Alpaca World Magazine Summer 2012

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE SUMMER 2012 £7.00 WHERE SOLD

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

ALPACA MOLECULAR RESEARCH

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

FEEDING ALPACAS TO ENHANCE REPRODUCTION AND FLEECE QUALITY

OUTSTANDING IN THEIR FIELD

NEWS FROM THE SPRING SHOWS

2 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

Classical Publishing Ltd © 2012

WELCOME

The only independent magazine reporting on the international alpaca industry. Distributed by subscription worldwide and through country stores across the UK, Alpaca World Magazine reaches the largest readership in its market.

Issue 42 Summer 2012 ISSN 1477–7088 Editor: Rachel Hebditch Vulscombe Farm, Pennymoor, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 8NB Telephone: 01884 243579 Mobile: 07540 748803 Email: rachel@alpaca-uk.co.uk Advertising: Heidi Hardy Telephone 01598 752799 Email: heidi@ alpacaworldmagazine.com Copy deadline for the next issue: 7th September 2012 Design and Production: TRG Design 68 Rivermead Road Exeter EX2 4RL Telephone: 01392 279371 Email: info@trgdesign.co.uk www.trgdesign.co.uk Printed in England by: Magazine Printing Company Plc. www.magprint.co.uk The material contained in Alpaca World Magazine is compiled by the publishers for information purposes only.

Although the material included has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, no guarantees are given as to its accuracy or completeness.

Readers are reminded that expert advice should always be sought in individual cases.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO MONSOON BRITAIN. OUR LANE GETS SMALLER, THE GRASS LONGER AND THE WEEDS MORE OBVIOUS AS CONTINUOUS RAIN STOPS MOST OUTSIDE WORK. SHEARING HAS GROUND TO A HALT AND SOME OF OUR ALPACAS APPEAR TO BE GROWING MOSS ON THEIR FLEECES – SHOULD GO DOWN WELL WITH THE FLEECE JUDGES. On a much more serious note I have attempted to outline the government’s new proposals for bovine TB testing options in camelids. These are up for discussion. It is a complex subject full of unknowns but the outcome will affect us all, so please contact the British Alpaca Society or the originators of the Breeders Petition to have your say.

Inside Alpaca World Magazine Summer 2012 NEWS

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Whilst every care has been taken in the compilation of the material contained in this issue the publisher does not accept responsibility for any loss arising out of such changes or inaccuracies nor for any other loss suffered as a result of information contained in this issue.

Notice to Advertisers: It is a condition of acceptance of advertisement orders that the publishers, Classical Publishing Ltd, do not guarantee the insertion of a particular advertisement on a specific date, or at all, although every effort will be made to meet the wishes of advertisers; further the company does not accept liability for any loss or damage caused by any error or inaccuracy in the printing or non appearance of any advertisement, or if we decide to edit or delete any objectionable wording, or reject any advertisement. Although every advertisement is carefully checked, occasionally mistakes do occur. We therefore ask advertisers to assist us by checking their advertisements carefully and to advise us by the deadline given should an error occur. We regret that we cannot accept responsibility for more than one incorrect insertion and that no republication or discount will be granted in the case of typographic or minor changes which do not affect the value of the advertisement.

Front cover: Cria in buttercups, Childerley Alpacas

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Breeders call for urgent TB test discussion

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A classic in the making

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Yarn firm pays more for fleeces

6

ICAR Satellite Camelid Reproduction Symposium

6

Alpaca Experience in Arequipa, Perú

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WAC 2013 hosts announced

7-11 Show news

SPECIAL FEATURES 16 Alpaca Molecular Research Group 24 Reading fibre test results 30 Fleece classing 36 Feeding alpacas

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FEATURES 40 Work and Play at Childerley Alpacas 46 A load off your mind...

40 62

54 Book review: 'An Alpaca in my Pocket' 57 Book Review: 'Textiles from the Andes' 62 Whistling Duck Alpacas

HEALTH & WELFARE 50 Ask the vet

REGULAR FEATURES 70 Letter from France 72 Breeders directory

www.alpacaworldmagazine.com ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 3

NEWS NEWS

If you have news of events or developments within the alpaca industry which you would like to share with others please send it to: The Editor, Alpaca World Magazine, Vulscombe Farm, Pennymoor, Tiverton, Devon EX16 8NB, United Kingdom Email: info@alpacaworldmagazine.com

BREEDERS CALL FOR URGENT TB TEST DISCUSSION

Alpaca World magazine editor Rachel Hebditch has been looking at the latest developments in the government’s control of bovine TB in alpacas in the UK. MORE THAN SIXTY alpaca breeders are supporting a petition that calls for an urgent meeting with Animal Health and DEFRA to discuss proposed TB test options for alpacas in the UK. This follows damaging publicity over a number of years and most particularly relating to a bovine TB breakdown in the south of England and the perception that there might now be a disproportionate response from the authorities to the level of TB breakdowns in alpacas.

The sixty plus breeders who have signed the petition, and probably more by the time you read this, are those who have a strong desire to see the alpaca industry succeed and who also depend on it for all or part of their living.

Concern has been raised about the TB test options under consideration for exports and movements in non-TB breakdown situations where the blood test suggested does produce false positives. Breeders fear that this could lead to hundreds of healthy alpacas being culled and the temporary closure of herds whilst culture takes place.

There is anger that alpacas may be singled out for more extreme control measures when DEFRA have already said that camelids are overspill hosts, not reservoirs of the disease, and that the level of infection, compared to cattle, is in fact low. Recent data from the DEFRA website shows that there are only four current camelid herd breakdowns compared to 1,573 new herd incidents in cattle.

The British Alpaca Society, the British Llama Society and British Camelids financed a report from

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the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency TB Research Group titled ‘Validation of ante mortem TB tests in Camelids'. Its aim was to find a more specific test for the detection of bovine TB in live camelids.

FALSE POSITIVES Currently the only blood test available in the UK is the STATPAK rapid antibody test and the validation report showed a sensitivity of 67.3% which means it will detect that percentage of infected alpacas. The specificity was 97.4% which is a false positive rate of 2.6% meaning that in completely TB free herds 2.6% of the animals may come up as test positive.

Usually this blood test is only used in TB infected herds to reduce the spread of the disease and not for herd surveillance use.

The false positive is not a feature of the skin test, the only European Union approved test which is used for exports worldwide and for all TB breakdowns in farmed animals – cattle, goats, sheep, camelids and so on.

But the new suggestion is that camelids should have mandatory TB testing with the blood test for exports which no other livestock are required to do and which shows a rate of 2.6% false positives. The issue of false positives would arise again with the suggestion that there should be voluntary testing – that means we pay for it – for all domestic movements of camelids and which leads us to the scenario of large numbers of healthy animals being culled, a loss of trade and pedigree bloodlines, perhaps the end of shows and the temporary

closure of TB free herds.

One section of the report on TB testing commissioned by the camelid industry reveals the findings on post mortem and culture of the 19 alpacas that tested positive when 257 alpacas from TB free areas were tested: ‘TB-FREE ALPACAS Of the 257 TB-free alpacas initially tested with IFNγ and Chembio STATPAK rapid test, 19 were removed as test-positives for further investigation (post mortem and mycobacterial culture). There were 8 VL (visible lesions) and 11 NVL (no visible lesions). Of the 8 VL: 2 cases of M. microti infection were identified (one spoligotype 34, one spoligotype 19) following 14 weeks incubation.

Acid-fast bacilli were identified in both M. microti cases. In one of these 2 cases mineralized liver and mandibular lymph node lesions were also noted, while the other cases had more extensive lymph node lesions (hepatic, mesenteric, ileocaecal and pre-scapular) with a single lung lesion.

Of the other VL alpacas, tiny calcified liver lesions appeared common, one case with similar lesions also present in the mandibular and mesenteric lymph nodes. There was one case on an “unclassified mycobacterium” isolated from an alpaca that contained a single liver abscess.

All were classified by histopathology as non-TB and were acid-fast-negative.’

You will notice that the eleven alpacas with no visible lesions are not mentioned. However on the basis of this report it would appear that of the nineteen alpacas removed (culled),

none could be proved to have bovine TB and that represents an alarming cull ratio of 7.4%. I understand that animals with no visible lesions are not considered false positives by the scientists but for the breeder who has just lost an animal with no visible lesions that seems absurd.

It appears that 12 alpacas from three different herds have recently been blood tested and five of those were culled. All five had no visible lesions and the owners are awaiting the culture results.

Alpacas are not classed as livestock and many of the breeders I have spoken to feel that camelids should be brought into line with other farmed livestock and have the routine intradermal skin test as practised with cattle herds.

This would be funded by the government and an appropriate compensation scheme put in place.

The Breeders Petition to DEFRA and the BAS states: ‘Before further irremediable damage is caused, particularly with any changes to the testing regime based on erroneous information, or by making it more onerous than the one imposed on livestock generally, we propose that representatives of commercial breeders need to ask for/compel a meeting with DEFRA as a matter of some urgency. It is now clear to us that the BAS does not properly reflect the views of commercial breeders and that it is imperative that we are properly represented in any discussions with DEFRA’.

FRUSTRATION This illustrates the frustration that many alpaca breeders feel at their apparent inability to have any say in what happens to their

NEWS

industry particularly when it was revealed that the BAS pulled out of a meeting of the AHVLA Camelid Industry Farming & Food Liaison.

This was the meeting when these new TB testing options were first unveiled for consideration.

That frustration also applies to the continuing attack on alpacas and bovine TB when owners in the UK have put in place biosecurity programmes that include effective wildlife fencing, feed and water off the ground, no contact with other livestock, on farm isolation facilities, post mortems of all suspicious deaths, and at shows, maintaining a three metre separation between penning for different holdings.

I am told that the BAS is asking for a meeting with DEFRA but no date has been set as yet. They have sent this magazine the following statement.

The BAS represents its members in a wide range of areas and takes the bTB issue very seriously. The BAS is very actively engaged with, and holds regular meetings with DEFRA, Animal Health and other

key stakeholders to jointly develop better animal movement records and disease control strategies appropriate to all camelid owners.

The results from a recent member’s survey are very important and will be used during ongoing meetings to ensure the members views are represented properly.

The number of infected camelid herds remains very low in comparison to the many hundreds of cattle farms under restriction but there is no room for complacency and the BAS has provided: • bTB roadshows attended by 80% of all camelid owners • bTB guidance booklets to all BAS members with information and advice on the disease and its control • movement books, and encouraged members to keep good animal movement records in order to facilitate tracing if needed • encouragement to members to log all their animals on to the BAS database and notify all transfers.

The listing and transfer of pets is FREE OF CHARGE. • £100,000 and almost 200 animals from volunteer herds to carry out

research in order to help identify better tests for bTB in cameilds.

The research results were presented at the BAS AGM and are available on the BAS web site or from the BAS registry office on request.

For help or advice on any Camelid subject please call the BAS office on 0845 331 2468. For more information on the petition please email info@alpacastuduk.com

TB test deployment options under consideration Infected herds (culture-confirmed M. bovis breakdowns): 1. Compulsory skin herd testing, followed by mandatory 'anamnestic' serological testing (StatPak & IDEXX), i.e. 10-30 days after the skin test 2. Repeat skin test at 90-day intervals (two clear tests necessary to lift restrictions).

Option for AHVLA to use single intradermal test in severe breakdowns 3. Repeat serology tests depending on outbreak progression 4. For enhanced sensitivity: camelid IFN-gamma testing at owners’ discretion and expense 5. Spread tracings to be screened by skin testing in principle, but "hot" tracings could be

subjected to single intradermal plus serological testing.

Non-TB breakdown situations (private testing): 1. Mandatory pre-export TB testing: skin and serological TB tests (Statpak and possibly IDEXX) in 30 days prior to date of export.

2. Voluntary pre-movement TB testing endorsed by the industry for domestic movements of camelids (e.g. to shows, sales, etc.): skin test followed by serological tests (Statpack and possibly IDEXX) at least 90 days before the sale or movement.

3. Voluntary TB herd accreditation scheme endorsed by the camelid industry: routine testing regime and frequency to be decided.

A CLASSIC IN THE MAKING Breeders combine for inaugural Alpaca Classic in September TWO OF THE country's most experienced alpaca breeders have joined together to host an alpaca weekend with a difference. The Alpaca Stud and Bozedown Alpacas are excited to launch what they hope will become an annual event combining education with a world perspective, a limited auction of the very best bloodlines with innovative presentation, practical workshops, and above all else a party atmosphere from start to finish.

The event is to run over the weekend of 15th & 16th September

2012 starting with an informal drinks party on Friday evening at the designated hotel. A busy Saturday will begin at 9.00am with coffee and a chance to meet up with fellow breeders before the first of four presentations begins at 9.30. The topics presented are to be: – Alpaca Form and Function, the Foundation of Success presented by Brett Kaysen (USA). A presentation on why good conformation is vital and how it affects the alpaca’s ability to fulfil its purpose.

– Fibre production and the needs

of the processor presented

by Alonso Burgos (Peru). A presentation setting out the needs of the processor for successful commercial processing and commercial fibre production.

– The practical application of “Estimated Breeding Values” presented by Alonso Burgos (Peru). A presentation of how EBV’s have been used to improve breeding results and fibre production at Grupo Inca’s Pacomarca breeding station.

– America's most efficient Marketing tool = Participation in Live Auction as a Buyer and Seller presented by Brett Kaysen (USA). A presentation on how participation in auctions has helped American breeders create the world’s most dynamic alpaca marketplace.

This sequence of presentations will be interspersed with ample time to inspect and discuss the top quality alpacas being offered for sale at the evening auction

which is to be conducted by David Thomlinson of Harrison & Hetherington. The auction is to be a first in the UK with only the very best of alpacas on offer and designed to promote the alpaca industry as a true bloodstock enterprise. Lots will be presented in an innovative manner allowing many to be purchased with the buyer having the ultimate choice of alpaca bought from either breeder.

Following the auction there will be a hog roast for all with a free bar just to make sure Alpaca Classic is remembered for the fun.

Sunday morning will offer a number of practical workshops from veterinary to alpaca selection and practically understanding fibre and its testing.

It is hoped this event will offer something for all, and it is to be free, not something often heard in connection with alpacas.

For further information go to www.alpacaevent.co.uk

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 5

NEWS

YARN FIRM PAYS MORE FOR FLEECES

UK ALPACA, the yarn manufacturing company, has increased the prices it pays for fleece in the 2012 season. The highest prices are for white fleeces at £12 a kilo plus VAT for baby grade and fine at £8 a kilo.

Coloured fleeces, except grey, command £8 plus VAT for baby and £5 a kilo plus VAT for fine.

All the fleece is graded by hand and baby is normally less than 22 micron and fine between 22 and 25 micron.

UK Alpaca was set up six years ago and makes fully worsted yarns using the traditional mills in the north of England. All the yarns are spun using the worsted process as this exploits the natural properties

of alpaca fibre giving a smooth, strong yarn that shows off the natural lustre of the fibre.

Alpaca breeders who sell their fleece to UK Alpaca can buy back yarns at very competitive wholesale prices, averagely £2.50 for 50 gms, with no minimum order requirement.

This year the company has

produced a range of double knit and 4-ply yarns blended with British Bluefaced Leicester wool in natural un-dyed shades and dyed colours in conditioned balls, skeins and on cone for hand knitting, machine knitting and weaving alongside a luxury range of baby alpaca silk yarns.

WELL CONCEIVED Alpaca REPRO CONFERENCE Experience in ICAR Satellite Camelid Reproduction Symposium, Vancouver, 3-5 August THERE’S A HOST of exciting lectures planned for the three day ICAR Satellite Camelid Reproduction Symposium in Vancouver in early August. These meeting were originally conceived so that researchers in the field could exchange ideas on their latest work. But it was realised that the people who might put the research results into practice should also be involved so this is the second symposium, after Houston last year, when camelid breeders have been invited to attend as well.

Veterinary surgeons, reproductive scientists, geneticists and breeders from all over the world will meet to discuss methods of improving camelid productivity and exploiting

the genetic potential of these animals.

Experts in their fields will present state of the art lectures in all aspects of camelid reproductive physiology and endocrinology, embryo transfer and artificial insemination, cryopreservation of gametes, reproductive management and neonatology, genetics and genetic disorders, milk and fibre production.

The symposium starts first thing on Friday morning, August 3. An informal cocktail party is planned for that evening. Lectures continue all day on Saturday and the symposium finishes on Sunday August 5 with a field trip to an alpaca farm.

You can register for the symposium at www.icarcamelidsatellite.com where you will find more information about the programme and the speakers.

Arequipa, Perú

DATES HAVE JUST been announced for Incalpaca TPX’s event in Perú this fall. From November 4 – 10, alpaca experts from around the globe will converge on the Colca Valley and the historic White City of Arequipa, Perú, the centre of the country’s textile industry.

Attendees will learn about alpacas, share information and celebrate this remarkable animal.

Learn about opportunities to open your own retail store, market your fibre more effectively and improve your breeding directives to get the results you want.

Breeders, fibre experts, textile gurus, retail ventures, designers, and artisans will take six days from their busy business schedules to remember what makes these animals special and lay plans for advancing the culture of alpacas. With workshops, seminars, factory visits, fashion shows and a chance to see and judge Perú’s very finest alpacas in a private, invitational contest, it is an event to start planning for now.

The programme will be organised and run by the Grupo Inca companies and is designed to be the Ultimate Alpaca Event.

WAC 2013 HOSTS ANNOUNCED NEW ZEALAND WILL be the hosts for the 2013 World Alpaca Conference and Fleece Competition which will be held alongside their National Alpaca Expo. The Expo will be run at the same venue – the Claudelands Event Centre in Hamilton – on September 20, 21 and 22 followed by the Conference on September 23 and 24.

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NEWS

WOOLLY (CROWD) PULLERS RECORD NUMBERS OF visitors turned out this year for two of the country’s largest natural fibres shows Wonderwool and Woolfest.

Wonderwool takes place at the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells at the end of April and has quadrupled in size with 175 exhibitors since the first was held seven years ago and has broadened its scope from wool to encompass alpaca, mohair, angora, hemp, flax and silk.

More visitors than ever - five thousand, two hundred - were at Woolfest, staged on the 22nd and 23rd of June in the huge indoor cattle market at Cockermouth, and natural fibre enthusiasts came, despite the

torrential rain, from as far afield as Russia, Japan, the USA and New Zealand along with coachloads of enthusiasts from Manchester, Newcastle and Scotland.

For exhibitors the weather proved taxing at Wonderwool with alpaca socks flying off the stands to other exhibitors to combat the bitterly cold weather. At least they had warm feet.

At Woolfest the monsoon rain was the enemy with the continual drumming on the roof and a waterfall down the steps from the visitors’ carpark.

Alpaca yarns were well represented with UK Alpaca, Toft

Woolfest: UK Alpaca

Wonderwool: Black Mountain Alpacas

Alpaca Shop, Whynot Alpacas, Willo Alpacas, Chrysalis Art to Wear and Alpacas, John Arbon Textiles, Black Mountain Alpacas, Jean Field

of Fleecewitch, Pembrokeshire Alpacas, Purl Alpaca Designs, Town End Alpacas and NorWEFT exhibiting.

Wonderwool: John Arbon Textiles

Wonderwool: Toft Alpacas

News from the South West Alpaca Group Spring Show

BLACK GIRLS IN THE RING

HUACAYA CHAMPIONS White female: Bozedown Celestrial, Bozedown Alpacas White male: ACC Pathfinder, Accoyo UK Ltd Beige female: CME Flora, Classical MileEnd Alpacas Beige male: Bozedown Achilles, Bozedown Alpacas Fawn female: Bozedown Magic Charm, Bozedown Alpacas Fawn male: Houghton Ambrose, Houghton Hall Alpacas Brown female: Inca Elise, Inca Alpaca Brown male: CME Prometheus,

Classical MileEnd Alpacas Grey female: Inca Grey Dubonnet, Inca Alpaca Grey male: Meon Valley The Sorcerer, Meon Valley Alpacas; Black female: Inca Cameo, Inca Alpaca Black male: Popham Thunder, EP Cambridge/Inca Alpaca Best British bred: Meon Valley The Sorcerer SURI CHAMPIONS White female: Moonsbrook Elite, WestDorset Alpacas White male: Bozedown Alpha,

THE SOUTH WEST Alpaca Group Spring Show was transformed this year into an add-on to the World Alpaca Conference and was staged, for the second year running, at the Hand Centre in Clevedon. More than 340 alpacas were entered and the judges Liz Barlow, Nick Harrington Smith, Val Fullerlove and the breeders had to work very long days after it was decided to go from two rings to one. Unusually the organisers did not allow the judges to award supreme championships for suri or huacaya but just colour champions.

Bozedown Alpacas Beige female: Houghton Maliha, Houghton Hall Alpacas Beige male: Bozedown Collateral ll, Bozedown Alpacas Fawn female: Popham Suri Sunbeam, Popham Alpacas Fawn male: Alpaca Stud Phoenix Firedrake, Alpaca Stud Brown male: Whistling Arabian Night, Whistling Alpacas Grey male: Alpaca Stud Phoenix’s Dobby, Alpaca Stud Best British bred: Alpaca Stud Phoenix’s Dobby

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 7

NEWS

CHAMPIONS AT HEART

Nick Harrington Smith confers with his apprentice Melanie Douglas

Spring Alpaca Fiesta

NICK HARRINGTON SMITH was the judge at the Spring Alpaca Fiesta, the Heart of England Group Show, held at Stoneleigh Park in April. Bozedown took the Huacaya and Suri Supreme Championships HUACAYA CHAMPIONS Black female: Houghton Honesty, Houghton Hall Alpacas Black male: Leytown Odyssey, Leytown Alpacas Grey female: Astonishing Angelica, Astonishing Alpacas Grey male: Jessamine Redlands, Alpha Alpacas Brown female: Purston Calliope, Purston Alpacas Brown male: Scotfield Benjamin, Scotfield Alpacas Fawn female: Bozedown Magic Charm, Bozedown Alpacas Fawn male: Meon Valley Bonami, Meon Valley Alpacas Beige female: Houghton Hema, Houghton Hall Alpacas

with Bozedown Achilles and Bozedown Collateral ll. Some 250 alpacas were entered and judging had to start late to allow breeders to try and dry their animals.

Beige male: Bozedown Achilles, Bozedown Alpacas White female: Bozedown Celestrial, Bozedown Alpacas White male: Meon Valley Bond, Meon Valley Alpacas SURI CHAMPIONS Black female: Bozedown Mystique ll, Bozedown Alpacas Fawn female: Pinkney Cashew, Pinkney Alpacas Beige female: Houghton Maliha, Houghton Hall Alpacas Beige male: Bozedown Collateral ll, Bozedown Alpacas White female: Houghton Monica, Houghton Hall Alpacas White male: Bozedown Alpha, Bozedown Alpacas

SOUTH OF ENGLAND SHOW JUDGE VAL FULLERLOVE and apprentice Melanie Douglas were back in the ring judging the South of England Show where Bozedown

Alpacas took Supreme Champion Huacaya with Bozedown Achilles and Houghton Monica was the Supreme Champion Suri.

HUACAYA CHAMPIONS Black female: Moorfields Nell, Moorfields Alpacas Black male: Bozedown Request, Bozedown Alpacas Grey female: Ashfold Elysian, Ashfold Alpacas Grey male: Alpaca Stud Nyetimber, Alpaca Stud Brown male: Herts Alpacas Nigel, Herts Alpacas Fawn female: Houghton Rock Rochelle, Houghton Hall Alpacas Fawn male: Meon Valley Bonami, Meon Valley Alpacas Beige female: Bozedown Opponent, Bozedown Alpacas Beige male: Bozedown Achilles, Bozedown Alpacas

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White female: Bozedown Utopia, Bozedown Alpacas Bozedown Frisbee, Bozedown Alpacas SURI CHAMPIONS Black female: Wellow Sapphire, Wellow Alpacas Brown male: Springfarm L’orient, Springfarm Alpacas Fawn female: Moonsbrook Fawn Fancy, Moonsbrook Alpacas Fawn male: Moonsbrook Energize, Moonsbrook Alpacas Beige female: Houghton Monica, Houghton Hall Alpacas Beige male: Alpaca Stud Phoenix Gold, Alpaca Stud White female: Moonsbrook Forbidden Fruit, Moonsbrook Alpacas White male: Alpaca Stud The Commander, Alpaca Stud

founded on experience

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 9

NEWS

BERN, BABY, BERN Shirley Bettinson writes about her trip to Switzerland. Did she bite off more than she could chew when encountering an enormous pudding?

ROB AND I set off on our journey to Bern in Switzerland on April 27th . I travelled as Rob’s companion animal and tour manager and was also asked by the organisers to help at the show. I did my homework and dutifully Googled the weather in Switzerland and made sure we had warm clothes.

As soon as we reached Zurich the temperature never dropped beneath 20 degrees. We hadn’t even packed anything with short sleeves!

Bern Alpaca Show was part of a large triannual BEA Expo exhibition which took place over a week, fortunately the alpacas were only on the Saturday. The alpacas had been allocated a massive marquee of their own which also doubled as a ménage for the other days of the show and over 85 alpacas entered. The show was a colour championship and there were fairly equal numbers in all colour categories. The white and fawn classes did not dominate in numbers. There were quite a few breeders that had never entered

a show so we had a few mishaps in classes that had to be corrected rather speedily! Using three languages – French, German and English didn’t help. I didn’t know any German but I do now – well my colours and age groups at least!

A great start to the day was drinks and croissants – supplied by the Show organiser, Andy. Our good friend Emily was her usual cheerful and organised self for the whole of our stay. We met up with other breeders that had been to the World Alpaca Conference. Rob created some tension in the ring at the end of the day when he had to choose a Best of Show. He deliberated and pondered for what seemed like forever and then he chose the champion white Suri over the champion white Huacaya.

IT NEVER RAINS, IT POURS!

JUDGE JAY HOLLAND seems to have suffered the brunt of our glorious weather this summer getting soaked at Andy Spillane’s show in France and more than soaked at the North Somerset Show. Perhaps this photo of Jay, the steward Garry Naish, the show champion Caton Kallista and her owner Rachel Hebditch sums it up.

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HUACAYA CHAMPIONS Grey female: Summerhaze Svanna, Summerhaze Alpacas Grey male: Jessamine Redlands, Alpha Alpacas Black female: Blacklands Florence, Blacklands Alpacas Black male: Tai Wind Jack Daniels, Tai Wind Alpacas Brown female: Summerhaze Willow, Summerhaze Alpacas Best brown: Valley Alpacas Fire Fox, Valley Alpacas Fawn female: Ashwood Flash Dance, Ashwood Alpacas Fawn male: CME Socrates, Classical MileEnd Alpacas Beige male: Alphha Charleston, Alpha Alpacas White female: Caton Kallista, Classical MileEnd Alpacas White male: CME Nimrod, Classical MileEnd Alpacas SURI CHAMPIONS Coloured male: Westhill Yossarian, Westhill Alpacas Coloured female: Rosewyn Dazzle White female: Rosewyn Akira, Rosewyn Alpacas Suri Supreme Champion: Rosewyn Dazzle, Rosewyn Alpacas

NEWS

Devon County Show

VAL DOUBLES AT DEVON

JUDGE VAL FULLERLOVE was asked to work a little harder this year at the Devon County Show as for the first time there was a fleece show as well as the halter classes that ran over the three days of the show. The Suri Supreme Champion was Popham Super Fairy and

the reserve Popham Suri Rdiant, owned by Popham Alpacas whilst the Huacaya Supreme Champion was CME Prometheus of Classical MileEnd Alpacas and the reserve Peruvian Concepts Jack, jointly owned by Alpha Alpacas and Summerhaze Alpacas.

HUACAYA CHAMPIONS Black male: Sampford Toby, Sampford Alpacas Black female: CME Agrippina, Classical MileEnd Alpacas Grey female: Inca Grey Dubonnet, Inca Alpaca Grey male: Jessamine Redlands, Alpha Alpacas Brown male: CME Prometheus, Classical MileEnd Alpacas Brown female: Summerhaze Willow, Summerhaze Alpacas Fawn female: Langaton Lizzie, Langaton Alpacas Fawn male: CME Socrates, Classical MileEnd Alpacas Beige male: Alpha Charleston, Alpha Alpacas White female: Caton Kallista,

Classical MileEnd Alpacas White male: Peruvian Concepts Jack, Alpha & Summerhaze Alpacas SURI CHAMPIONS Fawn female: Popham Suri Sunbeam, Popham Alpacas Fawn male: Langaton Suri Leroy, Langaton Alpacas Beige female: Popham Suri Radiant, Popham Alpacas Beige male: Sampford Jonathan, Sampford Alpacas Brown female: Langaton Suri B Tabitha, Langaton Alpacas Brown male: Rosewyn Archie, Rosewyn Alpacas White female: Popham Suri Fairy, Popham Alpacas White male: Popham Suri Dream Catcher, Popham Alpacas

GOLDEN YEARS Royal Bath & West Show

TIM HEY AND his apprentice Ingrid Ruston judged the huacayas at the Royal Bath & West Show with Liz Barlow judging the suris. This show has age champions rather than colour champions. This year the winning alpacas of the day were presented to the public every afternoon in the Countryside Ring opposite the Alpaca Marquee with a

commentary about the animals.

The Huacaya Champion was Wessex Tinkerbell from Alpha Alpacas and the Best British Bred Huacaya CME Socrates from Classical MileEnd Alpacas. The Suri Champion and Best British Bred Suri was West Dorset Hernando of West Dorset Alpacas.

HUACAYA CHAMPIONS Junior Champion female: Alpha Honesty, Alpha Alpacas Junior Champion male: CME Orlando, Classical MileEnd Alpacas Intermediate Champion female: CME Flora, Classical MileEnd Alpacas Intermediate Champion male: CME Xerxes, Classical MileEnd Alpacas Adult Female Champion: Wessex Tinkerbell, Alpha Alpacas Adult Male Champion: CME Socrates, Classical MileEnd Alpacas Senior Male Champion: Valley Alpacas, Cinnamon, Valley Alpacas SURI CHAMPIONS Junior Champion female: Popham Suri Moonglow, Popham Alpacas Junior Champion male: Pinkney

Proud owner nine year old Angus Steele with his alpaca

Caesar, Pinkney Alpacas Intermediate Champion female: Moonsbrook Elite, West Dorset Alpacas Intermediate Champion male: Pinkney Bollinger, Pinkney Alpacas Adult Champion male: West Dorset Hernando, West Dorset Alpacas Senior Champion male: Pinkney Chocolate Soldier, Pinkney Alpacas

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 11

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ALPACA MOLECULAR RESEARCH GROUP

THE ALPACA MOLECULAR RESEARCH GROUP

by Dr Kylie Munyard

The Alpaca Molecular Research Group at Curtin University was founded in late 2006.

The first research project for the group was to identify a special kind of DNA marker in alpacas. This was soon followed by colour research, due to strong demand from breeders. The colour research has followed a journey from the candidate gene approach (i.e. this gene does X in horses/mice, so it should do the same in alpacas), to a chemical approach (i.e. what exactly constitutes “brown� fibre in alpacas?), to an expression analysis approach (i.e. what genes are active in alpaca skin of different colours?). More recently, we have expanded to include fibre 16 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

quality and glucose metabolism in our portfolio of projects. We have been lucky to have the in-kind support of the AAA and many wonderful breeders in Australia and Peru, the collaboration of fantastic researchers and research students in Australia and Peru, and funding from Curtin University, the AAA, RIRDC and MAF to conduct this work. The results of our work have been presented at National and International conferences, workshops and seminars, and have been published in peerreviewed journals. This article describes the past, present and future research projects of the group.

ALPACA MOLECULAR RESEARCH GROUP

Some genes are very well characterised, that is, their sequence, features and function in one or more species is known and understood THE PAST: COMPLETED PROJECTS It can be very hard to say when a project is completed. For some projects there is always one more thing to do or try based on previous results.

However, some projects have very discrete end points.

MICROSATELLITES

All species have markers in their DNA, these markers can be considered to be flags that mark certain spots, and which can be used to navigate around the genome, or to uncover information about the genome. There are many different types of DNA markers, the most common of which are single nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellites. These two are the type of markers that are used most commonly for wellknown tasks like forensics and parentage testing.

Microsatellites have a few different varieties depending on their size. These variously sized microsatellites have different characteristics that make them more or less easily used for different tasks. The larger versions can be more accurately measured and so were the marker of choice, but up until the early 2000’s it was believed that Alpaca microsatellite markers

ruminants and ruminant-like species (i.e. alpacas) did not have any of these larger microsatellite markers. Our team believed differently, and were funded by Morris Animal Foundation to search for these so-called tetranucleotide microsatellites (named for their four-base repeating motif) in alpaca DNA. We found 249 tetranucleotide markers, 26 of these had the desired characteristics, so we selected the best nine of these and analysed them fully on 45 animals.

Together these nine markers have 97.7% capacity to exclude an incorrect parent. The markers and the multiplex are publicly available.

Full details of this work can be read in: Munyard, K.A., Ledger, J.M. Lee, C.Y. Babra, C. Groth D.M. (2009) Isolation, Characterization and Multiplex Genotyping of Alpaca Tetranucleotide Microsatellite Markers. Small Ruminant Research 85: 153-156.

CANDIDATE GENES

Some genes are very well characterised, that is, their sequence, features and function in one or more species is known and understood. Such genes are valuable sources of inspiration for

research into less well-resourced species like alpacas. We used a candidate gene approach to try to understand colour genetics in alpacas.

1 Tyrosinase

Tyrosinase is the key enzyme in the pigmentation pathway. Without tyrosinase no pigment can be produced. There are a number of colour phenotypes in mammals that are attributed to mutations in tyrosinase, the most well-known being albino. Other tyrosinase mutations cause dilution of colour or white phenotypes in species such as mice, cats, ferrets and minks. It therefore seemed a good candidate to examine to try to find the cause of white in alpacas. With the support of the School of Biomedical Sciences at Curtin University, we obtained DNA sequence of the gene from cows, mice dogs and humans, and identified regions to use as priming sites for PCR. PCR is a process of copying defined pieces of DNA, and is used to make sufficient quantity of the desired DNA piece to analyse. We made PCR copies of the alpaca tyrosinase coding regions (the parts of the gene that actually code for proteins rather than the housekeeping parts) for 24 different alpacas and determined their sequence. The colours we targeted were white (both dark and pink-skinned), light fawn, various shades of brown, warm-black and blue-black, rosegrey and silvergrey. After comparing all the tyrosinase sequences from all the different colours, we found 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (commonly called SNPs, and pronounced “snips”). A SNP is a position in the DNA where the identity of the DNA base is not the same in all members of a single species. These are very common, and can either have no effect, or can cause a different amino acid to be incorporated into the finished protein. Of the 10 SNPs in the alpaca tyrosinase gene, only three caused a change of amino acid. However, none of these three SNPs were correlated with colour phenotype, or were likely to cause a change in protein function according to predictive programs.

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 17

ALPACA MOLECULAR RESEARCH GROUP

A polymorphism in Matp is responsible for palomino in horses, and polymorphisms lead to colour dilution phenotypes in mice and humans

18 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

2 MATP

THE PRESENT: CURRENT PROJECTS

The Membrane associated transport protein is encoded for by a gene called Matp, and is another important component in the pigmentation pathway. A polymorphism in Matp is responsible for palomino in horses, and polymorphisms lead to colour dilution phenotypes in mice and humans. We applied the same process to the Matp gene as we did to the tyrosinase gene, and determined the DNA sequence of its coding regions in the same group of alpacas. Matp was less variable than tyrosinase, despite encoding for only four fewer amino acids (526 vs. 530 for Tyrosinase). Matp contained only two polymorphisms, one of which caused an amino acid change. Unfortunately, there was no correlation between either of these polymorphisms and colour phenotype. We therefore concluded that there were no coding region polymorphisms in the tyrosinase or Matp genes that were responsible for colour variation in alpacas.

The full details of the tyrosinase and MATP research can be read here: Cransberg, R., Munyard, K.A. (2011) Polymorphisms detected in the tyrosinase and matp (slc45a2) genes did not explain coat colour dilution in a sample of Alpaca (Vicugna pacos). Small Ruminant Research 95(2-3): 92-96

A lot of the research we do is not sequential, that is, we have many projects running simultaneously, each at a different stage of progress, these current projects are described in no particular order.

CANDIDATE GENES 1 MC1R

The Alpaca Molecular Group’s most well researched gene, the melanocortin-1 receptor (aka Mc1r), is also the gene that started all our colour research. It is a small gene (only 954 bases or 317 amino acids long), is very well characterised, is responsible for colour variation in many species (e.g. dogs, horses, sheep, humans and mice) and was therefore the perfect candidate gene. Mc1r, and its partner gene agouti, control the production of pigment.

Mammals only have two different types of pigment, black eumelanin and yellow/red pheomelanin, and the interplay between Mc1r and agouti determines how much of which pigment is produced, when and where. Mc1r in other mammals is known to be highly variable, and this was also the case in alpacas. We identified 21 SNPs, only three of which caused amino acid changes, and most of which had no correlation to colour phenotype. However, two of the SNPs were highly correlated with colour, and predictive programs suggested that they would alter the protein in such a way that the function of the protein would be disrupted.

We conducted functional analyses of these two SNPs, and they do, indeed, disrupt the function of the protein (a paper is in preparation describing this work). One of the Mc1r SNPs destroys function of the protein altogether, and the other reduces function significantly. This was an important finding in relation to alpaca colour genetics, because it was the first time that polymorphisms in Mc1r have been shown to have a direct effect on colour in alpacas.

Our model to explain this variation is that the non-functional version of Mc1r acts in a similar way to chestnut in horses. That is, when two copies of the non-functional allele are present, no normal Mc1r protein can be produced, and therefore no eumelanin can be produced.

Alpacas with two copies of non-functional Mc1r will have no black on them. We also noticed that the intensity of the pheomelanin is not controlled by the Mc1r gene. Some animals that were a very rich dark red/ brown had the same non-functional Mc1r allele as some of the white alpacas. Similarly, some white alpacas had fully functional Mc1r, but these had black skin, while all the alpacas with non-functional Mc1r had pink (or self-coloured) skin. It was clear that the shade of colour (i.e. the intensity of pheomelanin present) was not controlled by Mc1r. One note of caution needs to be made here, though. Through age and exposure to sun, pink skin usually develops dark pigmentation.

This is a natural protection against the damage that can be done to cells by UV light. It can therefore be very hard to determine if an older alpaca has pink or dark skin.

ALPACA MOLECULAR RESEARCH GROUP

MC1R coding region sequence

The outcome of this research is that we can now explain some of the colour variation in alpacas. We are able to perform a DNA test for the presence of either of these two functionimpairing SNPs in Mc1r, and that information allows us to predict the potential colours an alpaca can produce.

Full details of the SNP discovery work can be read here: Feeley, N. and Munyard, K.A. (2009) Characterisation of the Melanocortin 1 Receptor gene in Alpaca and identification of possible markers associated with phenotypic variations. Animal Production Science. 49: 675-681.

2 Agouti

However, the SNPs in Mc1r do not explain the entire alpaca colour story. So we next examined the partner to Mc1r, the agouti gene. When normal functional agouti protein is present, pheomelanin will be produced; when it is absent, only eumelanin will be produced. A variety of agouti alleles cause different mixtures of eumelanin and pheomelanin that create time and location specific colour patterns. A good example is dogs: different agouti alleles are responsible for sable, wolf grey, saddle-tan, black and tan, and black. In mice, there are more than 30 different agouti alleles. The bay phenotype in horses is caused by an agouti allele. There are alpaca phenotypes that are analogous to horse and dog phenotypes that are caused by agouti, so it was another logical gene to investigate.

In our research of the alpaca agouti gene we identified 10 polymorphisms; 9 SNPs and one missing piece (a “deletion”). Three of these (two SNPs and the deletion) were predicted to lead to the production of non-functional agouti protein. Similar to the case for Mc1r (but in reverse) when two non-functional alleles of agouti are present, only black eumelanin can be produced. We therefore believe that we have identified polymorphisms that cause recessive black colour in alpacas.

We do know, however, that we have not found all of the mutations that cause black in alpacas.

Some of the black alpacas had completely normal agouti coding regions. Given that mutations in the regulatory (or housekeeping) region of the agouti gene in mice and dogs are responsible for colour variation, it is logical that the same is true of alpacas. We are therefore in the process of seeking funding so that we can further investigate the non-coding regions of agouti.

A description of the agouti research is published in this article: Feeley, N., Bottomley, S. and Munyard, K. (2011) Three novel mutations in ASIP associated with black fibre in alpacas (Vicugna pacos). The Journal of Agricultural Science. 149, pp 529-538 doi:10.1017/ S0021859610001231 3 SILV & SLC36A1

Silver (Silv) and Champagne (Slc36A1) are two other candidate genes that we are investigating in relation to colour in alpacas. A small extra

piece of DNA in Silv (an “insertion”) causes the merle pattern in dogs, while a SNP in Slc36a1 is responsible for the champagne dilution in horses. Merle dogs have very similar colour characteristics to grey alpacas, and many alpacas have a yellow colour that is analogous to champagne in horses. We therefore examined the regions of these two genes that had been shown to harbour the causative mutation in dogs and horses in the alpaca version of the gene. Our research showed that neither of those mutations was present in our sample of alpacas. However, we have not ruledout the possibility that a different mutation in the same gene might be responsible for a colour change, so the investigation of these genes is still ongoing.

Details of this work can be read in these reports: Altham, A and Munyard, K. (2010) Why are some Alpacas brown when they should be black according to previously understood genetic inheritance models? Research Project Report 334, Curtin University.

Tan, L. and Munyard, K. (2006) A retrotransposon insertion in alpaca SILV at intron 10/ exon 11 boundary is not responsible for blue-eyed white phenotype. Honours Paper, School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University.

4 MITF

It was recently discovered that the white patterns seen in dog breeds such as Border Collies is due to a polymorphism in the microphthalmia associated transcription factor gene (Mitf). Mitf is a key regulatory gene in the pigmentation process, and controls the expression of many other genes.

The canine “white collar” pattern is very reminiscent of tuxedo in alpacas. We are currently sequencing all nine coding regions of the alpaca Mitf gene in alpacas with and without the tuxedo markings, and we hope to be able to examine this data for mutations in the near future.

Alpaca ASIP comparison table

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 19

ALPACA MOLECULAR RESEARCH GROUP

Mother and son

A genetically brown animal cannot have any black on it, anywhere, because all its black pigment has been converted to brown

20 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

5 TYRP1

MELANIN ANALYSIS

Brown in alpacas has always been a “grey” area. One person’s brown is another person’s dark fawn, or even black. In the scientific literature relating to mammals, brown is a very precise colour, and in most domestic mammals is caused by mutations in the tyrosinase related protein1 (Tyrp1). These mutations lead to a non-functional Tyrp1, such that the normally black eumelanin is changed to brown coloured eumelanin. A genetically brown animal cannot have any black on it, anywhere, because all its black pigment has been converted to brown. Tyrp1 brown is recessive to black, and an animal needs to have two copies of the brown Tyrp1 allele to express that colour. Elizabeth Paul scrutinised the Alpaca Herd book records and noted that sometimes brown appeared to be dominant to black, while at other times it was recessive to black. It was obvious that the term “brown” as used in alpaca circles was not the same as that used in scientific circles. In order to start to unravel this conundrum, we have sequenced the entire coding region of the alpaca Tyrp1 gene. We identified 19 polymorphisms, but only one was predicted to cause a change of amino acid. Further analysis was carried out on this mutation by targeting different alpacas that had been called brown by their owners, and that appeared to have no black on them anywhere. No correlation with any colour was found with any of the SNPs (A paper describing this work has been submitted and is currently under review). This led us to the conclusion that Tyrp1 (or recessive) brown might not exist in alpacas.

The following article describing the Tyrp1 research is currently undergoing review: Feeley, N. and Munyard, K. (2012) Novel mutations in Vicugna pacos (alpaca) Tyrp1 do not appear to be responsible for brown colour phenotypes. Journal of Heredity (under review)

In order to further investigate the question of the genetic identity of brown in alpacas, we turned from DNA to the fibre itself. We used established chemical tests to measure the amount of total pigment (i.e. melanin) and the relative ratio of eumelanin to pheomelanin in hundreds of fibre samples. Our results showed that there is no clear cut-off in melanin content between a white and a light fawn, or a light fawn and a fawn; there is just a continuum of colour intensity. We also found that most brown alpacas were pheomelanic; the difference between a white, fawn, dark fawn and brown is one of degree, not content. That is, the more intense the colour, the higher the amount of melanin in the fibre, but the ratio of eumelanin to pheomelanin remained the same. In contrast, blue-black and warm-black animals were eumelanic, although they too, showed a range of intensity of melanin that correlated positively with visual “darkness”. Grey animals (both silverand rose-) were a special case. These samples showed much higher melanin content than would be expected based on visual inspection. We are investigating to see if this is a viable way to test for cryptic greys. Some animals did not fall neatly into either the pheomelanic or eumelanic category based on the chemical test, but were intermediate between the two types. These intermediate animals must either be expressing a mixture of pheomelanin and eumelanin, or are eumelanic-brown. Our conclusion from this research (which is currently being prepared for submission to a journal) is that the vast majority of brown alpacas are not eumelanic-brown, but are instead actually various shades of yellow/red.

It is probable; therefore, that most brown alpacas are expressing agouti gene variants.

The animals that were unable to be neatly placed into the pheomelanin or eumelanin groups still need to be explained. We have teamed with the original creators of the chemical test (a group in Japan) to further characterise

ALPACA MOLECULAR RESEARCH GROUP

the fibre using a more sophisticated test that can differentiate between eumelanic-brown and mixed pheomelanin/ eumelanin. We now have completed this analysis on nearly 100 fibre samples, and are examining the results.

Preliminary analysis suggests that all the intermediate samples are mixed pheomelanin/ eumelanin, rather than eumelanic-brown.

If our preliminary analysis holds true, then the results from the herd book collation can be explained by taking into account both agouti and Mc1r variation. We have personally genotyped (and pedigree tested, just in case!) brown cria produced by two black parents. What we found in each case was that the parents were both carrying one non-functional copy of Mc1r, and that these two had “met” in the cria to produce brown (aka chestnut). The cria itself also had two nonfunctional copies of agouti, but this was “overruled” by the action of Mc1r (i.e. was black but wearing a cloak of brown). This is a case where brown appears to be recessive to black, but is, in fact, not. In another example to explain the herd book results, some alpacas that are called black are actually really dark brown, and are probably genetically bay-black (Aba: see our RIRDC report for full explanation of genetic notation).

When two of these produce a cria, if the two Ab alleles came together a brown cria would be produced.

The following report contains sections explaining colour inheritance and melanin analysis in detail: Munyard K. (2011) Inheritance of White Colour in Alpacas: Identifying the genes involved. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

Mart1 is not expressed in white animals, but is expressed in bay and black. Prior to this we did not even have Mart1 on our list of possible genes to examine. Only a couple of months after our discovery of differential expression of Mart1 in alpacas, a paper was published that showed that mutations in Mart1 in mice cause a dilution effect on colour, so we are now looking more closely at Mart1. Many, many other genes, both coding and regulatory, are expressed differently in these three colours of alpaca, and these genes are all being studied to see if they could have any effect on colour. We have now started a full-scale project, comparing the skin expression of eight different colours of alpaca. All the labwork is done, and we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our new data, so that we can examine it closely. This will not be a quick analysis, though, there are 75 Gb of raw data to analyse, comprised of over 600 million individual sequences.

A preliminary report of the RNA-sequencing project can be found here: Munyard K. (2011) Inheritance of White Colour in Alpacas: Identifying the genes involved. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

GLUCOSE METABOLISM

In complete contrast to Industry-based research, we have teamed with diabetes researchers to find out if alpacas are a good large-animal model for diabetes in humans. Alpacas are a likely candidate for this role because of their unusual glucose metabolism characteristics. Dr Chris Cebra from Oregon State University has done a lot of research from the veterinary point of view to understand how and why alpacas do not metabolise glucose like other livestock such as sheep and cows. In some cases alpacas have glucose measurements that would be considered diabetic if seen in humans. We will begin the project by examining the similarities and differences in the genes relating to glucose metabolism between humans and alpacas.

THE FUTURE: GOALS ALPACA RESEARCH NETWORK

GENE EXPRESSION IN SKIN

Pigmentation in mammals is a complex process that involves over 300 genes. In many cases different mutations lead to similar (or identical) phenotypes and in other cases the cause of a phenotype is unknown. Therefore, while the candidate gene approach is usually very successful, when the number of possible candidate genes is large, or where there is no candidate gene, another approach is needed.

One such alternative is to compare the genes that are being expressed between alpacas of the colours of interest. While every cell contains the full complement of DNA, the active version of DNA, RNA is only activated when and where it is needed. That’s why we don’t have lungs growing out of our elbow, or hairy red-blood cells!

Measuring the level of expression of genes in alpaca skin will tell you which genes are different in the different colours, and these differences may lead us to a causative mutation. Until recently this process of comparing gene expression on a large scale was laborious and expensive, however it is now possible, using state-of-the-art RNAsequencing technology, to achieve the same goals more thoroughly, more quickly and with less expense. We therefore conducted a pilot study comparing the RNA expression in skin samples of white, bay and black alpacas. Information from the pilot study has been extremely interesting and useful. For instance, we now know that the gene

Pacomarca SA, we have analysed 10 years of herd fibre measurements in an effort to identify animals with high and low predisposition to micron blow-out. Our results indicate that there are animals representing both those groups, so the next step is to seek funding to try to find genetic markers that will allow breeders to identify the good and bad at a young age.

FIBRE QUALITY

We have recently expanded into fibre quality research. All fibre animals suffer from micron blowout, the phenomenon in which the diameter of the fibre increases as the animal ages. This is a particular problem for alpacas because they live, and are productive, for longer than most other fibre-producing species. It is obvious that the industry would benefit from animals that do not “blow out”. However, simply taking yearly measurements and comparing them is not useful.

Fibre diameter is controlled by genetics and environment, so what you see in an animal might not reflect its true genetic potential. For example, an animal that is genetically programmed to blow-out badly would appear to have fine fibre if it was kept on sub-maintenance level rations.

Similarly, one with low predisposition to blowout might actually have a large increase in diameter over time if it is fed too much. Luckily, the use of sophisticated quantitative genetics analysis, coupled with extensive and detailed fibre records, allows us to peel away the environmental effects to see the genetic effects. With funding from RIRDC, and very generous in-kind support from

With the goal of bringing together and sharing all the knowledge and expertise that is available relating to alpacas, Curtin University is in the very early stages of trying to establish an Alpaca Research Network. This network would be a conduit through which producers, breeders, manufacturers and researchers can communicate.

Representatives of each sector will form an advisory committee, whose role is to facilitate exchange of information, set goals for the industry and coordinate information. A network coordinator will have the job of gathering as much information as possible about the research that has already been done relating to alpacas, and sourcing funds for future research. It is vitally important that this network be international because each Country brings strengths to the table. We envisage that the Network will be of benefit to all by providing the research that the producers need, by providing researchers with the projects and samples that they need, and by providing manufacturers with high quality products to offer to the consumer. Funding success through large granting bodies should also increase through the demonstration of industry significance and true collaborations.

GENETICS OF COLOUR PATTERNS IN ALPACAS

While we are making progress on the base-colour genetics of alpacas, we have barely scratched the surface of colour patterns (e.g. piebald, appaloosa, grey, roan). These are projects that will be done, as soon as time and funding permits.

This article was first published in New Zealand Alpaca magazine published by the Alpaca Association of New Zealand.

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 21

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MAIN HEADING

READING FIBRE TEST RESULTS

Paul Vallely

Australian Alpaca Fibre Testing

Australian Alpaca Fibre Testing has set up a European arm to provide fibre testing locally. They recently announced that Trevor Selby has been appointed as their fibre testing technician, replacing Liz Barlow, and all fibre samples should now be sent to him, whose contact details are at the end of this article.

INTRODUCTION

Alpaca breeders should use their fibre test results as a breeding tool that will help them to make progress in producing animals with improved fleeces. Here Paul Vallely explains how to interpret those histograms.

24 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

I

n recent years, the world's alpaca industry has made significant progress towards establishing itself as a supplier of raw fibre to the textile and craft markets. Although commodities have suffered under the weight of global economic hardship, alpaca fibre is witnessing potential as an emerging luxury fibre within the garment and environmental/welfare conscious markets.

At the 2008 National Alpaca Fibre Seminar held in Australia, presenters from processing and garment manufacturing firms revealed a growing demand for quality alpaca fibre. This was further evidenced at the World Alpaca Conference held in Oxford, UK in 2012.

Alpaca breeders at both these events were told that although a range of fibre types would be required for various product ranges, growers needed to focus on ‘key market drivers’. In other words, growers needed to produce fleeces that exhibited those traits sought by the respective markets in order to secure supply opportunities and reap price premiums.

For breeders pursuing craft and/or value adding objectives, the principle of producing fleeces that meet key fibre traits still apply.

Objective fibre traits such as average fibre diameter, variation of fibre diameter, incidence of coarse fibres (comfort factor) and staple length provide clear expectations on processing performance and eventual yarn/fabric quality, and therefore, were critical in pursuing opportunities for supplying fleece.

Similarly, objective traits also play a key role in the quality of home spun products, although

READING FIBRE TEST RESULTS Example of two sets of results including data, histograms and micron profiles. Analysis of the results follows below the examples.

condensation build-up can distort the fibre measurements. Record the alpaca’s name and/or tag/IAR number on the bag.

6. Send the samples to your preferred fibre test provider.

INTERPRETING TEST RESULTS

the degree of importance of the relevant traits may differ compared to those preferred by commercial markets.

It should be remembered that visual traits such as colour clearly have some influence on price paid or craft outcomes, however, they are not the subject of this article.

Monitoring objective fibre traits using fibre measurement, therefore, makes a lot of sense.

It allows fleece growers the opportunity to identify alpacas that are likely to produce the more valuable or preferred fleeces. More importantly, it also provides an insight into the genetic potential of breeding stock to produce progeny capable of growing these premium fleeces.

Both science and practical experience have proven that fibre measurement is the most effective and efficient method of monitoring fibre traits. The following information is provided to alpaca breeders as a guide to embarking on or maintaining a fibre monitoring program.

HOW TO TAKE A FIBRE SAMPLE The main points to note regarding mid-side sampling are as follows: 1. Always use the same sample site. This will enable you to effectively compare results.

The preferred and most commonly used site is the mid-side. The mid-side is located half way between the fore and hind leg and half way down the body mass. The left hand side of the alpaca is normally used for the mid-side as the right side is exposed to judges when showing.

2. To breed for reduction in variation of fibre diameter across the fleece, three sample sites may be used. In this case, the mid-side, the shoulder area and the pin-bone (hip) are recommended.

3. For OFDA2000 testing, the size of the fibre sample needs to be only the width of two fingers.

4. When cutting the sample from the alpaca, ensure the sample is taken as close to the skin as possible so that a complete test analysis can be conducted on the whole length of fibres.

5. Place the sample in a paper bag. If a plastic bag is used, the bag should not be sealed as

The following is a list of commonly used terms with fibre testing.

Micron: Unit of measurement for describing diameter of fibre. 1,000 microns = one millimetre.

Fibre diameter is the single most important fibre trait with regard to commercial processing. It is also one of the most heritable fibre traits Mic Dev: (Micron Deviation) The extent to which a sample's average micron deviates from the herd’s average.

SD: (Standard Deviation) This shows how much fibre diameter variation there is within a fibre sample. Within one fibre bundle, the individual fibres will vary by about 20 to 25 microns. For instance, one fibre bundle might have individual fibres with diameter of, say, 15 microns, while it will also have fibres with diameter of, say, 35 microns.

The range in diameter within a fibre bundle from an alpaca, will generally be repeated over that alpaca's saddle area.

In statistical terms, a standard deviation is how far from the average you need to go to capture about two thirds of total variation within the sample. In fibre testing, we use SD to show us the degree of variation in microns.

For example, a fibre sample has an average diameter of 20.0 microns with a SD of 5.0 microns. In this case, about two thirds of the fibres in the sample are between 15.0 and 25.0 microns (5 microns either side of the average of 20 microns). The lower the SD, the less variation in fibre diameter.

SD is the preferred measurement for determining fibre diameter variation on individual animals. Alpacas with low SD generally have a softer handle, greater tensile strength, and often have less variation over the fleece area.

SD is highly heritable.

CVD: (Coefficient of Variation of Diameter) Is the standard deviation expressed as a % of the sample’s average. For example, if the average diameter is 20.0 microns with a SD of 5.0 microns, the CVD is 25.0%. (5/20 x 100) CF: (Comfort Factor) Percent of fibres in a sample that are equal to or less than 30 microns.

Fibres greater than 30 microns are generally responsible for the prickle sensation when worn next to the skin.

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 25

READING FIBRE TEST RESULTS

Both science and practical experience have proven that fibre measurement is the most effective and efficient method of monitoring fibre traits.

CEM: (Coarse Edge Micron) The range in microns covering the coarsest 5% of the sample.

For example, if the 5% of coarsest fibres in a sample are between 26 and 35 microns, the CEM would be 9 microns. This is a good tool for monitoring problematic primary fibres. <15%: The percent of fibres in a sample less than 15 microns.

CRV: (Fibre curvature) expressed in degrees/ millimetre. Generally, higher curvature is associated with higher crimp frequency.

SF: Spin Fineness: Calculation using micron and CVD to represent the spinning quality.

Micron Profile: A graph showing the variation of fibre diameter along the staple. Can be used for analysing the nutritional intake over the growing season. The graph is read from left to right.

Histogram: A bar graph depicting the distribution of fibre diameter for the sample. On the vertical (y) axis of the graph is the micron of the fibre counts. On the horizontal (x) axis are a series of numbers which represent the frequency of distribution of those fibres counted.

SL: Staple length expressed in millimetres.

(Staple is another term for fibre bundle) Max Mic. The broadest point along the staple, expressed in microns.

Min Mic. The finest point along the staple, expressed in microns.

FPFT: (Finest point from the tip) Expressed as millimetres from the tip to the finest point in the staple. An indicator for the ‘point of break’.

MFE: (Mean fibre ends) The average fibre diameter of the fibre ends [tip and base] expressed in microns.

Hauteur (predicted): The estimated length of fibres after scouring, carding and combing.

ANALYSIS OF TWO FIBRE TEST EXAMPLES (OVERLEAF) Top Example (6B46)

The average fibre diameter is 15.8 micron. As can be seen on the histogram, most of the fibres are centred close to the mean diameter. Almost all fibres are between 9 microns and 28 microns, (range of 19 microns). This alpaca has very low variation of fibre diameter, and consequently has a low SD of 3.4 microns, (2/3 of fibres are between 12.4 microns and 19.2 microns). As all fibres are below 30 microns, the Comfort Factor is 100%.

The micron profile shows a relatively flat profile indicating stable level of nutrition passing to the fibre follicles. The profile shows the average diameter of the fibre staple starting at almost 17 microns at last shearing (left side of profile), then finishing at about 16 microns when the sample was taken.

The results indicate this sample is from a superior animal, capable of producing premium ultrafine type fibre.

26 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

Bottom Example (6Y40)

The average fibre diameter is 26.3 microns. The histogram shows high variation of diameter of individual fibres, ranging from 13 microns to 48 microns, giving a range of 35 microns. For this reason the SD is 5.5 microns, (2/3 of the fibres are between 20.8 microns and 31.8 microns). Note that the CV is 20.8%, which is lower than the above alpaca at 21.4%. The reason for this is the difference in fibre diameter.

The comfort factor is 82%, meaning 18% of fibres are greater than 30 microns. The fibre from this alpaca would likely have a prickle feel if worn next to the skin.

The micron profile shows the level of nutrition falling dramatically about half way through the growing season, before rebounding to almost its initial diameter. This might be a result of worm infestation, dry conditions or ill health followed by a return to lush or healthy conditions. The fibre would likely be tender at the finest point on the profile.

This alpaca would be regarded as producing inferior fleece by commercial standards.

MICRON BLOWOUT Many growers lose faith in their animals once they receive a test report showing a high fibre diameter result . The fact is, the animal might be capable of producing premium type fleeces, however, it may have been subject to overfeeding.

During 2006, Australian Alpaca Fibre Testing conducted over seven thousand alpaca fibre tests. The average micron for these tests was 25.1 microns. A high percentage of these tests were on samples from first or second fleeces.

The average range in fibre diameter along the staple was 4.8 microns. This represents how much the fibre changed in diameter over the growing season. This variation is caused mainly by changes in nutritional intake. High nutrition causes the fibre to broaden. Overfeeding high quality hay or grain has often been the cause of much anguish when the fibre test results are revealed.

With many of the alpacas we tested, the fibre diameter blew out by more than 10 microns. In one year, an alpaca blew out by a staggering 19.2 microns – starting at 18.1, and finishing with 37.3 microns at the point of shearing.

A random selection of 100 test results from 2006 showed about 20% of fleeces to be under 20 microns at one point, but finished with an average fibre diameter of over 26 microns.

Obviously, feeding regimes for pregnant females or developing crias might require high nutrition irrespective of impact on fibre diameter.

Furthermore, I’m not suggesting you keep your alpacas just one step away from needing lifesupport systems to survive. The message is to find the right balance.

POINTS TO REMEMBER

is generally • the Fibremostdiameter important trait for

commercial processing. It is also one of the most heritable fibre traits allowing significant genetic gain over generations.

In saying this, however, you need to get your SD's under control before you can get your microns under control.

W hen reading fibre test • results, look at the SD rather than the CV.

When purchasing an animal, • always ask for the SD. If the vender knows the micron, then they know the SD.

Incorrect sampling technique • can have a detrimental affect on the eventual test result.

Seek the advice of a qualified • fibre measurement service

provider in order to effectively interpret results.

C ontact details: Trevor Selby, 8 Hapton Drive, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 1SL Email: info@aaft.com.au Tel: 01425 473700

Micron Profile showing blow-out of 7 microns over 8 month period.

Husbandry Courses Saturday 31 March Saturday 14 June Saturday 12 June

Shearing Courses Wednesday 2 May Thursday 3 May

Alpaca Assessment Day Saturday 8 September

Spinning Courses Autumn—TBC

*Also Available*

One-to-one courses individually tailored to your needs if required.

HUACAYA AND SURI STOCK FOR SALE

We have a selection of breeding females and castrated males from our long established herd of prize-winning Alpacas.

For further information on courses, stock for sale or merely an informal chat, please contact: Ian & Rachel Waldron Lower Langaton Farm • Chittlehampton • Umberleigh • Devon • EX37 9RD Tel: (01769) 540202 Email: info@langatonalpacas.co.uk www.langatonalpacas.co.uk

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 27

28 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 29

FLEECE CLASSING

The Australian Alpaca Industry moves towards a

QUALITY ASSURANCE FLEECE CLASSING SYSTEM A welcome new commercial quality standard is being established in Australia, specifically for alpaca fleece production.

Graeme Dickson tells us more.

30 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

S

ince the arrival of alpacas into Australia some twenty four years ago, the industry has largely concentrated on the breeding aspects of the animal and adapting them to Australian conditions. Whilst breeders use fleece testing and the show system to benchmark their alpacas, little attention has been paid to establishing uniform classing lines and standards for commercial fleece production. In more recent years private groups have emerged to collect fleece and assist in the development of a fibre industry, classing the fleece collected to meet the specific requirements of the products they planned to market.

For the Australian industry to market Quality Assured Australian Alpaca it is necessary to set a range of lines that consider the multiple aspects of alpaca. The prime considerations are obvious – breed type, natural colour, micron group, length and style – but other considerations for the processor and the consumer also need to be addressed – guard hair (kemp), SD/CV, VM content, strength (tenderness) and stain to name just a few. A summary of these lines is shown overleaf.

Following consultation with classers, processors and consumers, combined with research into the Australian Wool & Mohair industries, a comprehensive Code of Practice has been developed and approved by the AAA Board. This code of practice will be the standard to which we will class Australian alpaca, enabling

processors and international buyers to purchase Australian product with confidence knowing that what they are being offered meets the specifications they require. The lines of both Huacaya and Suri are based on a “minimum of lines” approach as we need to take into account the size of the clip by both micron and colour. The range of these lines will be expanded over time as the clip size increases.

TRAINING The next step in this process is to train alpaca classers to a level of competency that will enable them to meet the standard required. To assist in this training the Australian Alpaca Association is in discussion with the National Training Council of Australia through Technical and Further Education (TAFE) NSW in order to find the best and most efficient way of introducing these training courses. Subject to prior learning and/ or industry experience this training will require a commitment of up to two years part time.

There are two levels of competency proposed: a) The Professional Classer level, which allows a registered, qualified classer to class any grower’s fleece b) The Owner Classer, which allows the owner to class only his/her own fleece clip.

The level of training will be to a Certificate 3 or Certificate 4 standard issued either by the TAFE System or Registered Training Organizations

MAIN HEADING

Whilst breeders use fleece testing and the show system to benchmark their alpacas, little attention has been paid to establishing uniform classing lines and standards for commercial fleece production.

(RTO’s). The Australian Alpaca Association is committed to support these courses and has allocated funds to supply resource materials and supply specialist teachers to train the trainers.

REGISTERED CLASSERS In addition to having skilled and trained classers any Quality Assurance system needs a control mechanism to ensure that the standards set are being met. The organization in Australia that manages the system for the wool industry is the Australian Wool Exchange Ltd (AWEX). This organization registers qualified wool classers, audits classed lots and manages the major wool auctions throughout Australia.

AWEX have agreed to manage a similar system for the Australian Alpaca Association Ltd. This will entail registering qualified Australian alpaca classers, the ability to audit any classed lots and issuing a unique numbered identification stencil, which will appear on all QA Classed bales. This alpaca stencil can only be used on alpaca in the same way that a wool stencil can only be used to class wool. The stencil number will be recognised internationally to indicate that the contents have been classed by a registered classer and that the contents conform to the description on the bale/s.

In addition to managing the QA Alpaca Classing, AWEX will encourage their current wool classers to undertake a special alpaca classer training course

and become qualified in alpaca classing. This will provide these wool classers with additional income opportunities and will provide our industry with registered classers in a very short time frame.

The Australian alpaca industry is also fortunate that there are a number of experienced, registered wool classers who have been working with and classing alpaca for some time, with some additional training and an understanding of the alpaca Code of Practice these wool classers could also be in the first group of qualified alpaca classers. They would also be the logical source from which to draw trainers for prospective student classers.

TESTING AND SELLING For the purchaser of Quality Assured Australian Alpaca to be confident that what is being offered for sale is as branded, we need a testing procedure that is also recognised on the international scene.

In order to achieve this the AAA Ltd. have an agreement with the Australian Wool Testing Authority Ltd (AWTA) to provide a test result certificate for each bale or lot tested under their supervision. This certificate will confirm the name of the grower, the gross and nett weights as well as the fibre diameter, C of V and the Vegetable Matter content. Additional commercial yields will also be provided: • IWTO Schulmberger Dry T & N Yield • IWTO Scoured Yield at 17% regain

• Japanese Clean Scoured Yield • Australian Carbonising Yield • Mean Fibre Curvature • Comfort Factor • VM Composition

AWTA is the only registered IWTO testing laboratory in Australia and are members of ILRT and NATA. Their test certificates are recognised worldwide.

The Australian Alpaca Association is about to launch their new Company Logo together with variations of this logo for the identification and branding of consumer products.

Once all of these systems are in place, members of the AAA will be in a position to brand and identify their QA classed alpaca with the appropriate registered mark. In turn processors/ manufacturers of Quality Assured Australian alpaca will be able to participate in the AAA licensing agreement enabling them to brand their products with a mark officially designated for the content of their product.

The introduction of this Quality Assured scheme for the classing of Australian Alpaca is a significant milestone for the future development of the industry and will help to maximise the return to the grower, the processor and the manufacturer.

Graeme Dickson, on behalf of AAA Industry Development Reference Panel ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 31

FLEECE CLASSING

32 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 33

Contact Roger Mount

on 01386 853 841 or 07711044106 Email: snowshillalpacas@btinternet.com Web: www.snowshillalpacas.com

Snowshill Alpacas,

Snowshill Hill Barn, Temple Guiting, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 5XX

For sale : Snowshill Barnaby Solid Beige Stud Male.

Sire: Wellground Imber (s.white) Dam: Fine Bella (s.white) Fleece stats @ 23 months Mfd 22.6 Cv 16.8 SD 3.8 Cf 96.9 D.O.B. 16 - 7 - 2009 Price : ÂŁ4,950 plus VAT

For sale : Snowshill Zhivago Solid White Stud Male Sire: Silverstream Czar of Anzac (s.white) Dam: Silverstream Escudo (s.l-fawn) Fleece stats @ 23.5 months Mfd 18.5 Cv 21.5 SD 4.0 Cf 99.1 D.O.B. 30 - 6- 2009 Price: ÂŁ6,250 plus VAT

We have a number of other potential Stud Males available as well as pet quality males and breeding females for sale. If you require Stud services; we have a good selection of Studs with excellent pedigrees, conformation and fleece qualities. A small selection is shown below, but please visit our website for further information, or phone us.

We adhere to good biosecurity practices and had badger fencing installed in 2009.

Snowshill Shadow Dancer

Stats @ 46 months Mfd 22.1 Cv 22.1 SD 4.9 Cf 94.7 34 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

Snowshill Peregrin

Stats @ 72 months Mfd 21.7 Cv 17.6 SD 3.8 Cf 97.4

Snowshill Orlando

Stats @ 21 months Mfd 23.5 Cv 21.7 SD 5.1 Cf 90.4

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 35

FEEDING ALPACAS

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation commissioned this report ‘Feeding Alpacas to Enhance Reproduction and Fleece Quality’ by D.Blache, J.Vaughan, S.K. Maloney, J.T.B. Milton. The full article can be downloaded at http://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/11-111

FEEDING to enhance reproduction and fleece quality IF

you are not a nutritionist this report may be hard going but perhaps worth it. It suggests that in Australia alpacas can be overweight and consequently their productivity is compromised and that the conclusions of the report will help alpaca breeders as it will assist in managing a more productive flock with lower feed inputs.

The key findings are that the published energy requirements of alpacas are overestimated by at least 15%. The implications from this study are: ‘The study shows that the maintenance

36 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

requirements of wether alpacas used in our studies is about 5.0 MJ ME/day which is about 20% less than the published estimates of the energy requirement for maintenance of alpacas.

Our basal diet and the inclusion of a source of protein containing degradable and un-degradable dietary protein with good levels of sulphur amino acids can sustain fibre growth and potential sperm production in growing alpacas. We have also obtained data suggesting that alpacas are better able to use protein than a glucose precursor to deposit muscle tissue. We have shown that the

FEEDING ALPACAS

inclusion of methionine does not improve fibre production in alpacas. Our proposed diet should be fairly easily adapted for feeding to pregnant and lactating females, by applying similar increasing increments of maintenance as used for single-bearing ewes.

In summary producers and alpaca feed manufacturers should design diets based on feedstuffs similar to those used in the study – with modest levels of fermentable carbohydrate and not too high in protein, but with some of the protein as UDP (un-degradable dietary protein) with good levels of sulphur amino acids. It is estimated that such diets could reduce the cost to hand feed alpacas by as much as 30%, especially where expensive and inappropriate supplements are currently being fed’.

Stephen Tucker of GWF Nutrition comments: The fact that all the work carried out in this article took place under Australian conditions does indicate a notable difference in how Alpacas are kept in the UK and Europe.

The availability of good quality pasture and roughage in the northern hemisphere does suggest that the feeding programmes being recommended by the trials would be very hard to achieve under our conditions. Feeding straw instead of grass, in most cases, would be more expensive rather than saving money and based on the findings of the various aspects of the experiments, the benefits to be achieved apart from costs under Australian conditions, are debatable. What does appear to be confirmed, in my view, is the tremendous adaptability of the Alpaca. Its ability to produce similar results on the various feeding programmes tried in the experiments suggests that this creature does not necessarily respond in correlation with nutritional input. There is still a lot to be understood about how this animal works.

The recommended feeding levels of Camelibra NG-2 and Fibregest are low and designed to maximise the intake of roughage i.e. grazing, hay and chaffs while still only costing @ 12 pence per adult alpaca per day (at full RRP prices). In the

trials there is no actual comparison of cost levels and what the savings might be to consider.

The one critical area that was not covered by the trial work was the effect on the progeny i.e. survival rates, development and the growth of pre and post natal offspring. Yes, fertility was confirmed as being very good however ‘How did the average Cria prosper under these conditions?’. This is an area that we at GWF Nutrition in conjunction with some of our trading customers are examining at this time.

The level of feed intake, the effect on lactation yield and the importance of this in the first two months of the newborn Cria is crucial for their successful healthy development. The very young are totally dependent on their mothers for sustenance so any restriction in milk is not good. Herd results show that there are still variable results in this particular area which is why we are attempting to discover whether this is one area that does respond to specific nutrition. We will provide any results obtained to the readers of Alpaca World Magazine.

ALPACAS What does appear to be confirmed, in my view, is the tremendous adaptability of the Alpaca

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 37

The Australian Alpaca Association Presents the

19th National Show and Sale Adelaide, South Australia, 25th - 28th October 2012

We look forward to welcoming you to one of the world’s premier alpaca events. This illustrious event is to be held in Adelaide this year and plans are underway to assure you a wonderful time.

Over three days, you will see the cream of the Australian alpaca industry compete to be known as the “best of the best”. The culmination of the National Show is our world renowned elite auction.

Selected by a top Australian Judge, this auction includes a strictly limited number of animals, representing the pinnacle of alpaca breeding in Australia.

Surrounded by parklands, Adelaide, the city of churches, the festival city, with its amazing array of restaurants, nightlife and shops offers the international visitor so many reasons to stay on beyond the show and sale. The 16 wine regions, the magnificent Flinders Ranges and Outback, Kangaroo Island (recently voted most unspoilt wilderness in the Asia Pacific region by National Geographic) and the miles of sandy beaches together with the proximity of some of the largest and most successful breeders in the country all make South Australia the ideal location to extend your stay.

Turn your next international alpaca experience into a well-deserved holiday, or your next holiday into an international alpaca experience.

For more information visit www.nationalshow.com.au or email convenors@nationalshow.com.au 38 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

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www.alpacasofwales.com ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 39

CHILDERLEY ALPACAS

WORK AND PLAY AT

CHILDERLEY

ALPACAS

rs in North Devon and love I have been breeding alpacas for seven yea ged to work with these beautiful vile pri y ver l fee I . job my of ect asp ry eve n of photos from our farm for animals and have put together a selectio you to enjoy. Karen Childerley

There really is nothing more heart-warming than seeing the bond between Dam and cria. A lot of kissing takes place on the farm!

Play time

Hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite got the hang of this game!

The cria often play Hide and Seek.

40 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

CHILDERLEY ALPACAS

Boys will be boys.

Future Stud?

Weather

Weanings in the wind. , Alpacas venturing out after a snow storm ing. morn the in early very n take this shot was

cria is a Watching the birth of a new when ally eci lovely experience, esp s. step t firs ir they take the

Spring to life

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 41

CHILDERLEY ALPACAS

Mak ing our own hay and haylage. A very exciting time of year for my daughters!

Shearing time.

Alpacas behaving well in the show ring.

I have been dyeing our own fleece this year and experimenting with the very therapeut ic craft of needle felting, creating sculptures and cush ions.

Needle felted Lovebirds

It was lovely to see our alpaca turned into these garments for the World Alpaca Conference 2012 .

42 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

CHILDERLEY ALPACAS

Photos taken from one of our felting and spinning days.

Can you spot the alpaca on a stick?

Curious alpacas

Hav ing a rest.

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 43

44 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

HARRISON & HETHERINGTON Farmstock Auctioneers, Brokers & Valuers

UK OFFICIAL ALPACA AUCTIONEERS

SALE OF ALPACAS FROM VARIOUS BREEDERS MONDAY 27 AUGUST 2012 within Borderway Mart, Carlisle CA1 2RS All entries accepted, contact our Specialist Sales and Marketing Team – 01228 406233 and ask for our representatives – Heather Pritchard or David Thomlinson or email heather.pritchard@borderway.com

01228 406230 www.harrisonandhetherington.co.uk Borderway Mart, Carlisle CA1 2RS

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 45

LOADING CAMELIDS

A LOAD OFF YOUR MIND...

TRANSPORTING YOUR CAMELIDS THE STRESS-FREE WAY Julie Taylor-Browne, Camelidynamics Instructor and founder, CamelidSense

46 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

LOADING CAMELIDS

T

ransporting your camelids can be the easiest thing the world ‘oh they always just rush in’ or such a nightmare you get cold sweats when you even think about it.

A friend of mind recently told me how she had offered to help a mutual acquaintance move his alpacas to a new farm. Very few of them were halter trained and many of them had never been in a trailer before. Those that had, apparently had very bad memories of the experience because they didn’t want to go in again! Various methods were attempted, including herding from behind, dragging those on a halter from the front and bodily carrying them in. In short the whole exercise took hours and a significant number of people and the friend has promised to never, ever move house again.

So here are a number of tips I have learnt over the years of working with camelids. At the end of every clinic I do a loading demonstration and help load any recalcitrant camelid visitors in a way that is as fun, respectful, efficient, kind and safe as possible. So far, in ten years of teaching and dozens of clinics I have never failed.

Most people routinely move a relatively small number of animals. These may be stud males, females going for mating, animals going to a show, animals that are sold and going to their new homes or possibly animals going to the vets. I suggest that in these circumstances it is usually better to lead them with a halter, although sometimes of course, you have to move larger numbers of animals when it is more efficient to herd them in. I will cover this aspect in the last part of this article. I also know a number of people transport their animals in vans, large cars and step up trailers (i.e. those without ramps, but the following principles will still apply.

1. PUTTING A HALTER ON AN ANIMAL IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR TEACHING IT TO LEAD On the courses I give, we usually train the camelids over the course of two half days to stand still and accept a halter quietly, to lead, to do some obstacles and only at the very end of the two day course do we ask it to enter a trailer on its own or with another ‘newbie’. Now you may immediately cry ‘but I don’t have that amount of time to train each animal I want to show!’, but in fact the actual amount of work each animal on the course has is usually no more than an hour over the whole two days. So never fear. If you don’t believe this is possible, I would like to invite you to come on a course to find out for yourself.

Teach your camelid to lead

3. SOFTLY, SOFTLY, CATCHEE MONKEY...

So step number one. Teach your camelid to lead. See my previous article in Alpaca world or reproduced on my website: www.carthveanalpacas.com/articles.html

It sometimes appears to me that some people have trained their alpaca to lead the day before a show, and that trailer preparation may be missed out altogether. It does the alpaca industry and our reputation as owners no good at all when we have to drag and carry our animals onto a trailer at the end of the day. They often ‘plant’ or kush or lie on their sides and roll just when we are tired at the end of a long day and just want to go home.

If they look they will load...

2. TRAILERS ARE SCARY THINGS. HELP YOUR CAMELID BY DOING SOME PREPARATION WORK FOR LOADING It can help your alpaca to used to the idea of going in a straight line between two guidelines.

We usually do this using the labyrinth, shown below. It also helps to lead it over some different surfaces, for example a rubber mat. In my obstacle course in my field I have a wooden structure made out of pallets. Its original purpose was to teach horses and camelids that they can go over bridges without the trolls getting them, but I have also found it excellent ramp preparation as it reverberates when the alpacas walk on it. For those of you with step up trailers or vans, you could start with a low platform, such as this, and then put another on top to raise the height so they need to jump on and off. Tunnels made with tarpaulins are also a good obstacle and preparation for loading.

If they look they will load...

We can overcome this at the preparatory stage if, when we ask them to lead, walk over a different surface or go up that scary ramp, we don’t use force. A little slack in the lead, a bit of patience, correctly lining them up with the direction we want them to move in, and a gentle ‘walk on’ signal will work miracles. Alpacas and llamas are not stupid, they know very well what we want from them and increasing the strength of the signal we use or repeatedly telling them to ‘walk up’ won’t make any difference. What they want is some time to explore the new challenge, the freedom to look at it and a gentle and understanding person at the end of the lead rope.

None of us are saints, and tempers can get frayed, at the end of a show, for example, so don’t expect to be a great handler at this stage. Train them before and it will go better on the day!

4. SET YOURSELF UP TO SUCCEED WITH YOUR BODY POSITION. Camelids are like horses, in the sense that they see no reason to step on something new without seeing you do it first. Use a long lead and go into the trailer first leaving lots of lead between you and your students. Keep your camelid students lined up with the trailer ramp/trailer entrance/ van door so that they are looking into it. Your lead should have a little slack in it at this stage. If they wander off at all, get out again, line them up using your lead/s and get back in and go to the back of the trailer.

The actual amount of work each animal on the course has is usually no more than an hour over the whole two days.

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 47

LOADING CAMELIDS

Create an escape route by getting out of their way.

Let them look at the trailer entrance, and at the ramp if there is one. Count to thirty potatoes (one potato, two potatoes, etc etc) then use your walk on signal. We teach the ratchet signal for this and use Zephyr training leads because they are both long and light. This will probably get a front leg or two on the ramp. Go back to giving them a little slack, but not enough to let them back up.

Wait for a few more potatoes and give your signal again. They may rear a little, but providing you are not hauling on the lead, this is simply because the surface and the incline is unfamiliar to them.

Stay at the very back of the trailer until they join you there. If your lead rope is taut, they will use an equal and opposite pressure to lean back on the lead, making your task even harder, so a slight ‘belly’ in the line is essential.

GOING...

GOING...

5. OTHER SECRETS OF SUCCESS • G ive them an escape route. Because camelids are prey animals, in an unfamiliar situation they will look for an escape route.

If your trailer has a front ramp or a crew door open these. This will also make it seem less like a scary dark cave.

• Put an acrylic mirror at the front at their height.

• If the ramp is made of rubber matting, put some straw on it to make the surface seem more familiar. On metal ramps this makes them more slippery so don’t do this.

• If you have an animal who knows how to load take this animal with you and let them do it together or put the experienced one in first.

• Some people swear by leaving the trailer in the field with their animals with hay in and letting them use it as toy or field shelter. This will certainly make them less afraid of the trailer but you can still make them reluctant to go on when they are on the lead rope.

• ‘Shy loaders’ can sometimes be tempted in with food. Stand once again at the back of the trailer and rattle their ration. Time feeding them so they are hungry when doing this exercise!

• If you know anything about clicker training, you can clicker train them to go in. Shape the behaviour you want by clicking and rewarding them for merely looking at the trailer, then for walking near the trailer and then for putting a foot on the trailer.

• Use stock gates or hurdles placed along side the ramp to guide them into the trailer and prevent deviations from course. I am usually on my own when I take my animals to an event and the stock gates save me precious time when loading and unloading.

6. DON’T FORGET UNLOADING.

GONE!

The trailer ramp or the descent from a step up is normally the more exciting and eventful part of loading and unloading. The ramp both looks and feels different from how it looked during the ascent and animals may choose to attempt to leap over it completely or partially. You or any helpers should not be in the way at this point. Don’t try and lead them down it - get out first and get clear.

They will work it out - your job is to ensure no-one gets hurt, either camelid or human. You will need long lead (s) to make sure it is possible to get fully clear and that you are able to maintain control of the animal once it has landed.

Safe unloading

48 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

7. AND FINALLY, HERDING ANIMALS INTO YOUR TRANSPORT

I once had a difficult llama and her adult daughter sent to me for some training. She was truly difficult in a number of ways, not least her ability to leap out of any containment we put her in.

She roamed freely round my farm, fortunately choosing to stay with my own herd rather than the neighbours’ sheep and cattle. Her owner sold her before I had managed to halter train her and the transport came to pick her up, turning out to be an adorable little horse transporter with a very wide ramp and side entrance. I had been hoping for a rear loader, but as the Rolling Stones so aptly put it - you can’t always get what you want.

The day before the transporter came I spent a lot of time planning. I used many metres of temporary fencing made of white electric horse poles with two rows of horse tape - if stressed she could easily jump this, but my aim was to not get her stressed.

It was simply used to cut down the number of her options. She came into my pens for feeding in the morning of the loading and I haltered up her daughter and hoped that she might follow.

This was by no means guaranteed, so as I led her daughter down, I had someone herding with wands from the rear. I only needed one person as I had narrowed down the possible escape routes and was funnelling her into the loading area. We then managed to get her into a large-ish, high sided holding area. Had I been unable to narrow down the area. I would have needed two people with herding tape and wands. A bucket of food might have worked, had she not followed her daughter.

Had this not worked either, I would have brought the whole herd down to the loading area, then separated her and her daughter out.

When the transport arrived we blocked off every option using sheep and alpaca panels, opened every door and window on the transporter and put delicious looking haynets in the van. We let her out of her holding area and put next to no pressure on her from behind, although one of us did stand behind the most tempting low sheep hurdle to block off this escape route.

Because she wasn’t stressed she was able to be curious. In short, the ‘difficult llama’ thought it all looked very interesting and marched straight in. It took longer to dismantle all the hurdles and herding tape than it did to actually load her. The transporter (who normally dealt with horses) was very impressed with how easily llamas load!

Preparation, I suggest, was key here.

You can also use a number of the ‘tricks’ suggested in the list above. You can open all available doors, but place hurdles in front of them to prevent your carefully herded animals entering from the rear and exiting immediately through the front.

Herding tape and temporary fencing can be borrowed from any horse owner. Obviously you don’t need them to be connected to electricity. I do suggest two lines of tape as just one line tempts them to go underneath, whereas two look more impenetrable.

I hope this has given you some ideas regarding stress-free loading. For more information on courses and/or equipment such as leads and halters see my website: www.carthveanalpacas. com or contact me by email: taylor.browne@clara.net

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LMFI PeruvIaN DyNaMICS Sire MFI Peruvian Jeremiah Standing at Stud

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1

Vulscombe Farm, Pennymoor, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 8NB Telephone: 01884 243579 Alpaca World Magazine Winter 2009 Email: rachel@alpaca-uk.co.uk

support.More information can be found on our website or please get in touch if you would like to arrange to visit our stud farm.

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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 49

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ASK THE VET

ASK the VET CLAIRE E. WHITEHEAD

BVM&S MS MRCVS Diplomate ACVIM (Large Animal) Camelid Veterinary Services www.ukalpacavet.com

50 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

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Figure 1. Alpaca cria with really gunky eyes. You can see where purulent material has stuck to the fleece on his face and where the tears have been overflowing down his cheeks.

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ASK THE VET

O

ne of the problems that I see with relative frequency is the young alpaca with gunky eyes.

This can be an unsightly problem and potentially very uncomfortable for the affected alpaca as the sides of the face become glued up with gunk, tears are constantly overflowing and the skin underneath the hair can become sore and infected. (Figure 1) Gunky eyes may be due to conjunctivitis (or inflammation of the conjunctiva) and possibly this is secondary to ulcers on the surface of the eye although conjunctivitis may occur without ulcers, for example from dust in the environment. Conjunctivitis may be treatable with a short course of eye ointment from your vet: however, sometimes the tear ducts can become plugged with cellular debris (inflammatory cells and pus) such that no matter how much eye ointment you treat the eye with, the pus is never going to go away because it is stuck! This may be apparent to you as an animal that repeatedly needs courses of eye ointment but the problem just never seems to resolve. The tear ducts themselves are just plugged up and will need flushing in order to resolve this. Blocked ducts seem to be more common in younger animals. This may be because the ducts are much narrower than in adults: once they are adults, these sort of blockages appear to be much less common.

Blocked tear ducts can be flushed with the affected alpaca sedated. General anaesthesia is not necessary, but I usually use a combination of sedative drugs to give a good level of sedation for a short period of time but one that allows me to work easily without stimulating the alpaca too much since we’re working in quite a sensitive area and constant sneezing can be a bit of a problem when working! The tear ducts collect tears at the inner corner of the eye (there is one on each eyelid, upper and lower) and the duct runs down into the nose for drainage where the opening is just a short distance inside the nostril and can be seen by shining a bright light source up the nostril. (Figure 2) The easiest end of the duct to catheterise for flushing is the end that is located in the nostril: with the alpaca sedated, sterile flush fluid is flushed up the ducts and clears the blockage such that the purulent discharge will stream out of the eye in a very satisfying way! (Figure 3) It’s important to ensure that both the upper and lower openings at the eye are flushed such that no infection remains behind after flushing: also that the head is angled down at all times so that flush drains out of the mouth and is not aspirated. Provided that there are no ulcers on the surface of the eye (your vet can use a stain to check for these), it is a good idea to use eye ointment that contains an antiflammatory for several days subsequently to ensure that no residual infection or inflammation remains.

Figure 4 shows the flush at completion, with only clear fluid now being flushed from the eye.

Occasionally, there may be a congenital defect present in which there is no opening of the tear duct at either or both ends of the duct (this is called “nasolacrimal duct atresia”).

“Congenital” means that the problem has been present from birth – whether or not this particular defect is hereditary or not is unknown. Typically, the end that doesn’t have an opening is the end in the nostril, but occasionally the ocular ends may be sealed over. In either case, the opposite end (the open end) can be catheterised and flushed (again under sedation), allowing the vet to identify where the opening should be so that one can be made using a blade. If you find any such cases in your alpacas, I’d be very happy to help them if your vet isn’t quite sure or has trouble finding the duct openings (they can be challenging!) – please just ask for a referral.

Figure 2. View up the right nostril of the same alpaca as in figure 1. You can see where pus is accumulating at the opening of the nasolacrimal duct just inside.

Figure 3. With a catheter placed up the nasolacrimal duct and held in place, sterile saline is flushed up through the ducts and a long line of pus is streaming out of the ducts at the top! That’s just got to feel better!

Figure 4. Same alpaca as in the previous three figures: fluid is now coming out clear, this is the end point of the flush. The fluorescant green liquid is a stain used for identifying any ulcers on the surface of the eye – if stain is taken up by the damaged cornea, then no eye ointment containing steroids should be used (use antibiotic only ointment).

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 51

Camelid Veterinary SerViCeS Offered by Claire e Whitehead bVm&S mS daCVim mrCVS

The 1st exclusively camelid vet service offered in the UK (est. may 2011) Camelid-specific reproduction services including: • breeding soundness evaluation • infertility workups (male and female) • embryo transfer.

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Camelid-specific diagnostic services: • Faecal testing using the modified Stolls test (prices from £16 per faecal) • Cria igG testing Farm visits available in the new Forest area in association with Pilgrims Veterinary Practice.

For info/advice, contact Claire on +44 (0)7769 271506 or email her on claire@ukalpacavet.com

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now based in Oxfordshire.

Alpaca books & digital discs from Classical MileEnd Alpacas Now available from our online shop at www.alpaca-uk.co.uk or by mail order The Complete Alpaca Book 2nd Edition Eric Hoffman The most complete and comprehensive study of the alpaca. £120 + £8.50 p&p

The Alpaca Colour Key Elizabeth Paul of Erehwon Alpacas An exhaustive study of colour inheritance in alpacas. £28 + £3 p&p Alpaca Field Manual C. Norman Evans, DVM Down to earth, comprehensive, and simple to navigate. Its pictures and recommended drug tables will help breeders keep their alpacas healthy. £105 + £5.85 p&p Neonatal Care for Camelids David E Anderson, Toni A Cotton, Claire E Whitehead Highly recommended book from three well respected veterinarians. Covers male and female reproduction, birthing, neonatal care and weaning. A practical ring bound manual based on clinical experiences with over 50,000 alpacas and llamas. A must for all breeders and veterinarians. £85 + £3.50 p&p

Cheques payable to Classical MileEnd Alpacas. Credit/Debit card payments accepted.

52 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

The Art & Science of Alpaca Judging AOBA with Anderson, Gehly, Safley & VandenBosch Five years in the making this book will become the bible for developing breeding strategies and explaining what goes on in the show judging ring. Essential reading for both new and experienced owners.

Highly recommended. £72 plus £6 p&p UK or £10 p&p Europe

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Antenatal Birthing and Cria Care Dr E McMillan and C Jinks A practical guide for the new alpaca owner written by an experienced alpaca owner and their vet. £20 + £1.50 p&p

Calamity’s Bear Elaine Reeman Illustrated by Wendy Holloway Charming children’s book with lovely illustrations. £8 + £2.50 p&p

Orgling CD Alpaca World Magazine Fifty minutes of pure testosterone orgling courtesy of Classical Ikon. Ideal for those young males needing encouragement. £7 + £1.50 p&p Introduction to Alpacas DVD Rachel Hebditch of Classical Mile End Alpacas A 14 minute insight into these lovely animals for those thinking of owning alpacas. £10 + £1.75 p&p

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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 53

AN ALPACA IN MY POCKET

READING, WRITING & ALPACAS “An Alpaca in My Pocket”

by Mindy J.B. Whitten

54 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

AN ALPACA IN MY POCKET

“AN

Alpaca in My Pocket” is a children’s story about a boy who wants a pet larger than his family's capabilities. His father lovingly reveals to him the true size of an alpaca by visiting a nearby alpaca farm and letting the boy discover, for himself, that there may be a better choice of pet for their home.

The inspiration for this story was sparked by my husband before we had any children. As we passed an alpaca farm, he blurted, “Let’s get an alpaca!” At the time, I thought that the idea of impulse live-stocking was pretty funny. Now that the book is out and a promising success among alpaca farmers, I have discovered that impulse live-stocking is exactly how many of the farms got their start.

Lucky for me, my first book has an animal in it that has a very tightly-knit, yet broadly established community. This has provided seemingly endless opportunities to visit the farms and their farmers.

What have I learned? That those furry faces are irresistible. Farmers often change careers completely just to be around, love, and care for these enchanting creatures. It is very tempting.

Each alpaca that I meet has a different look, quirk, and personality than the next. It makes them very entertaining…and very frustrating for the farmer at times, I’m sure. Each farmer describes their herd by how the individual beasts behave or misbehave.

By reading to children in schools, libraries, and mother’s groups, I have discovered that many children and some adults have no previous knowledge of alpacas. I always begin with a discussion about alpacas and the differences between them and their cousin, the llama.

Usually, this is accompanied by llama and alpaca toys as examples.

Writing silly rhyming stories is not new to me.

In fact, I have many stories prepared that I have had for almost a decade. Having always enjoyed the rhyme and meter of a well-written story, I finally decided that I would greatly regret not getting these verses out of my head and that no one else was going to do it for me. The hold up: illustrations.

The biggest challenge in drawing characters is that they have to look like the same character from the beginning of the book to the end. One piece of art can take hours or days. With over 30 pages in this book, that is a lot of time that the art is around my children and, therefore, a target of destruction. I have to choose book development time very carefully at our house.

The second largest challenge: our current lifestyle. My husband is a pilot for the U.S. Army.

We move a lot and then, sometimes, he leaves for a great long time to a scary place.

I chose a very difficult time to get the book to press, but I think that pressure is an element that gets a lot of my work finished.

We had just moved the family from very HOT Alabama to the very COLD North Country of Upstate New York. We had two months from when we got there to the day that my husband was to deploy, for a year, to Afghanistan. It was quite an adjustment.

During these two months, I worked on illustrations every chance that I had, and almost finished! Then, he was gone and I was left with two babies and a preschooler. At the time, we had just celebrated our twins’ first birthday and our oldest boy had recently turned four. Being a single parent during the deployment added a new set of challenges that worked against getting the book finished and ready for market.

When any of my books are coming along really well, the children decorate the walls, I wear pyjamas all day and the dishes tower over the sink. The other 98 percent of the time when the house is clean, make-up actually comes in contact with my face and the kids are more constructively occupied, the books are buried in the closet.

All in all, I am truly pleased with this new little book and am glad that it is finally out there! I have really enjoyed my new experiences around alpacas and their owners. My hope for the book is that it continues to be shared by families and friends, creating a healthy curiosity about the farming industry. Perhaps, it will create a whole new generation of alpaca fans. I hope you like it, too.

Writing silly rhyming stories is not new to me.

Having always enjoyed the rhyme and meter of a well-written story, I finally decided that I would greatly regret not getting these verses out of my head.

An Alpaca in My Pocket is the first release written and illustrated by Mindy J. B. Whitten.

It is enjoyed most by children ages 2-8 years.

Available online: ISBN 978-1-45672-015-5. For questions regarding wholesale availability please inquire to AnAlpacaInMyPocket@gmail.com Great for farm shops and boutiques.

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 55

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56 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

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BOOK REVIEW

This book is one of the British Museum’s Fabric Folios series and at £12.99 an absolute bargain with over 100 colour illustrations that highlight the striking patterns, motifs and colours that continue to inspire South American weavers today and design enthusiasts throughout the world.

T

he introduction sets these textiles within their historical, cultural and environmental context and explains their significant role in reflecting and often affecting political and religious beliefs. Materials and techniques are also discussed and further explained in a glossary.

The book focuses on over thirty pieces from the British Museum’s fine collection of Peruvian and other early Andean textiles ranging in date from 200 BC to the late eighteenth century AD.

For the ancient peoples of the Andes, textiles were often the most valuable commodity they possessed, far beyond gold and silver to us.

For us they are works of unsurpassed art and craftsmanship and one of the greatest resources for understanding these mysterious civilisations.

Textiles from the Andes Penelope Dransart & Helen Wolfe British Museum Press ISBN: 978-0-7141-2584-8 £12.99

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 57

58 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

Alpaca Feeds Following popular demand, we are pleased to announce the launch of two new feeds for alpacas. These feeds have been designed to complement grazing and also winter forages. They contain: • Cereals for high energy • Sugar beet for quality fibre and palatability • Fully mineralised to balance forages • High levels of vitamins and trace elements for health and fertility • Available delivered direct to farm in minimum 1 tonne lots • Packed in 25kg plastic bags • Ex branch collections available by prior arrangement

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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 59

STANDOUT – Super density with low micron and proven pedigree with perfect confirmation, extremely uniformed. Sired by the well renowned champion from Peru Cedar House, Tijera Hugo.

ONYX – shown only twice and won first place at both shows (AAA National 2010, the biggest show in Australia and Sydney Royal 2009). Proven Stud now with 3 crias in the UK available to view and many more coming in NZ. Sire and Dam are both black, lovely temperament. A lot of services in NZ were sold realising his qualities and new genetics.

Introducing the New Boys from OZ (Australia) Have you made your breeding decision tHis year ... if so, tHink again. tHe new boys are Here

. s e ic rv e s le ip lt u m r o f ly p Discounts ap 0 0 5 £ m ro f g in rt ta s s Price

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Phone number: 07852731638 www.cedarhousealpacas.co.uk email: info@cedarhousealpacas.co.uk Manor FarM alpacas

Manor Farm, Stour Provost, jerry@iprex.co.uk 60 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

O NYX

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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 61

WHISTLING DUCK ALPACAS

I’VE GOT A GOOD IDEA ...W ELL, TWO ACTUALLY! Some might call it an alternative lifestyle, our friends call it a mid-life crisis. In two years we have gone from ‘proper jobs’ to growing flowers and owning a small herd of suri alpacas.

By Leigh Woods whistlingduckalpacas.co.uk

62 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

I

worked as an international market manager for industrial products & Richard headed the maths department in a large secondary school although originally he worked as a mining engineer out in the South African gold mines.

Both jobs provided all those useful things like monthly salaries, holidays, pensions, expense accounts etc. But they were a little tedious.

We are always up for a challenge and love doing stuff, we met skydiving and both of us have competed and won at national level. Holidays were often spent jumping out of various large aircraft around the world. It’s always good to have a balanced approach so the garden was a calming influence, enjoying a good bottle of wine in it helped too.

We enjoyed growing plants and visited lots of plant & garden shows, seeing many people happy to indulge and pay for a passion but also sensing an opportunity. To cut a long story short we bought four acres, rented another four, put up two large poly tunnels, dug out some growing beds, excavated a large pond, developed a small nursery specialising in rare, unusual and traditional perennial plants, bulbs and a wide range of lilies and gave up the day jobs.

WHISTLING DUCK ALPACAS

Holidays were often spent jumping out of various large aircraft around the world. It’s always good to have a balanced approach so the garden was a calming influence.

So my first good idea involved the two hardest winters on record (-15deg C isn’t so good for plants), an exceptionally dry summer, a credit crunch and recession. We’re still going though and have worked our way up to some pretty posh events concentrating on a large range of lilies both for gardeners and serious plant collectors.

The lilies have been inspirational in other ways but more about that later. www.liliesandchillies.co.uk Our lawnmower was never going to cope with all the grass we had so another good idea popped into my head! Let’s add to our growing menagerie and find something to graze on it. We already had chickens and Whistling Ducks (yes they are real, related to swans and do whistle instead of quacking, quite cute too) so why not add a few more animals. Sheep are ugly, cows didn’t appeal and I’m allergic to horses so alpacas seemed to be the obvious choice.

We took ourselves off to an ‘introductory day’ and covered the rudimentary basics of care and husbandry, being alpaca ignorant we’d only considered huacaya until we were introduced to a young suri. From then on there was no going back, we only had eyes for suris and were smitten

by their charm, poise and elegance.

The search began and I had a foolish thought of them all being gorgeous black creatures. One of our main problems in life is being born with the wrong cheque book – it’s way too small for some of our aspirations so being realistic we took delivery in May 2010 of a small group of breeding suri females and not a black one amongst them, Whistling Duck Alpacas was born.

We like to throw ourselves into things so in addition to BAS we joined the Heart of England group. We all need support at times, there wasn’t a local group to call on so we tried to get involved where and when we could. From birthing to first aid, show preparation to felting, there have been many useful things learned and experienced and hopefully some new friends made.

The summer passed by all too quickly with some memorable moments especially as we witnessed our first cria being born. Remember those lilies? As well as providing our livelihood they are a great source for names. All the new born additions to the ‘Whistling’ herd will be called after lilies. The list is endless and suits boys as well as the girls so now you know where Arabian Night, Miss Lily, Elodie and Lady Alice have come from,

this years recent additions are Sweet Surrender and Anastasia. I’m waiting for a big bold male who will become Whistling Gisborn. We have a reciprocal agreement in place and alpaca poo makes great fertilizer for our plants and flowers so both businesses can co-exist in harmony.

We never really wind down from the horticulture but autumn and early spring are less frantic so we found some time to visit the British Alpaca Futurity and quickly realised what an opportunity and great event we were missing. We regretted not entering the 2011 show so made it our challenge to be ready for 2012. Why not start at the top, the show seemed to have it all so the entry forms were sent in and halter training began in earnest as well as a trip to M&S to buy a white shirt.

It turned out quite well, Whistling Miss Lily won her class and went on to be named as Champion White Suri Female. The British Alpaca Futurity welcomed owners new to the show ring so to all the sceptics out there the Futurity is not just a show for the ‘Big Boys’. I think we are a good example of a little guy triumphing and many other small breeders had some great successes as well.

If our breeding decisions were good we’ll be back next year with some more ‘Whistling’ alpacas.

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 63

WHISTLING DUCK ALPACAS

We have a reciprocal agreement in place and alpaca poo makes great fertilizer for our plants and flowers.

The whole show had a great feel about it and the team worked hard to be organised and professional. I think opening it up to the general public is a brilliant idea and the NEC venue was superb. In order to reach out to new owners and the fleece and fibre industry then shows like this need to happen to showcase all the positive aspects of owning alpaca and utilising the fleece.

It must take an enormous amount of resources to put on an event like this so I do urge all of you to get involved and help move the alpaca industry forward. If each one of us contributes a little then we will all benefit. Enter a show - be it fleece or halter, you might be pleasantly surprised. Offer to help; there are many ways to get involved from manual labour to marketing expertise. I bet alpaca owners have a huge skill set not being fully utilised.

We both helped out at the Heart of England fleece show and learnt more in a few hours than the past year. For a little effort this has improved our knowledge, helped make better breeding decisions so should reduce risk and help us be

more time and cost effective. That can’t be a bad thing can it?

I listen a lot and have heard many conversations where there seems to be a divide between ‘the little owners’ and ‘the big boys’. In every industry there are big and small players, this isn’t a bad thing either. I’d be happy to be a small player in a big industry. Perhaps the divide would be easier to think of as ‘Pet Owners’ and ‘Commercial Breeders’? There needs to be both.

Feeling encouraged by the Futurity we entered the BAS Alpaca 2012 show, the show had a different feel to it but we wanted to support it and this time our young boy Whistling Arabian Night was named as Champion Brown Male Suri. The flowers are growing well and it’s our busiest time of the year so sadly we won’t be able to enter the smaller regional shows and those aligned to agricultural events, though there is still the thought of those autumn fleece shows to look forward to.

In two years we’ve gone from knowing

There was no going back, we only had eyes for suris and were smitten by their charm, poise and elegance.

64 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

nothing to knowing a little. Our herd is now at seventeen with three more due this summer.

Suris are easy to care for, exceptionally hardy, majestic and graceful- more people should own them. The hard part for us is to make the transition from pet owners to commercial breeders and learn how to part with some, but we are confident that those long agonised over mating decisions and the long anticipated wait will be worth it so we can breed some exceptional and sensational suris.

Life is full of ups and downs but the help and support we’ve received from other alpaca breeders both large and small has been constant, and for that we thank you.

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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 65

In old te rn en SP at io F ON na le S l A e OR l p ce ac a A Co w nf ar er en ds ce 20 12

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2012 and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to make those all important decisions about the future of your herd.

Prize winning stud males in all colours (except grey). This group includes fawn and white, pure Accoyo males, with the quality of fleece that is typical of Shere Khan, Caligula and Ruffo descendants.

A wide selection of pregnant females, some with cria at foot, in all colours. We can put together groups of females to reflect both your budget and your aspirations. All dams will be pregnant to one of our stunning males.

In addition there is always a small number of high quality, potential herd sires for sale. A few of these will be pure Accoyo youngsters that would certainly make a difference to the quality of fleece in any herd.

Please ask either of us for further details about any of the above alpacas, and feel welcome to come and view the herd at either of our locations - NW Oxfordshire and East Sussex.

Kilnwood also has a small herd of, mainly black, alpacas in Australia. We are always happy to discuss exporting especially to the European mainland. Just ask!

for further information please contact

Mandy Wilson - kilnwoodalpacas@aol.com - 0777 565 2207 Philip Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Conor - philipoconor@btconnect.com - 0780 110 9243 01608 683937 www.kilnwoodalpacas.com 66 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 67

MARK SMALLMAN | ADVERTORIAL

A year ago Mark Smallman was living life in the country as a painter, sculptor and musician, admittedly surrounded by animals of different sorts but unaware that soon he and his family would be caught up in the bewitching world of alpacas !

Mark Smallman A6 Advert.qxp

N

ow the proud owner of three female alpacas, Mark’s artistic repertoire of horses, dogs, big cats, other wildlife and people has been increased to include paintings, drawings and sculptures largely based on his recent acquisitions. Talking to many people who started with just three or four alpacas and now have thirty or forty suggests that he may have many more models in time!

Trade stands at events, including the World Alpaca Conference and the Bath and West Show, have led to learning more and more about alpacas, and he’s finding himself increasingly drawn to these fascinating creatures.

A traditional, realistic painter, Mark strives for accuracy and character in whatever he is painting or sculpting.

To balance life as an artist, Mark is also involved in music. For many years he has performed as “Mick Jogger” in a Rolling Stones tribute band. He left one band to pursue solo work, but after some time was persuaded to start a new group and now fronts “The Rolling Zones”. He also plays guitar and shares singing duties in a Classic Rock band called “Purple Fish”.

Passionate about horse racing, Mark used to train Arab racehorses but, although hoping possibly to train again one day, currently enjoys owning and riding a wonderful Andalusian stallion.

Anyone interested in a painting or sculpture of a special alpaca – or just alpacas in general – is very welcome to contact Mark via his website: www.marksmallman.com, email: marks.smallman@lineone.net or tel: 01380 812174 or 07813 176382.

68 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

30/05/2012

11:47

MARK SMALLMAN Artist

Commissions Undertaken Tel: 01380 812174 07813 176382 www.marksmallman.com

Page 1

Meon Valley Alpacas Hampshire’s Leading Herd of Quality Huacaya Alpacas SALES • STUD SERVICES • TRAINING CONSULTANCY • AFTER SALES SUPPORT

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Contact us for more information: info@mvalpacas.co.uk 01489 878663 Droxford Hampshire

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Snowmass Studs are co-owned with The Alpaca Stud, Pure Alpacas and Melford Green Alpacas

UK Alpaca Ltd High quality fully worsted yarns made from the fleeces of alpacas bred in Britain and processed in the traditional way in the North of England.

Very competitive wholesale pricing for re-sellers and growers who sell their fleeces to UK Alpaca.

Machine knitting, weaving and hand knitting yarns available in various counts and colours.

Designer commissions welcomed.

This year’s UK Alpaca collection has begun with improved prices for white baby and fine grade of £12 +vat and £8 +vat with coloured fleeces at £8 +vat for baby and £5 +vat for fine.

For more information contact Chas Brooke or Rachel Hebditch on 01884 243579 or rachel@alpaca-uk.co.uk UK Alpaca Ltd, Vulscombe Farm, Pennymoor, Tiverton, Devon EX16 8NB

www.ukalpaca.com

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 69

LETTER FROM FRANCE

LETTER from

FRANCE It wasn't only the British who endured a spring of 'unseasonal' weather, as Andrew Spillane reports.

A DATE with FĂ&#x160;TE

70 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

LETTER FROM FRANCE

L

ike most regional alpaca groups we aim to hold an annual show. 2011 proved a difficult year in this respect, our two proposed shows each cancelled for problems beyond our control. To ensure no repetition of this in 2012 I agreed to organise a show once again at the Féte-Foire de la Latiere here in the forest near St Aulaye. I had previously organised five national shows and the first two were at the Latiere both proving extremely popular with competitors and public alike. This fete normally attracts upwards of 30,000 visitors. Four of these shows had been outdoors in early spring or late autumn and always the weather had been kind to us.

I duly approached the Mayor of St Aulaye and he happily agreed to provide the main ring and suitable simple stock pens for our entrants. Jay Holland kindly agreed to fly over from UK to judge our small show and rosettes etc were duly ordered. At this point things started to become a little complicated. Too late to reschedule the show, particularly in the light of the previous year’s problems, our shearer announced a change of timing for his annual shearing tour of the Aquitaine. The tour now straddled the show date with our own herd being shorn either side of show day. Stress levels instantly rise, however one benefit did accrue in that entrants alpacas held back from shearing for the show could be shorn after showing at the showground providing further interest for the spectators. Shearing demonstrations, be they of alpacas, llamas or sheep, always seem to prove immensely popular with the public at rural shows.

Following the drought of 2011 the dry weather continued here, as in the UK, throughout January, February and March. With the sole exception of four inches of snow in mid-Feb we had virtually no rain in the winter months. The land was like concrete, no point in fertilising the grassland for hay at this stage. Here we normally expect the “giboulée de mars”, although in March this is our equivalent of April showers and plan on this in our land preparation programme. This year it didn’t happen, not a drop in March. April redressed the balance with a vengeance, in this one month we saw the equivalent of six months normal rainfall. The fields rapidly became bogs, rivers burst their banks and lakes came near to overflowing in just a matter of days, work on the land became impossible.

As shearing day approached the various herds in Aquitaine were, as much as possible, put into barns and sheds to keep dry. In the wake of the previous year’s poor hay harvest due to drought, this proved a costly feed exercise for many.

We are fortunate in having good sized barns adequate for our entire herd, others found it tricky to juggle males, weanlings and females in limited facilities. Meanwhile the preparation of the showground continued and on the Saturday before the show I collected Jay Holland from Bergerac Airport and visited the showground en route to his hotel. The arena resembled a shallow lake, the entrance road to the showground now a flowing stream. Sunday dawned bright and dry and the forecast was good, the sun eventually

The arena resembled a shallow lake, the entrance road to the showground now a flowing stream appearing and a strong breeze helping to dry the land. Shearing proceeded at a good pace, with the help of our usual team of French friends, with all animals dry after their night under cover. The assistance of this team of helpers means we can operate two shearing mats and greatly speeds the whole programme. Great relief at having dry fleece in their sacks as all was presold to a local spinner and taken away that night.

STORMY MONDAY BLUES An early start on a slightly overcast Monday morning saw us off to the showground with our team. On arrival we were relieved to discover that the previous day had dried the arena to the consistency of a damp beach. This we could cope with. Rayanne Bernede arrived and set up her wheel to give spinning demonstrations and just as a precaution we erected a tarpaulin over our main stock pen and her spinning wheel. We unloaded our alpacas and at this point a light drizzle started.

As others arrived so the rain intensified. By the start of showing at 2 o’clock the arena was again a lake.

Jay courageously started judging in almost impossible conditions and encouraged all with his

good humour and charm. Colin eventually started ”extreme shearing” under a tiny garden marquee. The show wound up at around 5pm with two whites from Europa Alpacas taking well deserved Supreme and Reserve Champion.

Everyone, exposants and helpers alike, having good naturedly made the best of a very difficult day were then greeted with sudden brilliant sunshine. A disaster for the fete organisers seeing only 3/4000 visitors on the day. What a difference to 2011 when I had left the Latiére early with my alpacas because of the exceptionally high temperature.

A couple of weeks later I received an email from Jay, he had just judged a 140 alpacas in an open air West Country show in exactly the same cold wet conditions. Tough business judging.

THE LUXURY GAP The world economy and the future of the euro is on most people’s minds and recently I discovered on a local level how it is challenging even traditional luxury business here in France.

We all know it has had a serious impact on alpaca sales over the last couple of years. Fortunately here in France we are seeing sales pick up again with a couple of herds reporting a big sale each.

Each year I am invited to take a few alpacas as an attraction to an open weekend by an elite Foie Gras producer. He is always in the gold medals at the Paris agricultural show for the superior quality of his products. Traditionally this has featured a magnificent gourmet luncheon on both days and is always oversubscribed despite the high price.

This year saw major changes, one day only and a very much simpler and basic lunch. He told me that the French, always a frugal race, were really tightening their budgets. Cleverly he has come up with a new range of good quality duck and goose products at economy prices to compliment his traditional luxury products.

AND FINALLY...

We all get calls from local groups, schools etc requesting farm visits and sometimes these can seem inconvenient. Recently we had a visit from a school in Bordeaux, the children were delightful, well behaved and fascinated by the alpacas.

One of the premiere schools in Bordeaux, their school trips have encompassed British Columbia, Taiwan and Florida in the last two years alone,. The Taiwan & Florida trips were the result of international competitions to represent their country in development and scientific study projects. Every year we also have visits organised by the local tourist offices, have no great expectations from these but regard them as community service. Three weeks ago on a rainy midweek morning a car pulled up to discharge five unannounced visitors. They greeted me with the news they had just come from the local tourist office. Just what I needed on a wet Wednesday!

The driver then announced they had visited the office to try and find an alpaca farm as they wished to buy a couple. One hour later they left having purchased three. One can never tell when PR will pay off.

ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Summer 2012 | 71

BREEDERS DIRECTORY

Alpaca World Magazine’s

BREEDERS DIRECTORY FRANCE

GERMANY

UNITED KINGDOM

Alpacas de la Grange Mynas Gillian Howard-Evieux, La Grange Mynas, La Glacière, Saint Chamond, France, 42400.

Tel: +33 (0) 4 77 22 85 69.

Email: howard-evieux@orange.fr.

Web: www.alpaga-alpaca.com.

In the heart of France (30 mins Lyon). Prizewinning alpacas for sale. On-farm and fly-by matings posible with top-class AlpacaStud males – all colours. Initiation and full aftersales support. English/French spoken. B&Bs, holiday flats available for your visit.

Miriquidi Alpacas – Fine Black Alpacas Zum Goldenen Stern 50, 09569 Oederan OT, Memmendorf, Germany.

Tel: 00 49 37292 21951 Fax: 00 49 37292 21952 Email: info@miriquidi-alpacas.com Web: www.miriquidi-alpacas.com Our herd contains a superb genetic variety and is one of the largest black herds in Germany. We have a large number of breeding females as well as excellent sires, which cover all requirements. Miriquidi Orpheus was the most successful black sire at the 2011-2012 shows, 2 x Colour Champion, 1 x Reserve Colour Champion.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Aquitaine Alpacas Lindsay Naylor, Le Mayne de Gaye, Sainte Alvere, France, 24510.

Tel: +33 (0) 553 23 44 48.

Email: lindsay@aquitainealpacas.com Web: www.aquitainealpacas.com Established herd situated in the Dordogne.

Breeding quality Peruvian huacayas from contented home bred stock. Sales, stud males.

Practical guidance and support given on management and handling for happy alpacas.

Elevage de Garenne Isabelle Leydier Delavallade, Chez le Meunier, 16110 Marillac le Franc, France, 16110.

Tel: +33 685 53 80 54 Email: lama.de.garenne@wanadoo.fr Web: www.elevage-de-garenne.com Breeding prize winning camelids since 1990.

Limited number of huacayas available.

Specialising in Suri alpacas, white and coloured.

Stud and agistment services available.

Quelvehin Alpagas Steven & Jayne Parker, Quelvehin, Malguenac, Pontivy 56300, Brittany, France.

Tel: +33 (0) 297 27 38 86 Email: steve.parker@wanadoo.fr Web: www.quelvehinalpagas.com Breeding quality huacaya and suri alpacas. Australian and Accoyo bloodlines.

Championship winning males available for stud services. Two luxury cottages on farm for holiday rentals. Spinning and felting courses held.

72 | Summer 2012 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE

IRELAND Burren Alpaca Damien Dyar, The Mohars, Murrough, Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, Ireland.

Tel: 00353 (0)65 7076010.

Email: damien.dyar@burrenalpaca.com Web: www.burrenalpaca.com Ireland's premier alpaca stud. Over 10 years experience. A 'full house' of bloodline includes progeny of Australia's 'super six'; Allianza; Accoyo; ILR PPPeruvian Auzengate; FC Ultimo and Jolimont Warrior. Irish and Australian show winners at stud. Sales, agisting and full support services. Visit our farm in the beautiful Burren with a luxury thatch cottage for rental on the farm www. burrenthatch.com.

ITALY Zarza Alpacas Hilary Shenton, Via Spunta 2, 06019 Umbertide (PG), Italy.

Tel: 00 39 320 822 7068 Email: hilary@zarza-alpacas.com Web: www.zarza-alpacas.com Premier alpaca breeders in Italy. All BAS registered pedigree stock. Alpacas for sale, stud services, full training and support.

Located Umbria with Associate breeders in Tuscany, San Marino, Marche, Trentino and Belluno.

Livanti Alpacas Liz Barlow, 1 Nash’s Farm, Aston Abbotts, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP22 4NT. Tel: 01296 682605 or 07976 671701.

Email: liz@livanti-alpacas.com Web: www.livanti-alpacas.com Established in 1999. Qualified BAS judge and trainer offers advice, herd assessments and training throughout the UK and Europe.

Excellent Huacaya alpacas for sale and stud services from proven males.

Hayne Alpacas Paul and Teresa Cullen, Hayne Barton Farm, Burrington, North Devon, EX37 9JW. Tel: 01769 520384. Fax: 01769 520469.

Email: info@hayne-alpacas.co.uk Web: www.hayne-alpacas.co.uk Established breeder offering a wide selection of excellent Huacaya and Suri alpacas for sale. On-farm or mobile mating service with a comprehensive range of support services including husbandry assistance and advice.

DORSET

CORNWALL Home Manor Farm Alpacas Anne & Mike Higgins, Home Manor Farm, Trevellas, St Agnes, Cornwall, TR5 0XU. Tel/Fax: 01872 571310.

Email: homemanoralpacas@hotmail.co.uk Web: www.homemanoralpacas.co.uk Select Peruvian and Chilean breeding herd.

Stud services available. Stock for sale with after sales support and advice. Enquiries and visitors always welcome. Come and see our wonderful animals.

CUMBRIA WhyNot Alpacas Robin and Caroline Sandys-Clarke, Whynot Alpacas, Ghyllas, Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5LT Tel: 01539 621246.

Email: robin@whynotalpacas.co.uk Web: whynotalpacas.co.uk Amongst the North West's largest breeders.

Animals and knitwear products can be seen at many country shows. Big choice of alpacas for sale. Hands-on management instruction available for first-time buyers.

DEVON Classical MileEnd Alpacas Rachel Hebditch & Chas Brooke, Vulscombe Farm, Pennymoor, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 8NB. Tel: 01884 243579. Mob: 07970 415638.

Email: rachel@alpaca-uk.co.uk Website: www.alpaca-uk.co.uk Professional stud farm with 15 years alpaca experience. Show winning herd sires with pedigrees containing Australian, British and American genetics available for stud work.

Wide selection of quality alpacas for sale as pets or as breeding stock. We pride ourselves on excellent customer support and training.

Visitors welcome by appointment.

Alpha Alpacas Di Davies, Woodstock, Mapperton Lane, Melplash, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3UF. Tel: 07739 382483 or 01308 442661.

Email: didavies@alpaca.fsnet.co.uk Web: www.alphaalpacas.com A small elite herd with an excellent selection of proven Australian and Peruvian genetics and a great Show record. Sales, stud services and friendly after sales service provided.

Visitors welcome.

Marshwood Vale Alpacas Geoff & Brenda Bugler, Payne’s Down Cottage, Marshwood, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 5QG. Tel: 01297 678181.

Email: b.bugler611@btinternet.com Web: www.marshwood-alpacas.co.uk Dorset – Marshwood Vale Alpacas – Warrior of Alpaca Stud (fawn) + black, lt. fawn, rose grey and white males available for services.

Breeding Females, Pet Males, Guard Males, Fleece for sale. Alpaca/Llama easy-pen.

Aluminium hurdles.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE Snowshill Alpacas Roger Mount, Snowshill Hill Barn, Temple Guiting, Cheltenham, GL54 5XX. Tel: 01386 853841 / 07701 10444106.

Fax: 01386 854791.

Email: roger.mount@btinternet.com Web: www.snowshillalpacas.com Breeders of prize winning Huacaya and Suri alpacas in Gloucestershire. We usually have alpacas for sale, from pet to show quality. Stud services available from a wide selection of proven sires. After sales support and advice. We also have fabrics for sale, all made from our own alpacas and spun, woven and finished in the UK.

BREEDERS DIRECTORY

Book your space in the Alpaca World Breeders Directory now by telephoning Heidi Hardy on 01598 752799.

An entry is priced at just £35 to cover FOUR issues Pure Alpacas Jay Holland, Torsend House, Main Road, Tirley, Glocs. GL19 4EU. Tel: 01452 780327 / 07789 257222.

Email: jay@purealpacas.co.uk Web: www.purealpacas.co.uk A family-run herd of both huacaya and suri with a range for sale from pets and poultry guards to elite breeding stock, all backed by professional, unrivalled support and advice.

Our herd sires, from renowned bloodlines, are all proven and available for outside services. We run a variety of courses which cater for all levels of experience.

NORFOLK

SUSSEX WEST

WORCESTERSHIRE

AzSu Alpacas Nikki Lenk, The Low Farm, Letton, Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 7TB. Tel: 01362 820097. Mob: 07798 522178 Fax: 01362 821333 Email: nikki.lenk@azsualpacas.com Web: www.azsualpacas.com Norfolk’s largest breeder offers potential and existing owners a friendly and complete service. High quality studs; breeding females and wethers for sale; practical training; caring agistment; fleece conversion; sound advice on all aspects of these magical animals.

The Alpaca Stud Nick Harrington Smith and John Potts, Bowford Farm, Goose Green, Thakeham, West Sussex, RH20 2LP. Tel. 01903 891425, 07770 586014 or 07979 651742. Fax: 01903 891425.

Email:info@alpacastuduk.com Web: www.alpacastuduk.com 600 huacayas and suris in all colours. 25 top stud males. Starter Packages. Shares in stud males. Free support. Courses. New Snowmass males.

HAMPSHIRE

Burnt Fen Alpacas Ann Nickerson, Garden Cottage, Burnt Fen, Horning, Norfolk, NR12 8LA. Tel: 01692 630553.

Email: annnickerson@burntfen.plus.com Web: www.burntfen.co.uk We have been breeding alpacas for 12 years and have a fantastic friendly herd bred from excellent pedigree stock. Quality breeding females and gorgeous wethers are available, with genuine after sales support.

WARWICKSHIRE

Hanley Hall Alpacas Val Fullerlove, Pool House Farm, Stock Green, Worcestershire B96 6TA. Tel: 07855 428464.

Email: valpacas@gmail.com Web: www.hanleyhallalpacas.com We have concentrated on breeding quality Huacayas for 20 years with proven genetics in our home bred champions. We have females pregnant to champion males, potential herdsires with outstanding genetics and some pet boys. We are always happy to give ongoing help and advice both before and after sales, whether your interest is in showing, breeding, pets or fibre. Contact Val for more information or to arrange a visit.

Watership Alpacas Keith Taylor, Cole Henley Farm, Cole Henley, Whitchurch, Hants, RG28 7QD Tel: 01256 892154 or 07889 864269 Email: info@watershipalpacas.co.uk Web: www.watershipalpacas.co.uk Watership Alpacas invites you to visit and discover alpacas. We have all colours of BAS registered huacaya breeding females, young and pet alpacas for sale, and stud services.

Ladies pure alpaca winter coats and jackets made to order locally.

HERTFORDSHIRE Herts Alpacas Nigel and Katie Beckwith, Fairview Farm, Wyddial Road, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, SG9 9BS. Tel: 01763 271301 or 07802 433155.

Web: www.hertsalpacas.co.uk 2009 award winning British Alpaca Futurity breeder. Over 80 quality alpacas for sale in all colours from world famous bloodlines.

All our pregnant females are mated to the finest recognised and proven championship winning males. Stud services available, friendly halter trained pets and unbeatable after sales care.

LEICESTERSHIRE Leicestershire Alpacas Tim and Jo Pickering, Kings Norton, Leicestershire, LE7 9BA. Tel: 0800 0835952.

Web: www.leicestershirealpacas.com Our alpacas haven't won awards nor do they have rosettes against their names. But we can guarantee they are from a strong bloodline. They are a healthy happy herd of huacaya alpacas. We provide friendly start up advice and after care support service.

NORTH YORKSHIRE Fowberry Alpacas Graham and Jenny MacHarg, Crambe Grange, Barton Le Willows, York YO60 7PQ. Tel 01653 619520.

Email: info@fowberry-alpacas.com Web: www.fowberry-alpacas.com Your females visiting our Australian prize-winning males, have their own bio-secure paddock with a quiet, caring environment, conducive to conceiving. Each of our elite stud males has been bred or bought to improve future generations.

With outstanding conformation and fleece statistics, choose a male to complement your female – inspection welcomed!

Toft Alpacas Rob & Shirley Bettinson, Toft Manor, Toft Lane, Dunchurch, Warwickshire, CV22 6NR. Tel: 01788 810626.

Email: shirley@toft-alpacas.co.uk Web: www.toft-alpacas.co.uk Alpaca Stud Farm, est 1997. Pedigree stock for sale in all colours. Superior stud services. Stud males for sale or lease. Pets for sale. Introductory and advanced husbandry workshops. Fleece and fibre workshops. 24/7 advice and support.

Holiday cottage on farm. Luxury alpaca products online and on-farm shop.

WILTSHIRE

Priest Bridge Alpacas Kim and Andrew Perry, Priest Bridge Farm, Dark Lane, Bradley Green, Redditch, Worcestershire B96 6TJ Tel: 07813 509531 Email: kimperry1@live.co.uk Web: www.priestbridgealpacas.com Stud services from show winning home bred stud males. Super selection of quality pregnant females with start up packages to suit your budget. Full after sales support and courses available. Fabulous fibre producing friendly halter trained pet males. Call for free friendly no obligation advice.

Pinkney Alpacas Margaret Silver, Pinkney Court, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 0PD. Tel: 07775 780345 or 01666 840540.

Email: info @pinkneyalpacas.com Web: www.pinkneyalpacas.com We specialise in suri alpacas and have top prize winning animals as well as ‘starter packs’ available for sale. We have a variety of champion males for stud purposes.

SOMERSET Tai Wind Alpaca Stud Lynn Pepper, Staffords-Mead Stables, Lower Rudge, Frome, Somerset, BA11 2QE. Tel: 07790 674334.

Email: info@taiwindalpacas.co.uk Web: www.taiwindalpacas.co.uk Show quality black alpacas. Fast forward your genetics with our stud males. We have a selection of pregnant females and young stock for sale from our show herd. Import, export.

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H

OUGHTON HALL alpacas

Here at Houghton Hall Alpacas in Cambridgeshire, a friendly welcome awaits newcomers and established breeders who wish to visit our Farm to view and have a friendly chat about Alpacas.

Established in 2002, Houghton Hall Alpacas is a premium independent farm set in beautiful orchards with quality pedigree Alpacas roaming though out our many paddocks. You will not be disappointed with our facilities which have been purpose built for practical alpaca management. We also offer full support with every aspect of alpaca ownership.

We take great pride in our herd and are always striving to produce good quality cria. We have gained recognition through selective breeding with our prize winning stock. We travel far and wide visiting the best breeders in Australia, New Zealand and of course the UK to ensure we source the best alpacas.

In 2012 we will be touring the U.S to compare the quality of their alpacas to ours in the UK. If the quality is what we are looking for, we are sure we will be bringing a few elite alpacas home.

Just look at our Stud Males Navigator

Neptune

All existing clients have access to our elite Males - One single purchase from Houghton Hall Alpacas gives you access to all of our Stud Males.

Centurion

In 2011 we began our Embryo Transplant Program which we have been planning for the past five years. We began with a series of successful single flushes. This is just the beginning of this exiting venture for us and we plan a much larger E T program during 2012 including super ovulation.

We are now offering a select few of our recipient girls for sale, carrying elite embryos at a very competitive price. We are confident you will be delighted with the results.

Storm

Balboa

Our Prize winning Herd includes:• Premium Huacayas and Suris available in a wide range of colours • Top quality pregnant females with excellent fleece quality • Recipient females, carrying elite embryos from our top breeding girls • Largest Selection of Proven Stud Males in the UK • Pet Males • Young females • New Stud’s on the block

So whatever your budget we feel sure to have an Alpackage© to suit you.

If you are looking to enhance your herd with some outstanding genetics, look no further.

Contact Mick or Liz today!

Mick and Liz look forward to welcoming you to their farm.

Please phone in advance to arrange a visit.

Office: 01480 461510 Home: 01480 492959 Liz: 07791 887986 Mick: 07860 430280 Houghton Hall Alpacas, Houghton Hall, St Ives Road, Houghton, Cambridgeshire PE28 2BL Email: info@houghton-alpacas.co.uk www.houghtonhallalpacas.co.uk

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Take a look at the other sides of Mick George:

www.mickgeorge.co.uk & www.manorfarmec.co.uk