day with a range of 20 C in the dry season, due to night frost. At 4500 metres night frost occurs throughout the year. To the north rainfall is about 500-850 mm decreasing to the south to 100-400 mm, being very irregular in the arid Puna. In general the soils are poor.

Owing to the factors described above, the main vegetation consists of graminea and herbaceous plants, with only a few trees found in specific microenvironments. However this geographical area has been of great importance to the local inhabitants. Alpacas and llamas were originally domesticated in this area creating a pastoral/agricultural economy (potatoes, quinua (Chenopodium guinea) canihua (Chenspodium pallidicaule), etc., cultivation of the latter always being subject to the hazards of the environment. This "agro-pastoral" system is now used with sheep and cattle, introduced after the Spanish conquest.

2. CAMELID FARM CHARACTERISTICS

Of the total world camelids Peru has 3.02 million, 90 percent alpacas, and Bolivia 2.5 million, 70 percent llamas (Table 1). In Peru farmers who are organized in "Ayullus" (communities) own 75 percent of the alpacas. They are small farmers with low production and management levels. The remainder (25 percent) are associated with large farm enterprises created by agrarian reform (Table 2). There is also a limited amount of middle-level farmers who were not affected by agrarian reform. It must be pointed out that within the communities, some farmers are prosperous while others have no land and few animals.

Table 1 ESTIMATED POPULATION OF SOUTH AMERICAN CAMELIDS ('000)

Table 2 ALPACA POPULATION IN PUNO STATE ACCORDING TO TYPE OF PRODUCTION

Source: Anuario estadistico 1979, ORDEPUNO, Dirección Regional de Agricultura y Alimentación, Puno.

Both in Peru and Bolivia, llamas are in the hands of the community farmers. A distinction must be made between the large enterprise and the small community farmer, particularly as agrarian reform has not largely changed social relationships and production techniques even where land has changed ownership.

The big associated farmers in general have better soils, better pastures and are situated close to good roads. They also benefit from investment facilities. On the other hand, the small farmers with limited basic resources, overexploit and destroy the environment for themselves as well as for future generations.

It has been possible from various studies made of the Puna, one of the most important areas of camelid husbandry, to evaluate the main characteristics of raising these animals as well as their management (see appendix). There are different levels of organization. Sometimes all animals are put together with no distinction by age, sex or colour and no timetable is set for field operations. Other animals are classified according to age and sex and a timetable exists. In this case husbandry practices are the same as for sheep. In general, castrated males are kept for fibre production which limits the number of productive females.

This practice together with low fertility and high calf mortality produces small numbers for replacement and limits selection for productive characteristics.

Where animals are separated by age and sex mating is from December to April using 3-4 percent of the males during the whole period. In general, females are mated at about 2-3 years of age and their productive life is 10-12 years. Males start their first service at about 3 years old.

Where animals are not separated by sex and age mating takes place only in the rainy season (December-March) which indicates that it is not important to keep all animals together as mating is limited to one period. Birth rate is about 50 percent and calf mortality during the first three months is about 50 percent. Actual production rate is + 5 calves for 100 females in productive age. Because of these reasons take-off is low as only old animals are involved and meat production is not of good quality.

The shearing season is annual or biannual and takes place between October-November.

Technically annual shearing is better because of:

1. Health: better parasite control;
2. Economics: the fleece is less affected by the environment;
3. Management: animal selection for production is possible at one year's old.

A great variation exists in individual production (1-8 lbs/animal/- year) which offers a great potential for improvement by selection.

3. MANAGEMENT PRACTICES RECOMMENDED FOR PRODUCTION IMPROVEMENT

Reproduction

During the last two decades much information on reproductive biology has been collected which can be summarized as follows.

1. Ovulation is induced by mating and comes 26 hours after service; ovulation can also be induced by hormonal treatment (LH, GNRH).
2. Oestrus is continuous without the presence of a male (mating). After parturition oestrus reappears within 24 hours, but even if females are serviced ovulation takes place only 10 days postpartum.
3. Twenty percent do not ovulate after service due to bad nutrition.
4. Conception is + 95% but 40% of the foetuses die during the first month. These losses diminish as the females recover after parturition.
5. There is no false pregnancy, which occurs in other animals with induced ovulation.
6. Continuous association (for more than 15 days) of males and females inhibits male sexual activity.
7. Females can be mated at 1 year of age only when they have achieved 50-60% of the adult weight (35-40 kg).
8. Gestation is 342 days; births take place during the brighter hours (06.00-14.00 hrs in the tropical mountain zone).

The above information indicates that the biological principles governing reproduction in camelids are peculiar to the species and must be taken into account in applying techniques to improve birth rates.

Sexual activity should not take place for a minimum of 10 days after parturtion as mating serves no purpose and can provoke uterine infections. Males should be maintained in sexual activity to service females in heat. This can simply be done by taking 6 percent of healthy males and dividing them into two groups and using them on alternative weeks. It has been shown under actual pastoral conditions that 50 to 60 percent of females are suitable for reproduction by servicing females of one year of age if they have reached a suitable liveweight.

Health

Increased birth rate has no significance if causes of mortality are not recorded. Some diseases even if not fatal such as mange and gastrointestional problems are important particularly for range animals. Information is available on the most important economic diseases. Intestinal parasites are the same as sheep but some ecto parasites are specific to camelids. Mange is caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var. ancheniae and Psoroptes aucheniae specific to camelids.

The main cuase of calf mortality is enterotoxemia (Clostridiunm welchi types A-C).

Feeding

Natural pasture is the principal feed for camelids; the most common feed consisting of gramminea, cipreacea and juncacea and in less quantity leguminosas. These pastures have poor soil which is phosphurous and nitrogen-deficient with overgrazing due to bad management. Quantitatively and qualitatively pasture production is better in the rainy season (November-March) and at its worst in the dry season.

However a good potential exists for pasture production improvement such as better water utilization according to the old indigenous irrigation system used in some communities.

Experimental work has shown not only the importance of irrigation but also the introduction of new plants to improve pasture production in the altiplano.

Further studies are required on efficient pasture use, for example, stocking rate throughout the year in association with sheep or separately.

4. GENETIC IMPROVEMENT BASED ON SELECTION

Owing to low replacement rate, selection is limited. Farmers should therefore try to increase birth rates and reduce mortality, culling undesirable animals and retaining those with the most important economic characteristics such as colour of wool, weight of fleece and liveweight. According to Velasco (unpublished data) in alpacas a uniform colour is dominant over a mottled colour.

An animal of uniform colour is one without white hairs while a mottled animal has parts covered with white hair. White is the dominant colour in alpacas, while brown is dominant over black. Velasco, with 106 pairs of mother-daughters, using the repression factor of daughters, calculated the hereditary index by liveweight (.69 + .2) and by fleece weight (.35 + .2). These results show that alpacas can be selected with little error at 264 days.

PERCENTAGE OF ALPACAS BY AGE AND SEX IN ONE HERD. MEAN FROM
227 185 HEAD FROM 13 BIG FARMS IN PUNO (1979)

AVERAGE YEARLY MORTALITY BY AGE IN EXPERIMENTAL FARM
"LA RAYA" 1973-1979

ALPACA FERTILITY FROM SMALL FARMERS 1/

^1/ 1980 enquiry in Puno.

^2/ On serviced females.

ESTIMATES OF ALPACA FERTILITY IN SOME LARGE FARMS (1980) 1/

^1/ Based on records of the Ministry of Agriculture, Zona Agraria IX, Puno, Peru.

1. On mothers served
2. On total of mothers

WEIGHT MEAN OF ALPACA FLEECES

CROSSES OF BLACK AND BROWN ALPACAS

Velasco J. (Unpublished data)

BIRTH RATE OF ALPACAS OF LA SAIS PICOTANI

^1/ 6% of males divided into two equal groups used altenatively. Each group works one week replacing the other.

EFFECT OF ALTERNATE MATING ON BIRTHS IN ALPACAS
(Sais Picotani 1972)

^1/ One year of age.

NUTRITIVE VALUE OF NATURAL PASTURE BY OESOPHAGEAL FISTULA
VS. HAND COLLECTED NATURAL PASTURE

^1/ Natural detergent fibre.

^2/ In vitro digestibility of dry matter.

PRODUCTION OF INTRODUCED PASTURES
(4 200 m above sea-level)

^1/ Four collections per year.

AVERAGE NUTRITIVE COMPOSITION OF ANDEAN ALTIPLANO NATURAL PASTURE IN TWO PERIODS OF THE YEAR

^1/ DIVMS = In vitro digestibility of dry matter.

^1/Instituto Veterinario de Investigaciones Tropicales y de Altura (INVITA), Lima, Peru.