Alpaca Gestation Period: How Long Is a Alpaca Pregnant?

A alpaca is pregnant for about 345 days, roughly 11 months and 1 week. Normal birthing happens between 335 and 355 days, and a typical litter is 1 cria.

How long is a alpaca pregnant?

A alpaca carries her cria for an average of 345 days, or about 11 months and 1 week. Counting from the breeding date, birthing is normal anywhere from day 335 to day 355.

Key checkpoints across the 345-day alpaca gestation, measured in days from breeding:

Alpaca gestation timeline from day 0 to day 345: day 14 Spit-off test: an open female sits for the male, a pregnant one spits; day 45 Ultrasound or progesterone test confirms the pregnancy; day 90 Recheck — early embryo loss is common in alpacas; day 240 Clostridial booster so the cria gets antibodies via colostrum; day 300 Shear or crutch her and lift the ration for the final growth phase; day 335 Earliest normal birthing — start morning checks; day 345 Expected birthing (unpacking).

Alpaca gestation stages, month by month

Days 1–90: early pregnancy and confirmation

Roughly 90 percent of pregnancies are carried in the left uterine horn. Early embryonic loss is genuinely common, so confirm with a spit-off at day 14, ultrasound or a progesterone test from about day 45, and recheck near day 90 before assuming she is settled.

Days 91–210: mid pregnancy

Nutrient needs are close to maintenance and good pasture or hay with a mineral supplement is enough. Keep her body condition score around 3 out of 5 — obesity in alpacas causes birthing difficulty and poor milk. Do toenails, teeth and vaccinations now.

Days 211–300: late pregnancy

The cria puts on most of its weight now. Increase energy and protein modestly, give clostridial boosters roughly six weeks out and make sure she is shorn or crutched if she is due in hot weather, as heat stress in late pregnancy causes losses.

Days 301–355: birthing window

Watch each morning. Signs are subtle: she may separate from the herd, make repeated trips to the dung pile, hum, and roll or stretch. Normal birthing is fast, usually under an hour, and the cria should be up and nursing within two to three hours.

Signs a alpaca is pregnant

She spits at and rejects the male from about two weeks after mating
Ultrasound or progesterone testing confirms pregnancy from around day 45
The left side of the abdomen fills out, and cria movement can often be felt in the last trimester
Udder development in the final four to six weeks

Signs of approaching birthing

Repeated visits to the dung pile, humming and separating from the herd on the day
Rolling, stretching and a raised tail in the final hour — almost always in the morning
Contact your vet if labour stalls, if the animal strains without progress, or if there is abnormal discharge before birthing begins.

What affects alpaca gestation length

Alpacas are induced ovulators: they have no regular cycle, and ovulation is triggered by mating, so the mating date is usually known precisely and due dates are unusually well anchored.
Alpacas almost always give birth in the morning, typically between dawn and early afternoon — an evolutionary habit from the Andes that lets the cria dry and stand before the cold night.
Gestation averages about 345 days but ranges from roughly 335 to 355, and males are often carried a few days longer than females.
Twins are extremely rare and rarely survive; a single cria of 6 to 9 kg is the norm.
The 'spit-off' test at around 14 days is a genuine husbandry tool: a pregnant female rejects the male aggressively, while an open female sits for him.

Estimate your alpaca's birthing date

Enter the breeding date for an estimated birthing date at 345 days.

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Breeding date

Estimated birthing date

Monday, 23 August 2027

Earliest

13 Aug 2027

Latest

2 Sept 2027

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Alpaca pregnancy FAQs

How long is an alpaca pregnant?

About 345 days, roughly 11 and a half months, with a normal range of 335 to 355 days. Because alpacas ovulate in response to mating, the service date is usually exact and the calculated due date is reliable.

What is a spit-off test?

Around 14 days after mating the female is reintroduced to a male. A pregnant female spits, kicks and refuses him; an open female sits down to be mated. It is a cheap, practical first check, though it is not a substitute for ultrasound.

What time of day do alpacas give birth?

Almost always in the morning, usually between 7am and 2pm. It is a strong species habit that lets the cria dry off and stand before the cold Andean night, and it survives in domesticated herds worldwide.

How will I know birthing is starting?

Alpacas hide it well. Look for repeated trips to the dung pile with little result, humming, separation from the herd, restlessness and rolling. Once active straining begins the cria should appear within about 30 minutes — nose and both front feet first.

When should I call a vet during an alpaca birth?

If she strains for 30 minutes with nothing visible, if you see a head without both feet or feet without a head, or if the cria is not up and nursing within three hours. Alpacas birth quickly, so a slow birth is a genuine emergency.

More gestation pages

Livestock gestation chart