Aspects of animal welfare in South American Camelids husbandry.

Abstract

The number of South American Camelids (SAC) increased over the last years in Germany. Therefore it is important to develop guidelines regarding aspects of animal welfare. Recommendations for husbandry and feeding are given. In principal it is possible to keep llamas and alpacas under middle European conditions with respect to animal welfare. However problems do sometimes occur because of a lack of knowledge of breeders about the basic requirements of the animals. In contrast to other species it is much more difficult to get scientific based informations and to guarantee veterinarian service. Therefore more care have to be taken in the education of breeders and veterinarians.