AlpacaKeepA withdrawal period is the wait after you give a medication before that animal's meat or milk is safe to sell. When you log a dose, AlpacaKeep works out the safe date and shows a warning banner on the animal until it clears.
What a withdrawal period is
Think of it like the time you wait after painting a wall before you lean on it. The medication needs time to clear the animal's body. Selling meat or milk before then is not safe.
Each medication in your list has a withdrawal (days) value. That number is how long the wait is.
A simple example
You treat an animal on 1 June with a medication that has a 28-day withdrawal. The 28 days run out at the end of 29 June, so the animal is clear and safe to sell from 30 June.
1 June ──────── treated
|
| 28-day withdrawal (not safe to sell, through 29 June)
|
30 June ──────── clear
The withdrawal banner
After you log the dose, a withdrawal banner shows on that animal. It tells you:
- That the animal is not safe for slaughter or sale yet.
- Each medication, its clear date, and the days remaining.
- A link back to the event that started it.
When the clear date passes, the banner goes away on its own.
📷 Screenshot: an animal's withdrawal banner, showing the medication, the clear date, and days remaining.
See your whole herd at a glance
On the Reports page, the Clear to sell list shows your whole herd split into who is clear today and who is still in a withdrawal period. Use it before a sale day so you do not pick the wrong animal.
Watch out. These dates are a helper, not a legal ruling. AlpacaKeep does not stop you doing anything. Always confirm the exact withdrawal time with your vet before you sell meat or milk.