Camelid Connections Magazine Issue 22

Page 23

1 INTHISISSUE ● CamelDairy ● ManagingBirths ● LlamaTrekinNZ ● CamelidTourismNSW ● BreedingARoyalLine ● UsingPanels Issue22-December2022 CamelidConnections MAGAZINE C C 1 SUBSCRIBENOWCLICKIT’SFREE!

WebsitesforFarmers

Awebsitetodayisthebasisofmostbusinessmarke�ng-awebsitehelpsyousellyourlivestock, yourproduceorservicestothewidestaudiencepossible.

WEKNOW&UNDERSTANDRURALBUSINESSES

HereatOakGroveGraphicsweunderstandwhatittakestomakeagreatwebsiteforfarmers, becausewearealsofarmersaswellaswebdesigners!Weofferyouwebsiteop�onstosuityou, fromeasyselfmaintainedsitestowedoitallforyouop�ons,wedesignsitesthatarea�rac�ve, func�onalandindividuallikeyourbusiness.Fromthelandtothesea,ifyourbusinessisruralwe canhelpyoupromoteyourbusinesslocallyorAustraliawide.

AFFORDABLEPRICES

Ourcountrypricesaresomeofthebestyouwillfindanywhere.Contactusforafreenoobliga�on quoteanddowntoearthconversa�on,abouthowwecanhelpyourbusinessgrowthrough marke�ngyourbusinessontheinternet.

www.oakgrovegraphics.com.au EMAIL:julie@oakgrovegraphics.com.au|PHONE:0264932036

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WEBSITES|LOGOS|ADVERTISING

CamelidConnectionsispublishedbyOakGroveGraphics

POBox4059,CandeloNSW2550 Telephone +61(0)264932036 Email:info@camelidconnections.com.auWeb: www.camelidconnections.com.au

Editor

EsmeGraham Telephone:0457304868Email: esme@camelidconnections.com.au

Designer/Editor

JulieMcClentelephone0264932036Email: julie@camelidconnections.com.au

DesignedandProduced

ByOakGroveGraphics

POBox4059,CandeloNSW2550 Telephone+61(0)264932036 info@oakgrovegraphics.com.au www.oakgrovegraphics.com.au

Copyright

AllmaterialappearinginCamelidConnectionsissubjecttocopyright. Reproductioninwholeorpartisnotpermittedwithoutthewritten permissionofthepublisherandtheauthor.

Liability

Viewsexpressedbythecontributorstothispublication,andthe advertisementsappearinginthispublication,arenotnecessarilyendorsedby thepublisher.

Everycareistakenincompilingthecontentsofthispublication,butthethe publisheroreditorassumesnoresponsibilityfortheaccuracyofinformation containedinthetextoradvertisements.

Contributionsareacceptedatthesolediscretionofthepublisherandthe publisherreservestherighttoeditcontributionsforstyleorcontent.No correspondencewillbeenteredintoastowhyacontributionmayhavebeen rejectedoredited.Insubmittingarticlesforpublicationcontributorsaccept, acknowledgeandagreewiththeseterms.

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Publisher
Contents
ABN 84171413342
CoverImage:ImageCompilationbyOakGroveGraphics Advertisers OakGroveGraphics...........................................................3 AlpacaDynamics................................................................6 BostonFineFibres.............................................................6 MaylandsAlpacas..............................................................17 TheCamelidDynamicsMethod..........................................19 AustralianAlpacaAssociation.............................................42 MeetTheTeam........................................................................5 Remarkablerecovery..........................................................7 AAAYouthGroup...................................................................10 Dromedairy-What’sItAllAbout?....................................12 ThebestSugarCookiesRecipe...........................................18 ManagingBirths.....................................................................20 LlamasOvertheNewZealandAlps.......................................23 UnderstandingTheBlackBaseCoatColorGenotype...........25 CamelidTourism:CentralCoastNSW....................................31 BreedingARoyalLine.........................................................34 ThePosi�vleyperfectPanel...................................................37 ColourCoatDNATests........................................................43

WelcometoCamelidConnections

Wellit’sthat�meoftheyearagain-thesillyseasonisuponusandwhileweareawarethatmany ofourreadershavenothadabrilliant2022withinterestraterises,costoflivingproblemsand theeverproblema�cweather,IhopethatyoucantakeafewdaysoverChristmastoenjoyyour family,hopefullyhaveafewdaysrestandrecrea�onandtakethe�metoreadourmagazine.

WehaveastoryfromtheCentralCoastofNSWwithsomeholidayideasincludingavisittoa Lllamaandalpacafarm.Someniceaccommoda�onandrestaurantsforMumandDadandwhat childwouldn’tenjoyavisittoTreeTopsAdventurePark.KeithPayneallamabreederfromNew Zealandtellsabouthisllamawalkthroughthebeau�fulSouthland-lovelypicturesandagreat adventure.

Wehavear�clesonalpacabirthingtohelpournewerbreedersandaheartwarmingstory fromtheUKaboutanalpacawithlegproblems.ReadaboutMaxBergmann,whoislegally blindbutrunsacameldairywithhiswifeRonjainthehillsoutfromPerth.Ourgene�cs ar�cleisfortheseriousbreederofblackalpacasandarefreshforthosewhotookpartin theAAAwebinarwithLynnEdens.

MerryChristmasandabigthankyoutotheadver�serswhosupportourmagazine,it wouldn’tbepossiblewithoutyouandwewouldlovetohaveadvertsfrommoreof ourreaderstopromoteyourproductsoranimals.

WhynotgiveeitherJulieorEsmeacalltodiscusshowwecanhelpyou.

Youwillfindouradver�singratesaresomeofthemostaffordableanywhere,you candownloadallthepricinganddetailsinfofromourwebsite.

MeetTheTeam

EsmeGraham-Editor

MyhusbandandIhavebredsurialpacas forover20years,Iwasheavilyinvolved withbothregionalcommi�eesandthe na�onalboardoftheAustralianAlpaca Associa�onforanumberofyearsandhad thehonourofbeingselectedasalife memberoftheAssocia�on.

Mymajorinteresthasbeeninmarke�ngandeduca�onand tothisendIwaseditorofAlpacasAustraliamagazineforsix yearsandIhopethattheexperienceIgainededi�ngthat publica�oncanbeextendedtoeducateandinformawider rangeofalpacaandllamabreederswhoarenotnecessarily associa�onmembersbuthavealoveofallthingscamelid.

JulieMcClen-Designer/Editor

AbreederofultrafineHuacayaalpacasfor over20yearsatOakGroveAlpacas,I haveapassionforfinefibreandthe gene�cconnec�ontothe most diminu�veandfinestofthe camelids-the wildVicuna.

Istronglybelievethateduca�oninanyindustryisthekeyto success,sowithCamelidConnec�onswehopetoprovide interes�ngandinforma�vear�clestoassistallcamelid ownersinge�ngthemostoutoftheiranimalsand businesses.

IalsoownOakGroveGraphicsawebandgraphicdesign agencywhichisproducingthismagazine,andalsoallowsme toconnectwithmanydifferentpeopleinthecamelidrelated worldthroughmydesignandwebwork. www.oakgrovegraphics.com.au

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Boston

RemarkableRecovery

Torecoverfromalegamputationisa remarkableachievement,buttodelivera healthycriafivemonthslateristestimonyto theresilienceofayoungfemaleownedby MichaelHendersonandSusanMyerscough ofLegacyAlpacasintheUK.

PussyGalorewas“thebestfemale”criabornintheLegacy herdin2019,Michaelsays.Withmorethan18years experienceMichaelandSusanareknownforproducing,and showing,qualityHuacayasandtheyhadhighhopesthis youngfemalewouldhaveabrightfuture.

Themaidenfemalewaspregnantwithherfirstcriawhenin DecemberlastyearMichaelwaswokentwiceinthenightby theunusualsoundofhisdogbarking.“Iwentoutinthe morning,ataboutfiveo’clocktofeedherandshecame hobblingupthefield,”hesays.

“IwenttogetsomepainkillersforherbutwhenIcamebackI sawthatshehadbrokenherlegasthebonewass�ckingout ofherleg.”

Heavyrainthepreviousnighthadwashedthesoilintothe moleholesonthelandandMichaelbelievesthebreak happenedwhenshesteppedintooneoftheholes.Hecalled thevetwhoseadvicewastoputhertosleeporamputatethe leg.

“Thatwasourvet’sfirstthought,butshewasreferredto LiverpoolUniversityHospitalVets.A�erthereferralthevet cleanedthewoundandsedatedhersowecouldmoveherin thetrailer.”

Thequotefromthehospitaltooperateandmendthebreak usingmetalplateswasbetween£4000-£5000.Butthiswas beforePussyGalorewasseenbythehospitalvets.

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“WetookherdownthereandtheyX-rayedheranddecided thebonewasquitefragmentedsotheycouldn’tplateit. Instead,theyputpinsinaboveandbelowthebreakandtwo barsdowneitherside,”Michaelexplains.

“Shehadtheopera�oninthemorningandshewasupand walkinginthea�ernoon.Buta�eraboutsixorsevenweeks shebrokeoneofthebarsthatwasholdingthepinstogether.

“Thefractureopenedup,buttheopenwoundhadhealedso theydecidedtoputacastontoholdeverythingtogether. Butshealwayslimpedonthecast-shewasn’tcomfortable withthecast.”

A�ertwoweeksthecastwasremovedbutthewound,where thepinswereinserted,wassep�c.“Atthatpointthey decidedtheywouldhavetoamputateherleg,”Michaelsays.

Theyoungalpaca’slegwasremovedthemorninga�ervets discovereditwasinfected.Fivedayslatershewasableto walk,althoughvetshelpedtostandun�lshebecameusedto ge�ngupanddown.

MichaelandSusanhadwantedtohavethelegamputatedas theirvethadadvised.Buttheywerepersuadedbythe hospital’svetstogoaheadwithanopera�ontorepairtheleg forethicalreasons.Theaimwastosavethelegandgivethe youngfemaleagoodqualityoflife.

“Wewereworriedbecausetheopera�onwasquite complicatedandtherewerewelfareimplica�onsthathadto betakenintoaccountbecauseweknewshewouldhavea longstayinhospital,”Susanadds.

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Theaimwastosavethe legandgivetheyoung femaleagoodquality oflife. “ ”

Successfulpregnancy

PussyGalorewasattheuniversityhospitalfor12weeks beforeshefinallyrecoveredandwasabletocomehome.But MichaelandSusanensuredshewasnotalone.“Wetooktwo girlsdowntobewithher,”Michaelsays.

Followingthetraumaofalegbreakandamputa�on,shehad madearemarkablerecovery.Notonlydidshecopewiththe lossofaleg,PussyGaloreheldherpregnancyanddelivereda healthyfemalecriainMaythisyear.

Michaeldiscoveredthecria,whoisyettobenamed,inthe field-herremarkabledamhaddeliveredthenewborn withoutanyassistance-althoughMichaelandSusanknew shewass�llcarryinghercria.“Alpacaswillabortwithin24 hoursofacriadyinginsidesoweknewitwasthere,”Michael adds.

BothMichaelandSeanaredelightedbythebirth.

SusansuggestsPussyGaloretakesa�erhernamesake,a ‘Bondgirl’inthefilmGoldfinger.“She’satougholdbird,”she adds.

Michaelsays:“Shedidreallywell-somealpacasIdon’tthink wouldhavecomethroughbutshe’sastronggirl.”

ReprintedwithpermissionfromtheBri�shAlpacaAssocand theauthorandmagazineeditorLizMason

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10 Afteranearlytwoyearhiatus,theYouthGroupreturnedwithrenewedenthusiasm andstrength.Wewouldliketothankthevolunteersthathelpedtorunourevents andthesponsorsthatsupportedus. NSWYouthCamp NowraShow <Youngjudges SydneyRoyalShow LittleHandsontheLand Reflectionof2022forNSWYouthGroup AustralianAlpacaAssocia�on
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SchoolsComp> <Youngjudges
Nextyear,wehaveaverybusyschedule,including newcompe��onsattwoofourhaltershows. WatchourFacebookpagetokeepuptodatewith everythingyouth. SingletonShow
Grandparade Youngparaders

DROMEDAIRY:WHAT’SALLITABOUT?

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DromeDairyisanethically runcameldairylocated ontheoutskirtsofPerth. Foundedin2015,Max Bergmannrunsthefarm withhiswifeRonja,a forensicscientistandhis seeing-eyedogFawn.

OriginallyfromasmallvillagenearHanoverinGermany,Max grewupspending�meonhisaun�esfarm,and,byage8,he hadarealpassionforfarming.Unfortunately,itwasalso aroundthis�methathewasdiagnosedwithRe�ni�s Pigmentosa(RP).RPisagene�cdiseasewherethecellson there�naarebeingdestroyed.Maxs�llhashisperipheral visionbutabigblindspotinthecentreofhisvision.Heiss�ll abletomovearoundusingtheperipheralvisionofftothe sideand,ofcourse,havingFawnwithhimisveryhelpful.

Atage16,MaxspentayearinMelbournewithsome rela�veswhichgavehimatastefortheAustralianlifestyle, andheknewthenthathewouldcomebackheretolive. UponreturntoGermanyforUniversity,Maxachievedboth BachelorandMastersDegreesinAgriculturalScience followedbyanotherMastersinManagementintheUK. MovingtoAustraliain2009withwifeRonja,theywerefirst locatedinSydneyandthenPerth,whereMaxdidhisPhD,at UWA.

WhilstMaxmaybelegallyblind,hecertainlydoesnotlack visionforachievinggreatthings,bothmentallyand physically.Duringhisstudies,Maxwasasemi-professional runnerandcompetedforthefirst�meinterna�onallyatthe

2004ParalympicsinAthens.Maxcompetedalmostevery yeara�erthat,inEuropean,WorldandAustralian championships,wherehewonsilverandbronzemedalsin Brazil,theNetherlandsandFinland.Withcompe��ve runningnowbehindhim,Maxs�llenjoysrunningforfitness –takingFawnwithhimwhenherunsonhisownbutis certainlykeptfitwiththephysicalnatureofthefarmworkof thecamels.

Itallbeganwiththreeyoungcamelsfromthewild,Elke, PetraandRita(nameda�erthebelovedneighboursofhis parentsinGermany).Maxquicklyfellinlovewiththe intelligent,kindandsome�mesabitstubbornnatureofhis camelsandsoonexpandedhisli�lecamelfamily.

Whenmilkinghiscamelladies,Maxno�cedhowso�his roughworker’shandsbecamewhenthemilkgotontohis hands.Hedidsomeresearchandquicklyrealisedthatcamel milkwasmoreeffec�vethananyothernaturalskincare ingredient.ThiswasthestartofDromeDairyBody+Skin.

13 Wherediditallbegin?

Ethicallyrundairy

AtDromeDairyBody+Skinwereallycare aboutourcamelsandthenaturewelivein. That’swhywemakesurethefarmingwedois sustainable,ethicalandthatourproductsare 100%recyclable.

Westrivetobecomeacarbonneutralcamel dairyandhavejustinstalledourfirstsolar system,whichisequivalentofplan�ng199 treesayear!

Australiahasthelargestandhealthiestwild dromedarypopula�onintheworld!Yet,the governmentspendsmillionstocullthese beau�fulanimals.Ourmissionistosave Australia’scamels,buildupavaluableindustry andhelppeopletofeelgoodintheirskin-all atthesame�me.

Happycamels

OurcamelscomefromAustralia’soutbackand aretamedandtrainedonourfarminthePerth Hills.Weonlyusegentle,trust-basedtraining techniques,minimisingthestressonthe animalsandmakingsureherdstructuresare maintained.

Unlikeinotherdairies,thecamelcalvesarenot separatedfromtheirmumsa�erbirth.They staywiththeirmums,ensuringtheygetallthe milktheyneedandmaintainastrongbond throughout.

Camelmilkisalsoagreatnaturalmoisturiser andperfecttobeusedasabaseinproducts suchassoaps,lo�ons,shampoosand condi�oners.Inaddi�ontothis,Maxalso wantstohighlightcameldairiesasan alterna�vetoexpensivecamelculls,whichare undertakentoavoiddegrada�onofthenatural environmentandcompe��onwithother livestockforfoodandwatersources.

DromeDairyisaperfectexampleofthe enormouspoten�alofthesemajes�canimals.

Thehealthbenefitsofcamelmilkareamazing; theironcontentisupto10�meshigherthan cow’smilk.Itcontainsalpha-hydroxyacidsand proteinwhichmakeitaperfecttopical moisturiser.RichinvitaminsA,B1,B2,B12and carotene,italsohasan�-inflammatory proper�eswhichcanreduceskinrednessand irrita�on.

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Camelmilk,beingpurewhiteincolour,isdeeplyand instantlyhydra�ngandrepairingandcontainsan�-microbial andan�-inflammatoryproper�es,makingitsuitableforall skintypes,ofanyage.ThemilkitselfisrichinironandB vitaminsaswellasnaturalacidsthatgentlyexfoliateand smooththeskin.Camelmilkcanalsohelpwithallevia�ngthe symptomsofskinproblemssuchaseczemaand psoriasis.Usingcamelmilkinyourbeautyregimecaneven helptoregenerateyourhairandskin,makingitshinier, so�erandstronger.FounderandManagingDirectorof DromeDairyBody+Skin,MaxBergmann,withaPh.D.in AgriculturalSciencefromUWA,saysthat"theunique molecularstructureofcamelmilkallowsforamuchdeeper absorp�onintotheskin,whichmakesitafantas�cingredient inskincareproducts."

Whatisaddedtocamelmilkskincare?

HereatDromeDairyBody+Skin,weliketokeepthefocuson thestaroftheshow:thecamelmilk.However,wehave foundthataddingall-naturalingredientslikealoevera, jojobaoil,andvitaminB5combinetocreateatrulyunique typeofskincare.Asweteamourcamelmilkwithnatural ingredients,allofourproductsareidealforsensi�veand problema�cskinandaresogentleyoucanevenuseiton yourbaby!"Wechosenaturalingredientsthathavebeen proventoworkandaresogentlethattheycanevenbeused onyourbabyandpets.Iusecamelmilkskincareproductson mysonTimandmyseeing-eyedogForest,whobothsuffer fromdryandirritatedskincondi�onsat�mes",Maxsays.

Innovativethinking

Maxsays-"I'vealwaysdonewhatIlove…includingthe camelsnow.IjustreallylikefarmingandIlovedrivingthe tractor.JustbecauseI'msightimpaireddoesn'tmeanyou can'tdoit.Therearewaysaroundit,andthetechnologyis absolutelyincredible..I'vegotablindspotinthecentreofmy eyeandI'vegotonlyperipheralvisionle�soIusewhatever technologyisavailable,aswellasmemorisingmovements aroundthemobilemilkingsystem.Exactlythreestepstothe le�,onestepforward,andthenyoutouchthisrope.Youdo this.It'sjustge�ngusedtoit,Obviously,whatIdon'tlikeisif thingsarenotintherightplace.ThenallofasuddenIlook likeablindperson."

Hehasalsosetupsystemstohelphimnavigatearoundthe property."Weputlarge,whitecorflutesignsonallour fences,andIputthemstrategically.Ifyoudotoomanysigns itgetsreallyconfusing,andImightdriveinbetweenthetwo wrongsigns—whichcanbeverydetrimentaltoyourfencing system.IhavehadaGPSauto-steeringcontrolsystem installedintothetractortonavigatethefarm.Whenyou're onthebiggermachinesandwedothecropping,youhave GPStechnologythatyoucouldliterallyputamonkeythere thesedays.Youjustneedtopressabu�onandthetractoris

perfectlystraight.Ialwayssayit'sagood�metobeblind becauseoftechnology.I'vedonemyPhDonacomputerthat hasascreenreader.Thetechnologyisjustfantas�c."

Some�mesthough,thesimpleideasarethebest.Dr BergmannsaiddesigningAustralia'sfirstmobilecameldairy requiredsomeinnova�vethinking.“I'mblind,legallyblind, it'squitehardformetocomeupwithplansanddrawings. So,whenwedesignedthatsystemIactuallyhadtoimagine it.I'malways'I'mablindguy,butI'vegotavision'soIhadto comeupwiththewholesystem,howit'sworking,andthe wayI'vedoneitwasbyactuallyplayingwithmykids.We usedLego,andwesetuptheyardsandthemilkingsystem andranthroughthedifferentscenariosoverandoveragain."

Wherescienceandskincaremeet

Inaddi�ontomilkingthecamels,thereisalsoaresearch elementtoDromeDairy,whereMaxandRonjaarealso workingtogetherwithveterinarystudentsfromMurdoch Universityanalysingtheproper�esofcamelmilkand inves�ga�ngthebenefitsontheskin(usingskinmodelsand lateronrealpeople).

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WhyCamelMilk:TheHealthbenefits

In2017MaxandRonjabegananexpansionofthefarm, goingfrom8to40camelsandpu�ngmoreofafocuson providingcamelmilkproductstobesoldAustraliawideand eventuallyinterna�onally.In2019,theDromeDairyBody+ Skinrangewaslaunchedwithalipbalm,soap,handand bodylo�onandashampooandcondi�onerwhichisavailable inselectedstoresandonline.Overthelastyearourcamel familyhasfurtherexpandedandsowillDromeDairy's productrange.Ashampoobar,facecreamandpetshampoo arecurrentlyindevelopmentandwillbeavailableonline soon.

Manypeopledonotknowaboutthewonderfulhealth benefitsofcamelmilk,butevenfewerknowhowamazing thisingredientcanbewhenincorporatedinyourskincare regime.

Inagrowingandemergingmarket,thewonderfulhealth benefitsofcamelmilkmeanthatitisfeaturingasakey ingredientinhigh-qualityskincare-butthisdoesnotmeanit isarela�velynewidea.TheBedouinshavebeenusingcamel milkontheirskinforcenturies.Itisabout�metherestofus caughtup!

ExperiencesofferedthroughDromeDairy.

AvisittotheDromeDairycamelfarmisafunandunique experienceforthewholefamily.Ifyou’rewan�ngto experiencethefarmforyourself,DromeDairyoffersfreeentry tothefarmonthefirstSaturdayofeverymonth,whereMax willtakeyouonaguidedwalkingtourofthefarmandis happytoansweranyques�ons,alongwithofferingcamel facts,mythsandstories.Youmightevengettosnapa #camelfiewithyourfavouritecamel!Ifthese�mesdon’t workforyouthenthereisalocalPerthbusinessofferingtours toDromeDairy.

LumineerAdventureToursofferaGin/WineTas�ngDinnerin thePaddockTour.ThetourtakesyouthroughtheiconicSwan Valleyregionforgin/winetas�ng,beforetakingascenic routethroughtheAvonValleytovisitDromeDairy,where Maxwillgiveyouatourofthefarm.Youwillthense�ledown foraclassicAustralianBBQdinnerunderthestars,followed byabitofstargazing.

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17 DIDYOUKNOW? Everysingleissueof CamelidConnec�ons Isavailabletoread inourwebsitelibrary. Clickheretoviewthelibrary

THEBEST

Thissugarcookiesrecipehasaclassic taste,crispytexture,andperfect sweetness.Thisrecipeuseslesssugarand butterthanotherrecipes,buttheendresult isasoft,fluffy,tastysugarcookiethat’sjust aspleasingtothepalate.

RECIPE

PrepTime:10Mins,CookTime10Mins.

Makesapprox.24Biscuitsdependingonthesizeofthe cookiecu�er.

3¾(468g)PlainFlour

½teaspoonSalt

226gUnsaltedbu�er(ifyouusesaltedbu�eromitthe previoussaltmeasure)

1Cup(200g)CasterorWhitesugar

2largeeggs

2teaspoonsVanillaExtract

Inamediumbowl,si�togethertheflourandsalt.Setaside.

Creambu�erandsugarun�llightandfluffy.(Donotskipon thisstep–creamingworksbestwhenthebu�erisatfirm roomtemperature,notso�roomtemperature.)

Addthevanillaandthentheeggsoneata�memakingsure eachiswellincorporated.

Addtheflourmixture.Combinewellbutdonotovermix.

Chill–transferthedoughontoaworksurfaceanddividethe doughintotwodiscs.Wrapeachinplas�cwrapandchillin thefridgeun�lfirmenoughtoroll.Atleast30minsto1 hour.(Youcankeepthedoughchilledinthefridgeforupto 4days.Youcanevenfreezethedoughforuptoamonth)

Oncethedoughischilled;rollthedoughonalightlyfloured surfaceevenly.Rolltoabout6mmthickness.(Usingarolling pinwithspacersmakesthisveryeasy)

Cutoutshapes-trynotto‘re-work’thedoughoverandover itwillmakethecookiestoughereach�me.

Youcanputthembackinthefridgewhiletheovenishea�ng up.Chilledcookiesarelesslikelytospread.

Heatovento180cconven�onalor160cfanforced.

Transferchilledcookiestotheovenandbakeonthemiddle rackfor8-10mins.(Cookiesshouldnotbedarkaroundthe edges.Assoonastheygetsomecolouronthebo�om,they areready.Theywillcon�nuetocookonthetrayasthey cool.

Coolonthetrayfor10minsthentransfertoacoolingrack. Storeinanair�ghtcontainer.Icecookieswhentheyare completelycooled.

STORAGE

Thiscookierecipecanbehalvedordoubledwithoutany issues.

Thedoughcanbekeptinthefridgeforupto4days,or

Frozenforuptothreemonths.Iffrozenthawinthe refrigeratorovernightbeforeyourollout.

Thebakedcookieswillstayatroomtemperatureforupto2 weeksbutarebesteatenwithinafewdays.

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TROUBLESHOOTING

Whyaremysugarcookiesflat?

Always,followtherecipecorrectlyunlessyouknow whattheoutcomeisdifferent.Addingextraflourwill giveyoudry,crumblycookies.Toomuchsugaror bu�ercanmakethecookiesspreadandlosetheir shapewhenbaking.Rollingthecookiestoothinwill giveyouhardflatcookies.

Bakingcookiesinhotandhumidcondi�ons?

Yes,hotandhumidcondi�onscanbeachallenge, especiallywithbu�er-basedcookies.

Thebestwaytoworkaroundthisistorollthedough betweentwoparchmentpapers.

Letthedoughchillbeforeyourollthedoughand Chillagaina�eryourollthedough.

Cutthecookiesoutofchilleddough.Thiswillgive cleanprecisecutsandhandlingchilledcookiesare easiertotransferfromtheworksurfacetothebaking tray.

Whydidmysugarcookiesbecometoobrownonthe outside?

Ifyoubakethecookiesataveryhightemperatureor ifyoubakethemfortoolongtheedgeswillgetbrown quicker.180CisaguideIliketousebuteveryovenis differentsoadjustthetemperatureaccordingly.

Ifyouhavecookiesbakingquickerwithmostrecipes thenperhapsit's�metocheckifyouroven temperatureneedscalibra�on.

Whyaremycookieshardwhencooled?

Overbakedcookieswhencooltendtobedryandhard. Thisiswhyyouneedtobakethemun�ltheyarejust abouttostartge�ngsomecolourontheedges.The cookiescon�nuetocookandsetastheycooltoo.

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ManagingBirths FortheNewAlpacaBreeder

Asweareexperiencingtheglorious summersunshineitistimefortheunpacking season.Inthethirdinasetofthree‘Alpaca bites’webinars,AndreaTurnerofLangford Farmanimalpracticediscussedhowto prepareforandmanageasuccessful unpackingseason.Thisisherreport.

Firstly,itisimportanttoknowifouralpacasarepregnantand roughlywhatdatearetheyexpec�ng?Asthegesta�onforan alpacaisonaverage350dayshoweverthereisalargerange tothisfigurethereforeitcanbeusefultohavebreeding femalespregnancyscannedtoconfirmpregnancy,poten�al ageingandgoodrecordkeepingwithrespecttounpacking datesandmanagementchanges.

Therearecertainmanagementchangeswhicharerequired whencominguptounpacking.Managementdecisionssuch asmakingsurevaccina�onandwormingprotocolsareupto dateandassessingnutri�onbybodycondi�onscoringcanbe beneficialforop�malunpackingandmilk/colostrum produc�on.Vaccina�onisespeciallyimportantasthepassive

transferofimmunitytothecriasviathecolostrumis essen�alforsurvivalandshouldbedoneatleastfourweeks aheadofthearrivalofcriastoensureenough�meforthe damstohaveop�malimmunityatthat�meproduc�on.

STAGESOFBIRTH

Inthissec�onwerunthroughanormalbirthforanalpaca andthe�mingsinvolved.Thiscanbeimportant,sowedonot interferetoosoonortoolateandcauseproblems.

Prepara�on(stage1): Thisstagenormallylaststwotosix hoursandini�allythedamseparatesofffromtherestofthe herd.Cervicaldila�onanduterinecontrac�onscommence, andthedammaypresentwithnooutwardclinicalsignsat thispoint.

Delivery(stage2): Thisshouldlastunderonehourand usuallywithin30mins.Thedamiso�enrestless,frequently movingupanddown.Thisstageiswhenthewaterbagis seen,andprogressionisevery15minstoemergenceoftoes andnose.Alpacasareo�enstandingwhentheyfinallygive birth.

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21 STAGE1 STAGE2A STAGE2B STAGE2C Placentalexpulsion(stage3): Thea�erbirthnormallyis expelledwithintwohoursofbirth,anditisimportantto notedamswon’teatplacentalikemanyotherspecies, soo�enitwillneedtoberemovedtopreventpossible diseasetransmissionandunwantedpredatorinterest. So,themainques�ono�enaskediswhentointervene? Keepinganeyeontheclockisessen�alasthisisthe mainindicatorforinterven�on.Scenariossuchasthe oneslistedbelowwarrantfurtherinves�ga�on: •Prolongedperiodofstage1ac�vity(longerthansix hours) •‘Bag’isseenbutnoprogresswithinanhour •Damisstrainingunproduc�vely •Damwasstrainingandhasnowstopped •Damhasbecomedepressedandseparatedfromthe herdforaprolonged�me •Damcan’tstand STAGE2D

Beforetryingtounpackyourself,makesurethedamis correctlyrestrainedtopreventanytrauma�cinjuryto herself,youorthecria.

GOLDENRULESOFUNPACKING

Beclean!Makesureyouhavethoroughlywashedyourhands withan�microbialskincleanser(ideally–orsoapatleast!) Uselongrectalglovesifpossible.

•Lotsoflube(lubrica�nggel)!

•Cleanholdingpen

•Adequaterestraintisessen�al

•Damwilllikelycon�nuouslyriseandlieun�lcriais engagedinpelvis

•Takeyour�me.

KNOWWHENTOCALLTHEVET

Scenariossuchastheonesbelowo�enindicatea professional'shelpmaybeneeded.

•Can’tfeelahead/leg-thiscanindicatetorsionandacsec�oncouldberequired

•Can’tcorrectlyiden�fywhichlegsarepresented

•Criawon’tfitthroughpelvis

•Damcan’tstand

•Youaren’tconfidentorhaveexceeded�melimit15/20minsofunproduc�veeffort

Oncethecriahasbeendelivered,thereareafewmoretasks tomakesurethemumandyoungsterhavethebeststartto theirnewlife.Thecriashouldbequicklycheckedoverfor possiblecongenitaldiseases.Itisimportantto:

•openmouthandchecknostrilsforacle�palate

•checkumblilcusforhernias-variableswellingsaround baseofnavel

•checkanusandvaginawiththermometer/glovedfinger tomakesureitispatentandhasn’tgotablockedanus (atresiaani)orvagina(imperforatevulva).

Thenextcrucialstepistodipnavelwithiodine10%solu�on orachlorohexidine0.5%solu�on.Thisistopreventbacterial infec�onsenteringthroughtheumbilicusandcausing poten�allyfatalproblemslateron.

Post-birthdamcareo�enrevolvesaroundpainrelief(eg: Metacam)andoccasionallyan�bio�csasprescribedbyyour vetincertaincircumstances.Checktheudderforcolostrum andmakesureallteatsarepatent.

A�erthesechecksitisnowvitalthatthedamandcriahave �metobond.Thiscansome�mesrequireonetoone segrega�onfromrestofherdandle�tose�le.

Furthercareshouldinvolvecloseobserva�ontoensurethe placentapasseswithinsixhours,otherwiseavetneedstobe calledincaseofproblemsandthatthedamisea�ngand drinkingandmakingsurethecriaissuckling.

Colostrum,asI'msureyouareallaware,isvitalforagood startinlife.Acrianeeds10%ofbodyweightwithinsixhours ofbirthforallthean�bodiestobeabsorbedtogive adequatepassivetransferofimmunity.Ifmums'colostrumis notavailablesubs�tutesofeitherfreshorpowdered colostrumareusuallyavailableatyourvetorlocalagsupply. Ifcolostrumisnotobtainedbythecriainthis�meoryouare unsureofintakea�er24hoursaplasmatransfusionmaybe required.

ReprintedwithpermissionfromTheBri�shAlpacaAssocand AndreaTurnerfromLangfordFarmAnimalPrac�cesintheUK.

22

LLAMASOVERTHENEWZEALANDALPS

EdShandwasearlyonthellamasceneinNZ,keepingseveral onhislargesheepandbeefsta�onintheNZhighcountry.Ed andIhavecompletedanumberofllamatreksbothherein NZaswellastheRockyMountainsandwereeagertotackle theDoub�ulValleytrackupandovertheAmuriPassbefore descendingtowardsthewestcoastgoldfields.Last�meIdid thistrekwas8yearsagoanditwasatoughone!Butsince thenseveralhorseclubshaddoneworkonthetrailandbyall reportsitwouldbemucheasier.Itisoneoftheheritage routesoverwhichsheepandca�leweredriventohungry goldminers140yearsagoandisratedasDifficult/ ExperiencedOnly.

Wele�ourdeparturedatetowardstheendofMarch, possiblylateintheseasonforthistrack.Butwewere seasonedinthebushandourllamaswereexperienced.On dayonewearrivedatthetrailheadonscheduleandwere promptlyloadedandunderway.

TheBoyleriverwasourfirstchallenge,itwasabitswollen, runningswi�lybutwewerefullofconfidenceandsetoff withouthesita�on,Edinthelead.Wewerenotfarfromthe farbankwhenwithoutwarningEddisappearedintoahole, hisllamastruggledwithfoo�ngun�lhealsofoundthehole, managingtogetawayfromEdinthestruggle.Atthatpoint myboysuddenlydisappearedunderwaterandcameup figh�ng,toploadquicklydislodged,floa�ngdownstream,I

lostmyfoo�ngandwentunderbutmanagedtofindalead ropeandheadedbacktocatchEd’sboy.Edmean�mewas headingdownstreamtorecoverthefloa�ngtoploaditems.It tookusafewmomentstocollectourselves,calmthellamas beforefindingwhatlookedlikeabe�ercrossingspot.We wereverywetandcold,thellamasbeginningtoques�onour company,butwecrossedsafely,searchedoutthetrailand setoff.Thesunrewardeduswithsomeheat,Edsetaquick paceandthekilometresbegantodisappearbehindusaswe hikedalongthetrail.

23

Beforelongthewellmarkedtrackbegantoclimbbutasthe dayworeonwestartedtorealiseithadreceivedli�leusage forquitesome�me.Forahorsetrackitevidencedli�lesign ofhorses.Webegantospend�mesearchingforthetrackin areaswhereithadbeencoveredbylandslidesorswollen tributeries.

Butthellamaswerekeenandwepressedoncoveringintotal some16/17kmsbeforearrivingatanareacalledPhantom Flatby3.30.Itwas�metomakecampasdarkwouldarrive inthevalleyby5.15pmandthiswasthelastpossiblecamp sitebeforethefinalclimbuptotheAmuriPass.PhantomFlat wasfullofhunterswhohadbeenhelicopteredinwiththeir supplies.Fromthesefellowswelearnedthehorseclubshad discon�nueduseofthetrailsome3yearsagoasitprovedto bedangerousforhorsesandriders.

Wegotagoodstartthefollowingmorning,gruntedourway uptothePassanda�ershortbreakbegantoworkourway downtheWestCoastside.Ofcoursetherainwhichhasbeen lightallmorningbegantobuilduptoasteadydownpour, des�nedtocon�nuethenext36hours.Whenfinallywe bo�omedoutmida�ernoonwebegantoexperience difficultyfollowingthetrail,markersobviouslywashedor blownaway.About4pmwefoundaclearinganddecidedto makecamp.Shortlya�ertetheringthellamasabigstag rumbledintothecamp,beinga�ractedbythellamas.He frozeamongstthetentsforseveralsecondsbeforegivinga deeproarandsmashingoffintotheundergrowth.

Day3sawusupandunderwayearly,weknewthiswouldbe thedaytomakeorbreakthetrip.Thecon�nuousrainhad swollentheriveranditwouldcon�nueaswebeatourway downstream.Welostandfoundthetrailadozen�mesthat daybutmadeexcellentprogress,each�mewecrossedand recrossedtheriveritwasabitdeeperandthecurrentabit stronger.Towardstheendofthedayourluckranoutwhere SlatyCreekconvergedwiththeWaiheke,becomingtoo dangerousforacrossing.Fortunatelytherewasanoldbut comfortablehutnearbysowestakedoutthellamasandset aboutge�ngafirestartedinthehut.

Thenextmorningweweregreetedbyblueskiesandwarm sun,enjoyingastraigh�orward14kmtrekalongtheriverto ourfinaldes�na�on.Andalthoughwehadpassedthrough sometrulysceniccountrythepreviousdays(inbadweather), thatlastday’swalk(withdryfeet)reallydidtopoffthe adventure.

OurgoodmateTonyPearcewaswai�ngforus,weloaded thellamas,packedthegearandse�ledbackforthelong drivebackovertheAlpstoourhomesontheeastside.Andit isatthispointthatwemustcommentonthetwollamas.If eitherofthesefellowshadfalteredorexperienceda problem,thetripwouldhavebeendifferent.Buttheydidn’t!

EdwassupportedbyJoey,a16/17yearoldccarallama ownedbyTonyPearceofHanmerLlamas,withoutdoubtthe mostexperiencedpackingllamainNZ.Notabigfellow,but Joeyknowsonlyonedirec�on,anddoesnothaveastop bu�on.Manuel(11years)wascarryingmyload,bredand raisedonmyfarm,motherisguanaco/llamaandfatherfull guanaco.Verystrongfellow,greatathleteandlikeJoey, wouldneversay“enough”.Someoftheterrainwecrossed wasverydifficult,wet,slippery,sharpedges,boulderfields, windfall,swollenrivers,steepclimbs/descentsandsoon.Not oncedideitheroftheseboyshesitate,pullbackorslowour progress.Theyseemedtorelishthechallengeandif anything,seemedmoredeterminedwitheachdaypassing. Theyeachcarried70-75lbs.

Nextyear,EdandIwillbejoinedbyTonyforatrekthrough oneoftheotherpasses,hopefullyinbe�erweather.Three oldfellowsinmid70’s,youcanimaginethestoriesthatget toldaroundtheeveningcampfire...

24

Understanding The CoatColourGenotype

Asmostofyoureadingthiswillknow,inearly2021webegan usinganalpacacoatcolourgenotypingtestofferedbythe inter-na�onalbiotechnologycompanyNeogenCorpora�on tolearnouranimals’basecoatcolourgenotypes.

ThistestisbasedonresearchbyDr.KylieMunyardofCur�n University,Australiaandspecifiesalpacas’geno-typesfor relevantsec�onsofthetwomostimportantgenesaffec�ng alpacabasecoatcolour.Italsorevealswhethertheanimal carriesamuta�onthatproducesthetuxedogreypa�ern.

Knowingthebasecoatcolourgenotypesofouranimalshas alreadymadeasignificantdifferenceinourbreeding decisionsandhasalsohelpedusmoreaccuratelyselectthe animalsinourherdthatarebestsuitedforourcustomers’ breedingprograms.However,theresultsofourfirstrounds oftes�ng,aswellasthoseofotherfarmswhohavejoinedus intheresearcheffort,alsomadeitclearthatwes�llhad muchtolearn,especiallywithrespecttothegenotypesthat produceanimalswithablackbasecoatcolour.

WeknewfromreadingDr.Munyard’sresearchthatshehad iden�fiedthreedifferentalleles—thatis,alternateformsof onegene,knownastheagou�orASIPgene,thatwhen pairedproducedablackanimalatleastsomeofthe�me. Thesealleleswerecollec�velydescribedwithasmall“a”in thereportswereceivedfromNeogen.Ifananimal’sASIP genotypeincludedonesmall“a,”weknewitcoveredblack. Ifananimalcarriedtwosmalla’s,ithadablackASIP genotypeand,assumingitwasnotfullydilute,couldbe phenotypicallyblack.

However,onlyabitmorethanhalfofthenotfullydilute animalsinourdatabasewith“aa”testresultsactuallyhad trueblack,bayblackorsilvergreycoats(silvergreysbeing blackanimalswithaseparatewhitepa�ern.)Almostasmany werebrownorrosegrey.Thissuggestedthepossibilitythat thethreeindividualASIP“black”allelesmightdifferwith respecttotheirimpactonphenotypiccolour.

WeaskedNeogeniftheycouldgobeyondthesummary resultspreviouslypresentedandgiveusthedetailed

25

genotypingresultsfortheanimalstheyhadtestedforusso wecouldstudythisfurther.Theycouldanddid.Other breederswhohadgenotypedtheirherdswithNeogenalso requestedtheirdetailedresultsandcontributedthemtoour researchdatabase.Fromthiscollec�veeffort,welearned thatthethreeindividualblackallelesdonothaveiden�cal impactsonphenotypiccolor.Twoofthemappear significantlymorelikelytoproduceablackanimalthanthe third.

Understandinghowallthreeofthesealleleswork,inboth homozygousandheterozygouspairs,greatlyimprovesour abilitytopredictcolouroutcomesfromindividualma�ngs. Wenowknowhowtomoreconsistentlyproduceblack alpacas,andhowtofocusontrueblackandminimizethe produc�onofbayblackswherethatisdesired.Wealsohave abe�erideaofhowtobestchooseanimalsthatarenot blackbutcoveritforablackbreedingprogram.Wediscuss theseresultsindetailheresoyoucanusethemtoinform yourownbreedingeffort.

TheASIPGene’sBlackAlleles

Theacronym“ASIP”standsforagou�-signalingprotein.The ASIPgeneencodestheinstruc�onsforproducingtheagou�signalingprotein,whichcontrolstheamountofpheomelanin (yellow)versuseumelanin(black)pigmentproducedbythe melanocytes.Whentheagou�-signalingproteinproducedis normalinform,bothpheomelaninandeumelaninare producedbythemelanocytesinpropor�onswhich,inthe absenceofdilu�on,resultsinananimalwithadarkfawnor brownbasecoatcolour.However,whenamuta�onresultsin theproduc�onofaproteinthatisalteredinawaythat makesitlessfunc�onal,lessornopheomelaninandmore eumelaninisproducedbythemelanocytes,resul�nginan animalwithadarkerorblackcoatcolour.

Somethingelsehappens,too:Whentheagou�-signaling proteinisnotac�veinthemelanocyte,ahormonecalledthe melanocyte-s�mula�nghormoneplaysagreaterrolein pigmentproduc�on.Thishormonedoesexactlywhatits namesuggests,withtheresultthatthemelanocytesproduce morepigmentthantheyotherwisewould.Animalswith“aa” genotypesthusnotonlyhavemoreoftheblackeumelanin pigmentbutagreaterabsoluteamountofpigmentintheir fibre.

ThethreeASIPallelesthathavebeenassociatedwithblack coatcolourinalpacasareallofthis“lossoffunc�on”type andresultinthemelanocytesproducinglesspheomelanin thantheyotherwisewould.Eachoftheseallelesinvolvesa changetoapar�cularsec�onoftheASIPgeneknownas Exon4.ExonsaresegmentsofDNAwhichcontainthe instruc�onsforproducingaprotein.Exon4ofthealpaca ASIPgeneis177basepairslong.Youdon’thavetoknow whatthismeanstofinditinteres�ngcontextforwhat follows.YoumayalsofindthepictureshowninFigure1 helpfulforunderstandingthediscussionthatfollows-wedid

whenitwaspresentedtous.

Thegenotypicalterna�onthatproducestheallelethat, followingDr.Munyard’sterminology,wedescribeas“a1” involvesadele�onof57ofExon4’s177basepairs.Asyou canimagine,thatrepresentsasubstan�aldisrup�ontothe codingfortheagou�-signalingprotein.The“a2”and“a3” allelesbothinvolvemuta�onsatindividualbasepair loca�onsinExon4.Bothoccuratloca�onswheremuta�ons areknowntoresultinsomelossoffunc�onoftheagou�signalingprotein.Interes�ngly,theloca�onofthe“a3” muta�oniswithintheregionthatisdeletedandthusmissing fromthe“a1”genotype.

Allphenotypicallyblackanimalshavetwooftheblackalleles describedabove:Twoofonealleletype,oroneeachoftwo differentblackalleles.

AlleleCombina�onsandTheirPhenotypicResults

Todiscoverpoten�aldifferencesinthephenotypicresults producedbydifferentblackallelepairings,wecombinedthe detailedgenotypingresultsofanimalsatfourfarmsto produceadatasetof181animalsthathad“aa”ASIPbase coatcolourgenotypesandcarriedeitherzerooroneMc1R genedilu�onmuta�ons.Thatistheanimal’sbasecoatcolour genotypesweresummarizedaseitherEEaaorEeaa,bothof whichcanresultinablackanimal.

However,thereareactually12possiblecombina�onsofthe three“a”allelesandthetwodilu�ongenotypesEEandEe. TheyappearinthetableinFigure3,onpage11,alongwith thespecificallelecombina�onswithwhichtheyare associated.Youcanusethistabletointerpretyourown detailedNeogenreportresultsifyouchoosetocolour genotypeyouranimals.

26
ThreeSignificantAlleleTypesInExon4Of TheASIPGene

ThetableinFigure2summarizescoatcoloursofanimalswith eachofthesedifferent“aa”genotypes.Wechosethewaywe tabulatedtheresultswithsomecare.Trueblackandsilver greyanimalsarecountedtogetherbecausebothtuxedoand modernsilvergreyanimalsaretheresultofwhitepa�erns expressedwithinablackbasecoatcolour.Wecountedbay blacksseparatelyfromtrueblacks,eventhoughtheyshow together,toseeifwecouldiden�fyspecificgenotypesthat weremorelikelytoproduceoneversusanother.Wecounted rosegreysseparatelyfrombrownsbecausetheirgenotyping resultswerenotwhatweexpectedandwewantedto considerthemmoreclosely,whichwedolaterinthis discussion.AllanimalswithEEaaorEeaagenotypesthat werenotoneofthesecoloursweincludedinthe“other” category.Thegreatmajorityofthesewerebrown.

Itcanbeverytemp�ngtodrawsomerapidconclusions lookingatatablelikethis,butitisimportanttofirstassess thesta�s�calsignificanceoftheassocia�onswethinkwe see.Wewanttoknowhowlikelyitisthatweareobservinga realrela�onshipbetweengenotypesandcolouroutcomesas opposedtoapa�ernproducedbychance.Wewillexplain ourdegreeofconfidenceinthepa�ernsweseeaswe discussthem.

Basedonthegenotypingresultsforthe181animals consideredherewearehighlyconfidentthatan“aa”animal whichhasoneortwoofthe“a3”ASIPallelesislesslikelyto beregisteredastrueblackorsilvergrey(blackbasecoat) thanonethatdoesnothaveana3allele.Theoddsareless than0.1%thatthispa�ernweseeinthedataisdueto chance.BlackASIPgenotypesthatincludeoneortwoa3 allelesarealsomorelikelytoproducebayblackanimalsthan aregenotypeswhichlackana3allele.Morebroadly,over two-thirdsoftheanimalswithan“aa”genotypeinour samplegroupthatdonothaveblackfleecescarryatleast onea3allele.

Wedon’tknowwhythisisthecasebutsuspectthatthea3 muta�oneitherdoesnotreducethepropor�onof pheomelaninproducedtothesamedegree(leadingtoa warmer,brownercoloura�on),doesnotallowthe melanocyte-s�mula�nghormonetoassumeasmuchofa roleinpigmentproductasdotheotherblackalleles,orboth.

Thereisalsoapa�erninthedatathatsuggeststhatthea1 ASIPallelemaybemorelikelytoresultinatrueblackbase coatcolourthanthea2allele.However,wedon’tyethave enoughindividualobserva�onstobeconfidentthatthis pa�ernisnottheresultofchance.Thismeansthatfornow, wecannotreliablydifferen�atebetweenthelikely phenotypiccoatcoloursproducedbya1anda2alleles.We assumetheyhaveasimilarlikelihoodofproducingblack animals.Thisconclusionmayormaynotchangeaswecollect moregenotypingresults.

Finally,welookedatwhethercarryingasingledilu�on muta�on—thatis,havingan“Ee”MC1Rgenotype—reduced theoddsofananimalhavingatrueblackbasecoatcolour. Again,thisisapa�ernwethinkweseeinthedata.Basedon thedistribu�onofresultsandnumberofobserva�onswe havenow,thereisabouta90%chancethatasingledilu�on alleledoeshavethiseffect.Thoseoddsdonotrisetothe levelofconfidencetypicallysoughtbyscien�ficresearchers, butthisnonethelesslikelyeffectofdilu�onisworthkeeping inthebackofyourmindwhilewecollectmoredata.

Evenmoreimportanttounderstand,however,isthatevenif carryingasingle“e”MC1Rmuta�ondoesnotresultin differentphenotypiccoatcolourforan“aa”animal,itmakes anenormousdifferenceinthecoloursofthecriasthat animalcanproduce.Ananimalwithan“EEaa”genotypewill produceoffspringoffawnordarkerbasecoatcolour regardlessofthecolourgenotypeoftheanimaltowhichitis bred.Bycontrast,ananimalwithan“Eeaa”genotypecan producecriasinthewholespectrumofbasecoatcolours,

27 BlackASIPGenotypesAndAssociatedPhenotypicColourResults

includingwhiteandlight,dependingonthecolourgenotype conveyedbytheotheranimalinthepairing.

UsingThisInforma�on

Basedonwhatwehavelearnedsofar,webelievethat breedersfocusedonproducingtrueblackandsilvergrey animalsshouldhaveapreferenceforbreedinganimalsthat carrythea1anda2ASIPmuta�onsrela�vetothosethatcarry thea3muta�on,allelseconstant.Thatlastphraseisvery important.Animalscarryingoneortwoa3muta�onss�ll produceoffspringthatareregisteredtrueblackandsilver grey,albeitatalowerfrequencythanthoseanimalswith “aa”genotypesthatdonotincludeana3muta�on.We wouldnotexcludethemfromtrueblackbreedingprograms, butrathermakesuretheyprovideaddi�onalincremental advantagestocompensatefortheirlessfrequentproduc�on ofthedesiredtrueblackbasecoatcolour.Superiorgene�cs forotherfleecetraits,gene�cdiversityvalue,andpoten�al brandingandmarke�ngadvantagesareamongthepoten�al reasonstoincludetheseanimalsinatrueblackbreeding effort.

Wewanttostress,too,thatbreederswillincreasethe numberofblackanimalstheyproducefromotherblack animalsiftheymaintainasmanyanimalsaspossiblethatdo notcarryadilu�onmuta�on.An“EEaa”animalbredto another“EEaa”animalwillneverproducealightfawn,for instance,whilepairingtwophenotypicallyblack,“Eeaa” animalswillproducealightfawn25%ofthe�me.Again, though,animalswithblackASIPgenotypesandoneoreven twodilu�onallelesmaybringotherimportanta�ributesto theprogramthatmakethereducedoddsoftrueblack offspringworththetrade-off.Forinstance,weareexcitedto breedanexcep�onalyounglightfawnmalewithaneea1a3 genotypetoblackfemalesinthecomingseason:Hisfleeceis incrediblydense,longanduniform,andhewillbring importantgene�cdiversitytothecolouredbreedingeffortat Snowmass.

TheRoseGreyBaseCoatColourGenotype

Aswemen�onedearlier,thebasecoatcolourgenotypesfor the51rosegreysforwhichwehaddetailedgenotyping resultssurprisedus.Ofthose51,closetotwo-thirdshad “aa”genotypes.Wepresumedthatwewouldseeamuch higherpropor�onofrosegreys—whichweperceiveas brownanimalswithawhitepa�ern—thathadASIP genotypesofAaorAA,becausemanybrownanimalshave theseASIPgenotypes.Instead,an“aa”ASIPgenotypewas mostcommon,andoftheroseanimalsinoursampleonly fourthathadbeenregisteredasrosegreydidnotcover black.Whenwewentbacktocheckthephenotypesofthose four,wediscoveredtheywereactuallyallfawnswithsome whitecontamina�onintheirblankets.Theywouldnotbe consideredrosegreyforshowpurposes,orbymost breeders.

Whenwecomparedthebasecoatcolourgenotypingresults ofrosegreyanimalstothoseofdarkbrownanimals,wesaw similari�es.Almosthalfofthedarkbrownanimalswehave testedtodatehavealso“aa”ASIPgenotypes,and90%of themcarryatleastone“a”alleleandthuscoverblack.By contrast,only18%ofthenearly100mediumbrownanimals wehavecolourgenotypedhaveblackASIPgenotypes. Seventy-fivepercentofthemediumbrownswehavetested carryatleastone“a”allele.

Itisinteres�ngthatrosegreyanimalshavebasecoatcolour genotypesthatintheirdistribu�onmostcloselymatchthose ofphenotypicallydarkbrownanimals,andthattheanimals thatwouldbedescribedbybroadconsensusasrosegreyin oursampleallcarryatleastoneblackallele.Wewouldhave imaginedthatananimalwithanEEAAcolourgenotype, whichtypicallyproducesananimalwithabasecoatcolourof darkfawntomediumbrown,alongwiththewhitepa�ern producedbyclassicgreyorroanmuta�onswouldalso appearrosegreytothetypicalobserver.

However,wehavenotuncoveredanysuchanimalstodate. Thismakesuswonderifthepresenceofatleastoneblack ASIPalleleisrequiredforanimalstorevealapa�ernthatwe woulddescribeasclassicormodernrosegreybasedon AOA’scurrentcolourclassifica�onsystem.Manyrosegreys havefleecesthatcombineblack,brownandwhitefibres.The imageshownatle�,whichisfromananimalthatwould showasalightrosegrey,isagoodexampleofthis.Thismay beaclue.

TheBlueBlackGenotype

Oneofourpersonalhopesforourstudyofblackgenotypesis thattheresultswillrevealthegenotype(s)responsiblefor producinganimalswithfleeceswewoulddescribeasblue black.Thereisnotyetagreementorevenmuchdiscussion aboutwhatablueblackalpacalookslikecomparedtotrue black.Whilewehopetoeventuallyquan�fydegreesof blacknesswithresultsfromaspectrophotometer(the

28

interna�onaltes�nglaboratorySGS,whichmanyofyouuse forhistogramanalyses,canprovidespectrophotometer analysisaswell)oursenseoftheblueblackphenotypeisas follows:1)theanimalappearsanespeciallydeep,coolblack evencomparedtoothertrueblackanimals,and2)itsfleece looksblackevenwhencomparedtodyedblackfabrics(some trueblackfleeceso�enlookbrownwhencomparedto commerciallydyedfabric.)

TheseanimalsarenotcommonintheUnitedStates.And theyshareotherfleecea�ributesbesidestheirexcep�onal blackcolora�on,becausethegreatlyincreasedamountof totalpigmentinthehairsha�softhefibresofablueblack fleecereducestheamountofcurvaturethatcanbe expressed.Thesefleecesaretypicallysilkyinstylewitha

bold,low-frequencycrimp,likethatshownbythecriafleece inthepictureabove.Theirlackofcurvaturemakesthem compara�velybrightaswell(and,wehavelearned,difficult tophotograph).

Weaskedthebreederswhosubmi�edtheiranimals’detailed genotypeinforma�ontohelpbuildourdatabasetoindicate whichoftheiranimalstheyfeltwereblueblackincolour.Of themorethan1000animalsforwhichwehavedetailedASIP genotypes,only11wereiden�fiedasblueblackbytheir owners.(Theirindividualstandardsforwhatcons�tutesa blueblacklikelyvarytosomedegree.)Noneofthoseanimals carriedana3allele,andwesuspectthismaybeanimportant aspectoftheblueblackgenotype.Eightofthe11carriedat leastonea1allele,andfourwerehomozygousa1a1.And9of

29

the11didnotcarryanyMC1Rdilu�onmuta�ons.

Digginginabitmore,ofthefouranimalsintheirownherds thattheseauthorsiden�fiedasblueblackusingthegeneral criteriadescribedabove,allwereoftheEEa1a1genotype, includingthecriawhosefleeceisshowninthepictureabove.

Thankstothewillingnessofotherbreederstocombinetheir genotypingresultswithourown,wehavecollec�velymade greatstridesinunderstandingwhichASIPandMC1R genotypesaremostlikelytoproducealpacaswithblackbase coats.Butevenwithourimprovedunderstandingofthe likelyimpactofthea3muta�ononcoatcolours,wes�llcan’t explainwhy4%oftheanimalsthathave“EEaa”genotype andlackana3allelearenottrueblackorsilvergreybutare insteadrosegreyorbrown.

Othermuta�ons,inASIPorperhapsothergenes,may provideananswer.Weareop�mis�cthatthoseanswerswill beforthcoming,too,becauseU.S.breeders’interestinand quickadop�onofcolourgenotypinghashelpeds�mulate moreresearchonthistopic.

Wewillcon�nuetosharewhatwelearnandwhatweare taughtaboutalpacacoatcolourgenotypesinthemonths ahead.

SpecificASIPAndMC1RGenotypes

30

CamelidTourism CentralCoastNSW

Westartedourfarmmorethan9yearsagowithtwoalpacas, Bobby&Lucaswhoares�llinseparable.Atourpeakwehad 200alpacas.Allouralpacas,llamas,sheepandcowsarepets. Wedonotsellourpets.Wesellourfleecetovisitors.

In2020wedecidedtoshareourfarmwithotherssothey couldenjoytheseamazinganimalsandtoexplainhowwe havedevelopedthefarm,includingwhatwehavedoneto protecttheenvironment,suchaserosioncontrolalongthe watercatchmentandtheplan�ngoftreestoa�ractswi� parrotstothefarm.

We'vealwayshadastrongfocusontheenvironmentand conserva�onthroughprotec�ngthelocalwatercatchment whichflowsthroughourpropertyandplan�ngmorethan 12,000treesforthebenefitoftheendangeredswi�parrot andregenthoneyeaterandotherna�vebirds.Asaresultof thisfocusontheenvironmentwehavebeenabletoprovide ahomeforhundredsofbirdsincludinghawks,eagles, pelicans,blackswans,corellas,kookaburras,parrotsanda varietyoffinchesandmeatbirds.

Uponyourarrivalyouwillreceiveashortintroduc�onto yourllamaandyourguidewillcoverthedo’sanddon’tsof

llamahandling.Peopleofallageslovellamasbutthereis alwaystheques�onwilltheyspitatme?Mostllamaswon’t spitonyou,butyoumaygetcaughtinthecrossfire.Llamas don’tliketosharefoodsotheymayspitatanotherllama whogetstoclose.Llamaswillalsospitwhenanotherllama encroachesintotheir‘llamapersonalspace’.

So,youneedtomakesuretokeepthemhappybyknowing whattheylikeandwhattheydon’t.Whileitmaybetemp�ng towanttoscratchtheirfaceorrubtheirears;llamasarenot likehorsesandwouldpreferifyoudidnotdothat.What theydolikeisscratchesontheirneck,snacksandmore snacks,butnottoomany!

Llamasmakegreathikingcompanions,andinfactthe rela�onshipgoesfarbeyondthemsimplytranspor�ngyour supplies.Llamasarenaturallycuriousandveryawareoftheir surroundings,o�enthefirsttospotwildlifealongthetrail. Theyenjoynewsightsandbecomeverymuchapartnerin youradventure.

Wehopeyou’llcomeoutandexperiencefirst-handthejoyof hikingtheseincrediblelandscapeswithllamasasyour companions.WealsoofferuniqueLlamaMeetandGreet experiencesthatareonehourindura�on.Theseareidealfor familieswithsmallchildrenorthosejustwan�ngtogetup closeandpersonalwiththellamas.

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WeachievedEcotourismcer�fica�oninJuly2021ina record�meof2weeks.

Recentlywehavebeenmarke�ngourexperiences throughoutSouth-EastAsiatheresultbeinganincreasing numberofourvisitorsarefromSingapore,Malaysiaand Indonesia.

WhentheNSWGovernmenttriedtointroducenew agritourismlegisla�onthatwouldhavehadasignificant nega�veimpactontheindustryweledacampaigntohave theproposedlegisla�onchanged.

DuringthiscampaignSeanappearedonACurrentAffair. LongstoryshorttheGovernmentlistenedtousandadopted largepartsofoursubmissionintothefinallegisla�on.Sean’s picturenowappearsonthecoveroftheAgritourismToolKit alongwithtwoactorsandourWil�pollsheep.

IrisLodgeAlpacasisaplacewherethewholefamilycanget upcloseandpersonalwithourherdof78alpacasand7 llamas.Duringyourvisityou’llalsomeetour70Wil�poll sheep,Anguscowsandhorses.

Weofferthefollowingexperiences: Breakfastwithalpacas

You’llenjoy1.5hourswiththealpacas,sheepandcowshand feedingthemfollowedbyadeliciousbreakfast.Throughout theexperienceyou’lllearnabouttheanimalsandtheir individualpersonali�es.

Alpacameet&greets

You’llgetinamongstourherdofalpacasfora45-minute experience,feedingthealpacasbyhandwhilsttheyenjoya goodneckrub.

Alpacafarmvisitsinthea�ernoons

Duringthis1.5hourexperienceyou’llspend�mewiththe alpacas,Wil�pollsheepandAnguscowslearningaboutthem andtheirpersonali�eswhilsthandfeedingthem.

Wearepartofthe“KidstoFarm”programwherebyall primaryschoolsvisitfarmstounderstandwheretheirfood andfibrecomesfrom.WearebasedontheNSWCentral CoastaboutanhournorthoftheSydneyCBD.

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TheCentralCoastisagreatholidaydes�na�onwithmany andvariedplacesofinteresttovisitsowhynottakealong weekendorafewdaysofthekidsholidaystovisit.

TreeTopsAdventureParkhasplentytokeepthechildren (andadventurousadults!)entertainedintheOurimbahState Forrestareawheretherearealsowalkingtracksandbike trails.

HowaboutalonglunchatAngelSussurriRestaruantorastay attheirbou�queBnBstyleaccommoda�onormaybeavisit totheMilkFactorywhereLi�leCreekCheese,achocolate outlet,gi�shop,spaandmanyfoodoutletscanbefound. Plentyofaccommoda�onalsoavailablenearbyatThe MercureKooindayWatersResortandfarmstaysinthearea.

Formoreideasandinforma�onvisit: h�ps://www.lovecentralcoast.com/neighbourhoodguides?page=1 h�ps://www.lovecentralcoast.com/neighbourhoods/wyong h�ps://www.lovecentralcoast.com/ecotourism

33 PlacestoStay&ThingsToDo
TreeTopsAdventurePark
AngelSussurriRestaurant MercureKooindayWatersResort LittleCreekCheese

BreedingaRoyalLine

Acautionarytale

Theultimategoalofmostanimal breedersiscontinualimprovementof thebreedthroughcarefulselectionof sireanddam.The"average"alpacain NewZealandhasimproved tremendouslyoverthelast15years throughthiskindofselectivebreeding.

Whendiscussingbreeding,theterms"bloodline"or“blood” o�enemerge:animalsmayhave"goodblood"orproducea "strongbloodline."Comparisonstoroyaltythenoccur,and thiskindofthinkingcanbeseeninaquickperusalofthe registrywherehundredsof"kings,""queens,""prince/ princesses,"andothersuchroyal�tlescanbefound.

Onecommontac�cinbreedingselec�onistoselectthe"big names,"asthesefamousanimals,usuallystudmales,havea reputa�onforthrowingsuperiortraits.Asaresult,manyof thesefamousanimalshavehundredsofoffspring.Givena popula�onbaseofonly15,000inNewZealand,itisnot uncommontofindthesamenamespoppingupagainand againinapedigree.Thisiso�enusedasapromo�onalpoint, highligh�nghowcloselyrelatedtheanimalistoitsfamous ancestor.

Thistypeofbreedingsystemhasaclose(andveryrelevant) rela�onshiptomanyoftheroyalhousesofEuropebefore the19thcentury.There,apoolofafewthousandindividuals soughtma�ngs(marriages)thatwouldprovideclose rela�onshipstofamous(poli�callypowerful)sires(kings). Overaperiodofmanygenera�onstheseroyalhouseswould seekto"improvetheirbloodline"bycarefullychoosing partnerswhosepedigreeshadthemostlinkstofamous ancestors.Thisprac�cedidnotalwaysendwell.

RecentlyapaperbyAlvarezetalanalyzedtheSpanish HabsburgDynasty(1516-1700)todeterminehowmul�ple genera�onsofmarryingcloserela�ves(uncle-niece,first cousins,andotherconsanguineousunions)affectedthelevel ofinbreedingofthemembersofthathouse.Inbreedinghad beensuspectedinplayingaroleintheex�nc�onofthe dynasty,theAlvarezpaperprovidednumerical/sta�s�cal analysisofhowtheinbreedingcoefficientrosewith�me, andhowthatnega�velyaffectedoutcomes.Thedynasty

endedin1700whenCharlesII,physicallyandmentally disabled,dieda�erproducingnochildrenfromhistwo marriages.(Isuggestreadingthefullpaperwhichisavailable throughthePLoSONE,aninterna�onal,peer-reviewed, open-access,onlinepublica�on.)

Royaldynas�eshavetheadvantagethataccuratemarriage recordswerekeptoverawidelyextendedfamilyandmany genera�ons:thiscaseinvolved3,000individualsand16 genera�ons.Likewiserecordsofthehealthandmortalityof manymembersofthefamilywereavailable.

Thedepthofthefamilytreeallowedforanalysisof consanguinitybasedonremoteorancestralrela�ons.These distantrela�onshadasignificantinfluence,withthe inbreedingcoefficientrisingasthefamilytreewasmore deeplyexamined.

Ashallowstudyofapedigreeincreasestheriskof significantlyunderes�ma�ngthedegreetowhichindividuals areinbred.(SeeFigure1below).

Figure1:InbreedingcoefficientofselectedHapsburgkings.It requiresatleast10genera�onsofdepthbeforeanaccurate es�mateofconsanguinityiscalculatedduetotheaggregateeffect ofmanydistantrela�onsdeepinthepedigree.Notethata coefficientof0.25iswhatwouldbeexpectedfromabrother-sister ma�ng.CharlesIIwastheproductofanuncle-niecepairing.(Alvarez et.al.,2009)

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Togetanaccuratees�ma�onoftheinbreedingcoefficient thepedigreehadtobeanalyzedtoadepthofatleast10 genera�ons!Sowhilethemarriagestocloserela�ons(uncleniece,firstcousins)drawsa�en�ontowardspoten�al inbreeding,themathema�calanalysisshowedthatthe cumula�veeffectofmore-distantconsanguineousunions deepinthepedigreehadasignificanteffectonthe inbreedingcoefficient.Evenifyounevermatefathersto daughtersorbrotherstosisters,ifthereareenoughthirdandfourth-cousinma�ngsinthetree,youcanendupjustas inbred.

Directevidenceforthenega�vehealthandsurvival influencesontheHapsburgfamilyfromtheirinbreedingcan beenseeninariseinchildmortality.30%ofHabsburg childrendiedbeforetheageof10,whereasSpanishchildren frommixedbackgroundsonlysufferedabout20%child mortalityduringthesamehistoricperiod,asignificant difference.Thedifferenceisevenmoresignificantifyou considerthatthenon-royalchildrencamefromamixtureof socialclasses,andwouldnothavehadaccesstothe significantclassbenefitsoftheroyalchildren,suchas nutri�onandmedicalcare.Thisdropinsurvivalisanexample of"inbreedingdepression,"whereevenintheabsenceofa singleacutegene�cdisease,thedecreasinggene�cdiversity resultsinlowersurvival.

Anydiscussionofgene�cstendstodevolveintotheuseof jargonwhichcanbeopaqueandevenin�mida�ngtoreaders withoutatechnicalbackground.Buildingacomplexmul�cellularorganism(likeahumanoranalpaca)obviously requiresdetailedinstruc�ons,andtheseinstruc�onsarein ourgenes.Eachgenecanbethoughtofasabookonasingle subject,andalibraryofabout25,000ofthesebooks(genes) isrequiredtomakeanorganism.Furthermore,ourlibrary hastwocopiesofeachbook,onefromthemotherandone fromthefather.Letussuppose(inthiscompletely hypothe�calexample!)thatoneofthosebookswas"howto growroses."Asweallknow,therearelotsofdifferentbooks onhowtogrowroses.Thesedifferentbooksarethealleles— theyalldealwithrosegrowing,buteachisslightlydifferent andsomebooksarebe�erthanothers.Infact,somebooks giveexcep�onallybadadvice("pouronpetrol,apply match").Ifyouhaveonlyonecopyofabadbook,then usuallythegoodcopy(allele)canstepupandprovideallthe informa�onyouneedtosuccessfullygrowroses(themore effec�vebookissaidtobe"dominant,"thelesseffec�ve booktobe"recessive"-thisisonlyageneralruleofcourse,in actualgene�csitcangetmuchmorecomplicated!).Ifyou endupwithtwocopiesthatsuggestpetrolandmatches,you willnotbegrowinganyroses.Suddenlyyouhavethe"norose"gene�cdisease!Youcangetlessextremeversionsof thiswhereyouendupwithtwocopiesofbooksonrose growingthataredownrightmediocre,sowhileyous�llgrow roses,yourrosesarenotnearlyascolourfulorfragrantas yourneighbour's.Thisistherootofinbreedingdepression. Asalibrarybecomesincreasinglyinbred,moreandmoreof the25,000book-pairsenduphavingtwoofthesamebook

(allele).Havingdifferentversionsmakesitmorelikelythat oneofthetwowillbeasuperiorversion,thisisknownas heterosis(alsocalledhybridvigourandoutbreeding enhancement).

Inbreedingdepressionandgene�cdiseasescanbeveryhard tospotinasmallpopula�on.Smallpercentagechangesin criasurvivalratescaneasilybemaskedbysomegoodorbad luck.Likewiseevenaverycommonacutegene�cdiseasewill, inanon-inbredpopula�on,onlyaffectoneindividualinafew thousand—aratethatwouldbeimpossibletospotunless youweremonitoringallthecriaborneveryyearintheen�re country!(Something,incidentally,thattheannualHealth Surveysaretryingtodo,keepingaconstanteyeopenforany pa�ernsthatmightsuggestlurkinggene�cdiseases.)For examplecys�cfibrosis(CF)isoneofthemostcommon gene�cdiseasesinCaucasiansofEuropeandescent,with nearlyonepersonin25beingacarrier(havingonecopyof theCFalleleandone"normal"allelethatmakesupforthe dysfunc�onoftheCFallelesothatthepersonappears completelyhealthyandnormal).Yetevenwiththishigh carrierrate,onlyonechildin2000hasCF.

Ofcourse,whenweareselec�velybreedinganimals,weare seekingtomakethetargettraits(fleececharacteris�cs, conforma�on,coatcolour,etc.)asstrong(orcommon)as possible.Thatinvolvesfindingthebestalleles(books)forthe genesthatdrivethosetraits.Ideallywewouldfindthebest possibleallele,andhavetwocopiesofittoensurethatno problema�callelesareavailabletopasson.Havingtwo iden�calcopiesofthesamegeneisknownashomozygosity. Youwillfindthistermusedmosto�enamongSuribreeders, whostrivetobreedanimalsthatarehomozygousfortheSuri gene.

Linebreeding(akainbreeding,wherethemateselec�onis usuallynotverycloserela�onslikefather-daughterand brothersister,butfirst-cousinandsimilarrela�ons)isa perfectlyvalidtac�cfortryingtoconcentratekeyallelesina popula�on.However,youwillbeincreasingthe homozygosityofmanygenes,notjusttheonesyouare targe�ngforthekeybreedingtraits.(Whenyou"fix"the copiesoftherose-breedingbooksinthelibrary,youmayalso be"fixing"thefruitbooks,theveggiebooks,thelawnbooks, etc.Areyoufixingsuperiorbooksinthoseslots,orduds?)It isnearlyimpossibletotellatthestartofalinebreeding experimenthowmanyharmfulallelesarelurkinginyour breedingherd.Youcannotpredictsuccessbeforehand; ratheryouproceedandhopetoavoidfailure.Youinbreed un�laveryhighconsanguinitycoefficienthasbeenreached (theyareveryuniformincharacterandgene�callyinbred), andifnoterriblegene�cdiseasesemergeandtheyremain generallyhealthyandvibrant,youweresuccessful.The dangeristhatifsignificantinbreedingdepressionoracutely fatalgene�cdiseasesdobecomeapparentinthepopula�on, youhavebredyouranimalsdownagene�ccul-de-sac. Restoringthegene�chealthofyourlinewillbelongand arduous.Ge�ngthemhealthycanbedonerela�velyquickly

35

(onlyafewgenera�onsofout-crosses),ge�ngthemhealthy butkeepingtheirhigh-gene�cvaluetraitscouldbeveryhard. (Youswapwithalibrarythathasagoodveggiebookto replaceoneofyourbadpair,butyoutakeachanceof replacingoneofyoursuperiorrosebooksthatyouworkedso hardtogettwocopiesofwithamediocreone.)

Buthasn'tlinebreedingbeendonebeforesuccessfully?Yes. Therearemodernhumancommuni�esthatprac�ce consanguineousmarriagesatasimilarfrequencytothe Hapsburgs(theurbanPondicherryinSouthIndiaandamong armyfamiliesinPakistan)withoutseveregene�c consequences.Why?Itmayhavejustbeenbadluckonthe partoftheHapsburgs:theymayhavestartedwithrela�vely moredefec�veallelesforcri�calgenes,leadingtosevere inbreedingdepressionandeventuallyacutegene�cdisease. (ItisspeculatedthatthelastSpanishHapsburg,KingCharles II,hadtwodis�nctseveregene�cdiseasessimultaneously, combinedpituitaryhormonedeficiencyanddistalrenal tubularacidosis,whichwouldexplainhismanymedical problems,infer�lity,andeventualearlydeath.)

Butdon'tpanic!Yes,asignificantpropor�onofthealpaca popula�onisconsanguineous(inbred)toagreaterorlesser degree.Thechanceofbadoutcomesiss�llprobablyquite lowatthispoint(Idon'thavethetoolstodotheactual calcula�onsoftheinbreedingcoefficientforouralpacasat present).Thegoalmovingforwardshouldbetoreducethe inbreeding-levelofyouranimals.Carefulselec�onofsires can,oversuccessivegenera�ons,effec�velyconcentratethe posi�vetraitsyouseekwhilesimultaneouslyincreasingthe heterosis(gene�cvariability)ofyouranimals.

Baseyoursireselec�onontraits,notonnames.Lookfor animalsthathavethetraitsyoudesire,and,be�eryet,for animalsthatdependablypassthosetraitsontotheir offspring.Checkpedigrees,andbewaryofsiresthatshare manyrela�ves-theaggregateeffectsofthoseseemingly distantrela�onscanresultinasurprisinglyconsanguineous (inbred)animal.Iflookingfora�e-breakeramongmul�ple equally-desirablesires,selecttheanimalthatisleastrelated tothedam.

Commercialso�warepackagesareavailablethatcan computeconsanguinityusingdatabasesliketheIAR.These mightprovideatoolforbreedersthatwouldhelpiden�fy whichanimalsareinbredandwhichma�ngswouldprovide themostheterosis.

References: AlvarezG,CeballosFC,QuinteiroC(2009)The RoleofInbreedingintheEx�nc�onofaEuropeanRoyal Dynasty.PLoSONE4(4):e5174.doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0005174IwouldliketothankJudyMcLaughlin (M.A.HumanGene�cs)forassistanceintheprepara�onof thisar�cle.

Reprintedwithpermissionfromwww.camelidhealth.organd theauthorStephenMulholland,PhD

Baseyoursireselection ontraits,notonnames. Lookforanimalsthat havethetraitsyou desire... “ ”

Getyourselfsomecowsandyouhad betterlearntheintricaciesofbarbed wireandcornerbracing,getsome horsesandgetreadytoreplaceboards thatarekickedasideorchewedin half…getsomefallowdeerandget readytobuilda10footfencebutget yourselfsomecamelidsandbreathea sighofrelief!

Neverpickupahammer,neverdigapostholeandnever breakasweat,simplyuselightweightpanelsinvarious configura�onsandyourhandlingandtrainingneedsaremet. Wehauledaloadof9x5footpanelsbackfromarecent camelidconferencelastyeartoaddtothe30thatwealready have.

Tobesure,Ihaveaspecialneedforpanelsformytraining Center,butIthinkeveryonecouldbenefitfromowningat least10-15ofthesetreasuresandIwouldn’tmindhaving20 more.Thehandlingandtrainingapplica�onsofsturdy, moveablepanelsareendless.

Stockpanelscomeindifferentlengths,heightsandweights. Panelsdesignedspecificallyforcamelidsarefabulous.These areusually9feetlongandcomeindifferentheights.My favoritepanelforcamelidsis9feetlongand5feethigh. Theselightweightpanelsareeasytomovearound,canbe hookedtogetherinaseriesandwhenyouusethemtomake apenitisjusttherightsizefortraining.Howeverasizeable ordeterminedcamelidcanupendorpushoveroneofthese lighterpanels.Thankfullythisiseasilyremedied.Youcan securethesepanelstoanexis�nganchor:atree,asturdy partofthebarnoraT-postpoundedacoupleoffeetintothe ground.YoucanprotecttheanimalfromtheT-postina numberofdifferentways.YoucanslideaPVCpipe3inches indiameterrightovertopoftheT-post.Heavy-dutycable�es areusuallyallthatyouneedtosecurethepanelstothe anchor.

Heavierpanelscanhavetheirplaceinyoursetuptooandare usuallyeasiertogetfromyourlocalranchandfeedstore. Regardlessofhowcumbersometheseheavierpanelsareto movearound…theycans�llbemovedandthatisthe wonderfulthingaboutpanels!

37 !

Panelsthathavesquaremeshinginsteadofrailsareuseful forsomeapplica�onsbutIdon’tlikethemforuseinhandling situa�onsuchasmedica�ngandtrimmingtoenails.An animalcouldinjurehisfootorgetalegcaughtinpanelswith squaresratherthanrails.Ifyouarefrustratedwhenyour animals�ckshisheadthroughtherailwhenyouareworking withhimyoucanmodifythepaneleasily.Thereareseveral cleverplas�cfencingproductsthatcanbeusedtoclosethe railopenings.Simplycuttheplas�cfencetothecorrectsize anda�achtheplas�cmeshtothepanelwithzip�es.

Thebeautyofusingpanelsoverfixedstallsorpensfor catchingistheirflexibility.Ifyouarehavingdifficultywitha par�culartechniqueoranimal,MAKEYOURTRAININGPEN SMALLER.Whenitcomestoanimalhandling,containmentis mucheasierandsaferthanrestraint.Muscleyourllamasor alpacasandtheywilllearntofightyou.Reducethesizeofthe containerandyoueliminatebothmomentumandthe incen�vetoescape.Withnothingmorethansomebaling twineormypersonalfavorite-thealligatorclipswithnylon a�ached-youcandivideyourcatchpeninhalfbymoving oneofthepanelstothemiddleup-rightthatdividesthe panelinhalf.

Youendupwitharectanglethatis4.5feetby9feet.Thisisa greatsizeforworkingwithacoupleofweanlingllamasor alpacasontheirfirsthalteringlessonsorforgivinginjec�ons toasmallgroupofalpacasoronellama.

Themostbasicuseforpanelsistocreatecatchpens… whereveryouneedthem!Regardlessofhowcomfortable youranimalsareinyourpresencetheywillusuallyoptfor hangingoutinthefieldratherthanplayingwithyou,which meansyouneedtohaveasystemforcatchingthem. Catchingtheaveragellamaoralpacawillusuallyrequireone ofthefollowing:anOlympiccalibrerunner,adartgun,or somesortofcontainerandasystemforherdingtheanimal toit.Acontainerthatistoobig(anythingover12x12)means trappingtheanimalinthecornerandusingtheneckasa meansofrestraint.Ihavewri�enreamsaboutwhythisis notagoodidea.Herdyourllamaoralpacaintoa9x9foot pen,approachhimfrombehindtheeyeandyourjobis exponen�allyeasier.(photo)Youwillbeabletohearan audiblesighofreliefcomingfromthedirec�onofyour animalswhenyouconsistentlyuseacatchpen.

Panelsaregreatforbuildingtemporaryareasbutyoucan alsousethemforse�ngupasemi-permanentbarnlayout. Panelsoffermanythreemajoradvantagesoverpermanent dividers.(photosofbarnlayout)

•Flexibility-changeyourlayoutwhenyouwantorneedto

•Ven�la�on-moreairflowinthesummerlesscoldspotsin thewinter

•Visibility-yourbarnismore“camelidfriendly”the animalsmuchpreferanopenfloorplantosmallboxes.

Inaddi�ontosepara�nggroupsofanimalsyoucanvery effec�velyusepanelstocreatehandlingfacili�esinyour barn.Panelscanbeusedtocreatealanewayleadingtoa scaleandthentoasmallhandlingarea.Createacircular handlingsystemandyourjobisaloteasier.Camelids naturallyfollowothercamelids.Alwayshaveananimalin frontandonebehindandthedaysofpushinganddragging areover.Asyourherdgrowsorthecomposi�onofyourherd changesitisasimplema�ertochangetheconfigura�onof thepanelsandtheareastheyenclose.

Itwouldbegreatifallllamasandalpacaswerebornknowing howtoleadbuttheyaren’tandtherearemany circumstancesunderwhichitisnecessarytoloadandhaulan animalthatdoesn’tknowhowtolead.Itisagreatideatouse panelsandincorporateasemi-permanentloadinglaneway intoyourbarnlayouthoweverwithpanelsyoucanalso createaloadinglanewaywhenyouneedone.Rememberitis nogoodtotrytoherdonellamaoralpacaawayfromthe rest.Ifyouareloadinganuntrainedanimalbyherdinghim intoatraileralwaysherdagroupofanimalsintothetrailer closethedoortothetrailer,hopinsideandthenherdoffthe onesyoudon’twant.Organizeyourbarnareasothatyoucan leaveyourtrailerparkednexttothebarnattheendofthe loadinglanewayandyoucanuseyourtrailerasahandling areatoo.Atrailercanbeagreatplacetrimtoenailsor medicateyouranimals.

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LawofCamelidynamics…ifyouarehaving troublewithahandlingtask…makeyourpen smaller!

Teachingacamelidtoleadcanbeanightmarewithoutthe rightset-up.Allamaoralpacathathasneverexperienced beinga�achedtoahumanwillruntotheendoftheleadand panicwhenhecan’tgetaway.Inalargeareathereisli�leor nothingthehandlercandotopreventtheseproblema�c behaviors.Insteadthehandlerisforcedtohold�ghttothe ropeastheanimalthrowshimselfwildlyaroundormustlet gooftheleadrope-neitherop�onissafeordesirable.

Usealongnarrowaislewayandanextralongleadforini�al leadingandyoucansimplystepinfrontoftheanimaltostop anyendruns.Theanimalcanworkoutthatheisa�ached andcanrunawayinsidethelaneway.Oncethecamelid studentisleadingwellyoucanleavethesafetyofthe lanewayforalargerareawithmuchlessdrama.

Tenpanelsmakeawonderful“teachtoleadsetup”.Setup threepensa�achedtoeachother9feetfromafenceline.A fewanimalsineachpenmaketheprocesseveneasier.By openingthepenattheendyoucancreatethelanewayanda convenientplacetoturnaround.

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Tenpanelsmake awonderful “teachtoleadset up” “ ”

Tryaswemightwecan’tseeintothefuture.Noma�erhow manyfarmsyouvisitorhowcarefullyyouplan,yourbarnset upisgoingtofallshortatsomepoint.Ihaveonlyoneword foryouanditisnot“plas�cs”itispanels!

Withpanelsyoucan…createholdingareasthatcanbeused foreduca�onaleventswhenanumberofanimalsmaybe visi�ng,createholdingareasforvisi�nganimals,graze animalsonasmallareaofgrassthatisn'tfencedorseparate animalsphysicallybutnotvisually.

Forexample,whenababyisborninnastyweatherandyou wanttokeepthedamandnewbabywiththeherdbut preventthebabyfromwanderingawayorge�ngsteppedon inacrowdedbarn,createasmallpenformomandbabyin themiddleofyourloafingareawithfourpanels.Voila!You haveawayofkeepingthefemalewiththeherdwithoutthe babybecominginterestedinthebarnwallsorthewrong female.Thisisamuchbe�ersolu�onthansepara�ngthe motherandbabyinaseparateareasuchasastall.Pu�ng newbabiesinastallwithsolidsideswillo�engetthem interestedinadarkcorner.Theywillnurseinthisdarkcorner insteadoflookingformom’s“darkcorner”herudderandwill wasteprecious�me.Thishappenso�enenoughthatthese babiesarecalled"wallbabies."Panelshavenodarkcorners buts�llservethepurpose.

Panelscansavethedaywhenitcomestoalpacashearing. Shearingdayisonceayearsowhysetupaspecialareafor shearingthatwon’tbeusedtherestoftheyear.Onthe otherhanddisorganiza�ononshearingdaymakesthe processharderforthealpacas,thehandlersandthe shearers.

Constructspecialpanellanewaysandholdingareasespecially forshearingandherdthealpacastotheshearerandaway fromtheshearer.Herdingmeanslesswasted�meandno needtohandlethealpacasforcefully.

41
Shippingcancertainlyupthepriceofyourpanels.Herearea coupleofsugges�onsforge�ngyourpanels: 1.Goinwithothersinyourlocalareaandbuytheminbulk andarrangetransportinbulk. 2.ShopontheInternetoryourlocalfarmnewspaperfor someonewhomightbesellingusedpanelslocally. 3.Arrangetobuypanelsatashow.O�enpanelsaresoldat theendofanevent. 4.Makeatriptobuypanelsonbehalfofagroup. 5.Talktollamaoralpacatransportersabouttranspor�ng panelswhentheyhavethespace. Weallloveawin-winoutcome. Organiza�onservesmanymasters…eachandeveryoneof yourcamelidswillse�leinandse�ledownwhenyouuse panelsandthetwo-leggedsbenefittoo!Ge�ngthe managementjobdonemoreeasilyandefficientlymeans more�metoenjoyyouranimals.
42 Buildinga successful and sustainable alpacaindustry inAustralia www.alpaca.asn.au Stayconnected AustralianAlpacaAssociation Level1,95NorthbourneAve, TurnerACT,2612 POBox5108,BraddonACT,2612 T: (02)61512073 E: info@alpaca.asn.au Followus! Stayup-to-datewiththelatestinformationon our websiteandsocialmediaat: www.alpaca.asn.au @AustralianAlpacaAssociation @AustAlpacaAssoc @aus_alpaca Whybecomeamember? AsamemberoftheAAAyou’llhaveaccessto: • specificmember-onlyresources • abroadsupportnetworkofmorethan 1,200members,whoshareyourpassionforalpacas • expertswhounderstandtheindustryandarededicatedtoexploringopportunitiesand helpingyousucceed • thetoolsandresourcesyouneedtodevelop yourherdtoitsgreatestpotentialandenjoythemanybenefitsofthese uniqueanimals. Witharangeofmembershipcategoriestosuityourinterestsandstageintheindustry,jointodayandenjoyallthat membershipoftheAAAhastooffer.Visit www.ealpaca.com.au/join

ColourCoatDNATests

TherecentwebinarwithDrKylie Munyardwalkedusthroughcolour geneticresearchaboutinheritance patternsandmolecularcausesofall coloursandpatternsinalpacas.

TheDNAtestsnowavailableoncoatcolourtes�ngcanbe organisedthroughtheAAAofficeeitherindividuallyorin conjunc�onwithmalecer�fica�onorparentageverifica�on –pleasecontacttheofficeat info@alpaca.asn.au formore informa�on.Costis$38.50forthetestonitsown,or$90 whencombinedwithparentageverifica�onand$310when combinedwithmalecer�fica�on.

DNAtestforiden�fyingcolourinalpacastohelpbreeders be�erpredictbreedingoutcomes.Thisisofinteresttoalpaca breedersofallcolours–whileanalpacamaylooklikeone colour,itmightactuallybesomethingelse!Youcanlearn howtoiden�fyhomozygousforthe“white”alleleandthen breedtoensureprogenyfromwhiteandfawnalpacawillbe white.

Coatcolourinalpacasisacomplextrait,involvingtwomain genesresponsibleforbasecoatcolour(ASIPandMC1R), andanasyetunknownnumberinvolvedwithpa�ern. Alpacafleecehas22naturalshadesthatrangefromblackto white,grey,fawntochampagne.Breedingforaspecificcoat colourcanbeacomplexprocess.

AustralianAlpacaAssocia�on

The‘classicgrey’phenotypecanbeproblema�cinbreeding duetoitsassocia�onwiththeblueeyewhitephenotypeand associatedpossiblehealthdefects.Classicgreycanbe hiddenorcryp�conwhiteorlightbackgrounds.

WiththereleaseoftheAlpacaCoattest,breedershavethe opportunitytotesttheirwhiteorlightfawnanimals,those withuncertainpa�ernsormuta�onsoranimalstheywishto determinethebasecoatcolourtodeducecommonprogeny colours.

Thetestalsoiden�fiesanimalswith‘cryp�cgrey’coat pa�ernsthataregenerallytoopaletosee.

ExampleofResults

Breederswillreceiveagrey/non-greystatusfortested animals,aswellasabasecoatphenotypeforthefollowing colours:

44 AustralianAlpacaAssocia�on
W White Whitefibre,Darkskin PSW PinkSkinnedWhite Whitefibre,Pinkskin F Fawn FawnFawnFibre,Darkskin CF ClearFawn Fawn fibre,Pinkskin BB Bay/Brown Red/Brownbodyfibre,Blackfibreonextremi�es,Blackskin CH Chestnut Red/Brownfibre,PinktoRed/Brown B Black BlackBlackfibreandskin
4536 www.camelidconnec�ons.com.au ALPACAS|LLAMAS|VICUNAS|GUANACOS|CAMELS IfCamelidsareyourthing-wehaveyoucovered! Interes�ng,informa�vear�cles&relevantadver�sing C C

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