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

Some 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 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

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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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