Nutrients important to Llamas and Alpacas
Selenium
Required for many basic physiologic functions in all animals. What makes llamas unusual is that they have a very high requirement for selenium compared to other animals. It also makes things tricky, as selenium is in the same chemical family as arsenic. So a little bit of selenium is required, a little bit more is great, and a little bit more can be fatal.Selenium improves reproductive functions, muscle development (the heart being the most important one), and the functioning of the immune system. It is also very important in helping to ward off the effects of stress.
Llama owners in the Ohio region, in conjunction with Dr. Jim Vickers of Michigan, did a landmark study that showed that supplementing llamas with enough selenium (and vitamin E) helped to prevent them from falling prey to the effects of heat stress.
Helping to prevent heat stress is an important consideration in any area that is HOT and HUMID in the summer and in which the soil is selenium marginal or deficient, as is the case in our part of Virginia. (For example, soils in the Colorado area are selenium rich, so this is not as important for them.)
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is required for selenium to get to the cells and do its job. It also has a lot of other helpful effects, but the selenium assist is the main reason we add it.Thiamine
Thiamine helps llamas' internal thermostat control. A "hot llama" that is thiamine deficient, does not have its internal temperature control mechanisms turn on, so it just gets hotter and hotter and hotter..... And in a critter with a heavy coat, like the llama, you can see where this would be an even worse problem. If a llama gets adequate thiamine in its diet, its own body mechanisms will kick in correctly to assist the llama to deal with the effects of heat.So thiamine is a critical ingredient for a llama that lives in an area that is HOT and HUMID in the summer.