ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE Autumn 2015 £7.50 where sold
SAVOUR THE FLAVOUR
The Hidden Road
Australian exports to China
The UK alpaca meat industry
A Tale of Two Cities Alpaca Twins
A Sound Foundation ALPACA CONFORMATION
CONTENTS
Classical Publishing Ltd © 2015
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 54 Autumn 2015 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: 11th December 2015 Design and Production: TRG Design Telephone: 01392 279371 Email: info@trgdesign.com www.trgdesign.com Printed in England by: Advent Colour 19 East Portway Ind. Est., Andover SP10 3LU 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. 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. Cover photo: Solva Alpacas.
ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OUR READERS A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. In this issue we look at the emerging market for alpaca meat pioneered in the first world by Australia and slowly gaining ground in the United Kingdom. There is more on those pesky parasites and the bluetongue outbreak in France whilst Jay Holland cheers us up with news about two sets of twins and the international judge Nick Harrington Smith gives us a talking to about alpaca conformation. We hope you will have a go at our competition 'Happy Days' where we would like you to send us pictures of a memorable moment with an alpaca.
CONTENTS Alpaca World Magazine Autumn 2015 NEWS 4 Alpaca Classic 2015 5 Bluetongue: French Resistance 5 Wedding Belles FEATURES 8 Alpaca Meat: Savour the Flavour 9 Alpaca Meat: Colin Ottery 12 Alpaca Meat: Hendra Farm 18 A Sound Foundation: Alpaca Conformation
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A Tale of Two Cities: Alpaca Twins The Hidden Road to China: Australian Exports “Y Pethau Gorau”: Solva Alpacas Christmas Gifts Prize Competition
REGULAR ITEMS 30 Letter from France 44 Ask the Vet 74 Breeders directory
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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
INTERNATIONAL ROLL-CALL FOR CLASSIC
THE WEEKEND OF September 4th, 5th and 6th 2015 saw the return of the Alpaca Classic, a now much loved and anticipated event jointly hosted by The Alpaca Stud and Bozedown Alpacas. This year’s Classic was yet another fun filled weekend with education at the forefront, and plenty of good old fashioned hospitality served up alongside. Friday night was a new addition on the agenda with the evening dedicated to Suri. Alan Cousill of Pucara International delivered a fascinating account of the Pucara Suri breeding journey, offering insights into both their Australian story and where they are now placed as a leader of the pack in American Suri genetics. From here Alan went on to introduce the new genetics that The Alpaca Stud and Bozedown Alpacas are jointly importing from the states. These exceptional solid white Suri males, TSSS Kahuna’s Jet Stream and Pucara PureSuri Tikanui’s Ice King, represent some of the very best Suri genetics worldwide, containing heavyweight names such as Pucara Kahuna himself. Jude Anderson, Al’s better half and esteemed AOA (AOBA) judge, offered up some of her hard earned pearls of wisdom by giving some hands on demonstrations of Suri fleece, explaining to delegates what to look for in high end Suris. There were a limited number of services offered and uptake was remarkably good. Saturday morning dawned and the remainder of the guests arrived. This year’s line-up of international
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speakers included Dr Shauna Brummet, Ph.D, who runs Hobby Horse Farm Alpacas in the US state of Ohio, Dr Brett Kaysen, Dairy Productivity Specialist, Zoetis, Jude Anderson and Al Cousill of Pucara. We were also pleased to be flying the flag for some home grown talents with Paul Whitty of Penrose products, Libby Henson of Grassroots, Steve Tucker of GWF and Claire Whitehead BVM&S MS FHEA MRCVS Diplomate ACVIM (Large Animal) of Camelid Veterinary Services Ltd., all participating in the event. The main theme of this year’s classic focussed upon EPDs, a topic which Shauna Brummet introduced us to in depth. It was a fascinating subject which got many of us thinking about its place in the UK and how it could help move our industry forward. The EPD debate continued with a discussion panel which allowed delegates to gain further insights and answers to areas of confusion. If this room full of delegates was any indication, EPDs in the UK is a matter of when not if.
A further panel took place which provided an open forum for delegates to lead the discussion with our speakers on hand to answer questions from a range of perspectives. Much of the discussion veered back towards EPDs but other issues and concerns highlighted included creation of a more cohesive industry. Paul Whitty took us on a slightly different journey moving conversation to the subject of marketing. As owner of Penrose Products Paul adeptly used his experiences to educate us – new and existing breeders alike – on how to focus and achieve the best marketing results! Next year’s event is already in the planning stages and the organisers have asked breeders to participate in a survey to help make the event bigger and better than ever. If you would like to have your say please visit www.alpacaevent.co.uk and follow the survey link.
THE CLASSIC OFFERED for sale a selection of high quality genetics from both Bozedown and The Alpaca Stud and sales activity was buoyant. The rostrum auction was conducted by the irrepressible Brett Kaysen who as ever brought the ring to life with a combination of humour and his usual Colorado charm. This year he was aided by Al Cousill who brought equal parts wit and knowledge to the sale ring. The Classic auction is not just any
NEWS
BLUETONGUE: FRENCH RESISTANCE FRANCE IS PREPARING a widespread vaccination campaign for livestock following an outbreak of bluetongue disease in the centre of the country. Eighteen outbreaks have been reported of BTV-8 in Allier, Creuse and the Puy de Dome regions. Sixteen of the outbreaks are in cattle or mixed sheep and cattle holdings, the other two are sheep holdings only. France, the European Union's biggest agricultural producer, had been declared free of bluetongue on its mainland since 2012 and the
auction…it is entertainment! In addition to the Rostrum auction The Classic introduced a pen sale with a twist in which alpacas were offered with publicised reserves and a buy now price for which that alpaca could be purchased immediately. Many lots were sold and prices were a solid reflection of the calibre of alpacas on offer! This year’s highest priced lot was Bozedown Shadow Dancer who sold to Merrifield Alpacas for 17,500 guineas.
return of the viral disease could lead to restrictions of live animal exports in another setback for livestock farmers, who have been protesting about falling meat and dairy prices. The authorities are introducing a wider 150 km restriction zone with limits on livestock movements, and have ordered 1.3 million doses of a vaccine to tackle the disease. The origin of the outbreak was unclear because it involved the serotype 8 that had not been reported for several years in herds anywhere in the
world, officials said, pointing to the possibility the strain may have gone undetected among wild animals. Bluetongue has been a recurring disease in parts of southern Europe and swept through northern Europe in 2007-2008 in a wave that led to mass vaccination of ruminants. The French government will consult health experts and livestock farming representatives next week in order to decide on the scope of vaccination programme and its funding, Le Foll said UK livestock farmers have been told to be on the alert. The EU’s trade notification system (Traces), shows there have been no direct cattle or sheep/goat imports into the UK from this region or the neighbouring Puy de Dome region since 1 August. According to a Defra briefing document, investigations are under way in the region and neighbouring areas to determine the source of infection. “However, as many consignments come through assembly centres, it is not always obvious what the place of origin would be and therefore livestock
keepers in the UK should be vigilant to possible clinical signs,” said Defra. “Until the origin of disease is understood and the extent of spread, it is difficult to assess whether this outbreak signifies an increase in our risk level from low to medium. Meteorological modelling of recent weather conditions to assess whether the UK has been at risk of incursion in the past two months will be carried out.” Bluetongue is carried by midges but the Met Office's dispersion model estimated that the probability of windborne spread from France in mid June to mid September was negligible although the midge transmission season in France will last until at least early December. Defra say that if the disease continues to spread in France the UK may be at risk of transmission in 2016. They also say that some animals have been consigned from the affected area to the UK in the last two months and these will be followed up. Inactivated vaccines for BTV-8 are authorised for use in Great Britain.
WEDDING BELLES The wedding of Ryan and Shelby Jones took place on August 1, 2015 at Sorella Farms in Evington, Virginia. The alpacas are from Jim Beck's "A Goode View Alpaca Farm”, a 15acre alpaca farm located in Goode, Virginia. Tryion (the bay black boy) was the ring bearer and Sonny joined him. Photos: Ashley Sue Photography, Atlanta, Georgia
ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 5
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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
Snowshill Beethoven
Snowshill Ciscero
sire: Virococha Prophecy of Anzac dam: Merungle Audrey of Anzac
sire: Eringa Park Lionheart of Cambridge dam: Silverstream Escudo of Anzac
Snowshill Nicodemus
Snowshill Oberon (Suri)
sire: Snowshill Samuel dam: Snowshill Amelia
Snowshill Peregrin
sire: Wessex Cosmos dam: Hermione of Willaston
Snowshill Raphael (Suri)
sire: Andean Legacy of I-Spy dam: Snowshill Letitia
sire: Snowshill Raphael dam: Bozedown Dividend
Blackmore Vale Shaston Prince
sire: Coricancha Fernando of Wessex dam: Patience
Snowshill Shadow Dancer
sire: ARU Cambridge Ice Cool Lad dam: Cambridge Chocolate Button
Wellground Imber
sire: Moonstone Ridgway of Bozedown dam: Eve of Atlantic
Snowshill Orlando
sire: Virococha Prophecy of Anzac dam: Snowshill Perdita
Snowshill Ramises
sire: EP Cambridge Navigator of Accoyo dam: Snowshill Alexandra
Snowshill Vivaldi
sire: Blackmore Vale Shaston Prince dam: Snowshill Abbigail
Above is a selection of our Stud Males available for services in 2015. Fees range from ÂŁ350 to ÂŁ650. Significant discounts apply for multiple matings. Progeny can be viewed. We also have a number of alpacas for sale from pet to show quality. Please phone/email for details. ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 7
ALPACA MEAT
Australian diners will tuck into more than 32 tonnes of alpaca meat this year with the industry supplying at least seventy restaurants. In South America, of course, alpaca and llama meat has been eaten for centuries but amongst first world countries Australia, with a very large national herd, was the first to attempt to make alpaca farming as viable as sheep or beef farming although there is a long way to go before alpaca hits the supermarket shelves. Breeders are turning to the meat sector to boost profits and further commercialise the once hobbydominated industry. Baarooka Alpaca stud in northern Victoria is one of seven Victorian breeders supplying alpacas for meat. Owner Julie Wilkinson said a meat industry was needed to use low quality animals not viable for breeding or the fleece industry and that like other livestock farmers alpaca breeders need to diversify. Despite changing attitudes, there is still some stigma attached to alpaca meat. Julie says, “All the big breeders are selling for meat but some don't want to advertise it because there will be opposition. There 8 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
will be people who say, ‘So and so is selling for meat so I won't deal with them’”. Ian Frith of Millpaca Stud started the alpaca only processing business in 2011 and expects to use at least 1,000 animals that are killed at 24 to 48 months, selling 28 tonnes of alpaca meat through Illawarra Prime. Illawarra's sister company Fleurieu Prime Alpaca in South Australia will process around four tonnes. Ian Frith says, “When we kill the animals, we look at dressing 58 to 59 percent, which gives us a 40 kilo carcass. It is 94 to 95% fat free, a very lean meat that is high in iron, protein and very low in cholesterol.” Prices range from 16 Australian dollars per kilo for hamburgers through to 65 Australian dollars for fillets. There are also alpaca sausages, pate and jerky. In the USA the Alpaca Coalition has set up a Terminal Market Committee that Ian Watt describes. In the UK the journey is only just beginning. Senara Collings and Colin Ottery write about their alpaca meat businesses.
ALPACA MEAT
Colin Ottery, the Alpaca Shearer, has been shearing alpacas for over 10 years and now sells alpaca meat as well. This is his story.
ON
a shearing course over 10 years ago I said to the others students that we will be eating alpaca one day. And they all said 'never'. I said, “It's a natural cycle in farming.” And many years on it's come true. How did I get into selling Alpaca meat? I've been in the meat industry for 30 years. So about three and a half years ago I started thinking about selling alpaca meat. In the last 10 years I have seen the national herd getting bigger and bigger. So I started talking to some alpaca breeders about the meat trade. Some breeders were quite willing to let some go to reduce their numbers. As we all know some people have got too many alpacas. So for those wanting to breed better animals, it could be a good way to continue breeding quality animals and fleece. The meat market may be a good way to go if breeders can't sell their animals, when fleece quality starts dropping off and the animals are older. I started speaking to people within the meat industry about alpaca. Then I went to my local Farmers Market in Cullompton in Devon and asked if they would be interested in having alpaca meat being sold at the market. And they said YES that would be good for the market and be different.
OFF TO MARKET So I bought an alpaca and had it done for the market. I sent the skin to be made into a rug and now sell them as well. On market day I picked up my packs of meat from the factory, went to the Farmers Market and set up my stall. Cullompton Farmers market is the second Saturday of every Month. I was a bit nervous about the worst sort of reaction from the public. But I was very surprised what people said about the meat and me selling it at the market. I had some samples of meat to taste. And the reaction I had was very positive from the public. I have a saying on my stall, try it before you buy. It goes down well with the customers and those who try it say they love it. In the last year, a farm shop on the outskirts of Exeter called Barton Place Farm has being selling my alpaca meat and it's doing well. The shop are very happy with it. And the customers give them good feedback. So from my point of view, I think the meat market is growing but it's going to be a long road for alpaca meat to be widely accepted.
Braised Alpaca with lotus, potatoes and mint Serves 4 people
Ingredients For the bruise: 1kg Alpaca chuck fillet (or shanks) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 red onion 2 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon Korean chilli bean paste 2 teaspoons ground cumin 750ml beer (bottle fermented) 1lt chicken stock 1 tsp smoked paprika Salt
Everything else: 500g waxy potatoes 200g lotus 60g red eschallots 2 long red chillis 1 bunch mint 1 lime juice and zest
Directions Roughly chop onions and garlic. Add to a large pot with the alpaca chuck fillet and vegetable oil. Cook gently to release the flavours. Add remaining ingredients and bring to the simmer. Simmer gently for 2 hours or until the alpaca is tender. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slowly, about 1 hour. Remove alpaca and strain the stock Return stock to heat and reduce by 1/4. Add potato, eschallots and lotus and cook till tender. Slice alpaca and add to stock to reheat. Add chopped mint and chilli slices as desired. When you’re serving, squeeze a little lime juice over the top and sprinkle over some lime zest.
ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 9
ALPACA MEAT
PRIME CUTS
Sausages Alpaca mince is a great base for many styles of gourmet sausages
Hindquarter Shanks Rump
Rump Denver Topside Denver
Sirloin Striploin
Backstrap
Rack
Shoulder Roll
Shoulder Denver
Neck Rosettes
Roast leg of alpaca with chilli miso sauce, diakon and seaweed salad Serves 4 people Ingredients Miso sauce 1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder 1 tablespoons hot water 100g white miso paste 2 tablespoons sushi vinegar 1 teaspoon siracha (Korean chilli sauce) 1 clove roasted garlic Diakon and seaweed salad 100g diakon (Chinese white radish)
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50g wakame seaweed 3 sprigs coriander 1 green shallot Dressing 50ml grapeseed oil 50ml olive oil 50ml rice wine vinegar 25ml light soy Pinch of castor sugar 500g alpaca leg - trimmed
Directions Combine all ingredients for Miso sauce and puree till smooth. Take half of the miso sauce and rub it liberally over the alpaca. Cover and marinate for 24 hours. Combine all ingredients for the dressing and set aside. This dressing will last in a sealed container for a few weeks. Pre-heat oven to 260°C. Peel diakon radish. Cut into quarter’s length ways. Use a peeler to cut thin long strips, toss in a pinch of salt. Slice shallots nice and thin. Pick the leaves from the coriander and break them a little. In a bowl, toss all ingredients and combine with the dressing. Place the marinated alpaca leg onto a tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with a little olive oil. Place in your very hot oven and roast until the bits on the edges go golden brown (about 15 minutes). Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes. Slice thin and arrange on a plate, pour over some more warmed miso sauce and place the salad to the side. As it is a lean meat, alpaca leg is best served medium rare and benefits from resting after coming out of the oven.
Bozedown Alpacas Established 1989
World Class Alpacas
Shear Excellence over 26 years
Generations of Intelligent Breeding - our sure foundation The Premier British Alpaca Breeder A family-run farm, caring for our alpacas and the environment Benefit from our 26 years experience
Herdsires available now Proven Studs - see their crias! New Generation Studs with huge potential Award-winning Pedigrees
World-Class Champion bloodlines for Legendary Stud Services
Pregnant females Reliable breeding stock at fair prices
Beginners’ Day Courses throughout the year Next course: 18th November. Please see our website for details.
Bozedown Alpacas: a wise choice for both established breeders and beginners. Sales, Training, Follow-up support, Stud Services
Founding member of BAS and originating sponsor of the
Please contact Mary-Jo Smith +44 (0)118-984-3827 +44(0)771-875-0303 maryjo@bozedown-alpacas.co.uk www.bozedown-alpacas.co.uk Just 7 miles north of M4, J12 ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 11
ALPACA MEAT
Hendra Farm – the small farm with a big passion! By David and Senara Collings
BURGER MEIST WE
run a small farm and owl centre in South East Cornwall. Diversification is the name of the game here, and we endeavour to farm birds and animals that aren’t quite so run of the mill, which makes us stand out from the crowd. Our overriding ethos for the highest standards of welfare becomes very apparent to all visitors, and we always achieve top marks in all official inspections. We are a zoo licensed premises, as well as a registered farm, so we are under constant review by all the official bodies, and ‘ever so slightly’ permanently under a large pile of the requisite paperwork ! We’ve kept alpacas for some years, after being somewhat entranced by these endearing creatures when they were first brought into this country. 12 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
We started with two wethers, then added a stud male and four females, at great expense at that time, which inevitably led to cria, and so it went on. The years passed, the nation’s herd increased, prices dropped, and like many others, we found ourselves with an awful lot of boys. One in particular harassed all the other males in his field, to the point that they would collapse with exhaustion. What were we to do with him? He was unsaleable, but we had to get rid. The only option open to us was to call in the knackerman, but this seemed a dreadful waste, so, being sheep farmers, we wondered whether culling him for the freezer would be an option. And so it all began. There were many hurdles to jump, the highest being getting a slaughter house licensed. It took
time, about four months, perseverance, and the intervention of our local MP, but we did eventually succeed, and off our troublesome boy went. Initially, we weren’t overly impressed with the meat – the taste and texture was fine, but it could be a bit chewy. Realisation slowly dawned that perhaps it was what we were doing to it, rather than the meat itself so over the next couple of years we worked tirelessly with our butcher on different cuts and seasonings, for the sausages and burgers, and with local chefs to master the cooking techniques. The alpaca cannot be butchered like lamb or beef, it has its own technique, which needs time and a patient, experienced butcher to master. Get it wrong and the result is gristly and inedible.
ALPACA MEAT WORD OF MOUTH
TERS
To get the meat into the public domain we started attending local farmer’s markets, and although it was met initially with some suspicion, the quality of the product soon spoke for itself and sales slowly increased. Word of mouth has done the rest, helped along by features in local papers and even The Times, our claim to fame. We were also interviewed by BBC Spotlight, Radio 4’s Farming Today, and took part in ITV’s The Hungry Sailors. The feather in our cap was last summer when we met Prince Charles whilst he was visiting Looe – he was very interested in what we were doing with the alpaca, and also the fact that we kept Herdwick sheep. We did try to tempt him to have a taster of our alpaca sausage, but he politely declined. It has been a long and bumpy road, not for the faint hearted, which culminated in an open day on the farm, we were inundated, a BBQ for our visitors, we sold out, and subsequently The ‘Ansum Burger Co., lightbulb moment, being born. We travel around agricultural shows, rallies, music festivals, etc. just about every weekend throughout the summer, selling our handmade gourmet burgers from our pop up gazebo, cooked whilst you wait and served in a bap, freshly baked locally of course. We are unique in that all the meat we cook and sell is produced on our farm – Herdyburgers from our Herdwick sheep, rarely seen in Cornwall, Porkyburgers from rare breed pigs, and our best-selling Pacaburger from our alpacas. We tick all the boxes - Cornish, fresh, locally sourced, handmade, minimal food miles, ethical, high welfare, and above all, delicious. It’s damn hard work – long hours, there’s only the two of us, and we have the farm work to do either end of the day. We don’t make a fortune, contrary to popular belief, and as we are totally at the mercy of the weather as just about all the events are outside, sometimes we don’t even break even. We do have a band of very loyal customers though, who come back to us time and time again, and we meet some fantastic people. Feedback is 100% positive, with many telling us ‘it’s the best burger we’ve ever tasted’ – usually in reference to the Pacaburger. Now that is reward in itself. The
only downside is that the catering operation itself generates more of all that official paperwork we love so much.
CARRY ON FARMING We do get the odd shriek of ‘how can you kill those beautiful animals’ thrown at us, referring to the alpacas, but strangely not our beautiful sheep and pigs. Well, we look at it like this – to give an animal bred in such high numbers as the alpaca a future, we need to farm it. To get it the protection from welfare issues, we need to farm it. To get it recognised as a farm animal, we need to farm it. Indiscriminate breeding has produced high numbers of unwanted males, and sometimes females, and there are only so many you can sell as pets. What about the ones with behavioural issues, deformities, barren females, ugly animals etc.? Do we really want the crisis in alpacas that we are seeing in the horse industry? Rescue centres full to bursting, horrific scenes of neglect, abuse and other welfare issues? We rest our case. We have our pet alpacas on the farm which we love dearly. Two females and one wether in particular – the wether, Little Man, was hand reared as he was born by caesarean section and his Mum rejected him, and one of the females, Fleur, lost her Mum when she was still suckling so she was also hand reared. Bonnie is Little Man’s Mum and has been barren since he was born, but what a character she is. We have a lot of visitors to the farm during the summer months, many being children, and the highlight of their visit is often dear Bonnie who delights in sitting down and
Last summer we met Prince Charles – he was very interested in what we were doing with the alpaca
Alpaca girls
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ALPACA MEAT
Little Man
Bonnie and Fleur
allowing them to sit on her - Fleur is now copying her antics. Thankfully neither have yet decided to get up and disappear across the field with their ‘riders’ still on board. We’ve been breeding Shire horses on and off for the past twenty years, and have four generations of the same family. ‘Gentle Giants’ is a term often used to refer to these magnificent horses and it is truly apt. Their large size is often found intimidating by our visitors, but they are soon won over by the gentle and placid nature. One of our mares, Beauty, has suffered serious illness for some ten years, but her stoicism and tenacity for life is remarkable. She is a great favourite of everyone who meets her, and although a very large girl indeed, inspires no fear as she stands like a rock whilst children of all ages scrabble over and underneath her. Our Herdwick sheep are kept and bred for meat. Not a breed for those with ropey fencing as they truly are the Houdinis of the sheep world and will make a point of finding a weakness if it exists! They are very attractive animals, likened to big woolly teddy bears. The ewes can be quite scatty and difficult to handle, whilst the rams are quite the opposite, and are laid back almost to the point of being horizontal. We allow the lambs to mature slowly on grass, and don’t cull until at least 12 months old - the meat needs this time to gain its distinctive, slightly gamey flavour.
FEATHERED (AND OTHER) FRIENDS The Rheas are a South American flightless bird, from the same family as Ostrich and Emus i.e. ratites. They are infinitely better tempered that Ostrich, and very easy to look after. They require good fencing, but in return will tidy up paddocks and leave them weed free. They do tend to fence walk though, so we put hardcore down to prevent mud bath walkways! They’ll eat just about anything, are hardy and rarely 14 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
get ill. Their meat IS almost fat free, although you don’t get large amounts of it, and their feathers are prized by fly fisherman! We also keep a few pigs during the year, which fill up our, and our friend’s freezer, and the ubiquitous breeds of poultry e.g. geese, turkeys, ducks and hens. Whitsun 2015 saw the opening of our owl centre, Talons. We’ve had a few owls here for a while, rehomed and rescued, as you do, but as with all these things, it’s gotten to be a bit of an addiction and the numbers have risen rather dramatically in the past few months. We decided to bow to public pressure and open to visitors but this meant we had to become a licensed ‘zoo’, the application process for which is rather involved, and requires copious amounts of paperwork. However, it does give a lot of credence and opens doors to obtaining some of the rarer species. We focus on offering a very personal, educational and interactive experience with the owls, and there’s the optional farm tour run in the same vein.
We also take our birds out to schools, fairs and other events to raise awareness, and as selfpromotion. Next year we hope that our breeding pairs will do their stuff and we will have young birds to sell on to help improve species numbers, and pay the feed bill. We are endeavouring to breed owl species that are in decline, rather than breeding for breeding’s sake – there’s plenty already doing that. Visitor feedback has been 100% positive so far, so we must be doing something right. Oh and then there are the reptiles! Senara has a bit of a passion for snakes, and has so far acquired seven, and still counting, plus millipedes, cockroaches and other mini beasts. With the assistance of an expert friend, the plan is to offer reptile encounters and experiences as well as an advice and sales/after sales service to newbie reptile keepers. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but when they’ve taken the snakes out to events they have been swamped, so demand is high. And don’t be under any illusion that it’s just children. The number of elderly ladies who want a snake wrapped around their shoulders has to be seen to be believed. So the answer to your question is no, we don’t take holidays (what’s one of those?), have days off, or even much of a social life, the catering is very social, apparently. We do however, live a life we love, on a farm that we cherish, so that’s good enough for us.
ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 15
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Breeding of Chilean and Peruvian alpacas Stallions from Australia, Chile and Peru Manufacture of exclusive alpaca fibre products supported by
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16 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 17
ALPACA CONFORMATION
A SOUND FOUNDATION International judge Nick Harrington Smith of the The Alpaca Stud, takes us through the basics of
ALPACA CONFORMATION
A
nother year in the alpaca business almost over, more shows than ever, and with more owners than ever taking part in those shows, suggests that showing is becoming an ever increasingly important part of breeder’s decision-making process. Whilst no doubt show results are a useful tool, I have been quizzed as to why the show ring seemingly ignores conformation. Such comments from a number of sources caused me to think about conformation in general. I don’t agree that the judges ignore conformation but it is possibly not reasoned as emphatically as fibre traits, perhaps because of the 60:40 weighting. I will defend the judging fraternity in this respect and remind all that with only a few minutes per alpaca available, there is simply not the opportunity for any judge to describe in detail, and in a matter of seconds, all of the individual alpacas traits, be they good or bad. Reasons or excuses aside, this issue alone re-enforces the argument that breeders should not use show results to make breeding decisions, 18 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
but more importantly the need to be proactive in understanding why conformational points are individually so important. We see much written about individual fibre traits, but rarely about conformation so it is perhaps useful to refresh in our minds those basic traits that are most important. I was reminded recently that we all tend to forget the basics as we try to keep up with the latest news and developments in the alpaca world. The definition of conformation as per the Oxford dictionary reads “The shape or structure of something, especially an animal”, Collins also includes “the arrangement or parts of an object” so within our alpacas we can see the general shape immediately but we also need to appreciate how the parts or skeleton is configured to appreciate how deviation from the normal may impact on the well-being of the animal. After all, we need to ensure the most basic need, that is for the alpaca to be functional, or fit for purpose. So, back to basics with a simple reminder of those basic conformational traits we need to be constantly aware of.
ALPACA CONFORMATION
I was reminded recently that we all tend to forget the basics as we try to keep up with the latest news and developments in the alpaca world
PHENOTYPE Whilst often used as a general description of the overall appearance or shape of the alpaca, this is a collective term of all external traits more often used to infer that the alpaca matches the picture in one’s head of a true alpaca type. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT: This is an important judgement of first impressions, if that first impression is that there are Llama traits apparent it is not unusual to find fibre traits in the animal that are undesirable in alpacas. This may be such things as Roman nose, banana ears, high tail set and most importantly significant numbers of very coarse primary fibres, most often these are true guard hairs (Medullated fibres).
HEAD TYPE A triangular head with good depth to the lower jaw line below the eyes and good breadth of muzzle are indicative of the true alpaca type. Ear shape is also important with a triangular ear shape being indicative of a true to type alpaca. It is worth noting that with both head and ear shape there is considerable scope for variations and still be considered acceptable.
PROPORTIONS Proportions or balance is easily seen by the vast majority of people, the challenge is often to work out where any imbalance is. With alpacas, we are looking for neck and leg lengths that are similar, with the neck length being two-thirds
the length of the back. Perhaps one of the most common faults we see is that of an alpaca with a long back. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT: Such imbalanced animals suffer from extra stresses and strains on a back line that is overly extended. In the case of a shortened back line, there is an obvious reduction in internal capacity, in turn affecting the ability to maintain body condition and or pregnancy.
TOP LINE Perhaps the easiest of the more common faults to spot is a weak backline, this can be either a humped back, less common, which can also be linked with sickle hock (see below), or a dipped or concave back, an impression that can be created by a dip in the fleece, or a dip in the spine, so must be checked by running your hand along the top line to check for deviation. A dip in the back line is not uncommon in older females that have produced a number of cria. Bearing this in mind the severity of the condition should be gauged against each individual animal. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT: Any weakness in the back line can lead to undue wear and tear so should be considered as a significant fault although individual circumstances should be taken into consideration.
BODY CAPACITY This can be split into three separate areas. • Capacity through the chest. A wide chested
alpaca will have room for the lungs and heart to develop and work properly giving rise to potentially greater lung and heart capacity, and thus greater stamina. • Body Capacity. With good depth and breadth within the rib cage and main body (often described as a good spring of rib) allows for greater stomach capacity and therefore greater intake and digestion of food and nutrients. Allowing for better maintenance of body condition. Also important in females allowing for more room for the pregnancy to develop. • Capacity through the hindquarters, particularly important for reproduction. In the male this gives rise to better muscular development, and therefore the ability to better perform when breeding females.
Any weakness in the back line can lead to undue wear and tear so should be considered as a significant fault although individual circumstances should be taken into consideration ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 19
ALPACA CONFORMATION FRONT LEG CONFORMATION: A Normal B Pigeon-toed C Angular limb deformity Carpus Vulgaris D Base narrow
HIND LEG: E Normal F Base Narrow G Base wide H Cow hocks
LEG CONFORMATION II PASTERNS Normal
Dropped pastern
Camped over
fetlocks) are not that uncommon and can be caused by congenital weakness or physical injury. When either front or back legs are viewed from the side the first joint above the foot can be seen as touching the ground or the joint is showing some sponginess. Any weakness in this area should be considered a major defect. Luxating Patella: This weakness cannot be definitively diagnosed visually, and requires palpation of the patella for confirmation. It should be remembered that the kneecap will move slightly and overzealous palpation can create the defect. The first indication of a problem is when watching the animal walk with some apparent “wobble” being evident in the gaskin (upper leg) region. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT: Correct leg set or angulation of the limbs allows for proper and fluid movement, but above all else if the joint angles are wrong it will create more pressure on the joint creating weakness and or excessive wear. This in turn creates pain and discomfort leading to lack of mobility and an inability to function. Ultimately, it is highly likely such conditions lead to a shortened life.
BITE 80o
60o
95o+
HOCKS Normal
Single Hocked
Post leffed/Straight
LEGS These should be straight when viewed from the front or back. It is not abnormal to see some minor deviation at the knee on the front legs when viewed from the front. With regard to the rear legs, again there can be some minor deviation although this is viewed as being more important than similar deviation in the front legs. Side View: The front legs should be straight. Deviation from this perspective is more usually seen at the knee, either forwards or backwards and should be considered as a more serious defect. The rear legs should show some angulation at the hock with an internal angle of circa 140 degrees. If the leg is straighter from the hock down than this, it is called post legged. Often the first indicator of this is when the animal stands taller in the hindquarters than at the withers. If the angle is greater it is called sickle hocked and a good indicator of this is when the alpaca is hump backed or tucked under at the tail. Sickle hocked is the more serious of these two hind limb defects although the more rarely seen. Pasterns: Soft or dropped pasterns (weak 20 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
Whilst hugely important, this is an area of conformation that causes most confusion. We should see in an ideal bite the teeth meeting the upper dental pad up to ¼ inch behind the front of that top pad. Given that in animals as in humans the angle that teeth erupt from the gum line varies, it is more important that the gum alignment be correct. The lower gum should be at least ¼ inch back from the front of the top dental pad but no more than ½ inch back. If the gum alignment is good it is more practicable to accept that, a bite whilst perfect on a youngster, may change as the teeth change. If in doubt, it is worth checking that the molars actually line up, if they don’t this is a serious fault. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT: If the bite is bad, an animal will need more intervention to ensure that it is properly able to feed. This clearly creates a
greater workload but if not properly managed will impact on the longevity of life and or ability to raise cria effectively. Males with a bad bite should be viewed with great suspicion, more especially if being considered as potential Herdsires.
WHAT TO AVOID The above is a very simplistic rundown on the various traits which will need to evaluate within your own herd. There are however, some conformational traits that should lead to disqualification from the show ring and or any breeding programme. They are: • Wry Face. • Kinked Tail. • No Tail. • Polydactylism – more than 2 toes on any foot • Syndactylism – Fused toes. • Fused Ears. • Gopher ears (Short Ears). • Ectopic Testicles. • Incomplete, improperly formed or incorrectly proportioned genitalia Having read the horror story above it is important that you equip yourself as best you can to make your own assessment of conformation. Look up any words you don’t understand, look at diagrams of an alpaca, learn to associate body parts with various movements within the skeletal frame, and learn to trust your instinct, but above all else please remember the following advice: It is vital when making a visual assessment of conformation that one maintains a proper perspective. Alpacas as in humans are rarely found in perfect form, so any faults are best described as “minor”, “moderate” or “major”. Once we recognise and properly identify those faults, we can begin working on correcting those faults by selective breeding. If this all seems a little basic I apologise, but even in the writing of this piece it has reminded me that we all need to remember the basics, otherwise we cannot hope to build a sound foundation.
UK Alpaca Ltd
Supporting British Alpaca Breeders
2016 Fleece Collection
UK Alpaca will buy ALL your huacaya fleece including leg and short neck. All grades of fibre have value and we are pleased to say that all your fleeces are used to make a variety of yarns in Britain with the lower grades going into cushions and bedding. Keep British fleeces in the UK. Support us in developing a reputation for supplying the best high quality British alpaca yarns into the wholesale and retail markets. Prices paid for the 2016 clip will be as follows. Contact us for your copy of our shearing guidelines including tips to maximise returns from your clip. Grade
Colour
Skirted Price/kg excl VAT
Unskirted Price/kg excl VAT
Baby
White
£12
£10
Baby
Coloured
£8
£6
Fine
White
£8
£6
Fine
Coloured
£5
£3
Skirtings, short neck, coarse and shearing waste
All
£0.40
Please do not consign your yearling necks to ‘waste’. They should be bagged separately and if the neck staple is more than three inches long will go into the top grades. UK Alpaca specialises in British alpaca yarns with full provenance and aims to support alpaca breeders by maintaining our reputation for high quality product. If you sell us your fleece you are entitled to buy back stock yarns at wholesale prices with no minimum order.
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 | Autumn 2015 | 21
ALPACA TWINS
It’s a perfectly sensible and often asked question – do alpacas ever have twins? Our standard answer is no, well it’s very rare, around one in 50,000 and rarer for both to survive. But, after this year we may well be reviewing our answer. So, what happened... By Jay Holland
A Tale of Two Cities 22 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
ALPACA TWINS
IN
February we were very fortunate to be able to export a group of females to Gunther and Els at Alpaca Tumulus and which included, after some persuasion, one pregnant girl whom we thought would suit their plans extremely well. Little did we know that on the 13th June she would produce twins. One boy and one girl, both a lovely dark brown and both fairly healthy weighing in at 4.7kg and 4.2kg respectively. The male was a straightforward birth and, whilst a bit on the light side, Gunther and Els weren’t worried; however the mum was becoming a little listless and ignoring the new born male; it was assumed, she was simply about to pass the placenta. True to form the placenta emerged but with what appeared to be a head and, with Gunther running down the field to check, the placenta moved revealing a second emerging cria.
Well, when they told us we were happy, glad for them and devastated all at the same time. Be careful what you wish for. EARLY ONE MORNING... We tend to birth in the early summer and, indeed, one of our suri, Pure Crystal, had been watching her friends' birth and had gone over her due date by a few days when, unusually for her, she became very “offish” with everyone. So, it was no great surprise when we received an early morning phone call on the 2nd July, from a neighbour, to say that he had seen one of our alpacas birthing in the field at the end of his garden. Being early, Jay “volunteered” to go down and check it out, taking the birthing box with him to dry the cria, make sure all was right and to dip the umbilical in iodine tincture. Sure enough on the ground was a little brown suri but, as Jay approached, he spotted a small white suri also on the ground nearby. Instinctively he looked around for its mother as it appeared premature just in case the mother had abandoned it as, occasionally, alpacas are wont to do if things are not right. However, slowly it dawned upon him that there was not another mother and that Crystal had presented us with a set of twins all by herself. To say the rest of the morning passed by in a bit of a blur would be an understatement. Jay rushed back shouting for help and we grabbed extra towels, cria coats and the scales and headed back to our little family. The babies were quickly dried and dipped; revealing one brown ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 23
ALPACA TWINS female and one white male, weighing in at 5.9kg and 4.1kg. and coated. Both were up and finding their feet very quickly with the little girl being the stronger of the two; the little boy, once on his feet, revealed that he was slightly c-shaped – his legs were curved – due to his being squashed by his bigger sister but this did not stop him being able to move around anywhere. Realising that feeding twins could be a potential problem for Crystal, we defrosted some goat colostrum which, thankfully, both twins took very easily after they had fed successfully from Crystal so we were happy that they had had sufficient colostrum – vital for those first few weeks. We continued to monitor Crystal with her babies very closely. Although she seemed more than happy to feed both her twins we offered top-up bottles to ensure that they were receiving adequate nutrition and to allow Crystal time to adjust to the sudden additional drain on her own resources. After a very short period of time, they were refusing the top-ups, well we gave up when we were running around trying to catch them to feed them, so we continued to closely monitor their weights and increased Crystal’s nutritional intake to help compensate.
PAIRING UP Catching up with Gunther and Els at Alpaca Tumulus, we asked how their twins and mum were doing and, unfortunately, it seemed not as well. It turned out that their mum, Pure Willow, had rejected the first born male cria in favour of the weaker female, by kicking and spitting at him whilst he was trying to feed. They sensibly removed the male and milked Willow of some of her colostrum and milk providing the male with
The adopted mummy is feeding the little boy and you would never know that they weren’t a natural pair
24 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
a good start. However, each milking was a battle and, rather than continue to stress Willow and, perhaps, have her reject the female, they decided to revert to goat milk for feeding the little boy. Now, as fate would have it, they had another alpaca that had, sadly, lost her cria just shortly before the birth of the twins. Fortunately, they had also observed that, previously, she had allowed random cria to feed from her. Taking a chance, they penned the two together in their barn, continuing to feed the cria every two hours with goat milk when, after three days of very hard work, they came into the barn to find the cria feeding from his now adopted mummy! Leaving them penned for two more days to make sure that they had bonded, they allowed the foster family back into the group and no one has looked back. Willow is feeding the little girl, the adopted mummy is feeding the little boy and you would never know that they weren’t a natural pair. Both are a good, normal, weight but the little girl has exceeded the male – does this prove that mummy's milk is best? Crystal continues to feed both of hers, watching them is a joy. Sometimes they feed from the same side, sometimes from opposite sides, sometimes together, sometimes singularly, Crystal doesn’t mind, she stands patiently whilst they finish. They are both now eating hard feed so that relieves her of some of the strain, we keep a check on weights regularly and, at the time of writing, the little boy, Yin, weighs 17.2 kg and the little girl, Yang (what else) is 22.4. The twins don’t always play together but they’re never very far away from each other and mum, of course, always knows. So, the question we started with – Do alpacas
have twins? The answer is now yes. The chances of having them who knows? But to have two sets from one farm, in a single year, albeit at two different locations, with both sets surviving must be exceptional and we all feel very privileged to have experienced such an event.
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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 25
AUSTRALIAN EXPORTS
The hidden road to Australian Alpaca farmers have followed 2014’s record shipment of 525 premium live alpaca breeding stock with an even larger shipment of 616 animals, which has travelled overnight by air from Melbourne to Baotou City, Inner Mongolia. The 6 double-tier semi’s of alpacas were trucked into Tullamarine to form a total consignment of 39 tonne of live alpaca. The carefully selected animals travelled with fresh water supplies on hand, in custom-designed crate enclosures and managed by a team of handlers, and arrived in China in peak condition. With Australian exporters set to follow this shipment with a further shipment in a few weeks to other customers in China, and other consignments in advanced planning, the textile superpower’s commitment to quality Australian genetics in the establishment of its firm base in the prestige fibre sector is very clear. Alpaca export specialist Steve Ridout, of Wildflower
26 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
Alpaca exports, says that the interest from China is broad-based, coming from a number of organized and experienced rural operators in various parts of China. “We’re not only providing quality livestock to China,” said Mr Ridout, “but we also back that up with a full consulting service. We’ve provided speciality equipment and advice and medications, and we will be returning to China in the coming months to present a series of workshops further skilling these new owners in world’s best husbandry and development practices. China believes deeply, as we do, in the future of alpaca”. Australia has one of the largest alpaca herds in the first world, with more than 170,000 registered alpaca. Alpaca are known as an eco-friendly livestock option, valued for their elite wool fibre, and healthy gourmet meat. Steve Ridout writes about the long process of achieving the new export protocols to China for that first big shipment.
AUSTRALIAN EXPORTS
O
pening up new International markets for the Alpaca Industry isn’t easy, the Chinese market wasn’t going to be the exception. All breeders across Australia over the past few years have been fielding enquiries from China, some just wanting pets and others quite large groups. The knowledge about alpacas across China was limited. The interest increased in 2012 with many enquirers really knowing more about alpaca, their care, fleece characteristics, breeding and wanting to set up a viable long term industry. Nurturing those enquiries and developing the relationships were of utmost importance. Anyone that has had business relationships in China knows that trust in a relationship is key to its longevity. An enquiry came in approximately 18 months ago from China, an Agricultural Professor (Mr Dong) who was keen to import a large group for breeding and genetic research purposes, this is where our relationship and the Road to China began. Mr Dong had set us a task of supplying over 500 head, with strict selection criteria (age, sex, fibre diameter) introduced. The logistical challenge of securing not only this number of alpacas, adhering to the strict health requirements as well as getting them to a non routine airport in China was going to create a few hurdles to overcome along the journey. Both Sue and I really thought hard about how this would be seen in the industry, the quality of alpacas we were going to offer, the ongoing benefits to the industry if this was to succeed and ultimately “how in the hell are we going to make this work”!Initial discussions with the importer ascertaining their knowledge and understanding of the basics of camelid husbandry, feed, pasture management and ultimate destination really was at the forefront of initial discussions.
PROTOCOL As the China – Australian protocol had lapsed many years ago, we began the negotiations with DAFF and AQSIQ (Chinese Quarantine Authority) to establish an up to date protocol between the two countries. As some testing methods were not certifiable in alpaca, discussions with State Laboratories took place to find alternate methods of testing. Discussions were held with DAFF who in turn started the dialogue and negotiations with AQSIQ. The discussions
Anyone that has had business relationships in China knows that trust in a relationship is key to its longevity
took the next 8 months to resolve many aspects of the health requirements for this shipment. The new Protocol is still under discussions between the two countries for future shipments. One test in particular (Paratuberculosis) was the stumbling block, all tests need to be certifiable by DAFF, the required testing method CFT being non species specific had a history of many anti complimentary results in alpaca so this testing method was not an ideal option for us to use. After many months of discussion a dispensation was granted to use a more specific method using Paratuberculosis ELISA Commercial kits for small ruminants, both DAFF and AQSIQ advised that the dispensation would be granted to Wildflower Alpaca Exports for the consignment on this import permit only, with strict guidance by Chinese Veterinarian Authorities (CIQ ).
IT TAKES TWO The animal selection process was not going to be easy, we decided to involve as many breeders as possible (logistically) to fit the criteria required in a close proximity to two isolation facilities. The reasons behind setting up two facilities were from a bio-security perspective. Initial selection in South Australia and Victoria took place with the help of Softfoot and Surilana Alpacas. Both saw the benefits of involving studs from close proximity to increase diversity of genetics, injecting life back into their local alpaca community by joining the project. The initial selection group were shown to Mr Dong and understanding what the buyer wanted and translating that into what we thought he wanted could have been a stumbling block. During the initial inspection, attended by Mr Dong, we were able to demonstrate the selection method used and allowed him to visualise what we had been discussing over many months in regular conference calls. We were satisfied that we ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 27
AUSTRALIAN EXPORTS had successfully met his expectations, 567 alpaca were selected to start the process. A meeting was held between ourselves as exporter, DAFF and CIQ in Melbourne to put a contract in place for the official testing program to begin. The Australian Government veterinarians were then appointed to control the testing and treatments for this shipment. The first round of on farm testing began for those selected. Tests carried out were for Bluetongue disease, Epizooic Haemorrhagic disease, Paratuberculosis, Equine Rhinopneumonitis and vaccination for Leptospirosis. Paratuberculosis had to be tested using 2 methods: ELISA blood testing and Tuberculin Skin testing. The Tuberculin required for the skin tests were not available in Australia but our veterinarian successfully sourced this overseas. Only alpacas that had all negative results were eligible for quarantine. The testing days would be attended by the Australian veterinarians as well as Official CIQ veterinarians. At the South Australian and Victorian facilities a total of 540 eligible alpacas were isolated for a further 30 days where a second round of testing took place.
FINAL CHECKS On the day of load out we held very early morning final Inspections at both facilities prior to their transport to the airport. 525 alpacas had passed all their required testing and were ready to travel. Loading at the airport had to be completed four hours prior to the flight departure to provide final weights for the airline to calculate the load. Many experienced handlers at both facilities and at the airport made this run very smoothly. Six hours later we had loaded 21 two tier crates and 4 single
Crates arriving at Taiyaun Airport
PREPARE FOR TAKE OFF The airport of destination (Taiyuan) hadn’t seen a 747 type aircraft before, being a domestic airport within China operating smaller passenger aircraft. Checks had to be carried out as to its runway capacity, ground handling capability and sufficient experienced staff to assist whilst on the ground. Once the suitability of the airport was established Singapore Airlines Cargo had to apply for landing permission at this airport. A 747 400 series aircraft was then chartered from Melbourne Airport to Taiyuan Wusu Airport China. Calculating the number of crates on the aircraft also determined the load configuration (single and two tier crates), the weight and balance of the aircraft is crucial! Our usual crate supplier was seconded to supply 22 main deck double tiered crates and 4 single tier crates. Each crate and tier had 2 points of watering to ensure the alpacas had the ability to drink along the journey. All crates had to be made of treated timber and absorbent flooring. Stocking densities form a part of the equation especially when you have a mix of males, females (some pregnant) and cria travelling. The pregnancy gestation for female alpaca also governs their ability to travel. IATA regulations only allow those that are no more than 250 days gestation on the day of departure to legally travel, we are required to have all females ultrasound scanned by a vet to ‘age’ the gestation. The next hurdle was to transport this number of alpacas from isolation facilities to Melbourne airport for loading. We used four double tier semi trailers for this trip. Taking into account the loading time on farm, drive time and unload at Melbourne airport. Part of the protocol is for the alpacas to be examined within 24 hours of departure so it was going to be very tight! 28 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
crates, all with enough water in their troughs until well into the flight to China. The Aircraft was loaded and departed at 02.38hrs on Monday 29 September 2014. Stress is a major contributing factor in any loss of livestock so this is why we always have attendants on long haul flights who ensure that they are settled, have plenty of fresh water, check the temperature of the aircraft holds and simulating night/day using the cabin lighting. On arrival into Taiyaun Airport we were met on the tarmac by a large group of dignitaries, quarantine vets, customs officials, media and the new owner. Off-loading and transport to their quarantine facility was a priority to ensure adequate water and feed could be provided to the new arrivals. The purpose built quarantine facility owned and operated by the Shanxi Agricultural
Part of the protocol is for the alpacas to be examined within 24 hours of departure so it was going to be tight!
Satisfied with their routine, feed quality and expertise we finally said goodbye to the new owners and, of course, the alpacas University was well set out with large open pens, feeding and watering stations where the alpacas will spend the next 45 days prior to being released on farm. Further testing takes place within this time frame. After a long flight and further hours unloading both Ben Schmaal and I were keen to see a bed for the night. Our Chinese hosts showed their appreciation by taking us all out for dinner at 9pm! We both obliged and were happy to have dinner so by 11pm we finally made it to the hotel. Up early the next morning, breakfast and then collected to go back to the quarantine station where we showed and advised the handlers more of the basics of alpaca handling for the remainder of the day. Satisfied with their routine, feed quality and expertise we finally said goodbye to the new owners and of course alpacas. Huge thank you goes to both Surilana (Ian, Angela and Chris) and Softfoot (Sandy, Gary and Ben Schmaal) for their help and use of their properties for our quarantine facilities. Also thanks to DAFF for their persistence in keeping the dialogue happening. The large team of vets and staff that managed our testing and health requirements, the two laboratories for all the testing, and all those who contributed alpacas to make this journey a very real success, thank you.
The crates being loaded onto trucks
Alpacas in quarantine
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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 29
LETTER FROM FRANCE
It appears the French Government has finally realised that alpacas (and llamas) exist in their country. Nigel Cobb writes.
DECRET Since French law works on the basis that if no mention is made of (say) an alpaca, then none of the laws that relate to farm animals would apply to those alpacas. Complicated? Not really, it is just there is no specific legislation relating to the ownership, handling, health care, transport or even grants for a species of animal not mentioned by name in French law. But now there is. A ‘decret’ has been approved which regularises the situation with regard to 30 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
alpacas and other camelids. This means that, from July next year, all our alpacas will have to be microchipped by a vet or tagged in both ears by the breeder or owner. The veterinary establishment will have to certify this information at least once a year and report back to the register. There are no plans for movements of alpacas to be declared, but animals must be identified before any movement off-farm. The rationale for this is said to be disease control (in the event of an outbreak of say, TB or BVD).
LETTER FROM FRANCE
Manot Vide Grenier
The register will be run by the horse society on behalf of the Ministry – but will only contain simple details of the alpaca – identification, DOB, sex, colour and location and owner. The exact details have yet to be finalised between the Ministry and representatives of owners of alpacas and llamas, which is why it will be some time before the provisions of the ‘decret’, in force since last October, can be complied with. Unfortunately, it is not going to be a breed registry, which most of us would love to have in France, for reasons of the unacceptably high likely cost to owners.
PROS AND CONS For the breeder, as well as the pet owner, there will be the cost of the obligatory yearly veterinary inspection to bear and, as very few will wish to follow the eartag route for aesthetic and safety reasons, having microchips inserted only by vets is going to add significantly to breeders’ costs, never mind the inevitable extra paperwork! But the industry should be helped by having a very basic location record that can be referred to in the event of a disease outbreak which could affect our herds – so the industry should know which farms are not affected by an outbreak of a disease. Any not-atrisk farms can be notified of a potential problem although access to the register will be limited. On the upside, there may well be grants for the industry, as the Government is effectively saying that these are farm animals, although the Ministry is not yet imposing the mandatory
testing regimes which apply to animals in the food chain. We don’t yet know how this will work, but official help may be at hand for breeders at some time in the future. It’s something that will have to be worked on. Unfortunately, the llama and alpaca associations have been slow to grab hold of this initiative and the last existing credible camelid association in France – Association Française de Llamas et d’Alpagas (AFLA) –is now trying to play catch-up and has managed, with the help of some concerned breeders in the country, to get the main thrust of the ‘decret’ in line with simplicity and logic! The other association, started by Madame Lion who sadly died a couple of years ago, has now been wound up. A total lack of leadership and too much in-fighting left it unviable. A real shame for many of us. It’s clear that alpacas do have a future in France and there are many who would see the industry continue to develop beyond the ‘pet’ market which has tended to dominate alpaca ownership here in the past. Perhaps this legislation will focus the attention of all owners on the importance of a united front to promote good practice and communication in a challenging environment for us all.
On the upside, there may well be grants for the industry, as the Government is effectively saying that these are farm animals
SHOWS Unhappily there have been no shows in France this year. This is a real pity as the French alpaca industry has been unable to show off its strengths – and it certainly has some wonderful animals. ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 31
LETTER FROM FRANCE Our village, Manot, bring and buy day. Lots of interest from the locals.
Ginny with her ribbons for the fleece show at Fibretex judged by Shirley Bettinson
Godswell Manot, winning Reserve Supreme Champion at the French National show at Bourges
There are a number of reasons for there being no shows. The winding up of Alpaga Developpement who traditionally ran the Spring show around Bourges, more or less in the middle of France, was one reason. Unhappily, there was no individual who was prepared to organise this show with or without Alpaga Developpement being involved. The breeders in Brittany have in the past had at least one show a year, but with the uncertainty within the industry they did not manage to get one organised for 2015. Sad, as there are lots of breeders in Brittany/Normandy – both French and other nationals and we could do with showcasing the animals from there. Hopefully there will be one there in 2016 Then AFLA, which traditionally organises the Autumn show, cancelled it earlier his year. I am not privy to why, except to repeat their explanation – there has been a suspected case of BVD also possibly involving a PI (persistently infected) cria that was euthanased when about six years old. Since supposedly more than one alpaca farm was possibly infected by this, the committee decided it was unsafe to hold the show. Even though the possible case of BVD was found at least six months before the show. We are amazed at this, but we have had no other information forthcoming from the committee or the newly elected Chair of the, new, Alpaca Commission – Clare Faber.
ALPACA COMMISSION The Alpaca Commission was set up at the AGM of AFLA in January 2015 when alpaca breeders suggested to AFLA that there should be two separate associations, llamas and alpacas, under the umbrella of AFLA. This proposal was rejected but instead an ‘alpaca commission’ was agreed but with no clear mandate or authority. Unhappily little has changed in the seven months since the commission started its work, but things do work 32 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
slowly in France and it is difficult for the ex-pats to try and make things happen. The French really have to do this themselves. There is a view, gathering force, that a new alpaca association should be formed, but at present it is just a thought amongst many of the main breeders in the country. We desperately need a strong association with a breed registry in order to develop the French alpaca industry. We also need to work with other countries, especially trying to develop a European show schedule that would be open to all the mainland countries – especially Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain and Italy. But there is a lot of mistrust between the countries, not least on the official level and a real fear of spreading disease (TB and BVD). On the show front we are hoping to attend the German show in Buchloe at the beginning of November. This will be the first time we have shown animals in Germany and with no knowledge of German we have struggled a bit to get our entry in. But we are set to take eight of our alpacas to be judged by Nic Cooper, the New Zealand judge. We have had good support from Simon Klink, the organiser and can’t wait to meet him and others. Unhappily, France has just declared that it has an outbreak of Blue Tongue and that animals moved abroad have to be vaccinated – but they have no vaccine available for camelids, so we may not be able to attend the show. A real pity. We always support our village show and the mayor is so pleased that our first born cria in France was named Godswell Manot, after the name of our village. Nothing like having the mayor on your side!
FIBRETEX The good rapport between French and Spanish alpaca breeders was evidenced by the former’s staunch support of the first top-line alpaca
event held in Torrelavega (Cantabria, Spain) in November 2014, organised by the Northern Spanish Alpaca Fibre Producers’ Association (ALPACAN). The event, Fibratex, consisted of a series of fibre and alpaca related events, craft stalls, craft spinning, garment competitions, talks for breeders and fibre producers, the fulcrum of which was the first alpaca fleece show organised to international show standards in Spain. It was judged by the BAS accredited judge Shirley Bettinson. The general event included participants from all over Spanish territory, as well as stands from yarn and garment producers from France and was well attended by both yarn specialists and designers as well as the general public, thanks to the substantial advertising and dissemination campaign undertaken by the organisers both in mass and specialised media. Sales were brisk on the majority of the stands and the stand holders’ feedback was very positive as to the volume and level of expertise of many of the visitors to the event. The fleece show attracted over 50 entrants from all over Spain as well as from France, Belgium, and the UK, with a number of overseas breeders attending the event in person to show their support for this first fleece show and benefit from the expert talks offered on colour genetics (Jane Powell – Alpacas Spain) and the odyssey of correct fibre selection (Rob Bettinson – Toft Alpacas/BAS accredited judge). The prize for best fleece in show went to an entry from “Elevage du Fontenelle” in Northern France, owned and managed by Frederic Henri, whilst the best Spanish fleece in show was won by a suri fleece entered by Surican, the only specialist suri herd in Spain, located in Oreña (Cantabria). We wish that something similar to the Fibratex show organised in Spain could be done here in France, but there is too much baggage here to do it.
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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 33
LETTER FROM FRANCE WORKAWAY We were introduced to ‘workaway’ (www. workaway.info) recently. A lovely couple from Estonia, Artur and Krete wanted to work with alpacas and made contact with us – they had registered themselves on the site which helps, generally young, people to travel around the world by staying with people and being given food and lodging in exchange for work. There are some 16,000 hosts across the world so there is a wide variety of opportunities for young people to travel without it costing an arm and a leg. Since Artur and Krete were here, we have had a veterinary student from Glasgow (who wanted to learn more about alpacas), a young lady from Los Angeles who wanted to explore life’s opportunities and liked the idea of an alpaca farm and a Scottish lass, Sarah who is expecting to go into alpaca farm management with her father. They have all been brilliant and have helped us enormously. We thoroughly recommend ‘workaway’ to any alpaca farm and especially as it helps young people to get to know other nationalities and farm life in
We thoroughly recommend ‘workaway’ to any alpaca farm and especially as it helps young people to get to know other nationalities and farm life in general Elvira, our 18 year old girl, doing what she does best – keeping cool, having rolled in DE (Diatomaceous Earth)
34 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
general. Having said that most seem very capable of doing almost anything. A little bit of a dark cloud, though, hangs around this workaway system in France. The government here seem to think that such people are taking away jobs from local French people. It is nonsense, as we do not employ people and yet by giving overseas young people the chance to come to us, it increases our expenditure (food etc) and it helps people from different societies to get to know one another – so important in getting the world to be free of conflict. I hope they will see sense.
OUR FARM On the farm front we have had an exciting summer with some 25 cria born and unusually for us more girls than boys. Some of the class of 2015 look really good and we can’t wait to show them next year, either in Germany or here in France. We have predominantly white alpacas and that is the colour of most of the cria. We are still awaiting four of the mums to give birth which we hope will be imminent. But with 90 alpacas we are busy most of the time and find it difficult to get away for a break. Our oldest alpaca is a lovely black lady, Elvira, an import from Peru. She celebrated her 18th birthday on 21st May. Since we were in Spain, moving there in 2005, Elvira has had six cria – all boys until her last, a female called Edana, born on 5th June. She has one of the finest fleeces on the farm, but it is not dense and generally it is very short. But to have 22 micron at 18 years old is not bad! She looks after her cria very well, eats out of our hands and is always around looking for food. But she has a special attribute. She hates being handled and when we have dealt with her, cutting nails, drenching or whatever, she will walk away then turn round and spit at you. We now know
and when we have finished with her, we take cover and run for shelter. She is pregnant again and we look forward to welcoming her next cria in the middle of next year. We are in touch with quite a number of breeders in France, both French and English and it is encouraging that we are working together to try and develop the industry here. It is certainly an uphill battle, but the interest we get when we show our alpacas at local ‘vide greniers’ (car boot sales) or village fetes is enormous. We were at the Barbezieux show last autumn – this is similar to a ‘county show’ and there were about 25, 000 visitors. Many came to see our stand and that of Bonheur Alpacas and two Spanish breeders and exhibitors. It was a good show and we ran a drawing competition for the young children which was a great success. But our Spanish friends, Paco and Pilar of Alpacas de Tierruca did not sell very much and though we were busy during the three days of the show, I can’t say that it led to any alpaca sales. Finally it is good to welcome new ex-pats to alpaca ownership, as many Brits clearly like to retire or semi-retire in France. Many source their alpacas in the UK and then ship them out together with all their belongings. This seems odd to us, as then they are some distance from the farm that has supplied them and so they come to us and other breeders here in France for help. Of course we are happy to do this, but France has a vibrant industry that has some very good genetics and animals that breeders here would happily sell to such ex-pats to be. Nigel & Ginny Cobb Europa Alpacas www.europaalpacas.com Facebook: Ginny Nigel Cobb
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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 35
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
All I want for Christmas is... Stuck for original gift ideas this year? Over the next few pages you will find all sorts of items, big and small, to go on, under or around the Christmas tree! And don't forget to enter our new competition over the page for a chance to win a fantastic prize.
36 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
The Alpaca Shop UK is an online shop full of wonderful alpaca fleece and fibre products. Open the doors by visiting www.TheAlpacaShop.uk and enjoy exploring – you will find favourite items, like alpaca socks, hats, gloves, scarves, duvets, pillows, rugs and soft toys, as well as new lines in clothing, homewares and gifts (check out the new Alpaca Cookie Cutter!). The Alpaca Shop products are sourced from the UK and globally (including Peru and Australia). Whether you need some retail therapy, want to do some Christmas shopping or are interested in buying in bulk at trade prices, The Alpaca Shop can help. Please contact us at: info@TheAlpacaShop.uk or 01277 896565 or 07811 353105 with any queries. Happy 'Paca Shopping!
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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 37
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
To be certain of obtaining future copies of Alpaca World Magazine fill in the subscription form below and return it to the address on the form. The only way to be sure of receiving every issue of Alpaca World magazine is by subscribing. The annual rates are: UK £30, Europe £40 (approx. €56) and the rest of the world £50 (approx. $78). Subscribe now by doing one of the following: 1 Using your credit card at our website: www.alpacaworldmagazine.com 2 Fill out the form below and post to us complete with your cheque or credit card details 3 Complete the form below and fax back to us with your credit card details I would like to subscribe to Alpaca World Magazine for the next 4 issues at an inclusive rate of UK £30, Europe £40 (approx. €56) and the rest of the world £50 (approx. $78). I enclose Sterling Bank Cheque drawn on UK Bank made payable to Classical Publishing Ltd
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PRIZE COMPETITION
Happy Days Enter our 'Happy Days' competition to win some great prizes. We are looking for a memorable picture of a day, an event, a moment, when an alpaca or alpacas made you, or somebody else, feel on top of the world. We all know that alpacas can do that whether it is a wedding, someone's first meeting with an alpaca, that win in the show ring or just leaning on the gate watching them in the field.
Geoff and Brenda Bugler of Marshwood Vale Alpacas and Easy Pen have generously offered a prize of two six foot aluminium hurdles, to be collected or delivery only charged. These hurdles are great and marvellously light. Mary Roach of MR Harness have generously offered a halter and a lead rope from her 'must have' range of alpaca goodies. UK Alpaca have generously offered a trio of socks, a pair of walking socks, ribbed socks and lounge socks. The winner chooses the colour and the size.
Send your entries either via email to: rachel@alpaca-uk.co.uk, or by post to: Classical Publishing Ltd, Vulscombe Farm, Pennymoor, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 8NB. Closing date for receipt of entries is 15th December 2015.
38 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
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EMAIL: lulu@lusialpacas.co.uk
ALPACA ALPACA WORLD WORLD MAGAZINE MAGAZINE || Summer Autumn 2014 2015 | 39
SOLVA ALPACAS
‘‘y pethau gor (“The best things”)
A
maturing life insurance earmarked for purchasing a new car in the year 2000 didn’t, for it bought four female alpacas instead. Logical reasoning behind the excuse was that a new car wouldn’t buy an alpaca but an alpaca just might buy a new car. And so it was that the first two of the four arrived at Llys-y Coed in the Middle Mill Valley, Solva, Pembrokeshire, late on a wet Sunday afternoon in January 2001 when Tiffany and Butterfly stepped out of their trailer. This was after a four and a half hour journey from Bozedown Alpacas near Reading. During the couple of hours before darkness fell and despite the heavy drizzle, no fewer than 32 visitors clambered out of their vehicles to 40 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
have a good look at animals they’d never set eyes on before. Six days later Ophelia and her cria Lily, purchased from Val Fullerlove of Hanley Swann, arrived, and that did it – even the Harbourmaster, among others, demanded and got to know their names, such was the interest in these unusual animals. Gwen, my Auntie, on whose smallholding the alpacas were to be kept, declaring they were, “… y pethau gorau”, (the best things) that had ever set foot there. During the first six days, when there were just the two, Tiffany spent most of her time trying to dominate Butterfly by spitting and screeching while encircling her. In view of this it was wondered what would happen when the other two arrived. Surprisingly, as Ophelia emerged
from the trailer she just put her ears back and Tiffany behaved from that very second. A chance remark, about a year later, led to the belief that Ophelia had had a name change since her importation from Chile and that her original name had been Yalena. Moreover, she was Tiffany’s mother and had sorted her antics with that simple ear-back stare. A stare seen countless times since because from that day to this Ophelia has established herself as the matriarch of the Solva herd, sorting everyone out. Now at the age of 23, and looking hardly any different from when she first arrived in Solva 14 years ago, she is thought to be the oldest alpaca in Wales and one of the oldest in Britain.
SOLVA ALPACAS
orau ’’
Alan Davies describes how Solva Alpacas began and what happened next
THAT'LL TEACH YOU
Even the Harbourmaster, among others, demanded and got to know their names, such was the interest in these unusual animals
Cria get taught a lesson early in life. Should one have the temerity to come close enough to bother Ophelia, there’s no spitting - she simply lowers her neck behind that of the wayward youngster, in her eyes, and presses down while uttering a screech. There was the occasion when she was caught giving a relative newcomer named Irma a lesson. Irma, being taller, was standing motionless in the middle of a six acre field with her head held high and turned away from Ophelia who was standing at right angles and who was only managing to spit at the back of Irma’s head. It was plain to see from the expression on her face that Ophelia was not satisfied with the situation and thinking, ‘I’m not getting you!’ To
achieve satisfaction she deliberately changed tactics by manoeuvring herself around so that her body became aligned alongside Irma’s which allowed her to stretch her neck across the front of Irma’s brisket to get her face over onto the other side where Irma’s was. Mission accomplished this enabled her to spit successfully up into her hapless victim’s face. She then promptly walked off with the clear, smug expression, ‘Now I’ve had you!’ plainly to be seen. Ophelia was retired from the breeding programme at the age of nineteen on giving birth to her last cria, subsequently named Prudence. In doing so she showed the other females how giving birth should be done. It took just 50 minutes from the waters breaking; to pushing Prudence’s head ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 41
SOLVA ALPACAS out; to Prudence, with just her head protruding into the world, commencing to communicate with her mother by humming and Ophelia turning her head and neck around to look at her daughter and to communicate back; to Prudence then being pushed out to fall onto the floor; to her then getting up, suckling, running around and using the toilet and Ophelia getting rid of the afterbirth. In comparison, another cria born at the same time, and to be known as Higgins later, took two hours to get up off the floor. Incidentally, when sheep were kept they, more often than not, either lambed an hour before high tide or an hour before low tide whether in the daytime or middle of the night. It has since been thought, with the two cria being born within minutes of each other, that although female alpacas seem to be able to gear giving birth to daytime episodes, they too seem subject to the effect of the moon on tides and therefore the waters. But that remains unproven at the moment.
MANAGEMENT To begin with, non-pregnant females needed to travel long distances to the stud but acquiring some of our own later has obviated all the travelling. Management of males and females seems to work well with practically no fighting among the stud males, ever. They are kept in the meadows along the banks of the river Solva while the females and un-weaned cria live out of their sight in the fields above the valley and are only brought down the steep track to the valley floor when mating needs to be accomplished. Sheep were kept prior to the arrival of the alpacas and it proved impossible to keep these down in the valley in summer months with blowfly strike being a serious menace and having to be on constant guard against maggots. In contrast, the alpaca males appear to be quite happy living in the meadows, even in the height of summer – lack of lanolin in their fleeces not attracting the flies to lay their eggs. To date, just two weanlings in an up-stream meadow, who must have rolled in something before getting shorn, got struck on the same day ten years ago in 2005. Naturally, keeping alpacas leads to heaps of
Presenter Dai Jones chatting to Eileen about her knitting
42 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
fleece lying around once shearing has taken place. These heaps can become hillocks, even mountains unless something is undertaken to lessen the pile. In our case, apart from selling some of the finer raw fleece in small quantities to hand spinners a lot of the coarser fleece goes for needle felting. The remainder is sent away to be spun into yarn with a considerable amount spun into single ply suitable for hand knitting our unique product – our Ria Voe Stoles. A variation of the Alice Maud pattern
The Bird’s Eye Pattern
These heaps of fleece can become hillocks, even mountains unless something is undertaken to lessen the pile. Ria-Voe Stoles came about when a poultry showing friend, Kevin Williamson, hailing originally from Shetland, suggested I asked his Mum, Eileen, to knit some stoles. This led to a quantity of alpaca fleece being spun specifically into single ply (cobweb) which was what Eileen worked with when knitting traditional Shetland Lace patterns. The skills of knitting intricate open laced patterns in single ply naturally devour time and it can take up to sixty hours to knit just one stole. Each has then to be hand washed before being stretched on a specifically-made wooden frame to dry. Cosmopolitan and versatile in that they suit the younger wearer when worn casually while, on the other hand, are elegant and warm when worn with evening attire or to a wedding.
The trade name ‘Ria-Voe Stoles’ was decided upon because the alpacas themselves live near the ria or drowned river valley of Solva while Eileen, born in Shetland, lives in Brae on the banks of the Sullom Voe – ‘voe’ being the Shetland term for ‘ria’.
SOCIAL ANIMALS Alpacas can bring such joy. This is not only due to their engaging, intelligent characters, wonderful eyes and being happy to greet you but the knock on friendships they can help forge. Without Solva Alpacas it is most unlikely that brilliant friendships with Paul & Lavinia Tester of Blossom Hill Alpacas and Alex and Ian Cooper of Glynllethr Alpacas would ever have happened. Then there’s Valerie, Lavinia’s Mum, who has taken to modelling, with style, our Ria-Voe Alpaca stoles on the cat-walk at Wonderwool Wales at Builth Wells annually each April. Mention just has to be made too, of my cousin Berryl and husband Colin who take delight in coming along to help man our ‘Pembrokeshire Alpaca’ Stall. Berryl, an avid knitter herself, helping to answer innumerable questions from the general public where knitting with alpaca wool is concerned! Daughter Lowri, never being adverse to modelling our stoles either. My late friend, Eve Sendall, took no persuasion to travel hours on end when taking females off to the stud and, far from being perturbed or upset, laughed on realising she had been spat upon too by the only feisty alpaca in the herd. Anyone daring to do a Little Britain’s ‘Look in my eyes!’ to our Laurel invariably triggers an immediate, full force gobby reaction from her! She is only ‘nice’ when not pregnant, and so we have to make the most of the fortnight during the year when she is not and during which time she comes up to have her face tickled! The stud males know my truck not only by sound but by sight too; invariably running a third of a mile along the river’s bank to get to the home gate lest they miss something. They spend half their lives hovering near this gate and are literally nose to nose at times with the umpteen visitors that stop to say hello. My aunt was correct. Alpacas are the best things to have arrived in the valley.
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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 43
ASK THE VET
ASKTHE VET
DANIELA BEDENICE Dr. med. vet., Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University (TCSVM) daniela.bedenice@tufts.edu
AVERMECTIN DEWORMERS A
vermectins encompass a group of dewormers (endectocides) that are derived from the soil bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis, and show broadspectrum activity against roundworms and mites (but not tapeworms and liver flukes) in camelids. Commonly known avermectin derivatives include ivermectin, doramectin and eprinomectin, which target both migrating and intestinal worms by paralyzing the parasite. Unfortunately, it has been well established that the bioavailability (drug that reaches the blood circulation after administration) of ivermectin is low in camelids (Jarvinen et al., 2002). For example, blood levels of ivermectin were undetectable after a single (0.2 mg/kg) injection under the skin in llamas, suggesting that the dosage used was insufficient to reach effective concentrations in this species (Burkholder et al., 2004). In another study topically applied doramectin (0.5 mg/kg) showed a large variation 44 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
in blood concentrations (Hunter et al., 2004). Additionally, resistance against dewormers (anthelmintics) is well documented in sheep and goats, with increasing reports showing anthelmintic resistance in camelids. For example, Gillespie et al evaluated the efficacy of dewormer usage in llamas and alpacas in Georgia (USA) in 2010. The report documented resistance to several common dewormers including ivermectin, fenbendazole, and moxidectin. Similarly, resistance of intestinal roundworms to albendazole, fenbendazole, and doramectin was documented in a herd of alpacas that was examined because of a history of severe intestinal parasitism, anaemia, low protein, and weight loss (Galvan 2012). It is not currently recommended that deworming take place at routine intervals, because of the development of drug resistance. When an intestinal parasite problem is encountered, through diagnosis of clinical
disease or demonstration of high egg counts on faecal screening, stocking density and dungpile management should be evaluated and faecal flotation should be performed on 10% or 10 animals (whichever is greater) in the herd monthly. Both quantitative and qualitative faecal examinations should be performed. It is strongly recommended that in herds with parasite burdens and apparent poor response to drugs, to perform a faecal egg count reduction tests (FECR: the dewormer is consider effective if there is a greater than 95% reduction in faecal egg count after a dewormer is given). RULE OF THUMB: • About 20-30% of your herd carries 80% of the parasites (identify the 20%) • Deworming only constitutes a small portion of your parasite management.
ASK THE VET
BODY CONDITION SCORING & FAECAL EXAMINATION Camelids may lose body condition, especially during the winter, because of malnutrition, parasite burden or illness, and this can be masked by the fibre covering on the animal. The best way to check for loss in condition is to place your hands on the animal and assess the "body condition score". This includes feeling the backbone between fingers and thumb, near the last ribs (this is approximately just above and behind the front legs). BODY CONDITION SCORING SYSTEM (Van Saun 2009):
Score 3: This animal is fine. Can feel the backbone, but does not stand out. Can just feel ribs. Brisket has some movement when handled. Score 4: Described as "somewhat overweight". Difficult feeling backbone, cannot feel ribs. Nothing to worry about, but remove supplemental feed Score 5: Obese! Cannot feel backbone or ribs, brisket wobbles when touched. This animal is a problem and may have difficulty with reproduction. The condition may be challenging to manage: isolate (or rotate companion), limit rations, lots of exercise. Try putting water at one end of a very long fully grazed yard, and hay at the other. IDEAL ALPACA BODY CONDITION SCORE: Alpacas vary in their ideal body score depending upon their gender, age, and for females, whether they are pregnant or not. Castrated pet 2.5 - 3.5 Non-pregnant mature female 2.5 - 3.5 Mature male 2.5 - 3.5 Pregnant female 3 - 3.5 Working stud male 2.5 - 3.5 Growing alpaca (<15 months) 3 - 3.5 INTERPRETING BODY SCORE: A body score of 4 or 5 means no extra feed, and probably a diet. A body score of 2 will require supplementary feed.
Score 1: Backbone very prominent. Ribs are clearly felt. Brisket shows no fat. Severely undernourished, seek veterinary assistance (exam, faecal egg count) Score 2: Can feel backbone; ribs are prominent, firm brisket. Thin animal. Check pastures, supplement feed, may consider faecal egg count dependent on age, pasture, and season
GROUPING Separate animals into TWO groups (further separated by sex and age): 1 MOST LIKELY healthy: animals with a BCS >3, FAMACHA 1-2 2 Potentially PROBLEMATIC animals: alpacas with a BCS < 3, low blood protein (< 5mg/dl) or FAMACHA > 4, 5. If you suspect worms in animals with a BCS> 3 pool faecal samples, deworm strategically, and then collect another pooled faecal sample 14 days after deworming. If the animals have a low blood protein level, a BCS<3 or a FAMACHA > 4, 5 then individual faecals should be conducted and the animal dewormed to determine resistance. If some animals remain heavily parasitized and/or found to have resistant parasites then they should be kept separate or removed from the herd. Test the most susceptible animals in the herd first – those ages 3 months to 9 months old. If there is no problem here, it is unlikely in the rest of the herd.
Any camelid can get parasites, especially when grazing in winter on short grass, and forced to eat near their dung piles, or when grazing with other animals. If you suspect worms, a faecal egg count tests is recommended to check those animals that have a body condition score of 1 or 2 and/or have a FAMACHA score of (3), 4, or 5 (see information below). The easiest way to do this is to group animals.
FAMACHA TEST, SCLERA, MEMBRANE COLOUR The FAMACHA is a test that was designed for selective treatment / deworming of animals rather than whole-herd treatment in order to prevent the further rapid development of anthelmenthic resistance. The test is designed for a roundworm known as Haemonchus contortus, the barber pole worm, which may cause significant anaemia (due to ingestion of blood by the parasite) in camelids. This approach involves observation of the membranes of the eye (conjunctiva) or sclera (white of the eye). Using a standardized FAMACHA chart you will rate the colour as: 1 = red, non-anaemic; 2 = red-pink, non-anaemic; 3 = pink, mildly anaemic; 4 = pink- white, anaemic; 5 = white, severely anaemic. (Reference: http://www.scsrpc.org/ SCSRPC/FAMACHA/famacha.htm)
In summary, strategies aimed at decreasing exposure to parasite larvae and maintaining adequate levels of refugia are imperative for your animals’ health. Refugia are the portion of the parasite population that are still susceptible to standard dewormers. Some strategies for minimizing infection and thus the need for treatment include maintaining a stocking density that minimizes the likelihood of overgrazing and heavy pasture contamination, maintaining a pasture grass height >5 cm, targeted selective ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 45
ASK THE VET
The development of skin disease following exposure to mites is in part believed to be an allergic reaction (although some animals are not very itchy) deworming with an effective dewormer (e.g., only treating at risk and affected individuals), periodic assessment of anthelmintic effectiveness using faecal egg count reduction testing, and selective breeding of animals with inherent resistance to parasitism (Galvan 2012).
AVERMECTINS TO TREAT SKIN DISEASE IN CAMELIDS (MANGE) Sarcoptic, chorioptic, demodectic and psoroptic mange have been reported worldwide in camelids, causing potentially serious and longstanding skin disease (Foreyt, Rickard et al., 1992; Fowler, 1998; Curtis & Chappell, 2001; McKenna, Hill et al., 2005; Foster, Jackson et al., 2007; Hill, McKenna et al., 2008). Common clinical signs include skin thickening, inflammation (reddening), flaking, crusting and itching (see
table above). It is important to remember that the development of skin disease following exposure to mites is in part believed to be an allergic reaction (although some animals are not very itchy). For this reason, skin scrapings from nonsymptomatic herd mates may yield more mites than from symptomatic animals. Mite can survive up to 69 day away from the animal. Repeated subcutaneous (injection under the skin) and topical administration of avermectin antiparasitics has been used for the treatment of mange with varying clinical success to date. For example, a dose of 200 µg/kg of 1% ivermectin was administered under the skin successfully to a llama with sarcoptic mange at weekly intervals for four weeks, along with a single application of topical fipronyl solution (Frontline spray; Merial) (Curtis & Chappell, 2001). A successful
treatment response was also reached in alpacas with sarcoptic mange, following 8-12 injections of 0.2 mg/kg ivermectin under the skin, administered at 14-day intervals (Twomey, Birch et al., 2009). However, doramectin (Dectomax Injectable Endectocide; Pfizer Animal Health) was ineffective in treating demodicosis in alpacas following three injections of 300 µg/kg within 35 days (Hill, McKenna et al., 2008). An extended release injectable formulation of Eprinomectin (Longrange®) is currently available in the US and has been evaluated in alpacas. However, this product is not marketed in the UK. Nonetheless, eprinomectin has been previously examined as a topical treatment of chorioptic mange in alpacas, although it is not known how well the drug is absorbed after application onto the skin in camelids (D’Alterio, Jackson et al., 2005; Plant, Kutzler et al., 2007). D’Alterio et al. showed that four weekly topical administrations of eprinomectin at the dose rate of 500 µg/kg of body weight, proved effective at reducing the chorioptes mite burden in alpacas (D’Alterio, Jackson et al., 2005). In contrast, Plant et al. reported that topically applied eprinomectin at a rate of 0.5 mg/kg weekly for 10 weeks was ineffective against chorioptes in a herd of 28 camelids (Plant, Kutzler et al., 2007). The presumed variability in absorption of topical eprinomectin across camelid groups may be due to individual differences in fibre density and skin thickness of different animals. Daniela Bedenice, Dr. med. vet., Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University (TCSVM) Department of Clinical Sciences, 200 Westboro Rd, North Grafton, MA 01536 Tel.: 508 839 7926, Fax: 508 839 7931 E-mail: Daniela.bedenice@tufts.edu
Selected references • Burkholder, T.H., Jensen, J., Chen, H., Junkins, K., Chatfield, J. & Boothe, D. (2004) Plasma Evaluation for Ivermectin in Llamas (Lama glama) after Standard Subcutaneous Dosing. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 35(3), 395-396. • Cooper N. Camelid Body Scoring. Southern Alpacas Stud. Christchurch, NZ. May 2008. [Visited Sept. 2009]; URL available at: http://www. alpacasnz.co.nz/articles-body-scoring.htm • Curtis, C.F. & Chappell, R.L. (2001) Concurrent sarcoptic and chorioptic acariosis in a British llama (Lama glama). Veterinary Record, 149, 208. • D’Alterio, G.L., Jackson, A.P., Knowles, T.G. & Foster, A.P. (2005) Comparative study of the efficacy of eprinomectin versus ivermectin, and field efficacy of eprinomectin only, for the treatment of chorioptic mange in alpacas. Veterinary parasitology, 130(3–4), 267-275. • Galvan N, Middleton JR, Nagy DW, Schultz LG, Schaeffer JW. Anthelmintic resistance in a herd of alpacas (Vicugna pacos). Can Vet J. 2012 Dec;53(12):1310-3 • Jones M, Boileau M.Camelid Herd Health. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice, Volume 25, Issue 2, Pages 239-263, July 2009. • Parasite Control. Camelids at the VTH. Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. [Visited Sept. 2009]; URL available at: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-vth/camelids/parasiteControl.aspx • Plumb D. Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook; Sixth Edition. May 2008, Wiley-Blackwell.
46 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
• Southern Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control Website. Ruminant Parasite Control. [Visited Sept. 2009]; URL available at: http:// www.scsrpc.org/SCSRPC/ProdRec/producerinfo.htm • Twomey, D.F., Birch, E.S. & Schock, A. (2009) Outbreak of sarcoptic mange in alpacas (Vicugna pacos) and control with repeated subcutaneous ivermectin injections. Veterinary parasitology, 159(2), 186-191. • Van Saun RJ. Nutritional Requirements and Assessing Nutritional Status in Camelids. Vet Clin Food Anim 25 (2009) 265–279.
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ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE | Autumn 2015 | 49
BREEDERS DIRECTORY
Alpaca World Magazine’s
BREEDERS DIRECTORY BEDFORDSHIRE
DORSET
HAMPSHIRE
Rushmere Alpacas Jo Parker & Neil McAndrew, Little Cuppers, Rushmere, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 0DZ. Tel: 01515 237416. Fax: 01525 234068. Email: j.parker101@btinternet.com Website: www.rushmerealpacas.co.uk Quality herd on the Beds, Bucks and Herts border offering a superb service to new and experienced breeders. Pregnant/maiden females, stud and pet males. Free training and 24/7 support.
Alpha Alpacas Di Davies, Woodstock, Mapperton Lane, Melplash, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3UF. Tel: 01308 488661 / 07739 382483. Email: didavies@alpaca.fsnet.co.uk Web: www.alphaalpacas.com A small elite herd of Huacaya alpacas where top quality fibre, biosecurity and supporting our clients is paramount. The quality of our herd has been confirmed by their superb show record. Stud services available, breeding stock (male and female) and pet males for sale.
Pennybridge Alpacas Joy & Peter, Pennybridge Farm, Greywell Road, Up Nately, Hook, Hants RG27 9PJ Tel: 01256 764824 / 07801 132757 Email: joy@pennybridgealpacas.co.uk Web: www.pennybridgealpacas.co.uk The Pennybridge Herd & Stud. Alpacas for sale. Most colours available, even the rare appaloosa. Quality starter herds, proven and potential stud males, stud services, pets and sheepguards. Free advice and after sales support provided.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE Houghton Hall Alpacas Mick & Liz George, Houghton Hall Alpacas, Mere Way, Houghton, Cambs P£28 2BL. Tel: 01480 461510. Mob: 07764 469132. Email: info@houghtonhallalpacas.co.uk Website: www.houghtonhallalpacas.co.uk BAS National 2014 Double Supreme Winners. Proven Award Winning Genetics. Elite Stud Males. Top Quality Pregnant Females. Premium Huacaya & Suris in a wide range of colours. Pet Males. Full Support & After Care. We have an alpackage© to suit you. 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 breeding farm with 18 years alpaca experience. Show winning herd sires with British, Australian and American genetics available for outside stud servicing. Wide selection of quality alpacas for sale as pets or breeding stock. We maintain rigorous management of on farm bio-security including full farm perimeter wildlife fencing. Excellent customer support and training with visitors welcome by appointment.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE Pure Alpacas Jay & Hilary Holland, Torsend House, Main Road, Tirley, Glocs. GL19 4EU. Tel: 01452 780327. 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 guards to elite breeding stock. Sensibly priced and all backed by professional, unrivalled support and advice. Our herdsires are all proven and available for outside services. We run a variety of courses which cater for all levels of experience. Exports to Europe a speciality. Snowshill Alpacas Roger Mount, Snowshill Hill Barn, Temple Guiting, Cheltenham, GL54 5XX. Tel: 01386 853841 / 07711 044106. 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.
SOMERSET Watership Alpacas Keith Taylor, Greenacres, Thruxton Down, Andover, Hants SP11 8PR Tel: 01264 889206 Email: info@watershipalpacas.co.uk Web: www.watershipalpacas.co.uk Watership Alpacas invites you to visit and meet our prize-winning alpacas. We have all colours of BAS registered huacaya breeding females, young males, potential studs and pets for sale. Inexpensive stud services all with full support and guidance.
Tai Wind Alpaca Stud Lynn Pepper, Staffords-Mead Stables, Lower Rudge, Frome, Somerset, BA11 2QE Tel: 07790 674334 Email: lynn@lynnpepper.orangehome.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. WARWICKSHIRE
NORFOLK 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.
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. 50 | Autumn 2015 | ALPACA WORLD MAGAZINE
Burnt Fen Alpacas Ann Nickerson, Burnt Fen, Horning, Norfolk, NR12 8LA. Tel: 01692 630553. Email: annie.alpaca@icloud.com Web: www.burntfen.co.uk We are long established alpaca breeders and have developed a fantastic friendly herd bred from excellent pedigree stock. We sell quality breeding females through to gorgeous pet animals with genuine after sales support and processing advice for your fleeces.
Toft Alpacas Rob & Shirley Bettinson, Toft Manor, Toft Lane, Dunchurch, Warwickshire, CV22 6NR. Tel: 01788 810626. Fax: 01788 522347 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. YORKSHIRE Fowberry Alpacas Jenny MacHarg, Crambe Grange, Barton Le Willows, York YO60 7PQ. Tel 01653 619520. Email: info@fowberry-alpacas.com Web: www.fowberry-alpacas.com Supreme Championship winning herd, including the overall Championship winning Huacaya Sire of the biggest show in Europe (2012). We offer super-fine genetics; correct conformation and happy healthy alpacas; knowledgeable advice and after-sales assistance; regular introductory and advanced courses; on-line shop and as importantly, our support to achieve your alpaca goals.
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