2 Think like a camelid: Let the animal have a chance to think. Wait a bit when trying to drive an animal into a holding pen, or loading an animal onto a trailer, usually, it only takes one animal that will move or load; the others are likely to follow. Camelids are very resistant to being split up. If you are letting each animal go after a procedure, the last one will panic when left alone, and it will be difficult to control if the rest of the herd has wandered back to the field. It is better to keep a few or even the whole herd nearby in a holding pen until the whole group is finished. Do not create anxiety in the process of getting the animals to the catch pen or other container. Laneways leading to a small paddock adjacent to the handling area keeps things calm. Even untrained animals can be herded into a trailer if kept calm and done as a group (remember they are worked more easily as a group) (Figure 2.7).Figure 2.7 Drawing illustrating a setup for corralling animals calmly into a handling area. Light weight or temporary fence is adequate for herding provided the animals have a place to go and it is not being used to trap animals.
3 Halter fit is important: If you are using a halter, it is vital that it fits properly. There is NOTHING more important than this! The dynamics of halter fit are discussed in detail later. It is IMPERATIVE that the halter fits well up on the nasal bone and is adjusted so that it will not slip down. Halters used for restraint that slip rostrally ending up on cartilage will compromise the airway causing panic and potentially respiratory distress. An experience like this can result in an extraordinarily difficult animal to handle for the rest of its life.
4 Consider the handling facilities: The author suggests beginning with a catch pen and altering the situation from there. Camelids are wiry but they do not require facilities as robust as cows and horses. Lightweight panels are sufficient, but they should be attached to a barn wall or a post driven into the ground if they are to be safe for handling.Your handling area should be well‐lit and located in a well‐ventilated area. Animals do not like to enter blind alleys or find themselves in dark corners.First impressions are especially important. Animals will be much more cooperative and think better of your handling area if they can experience it first without a procedure. If you ask the owner to feed the animals in the catch pen or handling area a few times before you arrive, the animals will be more relaxed and more cooperative.
5 Avoid the spit without muzzling: Covering the mouth, nose, or head is a common handling technique to protect the handler from spit, however, there are negative implications to this technique. Confined animals act out in part because they feel closed in without an escape route. Under these circumstances, restricting the airway is counterproductive. The cartilage at the end of the nose is very delicate and can be compressed easily even by a light towel or rag. Camelids are semi‐obligate nasal breathers, and if the nose is partially occluded, this may compromise airflow and cause an animal to panic. This may even backfire, as the chance of aspiration of stomach contents is increased when the mouth is covered. Coveralls, safety glasses, directing the head in a different direction, and the occasional shower after the procedure may be necessary in the case of a spitting camelid.
6 Avoid blindfolding: Some veterinarians have described having some success with covering the eyes, and there is a mask sold for this purpose. The author has found masking or blindfolding to be undesirable and unnecessary. The act of blindfolding an animal often creates more drama than the procedure itself, and it can detrimentally affect future haltering or handling. Often techniques work the first time because the animal is surprised and does not know how to react. The second or third time the animal will recognize the antecedent and will develop behaviors that are more problematic than the original behavior that prompted use of the blindfold.
Options for Containment
1 A secure catch pen. Square is best and size can range from 8 × 8 to 10 × 10 ft; a larger area is too big. Stacking bales of hay two feet high inside a 12 × 12 box stall will transform it into a suitable working area for camelids (Figure 2.8).
2 A mini‐ or half‐catch pen. This is a space roughly half the size of a catch pen (4 × 8 to 5 × 10 ft). It can be constructed of plywood or, if you already have a catch pen, by moving one panel closer to the other and securing it with baling twine or rope; heavy duty zip ties are also effective. You can experiment with the idea by piling bales of hay inside your catch pen until only a mini‐catch pen remains. A mini‐catch pen is a useful tool for handling untrained crias and weanlings. Because of their smaller size, a standard catch pen is too large for these animals. A mini‐catch pen can take the place of a standard catch pen for herd management tasks such as injections and oral deworming (Figure 2.9).Figure 2.8 An ideal catch pen. This pen is 8 × 8 ft. square. If the area is much larger, the animals will have too much freedom and will be more difficult to control.Figure 2.9 “Mini” or “half” catch pen. If the animals are small or you don't have many, this is a great solution for making the pen more crowded.
3 A livestock trailer. This is the author's favorite place to work. Most trailers have a top on them, and this discourages rearing, which is one of the more problematic forms of evasion. Longer livestock trailers are more useful if they have a divider. Animals that arrive at a vet clinic in a trailer should be treated in the trailer if possible. On the farm, the trailer can be parked adjacent to or in the barn. Animals that are not halter trained can be herded into the trailer and treated there.
4 Camelidynamics Handling Facility ( CHF). This is the Cadillac of handling systems and combines a variety of handling areas in which the animal can be moved from one area to another depending on the task and the animal. Incorporating your trailer into a CHF offers all the options described thus far into one facility and provides more value when it comes to the investment of a trailer (Figure 2.10).
5 A livestock chute. A chute can be a useful piece of equipment for many situations; however, the author finds it more useful to view a chute as an intermediate step rather than a permanent solution for handling. Animals can “graduate” from the chute to the mini‐catch pen and finally to a catch pen. Chemical sedation should be considered if the animal must be completely immobilized or if the procedure is longer than a few minutes. Even though they are typically called restraint chutes, many models can be modified successfully to serve as containers rather than actual restraint devices. The author has worked effectively in chutes that had solid sides and chutes that had a single rail at chest height. The author advises against the kind of chute that has a single chin support in the front designed to be used with a halter and to immobilize the head. To be safe, these head‐restraint devices must be used with belly and back bands turning them into “camelid straight‐jackets.” Without total restraint of the body, the risk of neck, head and leg injuries is great.Chutes with upright shoulder supports can be humane, safe, and useful for certain procedures that involve the head and neck. Shoulder supports limit the movement in the front half of the body without restraining the head (Figure 2.11).To be effective for containment rather than restraint, a chute must have a rear barrier. The animal is restricted to the chute by virtue of the rear barrier in the back and the gate or shoulder supports in the front; therefore, the animal does not need to be tied. Camelids are much less likely to panic if restricted to the chute from the back than if tied by the head. In addition, these chutes can be used to handle animals who are not halter trained. The worst introduction to a halter is to have it put on the first time to be restrained in a chute. Adding a rear barrier is a modification that the author considers essential for all chutes. When using a rear barrier, it is not necessary to tie the llama or alpaca in the chute. A handler can stand at the front of the chute, offer food, and prevent the animal from turning with