Some premature cria will have to further develop the tendon in the neck before they are able to hold their head up properly. In this picture Aurora appears to be straining to either urinate or defecate. She actually is just concentrating on balance at this point. She is three days old and has only learned to stand a few hours ago in this picture.
In this picture she is defecating. She had to have some assistance from a mineral oil enema to accomplish the task. According to Dr Evans in his book entitled “Alpaca Field Manual”, powdered formulas will sometimes cause a backup in the spiral colon. He recommends that if powdered formulas are used the ration should be 4 parts water to 1 part powder. Also, mineral oil as well as the same amount of live culture yogurt can be given orally at the rate of 1cc/lb of body weight. 
Premature cria spend a lot of time on their side. This is not the ideal position for them to spend a lot of time in. It can lead to fluid buildup in the immature lungs. Make an effort to keep them laying upright in a cushed position. We actually propped Aurora up with pillows on occasion to keep her in the cushed “sternal” position. When helping cria to stand, we learned that they must be supported from the rear. Simply holding them up from the top is not sufficient. Once we started doing this she was up almost instantly.Below is a good comparison shot of healthy and premature cria. The cria on the left is three hours old. Chelsea weighed in at 14lbs and was walking and nursing within an hour. Aurora, on the right is three days old. Notice the posture of each cria.
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