Dinámica del comportamiento de rumia en alpacas (Vicugna pacos) bajo condiciones de estabulación

Context: Rumination is vital for digesting fiber, absorbing nutrients, and maintaining the digestive health of ruminants. Objective: To determine the duration of remastication and the interval between re-swallowing of a bolus and its subsequent regurgitation during rumination in alpacas (Vicugna pacos) under housing conditions. Materials and Methods: Five male Huacaya alpacas aged 3 to 5 years were evaluated for 15 consecutive days at the Research Center of the Jorge Basadre Grohmann National University, Tacna, Peru. Direct observations were conducted between 07:00 and 08:00 a.m., before feeding, with three daily records per animal and variable (225 observations). Mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values were calculated. Results: Remastication lasted 37.09 ± 7.02 seconds per bolus (range 20 to 58 s) and the interval between re-swallowing and subsequent regurgitation was 3.75 ± 0.78 seconds (range 2 to 6 s), with moderate individual variability and lower dispersion for the inter-bolus interval. Conclusion: The values quantitatively characterize the temporal dynamics of rumination in housed alpacas fed alfalfa hay and concentrate and provide a descriptive reference for digestive physiology and feeding management of South American camelids.