Authors:
Maria Celina Abraham, Johanna Puhakka, Alejandro Ruete, Essraa Mohsen Al-Essawe, Kerstin de Verdier, Jane Margaret Morrell and Renée Båge

Date of Publication:
February 2016

Publication:
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 2016, 58:10

Abstract:
The popularity of alpacas (Vicugna pacos) is increasing in Sweden as well as in other countries; however, knowledge about optimal management practices under Swedish conditions is still limited. The wide age range reported when the onset of puberty can occur, between 1 and 3 years of age, makes management decisions difficult and may be influenced by the conditions under which the alpacas are kept. The aim of this study was to find out when Swedish alpacas can be expected to start producing sperm, by using testicular length and body condition score as a more precise indirect indicator than age.

Read the rest of the article: https://actavetscand.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13028-016-0191-x