Alpaca British Alpaca Society bi-monthly magazine
ISSUE 86
British Alpaca Society The fibre breed
www.bas-uk.com
Alpaca www.bas-uk.com THE BRITISH ALPACA SOCIETY c/o Grassroots Systems Ltd, PO Box 251, Exeter EX2 8WX. Tel (within UK): 0845 3312468 Tel (Overseas): +44(0)1392 437788 Fax: +44(0)1392 437788 Email: info@bas-uk.com
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CONTENTS
Practical management – Shearing and fibre
For those still awaiting their first shearing Kate Brookes runs through the basics.
BAS CHIEF EXECUTIVE Dr Duncan Pullar Tel: 07496 578781 Email: ceo@bas-uk.com
Alison Johnson finds good management and handling can help improve breeding systems and achieve better outcomes.
28 Death defying delivery
Newborn cria Defiant was not expected to survive after his dam, Chugga was diagnosed with a uterine torsion or twisted uterus. But as BAS chair Ron Mackintosh, explains Defiant survived, and thrived.
EDITORIAL Editor: Liz Mason alpaca.ed@kelsey.co.uk ADVERTISEMENT SALES Wendy King Talk Media Sales Tel: 01732 448748 Email: Wendy.King@talkmediasales.co.uk
26 Mating – the practicalities
14 BAS Champion of Champions Fleece Show
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Horrified by painful castration case histories experienced breeders at Alpaca Evolution decided to hold a castration clinic – the first held in the UK.
36 BAS regional spotlight Scottish Alpaca Group.
20 Q&A with an international judge Robin Näsemann.
PRINTING Precision Colour Print Kelsey Media 2021 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties.
30 Time to unpack 32 Castration clinic initiative
24 Genetic test first
38 Letter from New Zealand 40 Great future for South of England Show 42 Judges' collaborate for calibration 44 Thank you Liz Barlow 46 Local sales for fertiliser
Laurence Varlet from Belgium shares her experience as the first alpaca owner to use a new genetic test to identify classic grey coat colour in a commercial herd breeding programme.
50 Seasonal ramblings
Cover photo: Mullacott Alpacas
Alpaca #86
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FROM THE EDITOR
W
T: 01959 541444 E: alpaca.ed@kelsey.co.uk facebook-f @BritishAlpacaMagazine
elcome to issue 86, our July magazine It certainly seems as if the alpaca world, like the rest of the UK, has emerged from hibernation. We have a packed issue with lots of informative, practical articles to help you manage your alpacas as we move into shearing, birthing and breeding. Thank you to all our contributors, and advertisers for taking time out from busy schedules to write articles for us– we wouldn’t have a magazine without you. Thank you also to Jo Legg, Flair Creative Design for her wonderful work on layout and design. In this issue we also say a big thank you to Liz Barlow, who recently announced her retirement as a BAS judge. Fellow judges, including Rob Bettinson, Mary-Jo Smith and Barbara Hetherington, pay tribute to Liz, who we understand will be staying in touch with the alpaca world. We are also fortunate to include an interview with international judge and breeder Robin Nasemann. Robin’s article is an invaluable insight into the knowledge necessary to breed quality alpacas; a big thank you to Robin for sharing his expertise. Also, from Europe Belgium breeder Laurence Varlet tells us about her experience as the first commercial breeder to use a newly developed genetic test for grey coat colour. Leading UK breeders are planning to use this test and we will have more on this in our next issue. › Liz Mason Continuing with greys Ros Scott from McKenzie Fields Alpacas
in New Zealand, tells us about her breeding programme focussing on these increasingly popular, and beautiful, alpacas. Birthing, alongside shearing are top of everyone’s management list; we include a guide to unpacking by Westpoint Farm vet Ami Sawran. BAS chair, Ron Mackintosh also alerts owners to uterine torsion, a birthing complication to add to the watchlist, in a feature which thankfully ends well. Kate Brookes contributes the next instalment in her topical series of practical management articles, this time covering shearing and uses for fibre. Elaine Clarke tells us about shearing day at Amberly Alpacas in front of the BBC Countryfile camera. And in another highly practical article breeder Alison Johnson looks at practicalities of mating. Shirley Isseyegh, Alpaca Evolution gives us an overview of how castration should be carried out in the best interests of welfare and Martin Nordin, Natural Fertliser Company turns alpaca poo into a saleable product. We also include reports from the BAS Champion of Champions Fleece Show and from the first halter show of the season under Covid-19 safe protocols. Thank you to Julia Corrigan -Stuart and Chris and Vicki Agar. Our regular diarist contributes her hugely enjoyably Seasonal Ramblings – thank you everyone. I hope you enjoy reading and find something useful to apply to your herd management this busy season.
CEO NOTES...
I
Duncan Pullar
n the last magazine I was hoping the weather would dry up because I had enough wet for a while. After six weeks of dry I now find I want it to rain - but only in moderation! Certainly, the weather has not been very conducive to grass growth. The consequence of this is an extension to winter feeding practices with more hay and concentrate required to keep alpacas in the right condition. It is especially important to make sure pregnant females get the nutrition they need at this time of year when yet to be born cria are doing most of their growing. Talking of pregnant females, the most recent educational webinar for members proved to be extremely popular. Eighty-eight delegates joined the webinar live to listen to vet Sarah Caldwell discuss getting ready for birthing.
A further 100 views of the talk were made in the following week on YouTube. If you missed any of these webinars they are available on a private YouTube channel for a limited period, just email me for the link. The first few alpaca births of the season have happened already, and some have had a very poor welcome to the world with frost and snow to greet them. The importance of being prepared for all circumstances has been highlighted by recent unseasonable weather. The National Farm Day has really taken hold with over 80 farms signed up at the time of writing. It’s not too late to join and host your own event. Drop me an email and I can add you to the list and bring you up to speed. I think support for the day reinforces what I already knew – BAS members are keen to share their enjoyment of alpacas with as many people as possible.
Become a BAS member www.bas-uk.com
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Alpaca #86
British Alpaca Society The fibre breed
Alpaca #86
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SHEARING
PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT – SHEARING AND FIBRE
Hopefully your shearer is booked and some of you may already have completed shearing. But for those still awaiting their first shearing Kate Brookes, Mullacott Alpacas runs through the basics as part of her series of articles looking at practical management.
> Young Huacaya more than ready for shearing
When should I get my alpacas sheared? Ideally shearing is done when the weather is warm enough for them to not be cold overnight, but if you leave it too late then they may not have enough fibre regrowth to keep warm in the autumn as the weather deteriorates. The ideal time in most of the UK is usually May/early June. Alpacas shorn earlier than this will need good shelter overnight if the weather turns cold, as it did this year. Be aware of the need for alpacas shorn later into the summer to be able to keep cool until they are shorn. You should shear about the same time each year to allow 12 months fibre growth between shearings.
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Alpaca #86
Are there any alpacas that do not need shearing every year? Almost all Huacaya alpacas need to be shorn every year, but Suri alpacas can be left for up to two years between shearing. There are some exceptions to annual shearing – elderly alpacas or those with compromised health are likely to have slower fleece regrowth so it may be appropriate to only shear fully every two years. Most UK shearers have extensive experience, and I would ask their advice if unsure. It is easier to add a coat to keep an alpaca warm, that try to keep an over fleeced alpaca cool!
How do I find a shearer and when should I book? Hopefully by now you will have already shorn, or have your shearer booked, but if not Duncan Pullar, BAS CEO (ceo@bas-uk.co.uk) has a list of shearers. You could also contact local herds, to see if you can get yours shorn when their shearer is in the area. Posts on UK alpaca Facebook groups will also often help you find a shearer. In general, try to book as early as possible and you will often find your shearer adds you to their schedule for next year. Continued on the next page >>
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SENIORCONSULTANT
Alpaca #86
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SHEARING
> Suri awaiting shearing
What do I need to do to prepare for shearing day? Your alpacas must be dry. In very wet weather this may mean shutting them into the shelter for 24 hours before shearing. Try to get your alpacas comfortable going into a shelter and being shut in. Make sure they have plenty of water and hay available, but it is better not to allow them to lie on hay or straw (or paper, sawdust or woodchips) as it gets into the fleece and is hard to get out. Your shearer is likely to send you information on how to prepare, but for your first shearing you should expect to supply: bags (paper potato bags are ideal particularly when your fleece is damp), black marker pens to label the bags, somewhere flat, dry or shaded and clean for shearing to take place, and possibly an electricity supply (many shearers have mobile generators). Decide in advance if you will be skirting on the day or later and if you will collect seconds of fleece per animal or by colour, if you have several the same colour. What should I expect on shearing day? You need to have the alpacas in an enclosed area, ready to pen quickly. Your shearer will only be able to spend the time required to shear the alpacas, not spend time rounding them up in the fields. The shearer will arrive, set up his/her equipment and shear the animals. It can be thirsty work, so hot/cold drinks are often welcome. Some herds may also supply food, as the shearer is likely to be on the road all day. Alpacas are almost always shorn lying down on the ground or a shearing table, with soft ropes securing the legs. A carefully weighted sand bag may also be placed over the neck at times. None of these will cause injury to the alpaca. The legs are restrained, as alpaca skin needs to be stretched or it will cut easily. Most alpacas accept this and quick and efficient shearing is the least stressful way for them to be shorn.
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Alpaca #86
What other husbandry tasks can be done on shearing day? The list includes: • Toenails: Shearers will check feet and trim toenails if required. • Teeth: Most shearers also check front teeth and trim when necessary (this requires a specialised guard on the equipment). They may also trim fighting teeth when required – usually males just reaching maturity. • Vaccinations: Although it is better not to vaccinate on shearing day as it is a stressful day, which may affect the take up of the vaccine, it is better to vaccinate on this day than not at all. If you are vaccinating, have the appropriate vaccine ready to open, in the fridge, with syringes and needles. It must be kept cool throughout the day and should be used on the day of opening. Your shearer may be willing to assist you with injecting the alpaca, but it is still your responsibility and risk. • Worming: It is now recommended that worming is done in response to a need identified in an individual faecal test. There are different types of wormers for different types of gut parasite, and it is important that the right one is used, or the problem can be made worse. Are there any extra husbandry or welfare considerations after the alpacas have been shorn? If it is cold weather when you shear, consider keeping your alpacas in the shelter overnight for a few days as they acclimatise to having less fleece. If you are unable to do this, or have elderly, health compromised or very underweight alpacas, consider coating them as necessary. Prepare in advance to have suitable size coats available – remember they will seem much smaller after shearing! Continued on the next page >>
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SHEARING Can alpacas be shorn without being laid down? There are very few alpacas that are confident, calm and trained enough to stand/lie still for shearing and if they move suddenly during shearing, whilst unrestrained, the shearer or alpaca could suffer significant injuries. In addition, it will be more difficult to shear the fleece in a way that maximises its value. Shears are noisy and even a calm alpaca is likely to be stressed by the sound of them. What is skirting? Skirting is where the less desirable parts of the fleece are removed from the blanket after shearing. These may include second cuts (short pieces of fibre caused by the shears passing over the same area twice), dirty or soiled fibre, any fibre around the edges of the blanket that is not to the quality of the rest of the fleece, any vegetable matter and anything else that will lower the value of the remaining fleece. How can I assess the quality of my fleece? Send a sample to a recognised fibre tester; Art Of Fibre is working with the BAS to establish estimated breeding values (EBVs) for UK alpacas and have a reduced rate if you are participating in this scheme. (Details are available from Duncan Puller). Ideally take the sample before the alpaca is sheared, as it is less easy to identify the ideal location once the
fleece is off the alpaca. Fibre testing companies have clear instructions on sample taking and also give information on interpreting the results. What can I do with my bags of blanket or firsts? Store them in paper bags until you are sure they are completely dry, before transferring to plastic. Hand spinners and crafters like to work with alpaca fleece - you may be able to sell fleece to them in online market places (including Facebook groups) or to local club members. There are wholesalers buying alpaca fibre, these often advertise in Alpaca magazine. Of course, you can process it yourself, or get it processed at one of the UK’s specialised mills and make wonderful alpaca products What do I do with fleeces from older animals? Fibre from older animals still has a value, but may not be suitable for garment making as it is too coarse. Consider other uses, such as rugs, craft material, insulation or bird nesting material. Seconds (fibre from legs and neck) can also be used for these purposes. What is cria shearing? Cria shearing is where this year’s cria are shorn, usually around July as they should be at least a month old. This helps to keep the fleece clean of vegetable matter including twigs, grass cuttings, and brambles as the outside layer of very fine cria
> Happy to be cool after shearing
fleece seems to act like Velcro and everything gets caught in it. When these fine tips are trimmed the remaining fleece stays cleaner, providing a more useable fleece when it is shorn the following spring. As cria fibre grows quickly it should still have a usable staple length, however, there are reports of mothers rejecting their cria after cria shearing and regrowth must be sufficient to keep the cria warm over the winter.
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SHEARING
SHEARING ON BBC COUNTRYFILE > Popham Slip of Silver
H
aving kept alpacas since 2006, we have witnessed first-hand, the growing popularity of the breed and the ongoing evolution of the alpaca industry, writes Elaine Clarke. It seems that nowadays, everyone is falling in love with alpacas and hey, who can blame them? I’ve been smitten for years! With the upsurge in popularity however, it’s always worth highlighting the core reason why we keep these majestic creatures; as fibre producing livestock and producers of one the most exquisite natural fibres in the world. Often referred to as the ‘fibre of the gods’ our alpacas’ fleece is harvested during an annual shearing event, a day that brings much excitement to our farm. This year there was even more excitement (and nerves) as Amberly Alpacas were asked to share our shearing day with the ‘nation’ on BBC’s Countryfile! The pressure mounted when Roger ‘announced’ that he wouldn’t be here for our shearing event. I must admit, I did think this was a joke at first; he wouldn’t leave me to shear all our alpacas and talk to a TV camera – would he? It turns out this was not a joke and he would indeed be travelling to England to take part in the Judges’ Calibration Clinic. Countryfile explained that we would not receive a presenter or a vast crew for the filming as it is not classed as essential travel. I had a sigh of relief; I was hoping that less ‘fuss’ would make for less ‘nerves’ on the day.
To shear or not to shear?
As a domesticated species, alpacas do not naturally cast or moult their fibre. As a consequence, shearing is a necessity, and integral to maintaining their welfare. While it varies from animal to animal, an adult alpaca can yield a blanket fleece weighing anything from one to four kgs (on average). Not harvesting this fibre would have a serious, and detrimental, impact on the animal’s overall health, wellbeing and ability to function. We are all aware of the bad press surrounding shearing alpacas in South America, but this annual event should be considered a necessary part of everyone’s herd health regime. A routine that has the added outcome of yielding lots of scrumptious fibre. I was determined to show that shearing alpacas is neither gruesome or cruel – an unfortunate opinion that some people and organisations hold.
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> Amberly Warpaint
Who’s up for the job?
As with most aspects of farming, shearing is something that needs to be well organised and given due consideration, in advance. At Amberly, we use a professional, experienced shearing team and ensure we book them months and months ahead of the season. Selection of a shearer is quite often based on experience, and or recommendation, and working with an experienced professional makes for a much easier experience overall. If you’re new to alpacas and have yet to experience shearing day volunteering your services at another local farm, or with the breeder from whom you purchased your animals, is a great way to gain some first-hand experience. This year, the selection of our team of helpers was even more critical as we could not predict what the cameraman would home in on and therefore, what would be shown on TV. Every member of the team was carefully selected for a number of reasons, these being meeting Covid-19 regulations and having previous experience of shearing or handling alpacas. Since Roger was absent and I would be ‘otherwise engaged’ with the camera, the team needed to be confident with what they were doing without ongoing guidance.
Today’s the day
As the day finally arrived, our helpers arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed to a crisp, cold morning. Thankfully we had escaped the rain and snow that was forecast. Before the camera arrived we had a practice run on a couple of alpacas so that everyone could work out their set tasks for the day. I must give credit to the team; they worked diligently, efficiently and at all times treated the alpacas with respect. In fact, they worked so well I may have a TV crew every year from now on! Shearing day 2021 was certainly different, but it went off without a hitch. The short clip was aired on Sunday 25 April and although brief, I hope you agree that it was done sympathetically towards shearing. PS. The premature cria that was shown on the programme is thriving like a gosling; her ears and legs are supermodel perfect and she thinks our field is a racecourse!
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THE BAS NATIONAL SHOW
CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS FLEECE SHOW
Another year on, but with Covid-19 restrictions still in place, the BAS National Champion of Champions Fleece Show was judged in March by Tim Hey, at CS Alpacas behind closed doors, writes Julia Corrigan-Stuart, CS Alpacas, show organiser.
> Supremes with Judge Tim Hey
F
ollowing on from the trial last year of a new format it was agreed to use the same protocols this year. Our thanks go to Art Of Fibre for testing the fleece samples – we appreciate your continued support. Six samples were taken from each fleece and sent for micron testing. Again, strict social distancing was adhered to with two judging stations consisting of three fleece tables being set up so that the scribe and judge were at one station and the helpers on the other putting away the judged fleeces and
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setting out the next three. This year I was lucky enough to have extra help in the form of Anne and Mike Shaw (Brillbury Alpacas) and Duncan Pullar (BAS CEO). Congratulations to the exhibitors. Whether you achieved the top prize or not, all the entries were amazing and you should all be very proud. Remember: every fleece that reached the Champion of Champions Fleece Show was already awarded either a champion or reserve sash from the regional group fleece shows. Continued on the next page >>
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Supreme Champion Huacaya: Beck Brow Smitten Kitten – Beck Brow Alpacas Reserve: Beck Brow Glory Daze – Beck Brow Alpacas
Supreme Champion Suri: Evolution Blue Moon – Alpaca Evolution Reserve: Pure Elsa – Pure Alpacas
Best British Huacaya: Best British Suri:
Judge’s Choice Huacaya: Judge’s Choice Suri:
Velvet Hall Finisterre – Velvet Hall Wellow Day Dream Believer – Wellow Alpacas
Champion White Huacaya: Beck Brow Smitten Kitten – Beck Brow Alpacas Reserve: Beck Brow Glory Daze – Beck Brow Alpacas
Champion White Suri: Reserve:
Evolution Blue Moon – Alpaca Evolution Bozedown Jet Setting – Bozedown Alpacas
Champion Light Huacaya: Popham Gabine – Amberly Alpacas Reserve: Evolution Firebreather – Alpaca Evolution
Champion Light Suri: Reserve:
Pure Elsa – Pure Alpacas CS Alpacas Diego – CS Alpacas
Champion Grey Huacaya: Velvet Hall Finisterre – Velvet Hall Alpacas Reserve: Inca Grey Isabel – Crewenna Alpacas
Champion Grey Suri: Reserve:
Faraway Purple Reign – Amberly Alpacas Backyard Rosita Missoni – Backyard Alpacas
Champion Black Huacaya: Bozedown Dawn II – Bowland Forest Alpacas Reserve: Snowshill Minerva – Snowshill Alpacas
Champion Black Suri: Reserve:
Bozedown Badlands – Bozedown Alpacas Bozedown Don’t Stop Me Now – Bozedown Alpacas
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Beck Brow Glory Daze – Beck Brow Alpacas CS Alpacas Diego – CS Alpacas
DB
WOOLS Part of the Standard Wool Group of Companies
Champion Brown Huacaya: Snowshill Anaxis – Snowshill Alpacas Reserve: Willowbrook Molly Mischief – Willowbrook Alpacas
ALPACA FIBRE COLLECTION 2021
Champion Fawn Huacaya: Amberly Prohibition – Amberly Alpacas Reserve: Toft Attila – Toft Alpacas
Champion Brown Suri: Reserve:
Champion Fawn Suri: Reserve:
TRADITIONAL VALUES
FORWARD THINKING
WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE
UNRIVALLED SERVICE
Wellow Day Dream Believer – Wellow Alpacas Bozedown Ghost Rider – Bozedown Alpacas
Merrifield Ice King’s Honesty – Merrifield Alpacas Wellow’s Destiny’s Child – Wellow Alpacas
> Judge Tim Hey and Scribe, CEO Duncan Pullar
Huge congratulations to all owners of other eligible fleeces in the classes including: Alpaca Farm, Alpaca Shed, Ashwood, Balnuith, Bobcat, Brillbury, Capital, Carpalla, Castlings, Cold Comfort, Fangdale, Florens, Solstice, Limestone, Pinnacle, Polgrain, Pottery, Rosecraddoc, Sandhills, Silvercloud, Usk Valley & Westyett/Teinteach. Remember to enter your fleeces into the regional shows to be eligible for the Champion of Champions Fleece Show 2022 when, fingers crossed, normal life will have resumed. Fleeces will be judged on Friday March 25 at the National Halter Show 2022 at the Telford International Centre. They will be on display in the main hall over the weekend for everyone to see the amazing fleece quality we produce here in the UK. But until then, take care and stay safe; we look forward to seeing you at the BAS National Show 2022.
PASSIONATE ABOUT FIBRES Eastfield Mills, Goods Lane, Dewsbury West Yorkshire, UK. WF12 8EH
www.standardwool.co.uk/dbwools Contact Michael Cooke | 07494 151166 michaelcooke@dbwools.co.uk Alpaca #86
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LICENSED FLEECE TEST SERVICE
Nestled between the North Wales coast and Mount Snowdon is the UK’s only accredited fibre testing laboratory. Wool Testing Authority Europe (WTAE) holds an International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) licence as managing director Dr Courtney Pye explains.
T
he wool testing industry is built on many decades of research and development, with the IWTO test methods a result of this dedication. The alpaca industry does not have a regulated testing industry and consequently there is no regulation of laboratories. However, IWTO test methods offer a good alternative. WTAE offers a fleece testing service using these test methods, supported by its accreditations and testing licence. The fleece testing service has recently been completely revised, including pricing, and the tests available include fibre diameter (FD), standard deviation, coefficient of variation, staple length, vegetable matter content and washing yield. A test result is only as good as the test method used to produce it and we are proud of the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation we hold to the international standard ISO 17025 and our status as an IWTO licenced laboratory. ISO 17025 is regarded as the gold standard for technical competence and WTAE ’s compliance forms the bedrock of the business. When a laboratory has this accreditation you can be assured of its technical ability and integrity of test results regardless of what they test, and we invest significant resources into maintaining these licences and accreditations.
Standardised testing
As we are authorised to test using IWTO test methods, WTAE uses standardised processes which are the norm throughout the fibre testing industry and this is key. The idea is that we can test a sample here in Caernarfon for FD, then send the same sample to another IWTO laboratory anywhere in the world, and they will obtain the same result. This is because we are all testing to the same standards which is the foundation of the IWTO licence and UKAS accreditation. WTAE are also members of a round trial group known internationally as the
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ILRT. This consists of five laboratories, including WTAE. Each week, all participating laboratories run two trials, testing samples from the same common batch. Periodically we receive reports showing how we perform against one another. This gives added assurance to our clientele that WTAE is the UK’s leading laboratory for animal fibres and that our testing is harmonised with other laboratories worldwide. One of the laboratory’s many strengths is its impressive conditioning laboratory which is the only IWTO approved conditioning laboratory in the Northern Hemisphere. Natural fibres are extremely hygroscopic and will gain moisture readily. This is one of the many wonderful qualities of natural fibres, but it can cause problems when testing for FD. All FD determination takes place under standardised conditions as stipulated in the test methods, namely 20°C and 65% relative humidity (RH). All licenced laboratories will be measuring FD under these conditions, so whether it is a cold damp day in North Wales or a blistering hot dry day in Western Australia, the atmospheric conditions within the area where the samples are tested will be constant, as will the result. WTAE is now working to build relationships with the alpaca industry and to give more breeders access to its accredited fibre testing facility. It undertakes fibre testing every day to approved and regulated methods which the alpaca industry can make valuable use of. We have much to offer the industry and have everything in place to provide an impartial, accurate and reliable fleece testing service. We are always interested in feedback from the industry and are currently running a survey to assess the industry’s testing needs. The link for the survey is: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LGM5933. Please complete this survey, your responses are very helpful for us. Also, visit our website: www.wtaeurope.com for more information on our services. We are considering our options for expanding our testing repertoire in the future and we will keep you posted on this.
WOOL TESTING AUTHORITY EUROPE
FLEECE TESTING SERVICES The ONLY regulated test house in the Northern Hemisphere NEW PRICING ✔ Under new management ✔ Fibre diameter measurement ✔ Approved test methods ✔ VM Determination ✔ Colour Testing
www.wtaeurope.com
Q&A WITH AN INTERNATIONAL JUDGE
> Judging alpacas in the ring – oral feedback from a judge gives you a better idea where you stand compared to the rest of the class
How do owners identify top quality alpaca in terms of conformation and fleece quality and is good conformation different in males and females? Owners can choose between different ways to get information about an alpaca either they trust the certificates, show awards, and fibre screenings – or they pull up their sleeves and get their hands on the alpaca themselves. The best option, of course, is to do both. Apart from the slight deviations in size and weight, there are only a few differences between males and females. And it’s mainly about the genitals. Studs need to have two palpable testicles and the dam’s vulva needs to be big enough to make penetration possible. That’s it! Age is far more important than sex. First and foremost good quality means a healthy alpaca. Top quality, however, can be certified by fibre screenings and show awards on a transregional or national level. An alpaca is like a puzzle, you need to create the whole image piece by piece. Nothing works better than observing alpacas in real life. Depending on your experience, you might want to use some rules of thumb: Beautiful, consistent crimp counts as a good indicator for both micron and uniformity amongst the blanket. An alpaca in motion often reveals faults or strengths in its physical conformation. Use every piece of information that you can get, ask questions, look at the pedigree and show awards. What kind of show was it? How many alpacas were registered? Choosing an alpaca is more complicated than a job interview. Alpacas won’t tell you about their qualities – you’ve got to find them. Added to this you also have to look at the pedigree and not only the animal itself.
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How do owners learn to identify quality animals and recognise negative traits or faults? Practice and mentoring are the main ingredients for successful alpaca judging. That’s why the training for professional judges takes years. Alpacas can be quite overwhelming, especially in the beginning. The easiest way to get to learn the traits and quality is to look at one’s own herd. Read up on standards, take a micron chart, a national evaluation scoresheet and judge your alpacas as best as you can. Then, let it be judged by others. Fleece shows, for example, give you a profound evaluation of your alpaca’s fleece, with comprehensible scores and details. In the best case, you let an expert judge your herd at your farm. It doesn’t need to be the world’s best alpaca judge, but someone without “farm blindness”. An objective, independent, and reasonable opinion can reveal one’s own blind
Robin Näsemann – Alpaca Judge
Robin Näsemann was born in Germany, went to school in England and has a master’s degree in economics from the University of Lugano, Switzerland. His family began breeding alpacas in 2003 and has a herd of 70 alpacas in Germany. Robin is a certified screener for the AZVD (Alpaca Breeders Association of Germany) and has screened alpacas throughout Europe and South America. He is an Alpaca Owners Assocation (AOA) certified judge for halter, fleece and performance and has judged alpaca shows in the US, Canada, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany.
spots – sometimes a fellow breeder can give you that too. We all love our alpacas – and often, we tend to evaluate their merits a little higher than their faults. Benchmarking, first within your own herd and then amongst other pedigrees, helps to identify strengths and weaknesses. Have you an image of an ideal or elite alpaca as a breeder and judge? Yes, I have something in my mind. But you won’t find it in reality, not in the best herd. The ideal alpaca is always, well, an ideal. Every judge needs an ideal concept in his or her mind, even though it’s an illusion to think any alpaca would ever be ideal – the standards change over time. Besides that, as a judge, I must stay objective and not mix my own breeding goals with the breed standards. Another skill of an international alpaca judge is flexibility. Some associations like the CCLA in Canada openly publish their concept of an ideal alpaca as a so called “standard of perfection”. What might sound a little dramatic, is indeed a great help for judges and breeders alike. Standards, emphasis and prioritisations vary from country to country. With the Canadian concept of an ideal alpaca in mind, it is easier to understand what’s important there and hence judge on the basis of the national standards. Of course, you will always have to adapt to different expectations. But when they’re written down, it makes the job easier – and also more comprehensible for the breeders. Does a breed standard, stud register or agreed ideal alpaca help owners to identify top quality alpacas, recognise faults and improve herds? As I said before: Every piece of information adds to the whole. Screenings and breed standards form a threshold for an alpaca’s quality to ensure breeding with healthy animals. I am a big supporter of the system which we find in most continental European countries. Our screenings or herd book evaluations are meant for every alpaca of the national herd – not just the import alpacas. In my position as a screener in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands I was able to identify alpacas, that otherwise might have been used for breeding. It’s good to keep an objective minimum standard to ensure breeding only with healthy alpacas. Yet, it’s only a threshold, not a guarantee for top quality alpacas. Stud registries, on the other hand, are a tool to identify suitable animals. Technology and centralised organisation have been a big help for pushing the quality of the national herd, but we also need to know how to use it. I also support the concept of a DNA registry. Although the alpaca community consists of honest and keen breeders, proof about a certain bloodline provides for all contingencies. The concept of an ideal alpaca might be the most useful tool, although it’s only imaginary. Compare your own alpacas with that ideal and you’ll find what’s missing. From that starting point, you can formulate one or two breeding goals and use the other tools to find suitable mates for your own herd.
> Robin Nasemann
What are your own herd breeding goals and have these changed over time? Of course, an alpaca judge needs a breeding male with a micron of 14 for his or her own credibility. All jokes aside, good physical condition throughout the herd was our first breeding goal and it is also what I emphasise on every seminar for beginning breeders. Apart from that, we focus on white alpacas. Firstly, because it’s a long-lasting trend and there is still a high demand for white alpaca. Secondly, we use the fibre primarily for our own products: beddings, pillows, blankets. Uniformity in colour is very important for us – as well as micron to ensure the highest comfort of our products. How essential is it for breeders to identify their own goals and work within a selective breeding programme? It’s the first step towards professional breeding. If I don’t know about my possibilities or where my own herd scores best, how could I sell myself or improve my herd? Setting goals is the foundation of development. Without breeding goals, I can’t track my success and cannot grow my experience. Selective breeding means focusing on only a few traits. Improve it and identify the next goal. But take care that one trait doesn’t grow at another one’s expense. The best micron is worth nothing if your herd’s health and fertility suffer. Continued on the next page >>
> Micron-card – to evaluate and compare the micron
Alpaca #86
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What information is necessary to inform good breeding decisions and how is this best managed by breeders? Best breeding decisions are based on a profound analysis of the animal’s pedigree. Fibre charts are important, show awards give information about the alpaca’s overall position. Use the whole toolbox, if you can. If you can’t do your own hands-on research. If you’re unsure and you don’t have good proof of the quality of an alpaca, leave it. There are enough good alpacas with transparent qualities out there. Serious breeders will usually provide you with the necessary information.
> Differences in quality of crimp
What advice would you give owners who want to enhance quality? Breeding is a process – and a slow one, too. We only have one new generation, one try, every year. However, you can see some improvement from generation to generation if you take a closer look. In some years, it might even be a step back. A good phenotype is no guarantee for a good genotype. Often, roughly 50% of the time, it’s the lower quality which prevails. Take it easy. In recent years I have also been giving personal training and herd evaluations to breeders. I found that it makes sense to divide one’s own herd into three groups. The top group is meant for breeding. These are your strongest animals which already carry your breeding goals in their phenotype. Group two needs to be treated with caution. They are not the best animals but some of their traits might be worthy to be used for breeding. Here, you have to > Proportions
> Ideal crimp
> Differences in quality of crimp
22 Alpaca #86
be most selective. Group three are the alpacas that you own, because you love alpacas. You can also sell them. Some might be great for other breeders’ goals, but already below your own standards. It also depends on your own character; do you want to be a pure breeder rather than an alpaca enthusiast? Then sell alpacas which you don’t need for your goals, get new ones and be as selective as possible. Are you an alpaca lover? Breed as good as possible and enjoy the view in your backyard every day. What is the best piece of advice you have been given? In 2006, Eric Hoffman used the ARI screening standards to develop the screening standards for the AZVD e.V. in Germany. I was not a judge back then and was keen to learn about alpacas. “The most important aspect of an alpaca is it’s conformation”, Eric told us, “it’s the foundation of the animal”. It’s like a building; you need a good foundation to build upon. If the foundation breaks, everything else will fall to pieces. Ever since, this has been the standard for my own herd and one of the main aspects of any seminar. There is no compromise concerning health. In 2013, I visited Dr. Julio Sumar in Peru, he told me: “For us humans, alpacas are fibre animals in the first place. By improving their fibre quality, we justify their existence as livestock forever.” It sounds hard, but alpacas are domesticated animals. From a commercial point of view, we need a reason to continue breeding these beautiful animals. That reason is exceptional and improving fibre quality.
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Alpaca #86
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GENETIC TEST FIRST
Laurence Varlet, from Alpagas Du Maquis in Belgium, shares her experience as the first alpaca owner to use a new genetic test to identify classic grey coat colour in a commercial herd breeding programme.
> The circle was not filled enough
About the author
Laurence is co-owner of Alpagas Du Maquis with her husband Eric. The couple started keeping Huacaya alpacas in 2011 and have built a herd including carefully selected US, Australian and Peruvian lineage. The first stud male arrived in 2012. Today one of the main stud males is Inca Grey Flyte, from UK breeder Inca Alpaca. The Belgian herd has produced multiple champions, including multiple titles of supreme champion Huacaya fleece in Benelux 2020, Italy 2019, France 2019, Germany 2018 and France 2018 Fleece Shows. In 2014 Laurence and Eric opened an alpaca mill and have since developed an “exceptional” line of 100% alpaca products designed and made in workshops on the farm. In 2019 at the BAS National Show Fibre zone competition, they won first and second prizes in each category mill spun yarns and handwoven neckwear. The latest innovation in 2020 is the creation of their own brand "Alpa'n'Age" with a unique concept of textile traceability.
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I
n September 2019, we read an article on the internet that caught our attention. The Neogen lab in Australia was working on a DNA test seen as a breakthrough for alpaca breeders – a grey coat colour test. We were delighted; finally, a significant scientific advance in our profession! As breeders of grey alpacas, we know how important it is to be able to identify a hidden grey gene as quickly as possible. No one wants to miss a hidden grey; first for the value and interest that the animal has within the herd and second to avoid producing blue eyed white alpacas (BEWs) that can happen when the grey gene is present in breeding animals. We contacted the company immediately to find out about the availability of this valuable tool, but we still had to wait a few months for the trials to be completed. After much discussion with Neogen's scientists and salespeople, we were finally able to receive our sample kits at the end of January 2020. After trying different blood sampling techniques, we finally opted to use a small puncture in the upper lip with a conventional needle using a new one for each sample. To take the sample you must press the lip and allow time for the drop of blood to form and then you fix it to the support provided by the laboratory. We have seen how some alpacas coagulate very quickly which of course makes the process more difficult with some individuals. The first time we just fixed a drop or two, but when I sent a photo to the lab of
a sample, they told me a little more was needed to fill the circle completely. With that, we started again to complete each insufficient sample.
Results inform breeding decisions
In March 2020, we received the results of our first 24 samples. This was extremely interesting – not only were we able to identify hidden greys, which are too light to be aware of, but we were also able to identify animals that were genetically black and displayed a lighter colour. By deduction, we can tell ourselves that the animal concerned probably carries a dilution gene, draw conclusions and make faster and more accurate breeding decisions. We have since tested another 24 alpacas in our herd again and received the results in December. Again, they revealed some interesting findings. A beautiful little fawn male born in the summer that we already liked a lot suddenly becomes a grey – a great surprise! And several other grey confirmations including a very dark brown male with a white face and some light fibres in the fleece. In fact, he's grey too. Of course, we don't learn something dazzling for every animal and we would like all the mysteries of colour genetics in alpacas to be lifted with this test, but that is not yet the case, research continues to identify other influential genes.
Research benefits breeders
This test costs less than £30 per alpaca and can be done yourself. But you can ask your vet to take blood samples if you are not comfortable with this. If we want research to continue for the benefit of our industry, I think it is helpful to show your interest in this research and use this very interesting tool, at least for a part of your herd. I am sure you will make unexpected discoveries. For our part, until now we have focused our attention on coloured animals but we intend to test our entire herd, including the whites. Colleagues recently made an amazing discovery of a grey hidden in a white, it's so exciting! Breeding alpacas is definitely extremely bewitching!
L
> Three doubtful alpacas that have been DNA confirmed as Classic greys
TEST INFORMS BREEDING DECISIONS
eading UK breeders are planning to use the Neogen genetic test to identify classic grey coat colour following breakthrough genetic research by scientists led by Dr Kylie Munyard at Australia’s Curtin University. Speaking after the research was published in 2019 Dr Munyard said the team’s discovery had important implications for the alpaca industry on a global scale. “By using this new testing tool, breeders and farmers have the opportunity to test white or light fawn alpacas, or those with uncertain patterns, for the mutation found in classic grey alpacas, which is also present in blue-eyed white alpacas. This will provide them with better information with which to make their breeding decisions.” She said: “The classic grey colour pattern is highly sought after in the stud animal and fibre markets, but is known to be linked with the blue-eyed white colour pattern, which is less desirable for some alpaca breeders because of possible health defects.” Dr Munyard’s research identified a genetic marker responsible for the
classic grey colour pattern, and by using molecular techniques, the research team developed “a rapid and reliable method of identifying the mutation from a small DNA sample”. Test identifies “cryptic greys” “The most important aspect of this discovery is that we can now identify the so called cryptic grey alpacas that are too pale for the pattern to be seen. This will allow breeders to select for, or against, classic grey and blue-eyed white in their herds.” The research project was funded by the Morris Animal Foundation in Denver, US; the commercial rights to develop the test were acquired by Neogen and a commercial test was made available to Australian breeders in July 2020. In the UK some breeders are planning to use the test to help their breeding programmes. In our next issue (July) Paul Hetherington, from Beck Brow Alpacas, in Cumbria will share his experience and outline how the test can be applied to breeding programmes.
Alpaca #86
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MATING – THE PRACTICALITIES
Alison Johnson, Bowbridge Alpacas, runs through the practicalities of mating. She finds good management and handling can help improve breeding systems and achieve better outcomes.
T
he information I have read about alpaca mating has all been about choosing the alpacas you want to mate, the characteristics to choose when deciding which of the males you want to keep as studs, how to choose which stud to put with which female, timings, timing of spit-offs and issues like hormone levels. What we found very difficult when we first started breeding was the practicalities; how to get which stud to the chosen female, how to run the spit-offs and subsequent matings and how to stop males fighting, so I thought I would write about our experiences and what we have learned and how we run our matings now. I’m not pretending to be a great expert, but we have certainly improved our breeding system – and our results.
Halter train your alpacas
If your alpacas, especially the studs, are halter trained, it makes breeding much easier. We use the Camelid Dynamic training method, developed by Marty Mcgee. We start with the babies when they are weaned (although they are very used to being around us before we start the formal training) and spend just a few minutes, probably five minutes a day, with each weanling, working in small groups, with an older alpaca in with them, to demonstrate how easy it all is. Before long they are walking along with us quite happily in a halter and lead. This method works well with older studs too, as long as you are patient and don’t rush things. The studs soon realise that it is breeding time, and they do get excited, but if you can lead them on a halter to their chosen mate, life is much easier. Studs will fight and we remove their fighting teeth at shearing time, when they are three or four years old. Your vet (or shearer - but check carefully) will be able to do this for you. We have a huge pump action water gun to cool any fighting during mating, spraying it into our ardent studs faces; we have learnt to keep it always full!
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Invest in pens
One of the best investments we made on the farm was buying lots of pen sides and gates that swing either way. We set up two or three pens and herd the girls through a series of gates, until we have the right girls in the pens we want. Sometimes we put pens next to each other, if we have a new potential stud who needs a little help in getting the idea of what he’s supposed to be doing, but usually spaced apart, because otherwise the stud may be more interested in warning off the next door stud than performing his own duties.
The anatomy of mating
Once the mating has started you need to make sure the right bit is in the right bit, which involves scrabbling on the floor, lifting the tale and usually, by feel, making sure the stud is “in”. There is a long antenna at the end of the stud’s penis and he wiggles that in the right direction. This may involve a lot of scrabbling on the girl’s back and it is a good idea if you can make your pens up on dry, even ground. Sometimes you have to physically move the girl over a little, to give the stud room to get in the right position, if she has sat down too close to the pen sides. We make a note of the mating and how long it takes; ideally between twenty and thirty minutes. When the stud gets off the girl, he is usually quite biddable to be led back into his paddock, and the girl may be in a daze for a few minutes, so we let her recover and then usher her back to her friends.
Managing spit-offs
Two weeks later we want to do spit-offs. For this we bring all the girls into a small paddock which has a pen adjacent to it with three gates; one from the small paddock, one onto a runway, and one into another paddock. We have one of the stud boys in the runway and bring one of the girls into the pen. We introduce the stud (with a halter and lead-rope). The more experienced girls, if they are pregnant, take one look at him, and spit – try and keep out of the way and wear old clothes and have cloths handy.
The less experienced girls and maidens (girls who are in their first breeding season) may just run round and round. Sometimes you can see they’re trying to spit or preparing to spit, and we have to make a judgement call and call it a spit. It is very important that we keep accurate records, so the more people you have helping the better. When the girl spits we let her out into the runway and back to her paddock. When she sits – and wants to be mated again – we put her into the other small paddock. The stud boy may get a bit disheartened doing the spit-offs without being allowed to do a mating at this point, and may lose interest, so we may have to bring up another stud to take his place. After completing the spit-offs we go on to mate the girls who have sat down. Our records mean that we know which of these girls we want to put with which stud; once, or if, we have reached the right number and balance of girls, any others who sit are in the runway with the other girls. Sometimes a sitting girl is reluctant to stand and move away and may need a little encouragement with some food or a gentle heave. We then proceed to do further matings if these are required. We continue to do spit-offs through the season, as pregnancies can be lost. Our season, lasts until the end of August, and in fact, last year, our last baby
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was born, late, at the beginning of August. We don’t really want any late August/ September babies, as the late summer grass is not so good for producing the mothers’ milk as the spring grass. Ideally all the babies would be born in May and June, but life isn’t exactly like that. When the babies are born we interfere as little as possible. Cria care is a topic for a whole different article, but briefly we rub the babies down when they are born, missing out the head and tail (as these are the areas the mother sniffs to get to know her baby) and spray the umbilical cord with iodine, two or three times in the first 24 hours. If the baby doesn’t seem full of energy we give it a shot of “Jump Start”, a paste which we squeeze onto their lips. It smells a little like Marmite and the little ones seem to like it. We keep the mums and babies inside at night for the first week or so of their lives, to keep them warm and so we can weigh them each morning to make sure they are gaining weight, and if the weather is cool or wet we use a crib coat for the first day or two. If the mum doesn’t seem to be bonding with her baby we put them in a small pen within the paddock with the other mums, so that she will soon realise the baby is hers! We still have a lot to learn about successful breeding, but we feel we are at least on the right path.
Mid-Cornwall’s premier alpaca herd Our breeding aim is to maximise fibre production and improve fibre quality generation upon generation, with a view to providing the ultimate fibre for yarn production.
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A PACAS Nigel and Margaret Retallack Alpaca #86
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DEATH DEFYING DELIVERY
Newborn cria Defiant was not expected to survive after his dam, Chugga was diagnosed with a uterine torsion or twisted uterus. But as BAS chair Ron Mackintosh, Redens Alpacas, explains Defiant survived, and thrived.
I
t was a beautiful June morning and Chugga was stretching our patience at 368 days gestation, she seemed a bit different and I felt this must be the day when she would birth at last. I had said that every day for the last two weeks but this time there were subtle changes in her mood in that she seemed slightly different and restless.
By midday she had been to the poo pile a couple of times and yet there was still no sign of anything happening. At 1pm Linda said surely this must be the day and yet apart from the appearance of a little discomfort nothing seemed to be happening. I decided to give her another hour and then examine her at about 2pm feeling that something was just not right. We got hold of Chugga fairly
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28 Alpaca #86
easily in the field and saw that her vulva was swollen. With a veterinary glove and lots of vet lube I started to examine her; instead of being able to gently slide my fingers and hand into her cervix to feel the legs and head of a cria as I expected I found she was quite tight and I felt my hand being twisted to the right in a clockwise direction. I immediately knew there was a problem and
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thought we were dealing with a twisted uterus. I called Keith Baxter our Westpoint Farm vet who confirmed a suspected uterine torsion; he told me he would head off to be with us. At this stage Chugga was walking about and occasionally eating grass although she looked uncomfortable. It was a nervous wait as it took Keith about an hour to get to us. He examined Chugga and agreed we were dealing with a twisted uterus. The first step, was to try and unroll the torsion so Chugga could deliver her cria. Three of us laid her on her side and Keith held her belly as we rolled her from one side to the other, amazingly it did the trick and the twist was sorted.
Cria unlikely to survive
Now Keith tried to get her cria out but found that the cria was so twisted it was not going to be possible for Chugga to have a normal delivery. Keith would have to carry out a caesarean in the field and given how twisted the cria was he feared it was unlikely to survive. Keith gave Chugga a local anaesthetic and Linda and I, together with a vet student who was on a week’s work experience on our farm, managed to place Chugga on her side. I held her head and neck back asKWI have found in that position an Animal Services_Alpaca_JB.pdf 1
alpaca tends not to struggle; Keith shaved, washed and disinfected Chugga in preparation for the caesarean. Amazingly she lay quite still while Keith cut into her left side and opened her womb to lift her cria out. Initially the cria looked dead; I opened his mouth pulled out some membrane and used a lamb resuscitator to draw a little fluid from his lungs. Miraculously he started to cough and breath and we were able to get him going while Keith started to stitch up his mother.
Dam and cria up on their feet
Keith made a lovely job of the stitching and soon Chugga was up on her feet looking for her cria who we named Defiant. By this time Defiant was breathing normally his umbilical cord had been dipped and he was sitting in a cush position. We all stepped back and congratulated Keith on his expert work. It was only then he told us this was the first time he had performed a caesarean on an alpaca although he had done it many times on cows. After thirty minutes or so Defiant struggled to his feet and started trying to suckle. Keith gave Chugga painkillers and antibiotics and said that as 23/09/2020 12:39
Chugga may not be able to feed Defiant we should be prepared to give him some artificial colostrum and we would probably need to give him a plasma transfer the next day. However, Chugga and Defiant had enough of operations and human intervention and he was suckling strongly within an hour. Chugga kept feeding him normally and no further intervention was needed as he rapidly put on weight just like a cria from a normal birth. With quite a few flies hovering about we used Aluspray, an aluminium wound spray which is silver coloured, to protect the caesarean wound although it made Chugga look strange giving her a silver streak down her side. Over the next few days Chugga had a course of antibiotics and we applied Aluspray to her wound daily for a couple of weeks. Her wound healed normally with no issues and little Defiant played with all the other cria in the birthing paddock. Defiant and all of our cria are halter trained at six months of age and we keep all our boys until they are 18 months before castrating the ones who don’t meet our standards to be stud males. We find lovely homes for these boys who often go to work trekking or have good lives as pets. Defiant together with three others have recently moved to a beautiful new home.
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2020
British Alpaca Society The fibre breed
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TIME TO UNPACK T hough the weather would have us thinking it’s an entirely different time of year every five minutes, another exciting unpacking season is definitely underway. This means it’s time to refresh memories, restock, and get ready for an eventful summer.
Get your kit together
It’s the beginning of the season, so there is still time to curate the perfect unpacking kit and ensure that you have appropriate medicines on farm. Whether they’re anti-inflammatories, vitamins or antibiotics, be aware that your vet may have to perform a medicine check before dispensing – this is a legal requirement, and you don’t want to be conducting that visit in an emergency, so do have a chat with them to ensure you have what they recommend on the shelf. After medicines, I would suggest you have an unpacking kit that is available to be grabbed at short notice, comprising: • Disinfectant • Clean buckets • A lambing snare (if you have been trained to use one by your vet). This is a protected wire to help safely align the head in a difficult birth. • Towels • A clamp for rogue bleeding umbilical stumps • A lamb feeding oesophageal tube and syringe (again, something you could ask for training on usage) • Long armed gloves • Iodine for naval dipping • Plenty of lubricant (I favour a bottle with a long spout) • A head torch • Emergency vet contact details • Plastic sheeting (to keep a uterus clean in the event of a prolapse)
Watching and waiting
Normal unpacking generally occurs in daylight hours (around 10am to 2pm). And anything outwith that warrants a gentle investigation, and potentially more intensive care for the cria. The first stage of labour looks like general discomfort in alpaca; they may separate from the herd, vocalise and make repeated trips to the dung pile. This can last up to six hours, but if you have a gut feeling that something is amiss, do trust your instinct and either check the dam or call for veterinary advice. Stage two is where the cria makes an entrance. The dam will either lie, stand or squat, and make efforts to expel the cria. This can take up to an
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hour, but there should be meaningful progression every 15 minutes. If no obvious advancement is made in that time frame, a gentle, calm investigation (with a well-lubricated and gloved hand) could give an indication as to whether the position of the cria is normal. A ‘normal’ presentation is the front legs outstretched first, with the upright head in between. Anything other than this may require some help; whether that is lightly adjusting a folded foot, taking care to guard the uterus as you do so, or more intricate manipulation of the head into the right place, or delivery of a breech (backward) cria. For reference, the first two joints of the foot bend the same way on the forelimbs (making a ‘U’ shape), and opposite ways on hindlimbs (making a ‘Z’) shape. Correction of some malposition can be risky for the dam; as they have fragile uterine walls, and it is important to take swift advice from your vet as to whether the dam requires treatment under epidural for pain relief. Please do not be afraid to call your vet if you are at all concerned - many would much prefer getting on the road and having to turn around because the cria delivered itself, to getting on to farm too late. After the cria is born, the dam then enters stage three, where she passes the placenta. This usually happens within four hours, but if not passed entirely (check for missing pieces) in six hours, then make a plan with your vet as to more intensive monitoring or treatment.
Checking newborn cria
Make sure to remove membranes from the nose and mouth, and though it may be obvious, check for heartbeat and breathing. Sometimes breaths need a kick-start with some straw up the nose. Do not be tempted to swing the cria, as this can compress the lungs. Instead, place it on its chest, and move all four limbs so that they point forward (like a sphynx with straight back legs pointing forwards). This is the best position for lung expansion. Dip the navel in your chosen disinfectant, and clamp gently if bleeding.
About the author
A cria should also be checked to ensure patent anus, that it has normal genitalia, allowing it to urinate, and that its face is straight, with patent nostrils that allow airflow through both sides. You can check airflow with a mirror, or with a wisp of fibre in front of the nostrils – flaring nostrils do not guarantee airflow. Issues such as lax or contracted tendons should be identified, and the jaw checked for alignment, taking care to feel the palate is intact in the mouth too. Any suspected defects are best reported to your vet so they can advise on prognosis and care.
Post natal care
When the birth has passed without event, the dam should not need treatment. It is wise to check for any tears or bruising (that may warrant anything from pain relief to veterinary attention) and to check for an elusive twin, just in case. Check the udder for any heat, pain, hardness or swelling, and that colostrum is coming in, else you may need to supplement the cria. Cria absolutely must take on colostrum within the first six hours of life. Colostrum provides the building blocks for the immune system, and these cannot be absorbed via the gut reliably after this window. Of course, alpaca colostrum is the ideal source, but if you must seek alternatives, goat colostrum (from Johne’s disease free herds) is the next best thing. It may be if the cria has not gotten adequate colostrum, or if it was premature, dysmature, or had a difficult/ prolonged birth, that a plasma transfusion is necessary, which will be discussed in more detail in the next issue. I hope that your unpacking season passes without undue stress, and that we will see lots of lovely cria in the coming weeks. It goes without saying that your vets are always here for you if you are unsure about anything during unpacking, or if you need emergency help. We are still trying to ensure social distancing as best as possible to be able to safely attend to your animals, so please facilitate this on farms if you need a vet visit. Good luck and best wishes for a successful season.
Dr Ami Sawran graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2011 and works for Westpoint Farm Vets. She is head of the small ruminant and camelid working group, and head of the camelid specialist interest group for VetPartners, where she also sits on the production animal clinical board. She also has a certificate in advanced veterinary practice.
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CASTRATION CLINIC INITIATIVE Horrified by painful castration case histories on social media experienced breeders at Alpaca Evolution decided to hold a castration clinic – the first held in the UK. Shirley Isseyegh of Alpaca Evolution explains why it is essential that this routine husbandry task is carried out correctly. > Local anaesthetic given
> Quick health check before starting
S
ome of you will find yourselves already having had males born on farm; or maybe you are about to plunge into the wonderful world of alpacas by buying your first ever alpacas opting for males because they are “easier” to look after. Either way you have boys and now have to deal with the male psychology.
Why is it important to castrate alpacas?
The ability to have a harmonious group of males is the first reason for castration, having of course established that they are never going to make stud status. This is in itself a very important decision and one that you should thoroughly research through attending courses. At the moment the rage seems to be via Zoom but if you can, then a hands on one is always better to reinforce your knowledge so that you know what you have in your paddock. Alpaca Evolution offer a variety of courses both through our Alpaca Interactive© facility and on farm that can assist you with every aspect of alpaca ownership. As youngsters, you never dream for one minute that these cute fluffy or indeed silky little darlings are going to grow up and mature into little thugs but sadly like the majority of the male species they can and do, with the exception of only a few. Their playtime tussles which were once cute to watch can turn into full on fighting as they mature and seek to assert themselves in the group’s pecking order which is just as Mother Nature intended. Understanding herd dynamics though is the
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key, along with recognising its equilibrium within established groups that can change literally through the introduction or removal of a single alpaca. So it’s not always about castrating the teenagers you may need to consider this for older males. Avoiding physical injuries – hopefully you will already know about fighting teeth and the potential damage these can do and as an owner you need to know that if these have not been dealt with or monitored, males can do some serious damage to their “play mates” anything from ripping an ear to castrating the other and usually this is brought about by there being too much testosterone involved!
When do you castrate alpacas?
While alpacas are often likened to sheep, when it comes to castration you do not follow the same procedure which is to ring them between one to seven days, or at any other age. Alpacas need to be given the opportunity to mature for a variety of reasons. Firstly they need their testosterone to be able to grow and strengthen into a healthy adult. Secondly it is well documented that their fleece attributes and qualities do not stabilise until they are at least a couple of years old so it is important to make sure that you are giving them enough time for all these factors to take shape and that you aren’t in fact about to castrate the Supreme of Supreme Studs! Make sure you are making an informed decision and if castration Continued on the next page >>
IT’S IN OUR DNA
<< is the right route to take – it can be done from 18 months upwards. Time of year is also an important and practical decision to factor in – either early spring or autumn so there is little or no risk of flystrike. Done at the right time of the year and in the correct way means that healing is a matter of days so plan ahead as much as you can. Another important time to factor in is if you are selling the boys on as pets rather than as potential studs. By avoiding castration there may well be subsequent issues such as welfare, or indeed they could be used for accidental (or otherwise) breeding of unregistered progeny. So it’s about being responsible breeders and protecting your own integrity from the potential greed of others as well as avoiding welfare issues.
How and why did Alpaca Evolution decide to run this first UK initiative?
As established breeders with some 60 years of combined alpaca knowledge and experience on farm, we have been horrified to see and read over the last year via social media the castration experiences some members, or more importantly their alpacas have endured. Reportedly due either to expense, or the aftermath of carnage, including ringing” which is normally used in very young lambs and never in alpacas. Owners had to call their vets out again at added cost and healing was delayed through infection etc not to mention the added stress suffered by the alpacas. Most vets are however experienced in undertaking castrations but either do not normally undertake it on alpacas and/or in sufficient numbers, so are unable to gain experience.
With a large commercial herd such as Alpaca Evolution, castration decisions are taken every year and quite often it is a very difficult call to make, especially as breeding programmes evolve. We are lucky enough though to have both the facilities and staff, including a wonderful vet experienced enough that we trust to undertake castration. This year in planning for our spring castrations we thought it would be a great initiative to trial and host a clinic offering smaller breeders the same opportunities to benefit both them and their alpacas. This year of course we needed to not only adapt our biosecurity measures but to implement Covid-19 secure measures, which were easily achieved through each stable being rotated having been thoroughly steam cleaned and disinfected between clients. Communication was also paramount for the clinic to be successful; all parties involved knew exactly what to expect both prior to arrival, while on farm and once they returned home. And thus the Castration Clinic was born – no pun intended! Since running the Clinic we have received high praise from our clients for simply providing the facility through to how they were treated, and of course not forgetting the cream tea provided while they waited for the procedure to be completed! With this is mind we have decided to run the Clinic again in the autumn – 14 October 2021 and look forward to assisting other alpaca owners and their boys. Alpaca Evolution is centrally located and easy to get to, so whether you have a few or a trailer load please contact shirley@alpacaevolution.com or call 07770 916071 to book your boys in. The cost will be £50+ VAT per alpaca and includes complimentary catering while you wait.
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BAS REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT Spotlight on the Scottish Alpaca Group
Scottish Alpaca Group
CHAIR: Marleen Miller, netherfieldalpacas@yahoo.co.uk SECRETARY: David Gwyther, david.gwyther@live.co.uk TREASURER/MEMBERSHIP: Pauline Robson, pmrwestyett@btinternet.com GROUP REPRESENTATIVES: WELFARE/SHOWS: Stuart Ramsay, info@velvethall-alpacas.co.uk EVENTS: Ian Mitchell, ianmit@aol.com WEBSITE: Bob Crosbie, bob@bobcat-alpacas.co.uk SHOW COMMITTEE: Bob Crosbie, Marleen Miller, Ian Mitchell, Stuart Ramsay (Chair), Pauline Robson MEMBERS OF THE BAS BOARD: PREVIOUS BAS BOARD MEMBER: Stuart Ramsay CURRENT BAS BOARD MEMBER: Ian Mitchell
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www.scottishalpacagroup.org Scottish Alpaca Group
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T
he Scottish Alpaca Group (SAG) is a regional group of the British Alpaca Society (BAS), writes Marleen Miller, chair. The group was established when The Alpaca Farmers of Scotland was disbanded in 2014. The focus of the new group was to be less formal and more friendly and inclusive, allowing non-BAS members also to join. Our membership has risen each year with many new herds starting out on their alpaca journey. Our current membership stands at 45 herds. At the last annual general meeting (AGM) in October 2020, we agreed to offer all new Scottish herds a free year’s membership to encourage people to join and learn from the vast knowledge of the members. Members of the group benefit from friendship, experience, mentoring, and education including workshops held for fleece sorting for shows, veterinary workshops concentrating on parasites, and recently a zoom call describing the successful journey of Barbara and Paul Hetherington of Beck Brow Alpacas. The workshops are well attended considering the extensive geographic area the group covers, from the Highlands and Islands to as far down as Northumberland. It was our intention to have a yearly or two yearly educational visit to some of the larger alpaca herds in the UK, the last one included a group visit to Toft Alpacas and Bozedown Alpacas. Obviously Covid-19 created a situation where social and educational events could not take place in person and unfortunately there is an element of the membership who do not have access to the internet and social media.
Exciting plans for halter shows It has also been a difficult year for showing with the cancellation of our flagship spring championships, for the second year running. However, we are excited to announce that our 2022 halter championships will be our first two day show held on the last Saturday and Sunday in April. We have secured the current venue for the next three years, giving the committee the opportunity to focus on making the two day show a success. The Scottish Alpaca Group also collaborates with the North West Alpaca Group (NWAG) in organising the annual Northern Fleece Show and this collaboration will introduce the first two day Northern Alpaca Halter Show at the end of October this year. It will be an annual event held at Penrith Mart, hosting a fibre zone giving exhibitors the opportunity to display their wool, crafts, and knitwear.
Growing membership and public profile
As the Scottish group membership grows the breeders are actively encouraged to take part in the show circuit. This year’s National Fleece Championships saw a strong Scottish group representation with qualifying champions fleeces from Balnuith Alpacas, Bobcat Alpacas, Hannahston Alpacas, Velvet Hall Alpacas and Westyett Alpacas/Teinteach Alpacas. The fantastic Velvet Hall Finisterre went on to be awarded both the champion grey fleece and Judges Choice. The qualifications and results reflect the continued improvement and quality of
the Scottish Herd. Scotland’s herds also participate in the hospitality industry with a large number now offering trekking and farm visits along with classes using alpaca fibre. The public association with alpacas in Scotland has increased fourfold over the last three years and many of the herds have appeared in local newspaper
and TV shows. With birthing season upon us it is fantastic that breeders in Scotland can now have access to plasma thanks to Bob Crosbie arranging an annual blood collection service for plasma spinning with his local vet at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh. The days are very well organised with
breeders bringing their host animals to the premises. The Dick Vet School has built up a fantastic knowledge of camelids and are used for referrals of sick alpacas and llamas in the central region by localised vets. If the group is of interest to you and you would like to join, please contact Pauline Robson or Marleen Miller for the membership forms.
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LETTER FROM NEW ZEALAND Brother and sister team Ros and Andy Scott, McKenzie Fields Alpacas, have been breeding alpaca since 2006. The herd is based on New Zealand’s North Island and is managed by Ros while Andy, who lives in Auckland visits regularly to look after the property.
W
hen I moved up from Wellington to the family farm in 2004 I wanted to do something a bit different, writes Ros. The dairy farm has been in our family for over 140 years, not long by UK standards, but something to be proud of here in New Zealand (NZ). Like many, I first came across alpacas at a local show and instantly fell in love with these curious animals. I started breeding Suri, focusing on greys, however I quickly realised I was limiting myself in the market so I introduced Huacyas into the herd. Now we have more than 100 alpacas. The main emphasis is definitely Huacaya but we still run a small Suri herd. I certainly have a soft spot for the
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breed and there is nothing better than seeing a full fleeced Suri pronk around the paddock.
Silver grey genetics
Focussing on beautiful silver greys we aim to produce solid greys. Because of this, over the years, I’ve packed the herd with silver grey genetics and I am now introducing different solid colours predominantly roans (modern greys) and smoky fawns. I have been lucky enough to have some spectacular males join the herd and put their stamp on their progeny, whilst also using outside matings from other NZ breeders. Our latest addition, Empire Tapestry originally bred by a
joint UK/NZ herd, is certainly one of those males. He is a beautiful roan male (modern grey) that has proven himself in the showring. An incredibly proud moment was when he won both Champion Fleece and Breed at our National Show. This validated my decision to have him join our herd. He started his breeding career early and this season sired two stunning roan boys; he has been a busy boy this mating season. Boys however are only half the equation and I’ve invested in, and bred, some fantastic females. Fleece qualities and conformation are incredibly important, but equally, temperament plays a key part in any breeding decision.
Good to handle
Being short in stature and doing most of the hands-on work by myself I need animals that are going to be easy to handle. I spend a lot of time with the alpacas, checking them daily is the quickest way to determine if one of them isn’t quite right. Due to their stoic nature it’s the slightest change in behaviour that can mean they need a closer inspection. I also have many visitors to the farm which helps the alpacas get use to different situations – family and friends love having paddock picnics with the herd. I also run workshops each year aimed at new breeders or those that are thinking about owning alpacas. I always want to make sure that people have as much information before making any decisions. The more informed they are the better it is for the animals. One of my biggest challenges on the farm is lack of time. I work full time in a reasonably demanding job and at an insurance company called Farmers Mutual Group (FMG); FMG is similar to the National Farmers Union (NFU). It’s a mutual society and supports the rural community. Fortunately, I am able to work flexibly to fit around activities on the farm. As with many other organisations Covid-19 sped up recognition that working from home can be a viable option. This of course is fantastic during birthing season (Dec-April). FMG also benefits from me having a farm that they can use for different photo shoots or internal videos – the latest one being a safety video with one of my alpacas called Kamakazi being an absolute superstar!
Farm layout to ease management
Over the years I’ve reconfigured the farm to make both my own and the alpaca’s lives a bit less stressful. Establishing raceways ensures I can efficiently get the alpacas into the main shed. A quick clap of the hands and they all come running. As I like to weigh the herd every six weeks I have set up a weigh scale so the animals can walk in, get weighed and let out through a gate at the opposite end. Being clever, the alpacas know the drill and line up ready and waiting knowing that there is tempting feed at the other end. Loading and transporting animals singlehandedly can also be a challenge if the animals aren’t halter trained. I’ve set up an area where my horsebox can be attached to a pen. I put food in the horsebox and then just leave them for 30 minutes. They quickly get use to walking up and down the “scary” ramp. I am an active member of the alpaca community and exhibit at shows, I also help convene shows including the Alpaca Association NZ (AANZ) National show, and I am a member of several committees and have sat on our National Council. Supporting others or just meeting breeders throughout the world via social media has all added to the enjoyment of owning alpacas. I still think though there is nothing better than seeing a brand new cria taking his or her first steps and then seeing beautiful bundles of fleece – I am looking forward to the next 20 years.
For more information about McKenzie Fields Alpacas: www.mckenziealpcas.co.nz facebook-square McKenzie Fields Alpacas, or Ros Scott
> Empire Tapestry
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GREAT FUTURE FOR SOUTH OF ENGLAND SHOW > Supreme Champion Huacaya
T
he South of England Alpaca Show took place at Spring Live! at the South of England Showground in Ardingly in West Sussex on April 24, writes Chris and Vicki Agar. The 2020 Show was cancelled when we went into lockdown. The effort to organise the show for 2021 was monumental to ensure the safety of all – and to keep West Sussex County Council happy. For Covid-19 safe reasons we housed the alpacas in the cavernous Abergavenny building but were only able to show in the sand school outside. A huge thank you to all those who entered their alpacas and for bearing with us for what proved to be a long day! We were very fortunate to have Jo Bridge judge the show this year and with 130 alpacas entered to judge, Jo had a full schedule as we had to complete the showing in one day. The overall show was sold out with visitor numbers limited to 6000 people a day and by advance booking only. The weather was great and thankfully the sun shone all day, which made it perfect for judging. The South East Alpaca Group was heavily involved in the smooth running of the show and the organisers, Liz Butler and Vicki Agar, would again like to thank
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> Supreme Champion Suri
all those who voluntarily gave up their time and also the sponsors who so kindly donated – all of whom contribute towards making the show such a great success. The supreme championships were hotly contested but ultimately, the awards went to: Huacaya Supreme Champion: Alpha Devonia Suri Supreme Champion: North West Suri King Edward The South of England has always been known as a very friendly show, both to attend and to compete in, which makes it ideal for first timers. It is always great to see new faces and this year was no different. Thank you to Jo Bridge and to all of you who entered the show and we look forward to seeing you again next year. If you are interested in getting involved in the organisation of the Show for next year, please contact Vicki Agar or Liz Butler.
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41
JUDGES' COLLABORATE FOR CALIBRATION The BAS Judge Calibration Clinic, hosted by Barbara and Paul Hetherington of Beck Brow in Cumbria, took place over two days in early April.
S
ince qualifying as a BAS judge several years ago, I have spent many an hour heading South on the M6, to meetings, calibrations and clinics, writes Barbara Hetherington. When someone suggested it was time for the judges to head up north, I wasn’t actually expecting it to happen. Especially when hosting any event would require us to have more barn space – something we had in the pipeline but had not yet confirmed. However, our barn plans had got to the drawing stage when we tentatively agreed to host the next judge calibration clinic. This was late January and the event had to take place before shearing on 12-13 April. All a bit tight, but it was decided that Friday 9 April and Saturday 10 April, would be our target dates. Planning was approved for the barn on March 15 and the ground work began immediately. Of course, this inevitably involves more work than anticipated, and we were no exception. The contractors worked tirelessly, knowing that we had a deadline, and also being keen to show what us northerners can do when we put our minds to it. Credit to everyone involved it did come together at the twelfth hour. The electrics were completed the day before and concrete was being laid around the barn the night before. The contractor was here at 7am on the day of the event clearing car park space as the judges and helpers arrived.
Honing skills
Judges’ calibration is an opportunity, provided by BAS, for the judges to come together to ensure our judging is consistent in both halter and fleece. It also provides an opportunity to share experience and agree protocols. The judges judge the same animals or fleeces and then compare results with each other. When there are differences in placings these are discussed and reasons given until a consensus is reached. With no halter shows having taken place for the past 12 months, and few on the immediate horizon, those judges who were able to attend, were keen to get together to hone their judging skills – myself included. With this in mind, and in order to get the most out of calibration, we felt it was important to arrange classes for the judges that were representative of what we might have been seen in the showring. Having studied the catalogues of some of the largest shows it became apparent that the vast majority of entries were junior (66%) and intermediate (23%). This was the case in both breeds so it was decided that these age groups would feature heavily. Prior to the final selection for the classes, I visited four breeders who had kindly offered alpacas for the clinic. Choosing from different farms provides a more realistic representation of a class at a show, rather than the entries all being too similar; this was particularly helpful for the Suri classes. Given that we had an ideal opportunity to judge alpacas in full fleece, the
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Scotfield www.ScotfieldAlpaca.co.uk
Family run Berkshire farm breeding high quality Suri and Huacaya alpacas Alpacas sold, with full after-sales support and husbandry training
main focus of the two days was on halter judging. The Huacaya classes, where all classes of six were either junior or intermediates, caused some interesting debates; but it was good to see how the judges naturally calibrated to reach unanimous conclusions over the two days. The Suri classes were also chosen to be representative of those seen in the ring. While, we had a class of six white Suri, some of the coloured classes were smaller. Questions were asked about awarding a first place in a class of one – if awarded would the judge award a championship? These are situations we often find ourselves in, and we need to be consistent when handing out awards. We finished on Saturday afternoon with some Huacaya and Suri fleeces before taking the opportunity to discuss issues and experiences regarding show rules and judging related matters.
Amazing team
It was agreed that the calibration had been a success, not least due to an amazing team of helpers who ensured the event ran like clockwork. Covid-19 restrictions meant numbers were kept to a minimum and judges helped with handling. We were lucky with the weather enabling us to take lunch outside on both days. Thankfully the fear of typical northern weather was unfounded and only one layer of thermals was required by most! A big thank you to the BAS judges for heading up north, the handlers and those bringing alpacas, but most of all thank you to the guys for building the barn so quickly. We appreciate the great northern effort.
Visit our online shop for hats, gloves, scarves & more designed & made right here on our farm. Totally natural, hypo-allergenic , no dyes, no blends purely 100% alpaca yarn.
Office 01344 486969 Lisa Hipkin 07770 455534 alpaca@scotfieldalpaca.co.uk Scotlands Farm, Warfield, Berkshire RG42 6AJ Alpaca #86
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THANK YOU LIZ BARLOW
Friends and fellow judges pay tribute to Liz Barlow who recently announced her retirement as a BAS judge after 18 years in the showring. Rob and Shirley Bettinson Long standing BAS Judge Liz Barlow took us all by surprise at the conclusion of the 2021 BAS Judges Calibration when after another successful calibration she announced that she would be retiring as a BAS judge with immediate effect. The pandemic having provided a natural lull in judging commitments, she felt it was the right time to announce her retirement from the showring, having been considering it for some time. Liz was one of the first qualified BAS judges in a time when alpaca judges were a new phenomenon and each step forward was a new adventure without precedent. Liz is a strong straight talking Yorkshire woman whose contribution to the establishment of the British Alpaca Show circuit through its formative years has been immense. Her warm generous personality and natural enthusiasm made her a very popular judge. Liz soon established a national reputation as her integrity and dedication gained the respect of the breeders. Very much in demand over her 18 years of judging she offered her skills, support and commitment in equal measure to all, from the first time smaller shows to the grander stages of the Regionals and Nationals. As one of the first BAS judge tutors, Liz diligently applied her professional teaching and training skills to establishing the UK based judge training programme that we have today. Forever positive, Liz always did her utmost to create a friendly and supportive learning environment for the delegates. Liz is a natural organiser who works indefatigably, with great attention to detail, to keep the wheels running smoothly always offering delegates her support and encouragement to nurture their experience and build their confidence to gain their qualification. In addition to her work as a judge and judge tutor, in recent years Liz made a major contribution into establishing the Accredited Affiliate Training programmes for the BAS All the above came in addition to establishing Livanti Alpacas as a reputable breeding herd with
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successive Championship achievements over more than a decade. The Livanti herd eventually moved to her native Yorkshire where it was combined with her sister Jackie’s herd, Beacon Alpacas. Liz has recently moved back to Yorkshire to be nearer her family and of course to help out with her sister’s alpacas. Liz will leave a big hole to be filled in the centre of the ring and we thank her deeply for the massive contribution she has made to our emerging industry in so many ways. Do not be fooled – this is not an obituary we are writing. This is a tribute to her contribution so far. A talent such as Liz is rarely still; she has only retired from being centre stage. She has every intention of continuing to support our embryonic industry in any way she can and we look forward to working with her for many years to come.
Mary-Jo Smith
Liz has given such a lot to the industry over the years and has been a brilliant judge and tutor; we have a lot to thank her for. Liz was one of the first qualified BAS judges and my first memory of Liz as judge was after Liz and Val Fullerlove completed the international judging course in Peru. They co-judged the South of England show together. The classes
were judged on the tarmac parking lot over an extremely hot weekend. This show had our very first progeny class, and what a class it was! Let’s just say it was a long class and one person actually fell asleep in the ring! How times have changed! Liz was also one of the first BAS judge trainers when the BAS started our own in-house training. I was one of the first delegates to be trained under this new umbrella back in 2007. I trained under Liz and later worked with Liz as a BAS tutor; she is and has always been a great teacher/mentor, clear with instructions, organised and always encouraging to get the best out of her students. We have as an industry, and me personally a lot to thank Liz for. In the showring not only has Liz always been professional but also great fun to work with. I completed my first apprenticeship under Liz at the Bath and West Show in 2009. Her feedback has always been informative with a positive spin to make sure you kept motivated to learn! Some of my fondest memories of Liz are of her judging the British Futurity show and having a little song and dance while waiting for the next class! Liz always has a brilliant encouraging smile and a relaxed and welcoming showring. I will greatly miss Liz as a fellow judge but she will always remain a great friend and although we won’t be seeing Liz in the ring I am sure she will remain involved in the industry.
Barbara Hetherington
Liz announced at the end of the Judge Calibration Clinic that she would be hanging up her judging sleeve after nearly 20 years. Liz managed to keep her intentions under wraps and it was an emotional announcement for all of us. Liz goes out on a high after judging the last BAS National Show held in 2019 – a fitting accolade. On a personal note, like so many others, I have Liz to thank for encouraging me throughout my judge training. Through the ups and downs she has always been a kind hand on the back, a welcoming face when nerves are tense. Her kindness and professionalism are a credit to her. I would say she will be missed, but I know she will remain fully involved in all things alpaca, just outside the ring.
LOCAL SALES FOR FERTILISER
Martin Nordin, from Natural Garden Fertiliser, explains how an alpaca manure product has proved popular with local gardeners and village shop customers.
W
orking in lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic has not been kind, and like many other people we had to look for other things to do. Luckily my in-laws have an alpaca farm so finding extra things to do to keep busy was not a problem. Part of this job was poo picking, and now and then friends asked us if they could have some manure to put in their garden. So, one day we just thought “what would happened if we tried to sell some of it?”. We are not the first people to have this idea. Many alpaca owners around the world sell their alpaca manure. It’s a quick and easy way to get rid of the manure and can bring in a few pounds. Take it direct from the poo pile, put it in an inside out feed bag and there you go: poo out, money in. But we thought we would take it a step further; how good can you make it, and can it be turned into a product? Most people who sell alpaca manure (apart from at the gate) do it by selling “tea bags”. This is basically a fabric bag filled with air dried alpaca manure. The concept is then to leave the bag in a water filled watering can overnight. Nutrients will then dissolve out of the poo and into the water and then onto your plants. It’s easy to do and works great. This concept can take many forms but the most serious must be “Mary’s Alpaca Poop In Pods” from Virginia in the US. She has created a brown dissolvable tab (like a dishwasher tab) that consists of alpaca manure, mycorrhizal fungi and Yucca plant. But the concept is still the same - manure mixed with water.
Developing our product
We decided to go another way and grind all our manure into a fine powder for many reasons. Fresh alpaca manure consists of quite a lot of water. It might not look like it but alpacas are camelids after all. Since no one wants to buy water, we first let the manure pre dry in the air. After the initial drying, we turn the poo into much
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smaller bits that are then heated and dried again for a few hours. Once we are sure that all the moisture is out, we pulverise it into a sandy dust. This process significantly reduces the volume and the weight of the manure and the result is that we can pack a lot of alpaca goodness into a lot smaller packaging than would otherwise be possible. One of our 800g bags of alpaca manure is equivalent to over 3.5 kg of fresh alpaca manure without losing any of the nutrients. Just drying alpaca manure does not kill everything in it. We learned this the hard way when we opened a large bag of dried poo in the garage and a fairly substantial number of flies flew out. Lesson learned. It needs to be heated up as well. We heat all our manure to around 75 degrees for up to eight hours. On a commercial level it is very hard to compete with mass produced fertilisers from the garden centre. Once you remove the VAT, the commission to the garden centre and suppliers and take away your costs, there is not much left to make any profit from. But we saw potential in the local market. One of our first, and to this day best customers, is actually our village shop where people buy it either to use it in their garden or as a locally produced gift. People love that it’s local and unique. When selling alpaca manure do be aware that: • Alpaca manure is classified as animal by-product by the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), and there are a few rules to be aware of. This means it is important to do your homework. • You will need to pay attention to any non-food items that might come out of the alpacas. For example, some wormers (anthelmintics) are not organic and this means the manure can’t be sold as organic. There are also stories of strong weedkillers in hay surviving the digestive journey through the alpacas only to then kill the plants the manure was supposed to feed. If you want to geek out – even if you don’t intend to sell any manure – try to send in a few manure samples to a laboratory for analysis. It’s really interesting – I promise.
Make a difference to your life or herd
LIMESTONE ALPACAS
Now is the time to consider adding elite traits from Softfoot Koo Wee Rup – offspring or stud services: Message or call Paul on 07855 462760
The proof is in the progeny: Limestone’s future studs from Koo Wee
e ale
Male male
ale
Limestone Arthur 2020 new born
Softfoot Koo Wee Rup (co-owned Limestone, Furze Park, Chincero)
Limestone Alpacas, Church Lawford, Warwicks CV23 9HD willspauld@aol.com | Paul 07855 462760
Snowshill Alpacas Snowshill Hill Barn, Temple Guiting, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 5XX
Contact Roger Mount on 01386 853 841 or 07711044106 Email: snowshillalpacas@btinternet.com Web: www.snowhillalpacas.com
We have a large selection of potential Stud Males, Pet Males and Breeding Females available in a variety of colours. Stud Services – we have several proven/championship winning Huacaya and Suri boys to choose from. Pre-arranged visits are very welcome. We adhere to good biosecurity practices and badger deterrent fencing has been in place since 2009. Alpaca #86
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Alpacas for sale
A list of BAS members who are breeders and advertising their alpacas for sale
SOUTHERN ENGLAND
ALPACA EVOLUTION
Herts AlpAcAs
We are committed to the success of the British Alpaca industry and realising the potential and possibilities this offers. We are passionate about the Alpaca, and continuing to progress the quality of our herd of 700 plus alpacas, both Huacaya and Suri, without compromising our high standards in ensuring excellent herd welfare. Offering unrivalled experience and support to our clients, and helping them achieve success is core to our business ethos.
15 years of selective breeding and dedication has successfully proven our genetics both in and outside the show ring, winning multiple Herts Alpacas championships and of course one of the British Alpaca Futurity’s major Best Breeder awards.
We offer a full range of alpacas for sale, stud males, breeding females and pets as well as learning opportunities for all levels of experience. We welcome visitors by appointment. Located in Buckinghamshire. TEL: Nick 07979 651742 & Alexandra 07795 843790 EMAIL: enquiries@alpacaevolution.com WEB: www.alpacaevolution.com
We offer a range of courses including: ‘Introduction to alpacas’, ‘Birthing’, ‘Husbandry’, and a day long ‘Advanced’ course. Alpacas for sale in all colours, at prices to suit all pockets, but more importantly from elite herd sires and proven bloodlines.
Situated in North Hampshire, close to the Surrey and Berkshire borders with good access to ports and airports, less than five minutes drive from both J5 and 6 of the M3.
tel: 01763 271301 or 07802 433155 emAil: beckwith904@aol.com Web: www.hertsalpacas.co.uk
TEL: 01256 764824 or 07801 132757 EMAIL: joy@pennybridgealpacas.co.uk WEB: www.pennybridgealpacas.co.uk
SNOWSHILL ALPACAS
We are a family run farm in Warfield, Berkshire, breeding high quality Huacaya and Suri alpacas from show winning sires. We would like to welcome you to Scotlands Farm to see our wonderful herd of both white and coloured animals.
Established in 2002 and situated on the North Cotswold hills close to the picturesque village of Snowshill, the current herd numbers over 300. We breed both Huacaya and Suri alpacas (approximately 85% are Huacaya). Although our breeding programme is biased towards the darker colours, we do also have superb quality whites and beige alpacas.
We are happy to discuss your requirements, be it for pet males, stock guards, or breeding females to suit your budget but with no obligation to purchase. We have over ten years of experience with these adorable animals. Give us a call and let us see if we can help you.
Full range of alpacas for sale, attractive pets to top show quality breeding girls and stud boys. Large choice of stunning stud males available to service your girls. Also offering natural alpaca fabrics made in the UK from the fleece of our own herd.
TEL:
TEL: 01386 853841 or 07711 044106 EMAIL: snowshillalpacas@btinternet.com WEB: www.snowshillalpacas.com
Sue Hipkin 07770 455533 Lisa Hipkin 07770 455534 WEB: www.scotfieldalpacas.co.uk
SOUTH EAST
LIGHTFOOT ALPACAS
We provide after sales advice and back up services when we sell our animals. Whether you are looking to improve or expand your herd or just thinking of alpacas as pets, why not contact us to arrange a visit. TEL: 07802 263589 WEB: www.alpacabreeder.co.uk EMAIL: graham@alpacabreeder.co.uk
EAST MIDLANDS
JANDJ ALPACAS
JandJ Alpacas WE SPECIALISE IN COLOURED ALPACAS
The family run JandJ Alpaca herd was established in 2005 with four pregnant females, today we have over 90 beautiful animals. We are located in Lincolnshire on the Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leiceistershire border just off the A1. With years of experience our aim is to help you choose the best alpacas to start you journey, whether it be pregnant females, stud males, pet boys or girls. Please feel free to get in touch. TEL:
Martin or Clare 01636 626990
EMAIL: jandj.alpacas@zen.co.uk WEB:
www.jandjalpacas.co.uk
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SOUTH WEST
URCUCHILLAY ALPACAS For over 10 years we have bred multiple-champion alpacas, selecting the best genetics while working to very high ethical standards. Our reputation and many awards are testament to our passion, commitment, knowledge and experience. We have BAS registered and halter trained alpacas for sale in a range of colours, ages and quality, champion studs in a range of colours with a variety of sought-after genetics from New Zealand, Australia, America and the UK. We offer alpaca walks, experiences, events and parties as well as a shop. Visits are welcome by appointment. TEL: 01458 860052 or 07570 511299 EMAIL: carla@urcuchillay.co.uk or carla@fibreofthegods.co.uk WEB: www.urcuchillay.co.uk or www.fibreofthegods.co.uk
CENTRAL ENGLAND
ALPACA ANNIE
Lightfoot Alpacas are situated in Hawkhurst in the Weald of Kent. We have been breeding alpacas since 1997 and have over 250 Huacaya. Lightfoot is a closed herd, we believe that the bio security and health of our animals is paramount to their breeding and care. We have a range of colours and ages, mainly Huacaya and some Suris. Our animals are known for being friendly as we spend time with them and know them individually.
The PennyBridge Herd and Stud. One of the first alpaca farms set up in the South of England, still producing show winners from champion stock. Good quality starter herds, proven and potential stud males, stud services, fancy grazers and sheep guards available. Please phone to book a viewing with no obligation to purchase. ‘Home of The Alpaca Experience’ – visit our website for further info.
Our farm in Hertfordshire offers: feed, supplies, coats, halters etc. Importantly we deliver total customer care. See website for customer reviews and details of our award-winning herd sires.
SOUTHERN ENGLAND
SCOTFIELD ALPACAS
PENNYBRIDGE ALPACAS
Breeding quality, friendly alpacas on the Romney Marsh, we pride ourselves on the relationship we have with our animals and our high welfare standards. Many of the herd have been halter trained and are great walking companions. We can help you find anything from a fleecy friend to a show winning fleece. For new keepers we have well bonded starter herds available with a full support package including – training with our head herdsperson, home visits, shearing, ongoing phone/ face-to-face support and a ‘Home for Life’ guarantee as standard. So please come on down and meet the herd! TEL: 01303 870527 EMAIL: becca@alpacaannie.com WEB: www.alpacaannie.com
WEST MIDLANDS
TOFT ALPACAS We offer over 150 pedigree alpacas in all colours, ages and price ranges and are confident that our prize-winning herd will live up to all your alpaca expectations. We will be delighted to share our extensive experience to guide you towards your alpaca aspiration, whatever that might be. Through the TOFT studio we run an extensive programme of practical husbandry and textile, crochet and knitting workshops throughout the year. The TOFT studio retails exclusive luxury yarn from throughout the world. Come and see for yourself – the complete alpaca experience. TEL: 01788 810626 or 07970 626245 EMAIL: shirley@toft-alpacas.co.uk WEB: www.toftalpacastud.com
FAERIE TALE ALPACAS Faerie–Tale Alpacas is a small family run farm based in Kenilworth in Warwickshire J15 of M40. We focus on breeding sound, healthy, friendly, elite alpacas with gorgeous fleeces and top class genetics at very reasonable prices. We know each alpaca and have most colours available from blue black to dazzling white. Whether you are new to alpacas or wish to expand your herd we have an alpaca to suit you! Prices to suit all budgets and with full after sales support given. We offer: • Quality breeding stock • Starter herds • Stud services • 2 hour alpaca experiences • Alpacas for weddings and events • Luxury range of hand knitted alpaca garments and accessories using our own fleeces TEL: 07950 671672 FACEBOOK: Faerie Tale Alpacas EMAIL: info@faerietalealpacas.co.uk WEB: www.faerietalealpacas.co.uk
NORTH WEST
POTTERY ALPACAS
Pottery Alpacas are a family run farm located in Blackburn, Lancashire, we focus on breeding high quality animals from elite bloodlines. We have a wide range of alpacas for sale, with everything from Pet Quality males and females to Stud males and show quality stock. We offer first class support and advice with every purchase and are more than happy to discuss your requirements with no obligation. We are here to help you every step of the way on your alpaca journey! TEL: 01254 419069 (Blackburn) MARK: 07702 540270 AMANDA: 07882 456084 EMAIL: mark@potteryalpacas.com WEB: www.potteryalpacas.com
Fibre Processors and Retailers RETAILERS/WHOLESALERS IN BRITISH ALPACA PRODUCTS
ANIMAL HEALTH
JG ANIMAL HEALTH High specification organic chealated nutritional supplements suitable for all camelids. • Premier Camelid Drench • Premier Mineral Supplement • Premier Mineral Bucket • A, D3 & E Paste TEL: 07866 607466 EMAIL: jganimalhealth@aol.com WEB: www.jganimalhealth.co.uk
PROCESSORS OF FIBRE – MINI MILLS AND OTHER
CLASSIC CARDER Classic Carder produce a full range of British, handmade drum carders for fibre preparation. Featuring our unique interchangeable drum system which allows quick and easy drum change for carding different fibres. TEL: 01746 714130
HOMESTEAD FARM SUPPLIES Everything you need for your alpacas delivered to your door! We are a one-stop-shop for alpaca supplies, including headcollars and leads, vitamins and nutritional supplements, healthcare and welfare supplies, colostrum, coats for cria and adults and microchipping equipment. We also have a good selection for your other animals, including dogs, chickens and horses, as well as a range of farmhouse items and gifts, including our famous home cheese-making kits. We are alpaca owners ourselves and we are always happy to help with your questions and enquiries. Order direct from our website or by phone. You can expect fast, friendly service and advice. TEL: 01295 713188 EMAIL: homesteadfarms@btinternet.com WEB: www.homesteadfarmsupplies.co.uk
M.R.HARNESS M.R.Harness was founded in 1995 after existing part time for a number of years. Mary herself is a qualified engineer and is well placed to assess materials and their useage. Company policy is to test as many of the webbing designs as possible before release, as each item is unique to the animal it is designed for. This has led M.R.Harness to become the supplier of choice for headcollars, leads, coats and harness for all the various smallholding animals, but specialising in alpacas and llamas, and working ponies. All items are hand crafted ‘in house’, in England, so you can be assured of good workmanship and quality products that last. So please come and try the ‘Choice of Champions’. TEL: 01299 896827 EMAIL: mary@mrharness.co.uk
EMAIL: paulbrittain@mac.com
BAS Members exclusive BAS Members get free membership to My Society and can benefit from a number of exclusive offers. Here are a few:
Medisave
The Professional Solution
25% OFF Terms and conditions apply
Discounted Prices on Microchips*
Terms and conditions apply
10% OFF
AGRI Shelter®
WEB: www.classiccarder.co.uk Terms and conditions apply
2 FREE worm counts worth £40 for NEW BAS members then 25% OFF Worm Counts after that*
British Alpaca Society The fibre breed
Become a BAS member Single membership £74 per annum Joint membership £95 per annum Herd registration fee £25
www.bas-uk.com
5% OFF
ALL products Safe4disinfectant www.medisave.co.uk
www.ellipsefabrications.co.uk Terms and conditions apply
Wildwood Animal Health www.wildwoodanimalhealth.co.uk
Free bag of Camelibra NG2
Terms and conditions apply
Terms and conditions apply
(worth £28 & free delivery)
Checkout these and many other offers on The My Society page on the BAS website by going to the moving carousel on the home page and clicking on the My Society link www.bas-uk.com The British Alpaca Society cannot be held responsible for any issues regarding products, offers or services offered under the My Society scheme. All offers can be withdrawn or changed without notice. The British Alpaca Society does not endorse or recommend any of the companies listed under the My Society Scheme. * Full terms and conditions of the My Society offers can be seen on the BAS website.
www.bas-uk.com Alpaca #86
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SEASONAL RAMBLINGS
Our regular diarist shares her own tried and tests recipe for fly repellant and turns her attention to ticks. FLY REPELLENT INGREDIENTS 2 tbs surgical spirit 2 tbs vinegar 1 tbs washing up liquid (I use Fairy Liquid) 1 tsp citronella 1 tsp eucalyptus 1 large mug of strong tea Add water to make one litre of liquid Method Stir well as if you making home brew. (Warning: keep away from eyes)
T
he fly repellant method above works for me and uses no harsh chemicals. I apply the mixture using a weed spray bottle with a wand allowing me to reach even the most reluctant alpaca. I find they will stand and enjoy the spray mist; homemade fly repellent can be used on horses, goats, sheep you name it…husbands… kids.
Talking about shows and ticks
Isn’t it great that we have had our first halter show of the year? (See the South Of England Show report.) Everyone was so excited to get back to business, meet up with friends and catch up on the latest gossip. Let’s hope this sets a trend for more shows to come. But we do need to take care and be sensible when mixing with everyone – I don’t know how I will manage without hugging or kissing? Oh well, I suppose I will just have to keep my hands to myself! Last year some people seem to have had a lot of trouble with ticks. The problem increases in spring as they emerge in warmer weather. My shearer, good old Colin Ottery, said he lost count of the ticks he came across when shearing last year. He reckons he could be a rich man if he charged for every tick he squashed. Ticks are commonly found in long grass including meadows and woodland. Often, they will attach themselves to the skin where the fibre is thin, including the areas around the ears and nose, or where the animal is close to the ground,
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including under the belly, lower legs and feet. Alpacas will scratch with their back feet and transfer the ticks to other parts of the body. When ticks attach they gorge on the animals’ blood and as a result double or treble in size. In some animals ticks can transfer diseases, including anaplasmosis, tickborne encephalitis babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a serious infection which can be passed dogs, cats and humans. In Australia there is a big tick problem and some owners use tick collars on their alpacas. In the UK you can get Seresto tick collars for dogs which are water resistant; the collar has a specially designed mechanism which uses a ratchet release system if an animal gets caught up or tangled. The collar works slowly releasing the dosage allowing the active ingredients to spread across the animals’ skin at a controlled and steady rate. It kills fleas and ticks and in turn helps prevent infections carried by them. A fleas’ life cycle lasts from several weeks to a month and may continue much longer in the right conditions. A single flea can lay up to 50 eggs each day. In one month, 10 females could lay 15,000 eggs on your pet; the pet could spread fleas everywhere, if a dog, these would be spread around your home environment. I wonder if they work on alpacas? I am so glad I have just bought in some more hay. We were gagging for rain, not having had a reasonable amount of rain for a month and more; now its rained for the last 24 hours and the cold wind is bitter. But I can’t see any alpacas in the shelters eating their way through the new hay...costly beggars! Time for a break – coffee and biscuits will do nicely.
Made in Wiltshire BAS Approved
The UK’s favourite alpaca feeds. As a key supplier to many of the UK’s most established alpaca herds since 2003, we’d like to think we know a thing or two about camelid nutrition. From our acclaimed ‘Camelibra’; designed to provide the correct nutritional balance to maintain healthy digestion from natural forage/fibre based diets, our unique ‘Hembra & Cria’ to maximise the growth and fibre development of the newborn from birth to post weaning and ‘Fibregest’; our high quality soluble fibre feed, we have the perfect answer for optimum nutrition whatever your situation. In addition, no minimum order quantities, nationwide sales support and full nutritional backup all come as standard too. www.gwfnutrition.com
For further information, stockist details and to order, please visit gwfnutrition.com or call: +44 (0)1225 708482
Supreme Champion alpaca breeders with 27 years experience Inca Incognito – Supreme Champion Female.
We are proud to offer: Detailed guidance and support for new owners. Business planning for breeding herds. Elite pedigree breeding and pet stock for sale and export to the EU and Middle East? Help obtaining planning permission for a dwelling using alpaca breeding as justification – we did it and have helped others.
www.incaalpaca.co.uk Please call Tim and Tracey to talk more about alpaca ownership: +44 (0) 7875 532827
incaalpaca.co.uk
