Alpaca British Alpaca Society bi-monthly magazine
ISSUE 93: JUNE/JULY 2022
British Alpaca Society The fibre breed
www.bas-uk.com
ARTWORK ALPACAS bringing art to the science of alpaca breeding. www.artworkalpacas.com
Snowmass Bronze Royalty of Artwork weanlings……
Artwork Alpacas, Mills Farm House, Rogate, West Sussex, GU31 5EQ, UK T: 07785 258740 E: alpacas@freivokh.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 BAS CHIEF EXECUTIVE Dr Duncan Pullar Tel: 07496 578781 Email: ceo@bas-uk.com 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
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CONTENTS
Skin biopsies remain illegal Our exclusive investigation.
14 Shows
North Somerset, Northumberland and Scottish Championships.
20 Bright future
Determined to keep learning and improve her herd Nicola Grant was thrilled when her work paid off and the Solomons Alpacas’ show team of six all came home with rosettes on their first outing.
GRAPHIC DESIGN Jo Legg 07306 482166 jo.legg@flair-design.co.uk
DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain: Marketforce (UK) 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 020 3148 5000
Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit https://www.kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy/ . If at any point you have any queries regarding Kelsey’s data policy you can email our Data Protection Officer at dpo@kelsey.co.uk.
www.kelsey.co.uk
38 Glamping and alpacas
Roddy Hamilton and his wife Jane run a luxury glamping site, with alpaca walking experiences, at The Private Hill in Yorkshire. Roddy tells Alpaca why, after looking at different farming options he chose glamping and alpacas.
Tom and Emma Jessop left professional careers on the Scottish mainland to open a glamping and alpaca trekking business at Balmichael on the Isle of Arran. But the couple have “absolutely no regrets”.
24 Trace elements
Wesley Habershon from GWF Nutrition provides an overview of the importance of trace elements in camelid feed and the function of key minerals.
42 Delightful combination
Flowers and alpacas are a delightful combination at Bewl Rookery, where visitors can also enjoy traditional English tea served on vintage china.
28 P G's remarkable recovery
To recover from a leg amputation is a remarkable achievement, but to deliver a healthy cria five months later is testimony to the resilience of a young female.
PRINTING Precision Colour Print Kelsey Media 2022 © 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.
North West Alpaca Group.
40 Escape to Arran
KELSEY MEDIA The Granary, Downs Court Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL 01959 541444 MANAGEMENT Chief Executive: Steve Wright Chief Operating Officer: Phil Weeden Managing Director: Kevin McCormick Publisher: Jamie McGrorty Retail Director: Steve Brown Renewals and Projects Manager: Andy Cotton Senior Subscription Marketing Manager: Nick McIntosh Subscription Marketing Director: Gill Lambert Subscription Marketing Manager: Kate Chamberlain Print Production Manager: Georgina Harris Print Production Controller: Kelly Orriss
37 BAS regional spotlight
45 A relaxing hobby 30 Fit to breed
It’s breeding season and Ami Sawran, from Westpoint Farm Vets, outlines some key health questions to consider to ensure your herd, and your individual breeding males and females, are fit to breed.
Iain Sharp and Anne Cheston, Abberley Alpacas have no regrets about starting their alpaca adventure after a chance conversation in a hotel bar sparked the start of a new hobby.
32 Managing births
In the third in a set of three ‘Alpaca bites’ webinars, Andrea Turner of Langford Farm animal practice discussed how to prepare for and manage a successful unpacking season. Andrea’s article is based on the webinar and aims to help owners manage births.
34 Why won't my alpaca get pregnant?
50 Reader's story
Children’s book author and retired alpaca owner Fiona Wallace reflects on the magical time she spent with her alpacas, llamas and blackface sheep on a Scottish croft.
Cover photo: Bewl Rookery
Alpaca #93
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FROM THE EDITOR
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T: 01959 541444 E: alpaca.ed@kelsey.co.uk facebook-f @BritishAlpacaMagazine
elcome to the July issue. We have a packed edition for you with informative and topical articles from veterinary contributors on birthing and breeding. We also take a look at skin biopsies and give you the latest information on the legality of their use as a test for fleece density.
Our exclusive news story provides an update from the government’s Department of Food, Farming and the Environment and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) confirming that skin biopsies for breeding purposes are illegal under the Animal Welfare Act. Caroline Baraugh Sheriff Alpacas, outlines her welfare friendly alternative method, called the Skin Imprint, which she has developed following extensive research. Consultant Ian Watt also gives us an insight into why density matters and why US breeders find biopsies a worthwhile selection tool. Our regular vet contributor Ami Sawran from Westpoint Farm Vets take us through the essential herd and individual animal health issues to consider before breeding. Camelid specialist vet Claire Whitehead, Camelid Veterinary Services, provides a comprehensive article for the magazine on female breeding soundness under the headline: ’Why won’t my alpaca get pregnant?’ Andrea Turner, Langford Vets, looks at unpacking. Her › Liz Mason article helps to ensure you are familiar with the stages of
birth and when it may be necessary to intervene. Thank you to all three vets for making time in their busy schedules for writing such valuable articles as we continue the birthing and mating season. Continuing the summer theme we travel the country with articles from owners managing glamping sites and offering alpaca walks and afternoon teas. Yorkshire farmer and alpaca owner Roddy Hamilton has diversified to set up a glamping site at The Private Hill offering spectacular views from geodesic domes. We also go to Arran and find out why Tom and Emma Jessop moved from the Scottish mainland to set up Arran Alpacas offering alpaca treks alongside Balmichael Glamping. From Kent, Carol Ballet tells us how her alpacas contribute to her flower growing enterprise at Bewl Rookery where she and her husband also offer home made teas using local produce. In the first of a series of features on new BAS members Nicola Grant from Solomons Alpacas talks to us about her continuing learning journey and her delight at her recent show success. Thank you to BAS members who contributed show reports for the magazine and the North West Alpaca Group regional spotlight and to everyone who has helped with this issue. Last and by no means least we also have a delightful Reader’s Story from retired BAS member Fiona Wallace highlighting an ongoing theme in the magazine – alpaca ownership is life changing.
CEO NOTES...
M
Duncan Pullar: ceo@bas-uk.com
any of you will know that BAS has a strong remit for alpaca welfare. There is the direct approach, where members are involved in a direct intervention. This mostly happens because good owners become incapacitated or sometimes because there are “bad” owners who are negligent.
In recent weeks and months this kind of activity has included rehoming alpacas because the owner had died and the family did not have any alpaca skills. We have arranged some emergency shearing because the owner did
not understand this husbandry practice, and we have helped with a herd where breeding control was non-existent. The indirect approach is education in husbandry matters which is delivered in a variety of ways including the BAS affiliates, webinars, the BAS website and BAS hosted Chat forums, to name but a few. Good alpaca care is natural to most alpaca owners. BAS is here to help all alpacas, member owned or not. So please remember that regional and national contacts are here to help if you notice, or are made aware of, a welfare problem near you.
Become a BAS member www.bas-uk.com
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Alpaca #93
British Alpaca Society The fibre breed
NEWS
SKIN BIOPSIES REMAIN ILLEGAL
T
Skin biopsies taken by vets to measure fleece density in alpacas in the UK are illegal, an investigation by Alpaca editor Liz Mason has confirmed.
he Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and DEFRA, the government department responsible for food, farming and the environment, told the magazine that biopsies, when carried out for breeding purposes are an “unnecessary mutilation” and are therefore illegal under the Animal Welfare Act.
Our investigation comes after the magazine was told that the RCVS, who are responsible for upholding ethical standards among the veterinary profession, had recently reconsidered the issue and had decided that the practice was legal. The RCVS confirmed in a statement that a sub-committee had looked at the issue. It had said that a skin biopsy for the purposes of breeding decisions was “likely to amount to recognised veterinary practice” and “falls within the definition of recognised animal husbandry”. But a DEFRA spokesperson told the magazine that under the Animal Welfare Act it is an offence to mutilate an animal – subject to exceptions set out in mutilation regulations. There is no mention in the mutilation regulation of this procedure for camelids, DEFRA said. “Such a procedure would be considered illegal under this regulation.” Leading vets contacted by the magazine were unaware that the RCVS had updated its position on skin biopsies for breeding. The issue was raised sometime ago after the profession came under pressure to perform the procedure in alpacas. In a statement, released at the time VetPartners, an umbrella group of practices, said: “A mutilation is defined as ‘a procedure which interferes with sensitive tissue or bone structure of an animal’. A skin biopsy, regardless of its size, is recognised as such. Animal welfare legislation in the UK prohibits mutilations on animals ‘otherwise than for the purpose of its medical treatment.’” The VetPartners statement added that it had consulted the Animal Welfare Act, and sought advice from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. “We have received a clear response and wish to unequivocally state that this mutilation is not permissible under UK law.
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Alpaca #93
“Any persons undertaking this type of procedure for the purpose of follicle density analysis is doing so in direct contravention of animal welfare law.”
RCVS apologises for confusion
Biopsies are however carried out in other countries, including the US and Australia as a test for fleece density (see feature). And the magazine understands that a camelid vet practice had planned to offer the service to breeders after receiving clarification from the RCVS that skin biopsies for the purposes of making breeding decisions were legal. The RCVS confirmed that its sub-committee “was of the view that taking skin biopsies from alpacas for the purposes of making breeding decisions is likely to amount to recognised veterinary practice, i.e. the clinical investigation and management of the health or welfare of animals, and is thus permitted. It also falls within the definition of recognised animal husbandry, as set out in… the supporting guidance to the Code of Conduct.” It added: “Taking a skin biopsy is therefore not, in the opinion of the Subcommittee, considered a mutilation, or a procedure that requires Home Office licensing under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, provided that is for the purpose of recognised animal husbandry, which does include breeding to improve the qualities considered desirable by humans.” But following further consultation, after it learned that DEFRA was of the view that biopsies for breeding were illegal under the Animal Welfare Act, the RCVS again updated its position. In an apologetic statement it told the magazine that it was ‘in agreement with DEFRA, ie that taking a skin biopsy from an alpaca for breeding purposes would be considered an unnecessary mutilation and therefore not considered recognised veterinary practice and illegal under the Animal Welfare Act.”
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NEWS
‘SKIN IMPRINT’ FOR FLEECE DENSITY
A welfare friendly new test to evaluate alpaca fleece by looking at the skin surface has been invented by Caroline Baraugh, Sherriff Alpacas. Unlike skin biopsies, banned in the UK, the method is not invasive as Caroline explains in an interview with Alpaca editor Liz Mason.
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Alpaca #93
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op breeders are increasingly turning to objective methods, including breeding values and genetic testing, to measure and improve valued fleece traits. In the US and Australia skin biopsies are also used to measure fleece density, a highly prized trait which can otherwise only be assessed by touch which is a subjective assessment reliant on a breeder’s or judge’s expertise.
Biopsies offer breeders additional objective information to select the best alpacas for breeding. But concerns raised over the welfare implications have led UK vets to ban their use for fleece assessment (see news story). Determined to continue to improve her show winning herd after she was told by her vet that skin biopsies to assess fleece density were illegal Caroline decided to investigate an alternative method. She began her research two years ago with in depth reading on the benefits of skin biopsy and how to create a humane strategy that would give the same benefits. Caroline has trialed various techniques and materials and has successfully come up with the ‘Skin Imprint’ - a welfare friendly technique with a patent pending. Caroline says: “It is really exciting - by looking directly at the skin surface you can capture so much information and this print does exactly that. It is a print of the skin so it gives a compete impression of the skin follicles. There is nothing else like it in the rest of the world.”
> Fleece shave
‘Groundbreaking technique’
The ‘Skin Imprint” is made using a type of putty squeezed onto a shaved area of skin only 1cm wide. It is non invasive and not noticeable if you wish the alpaca to go into the show ring and can be done at any time of year, Caroline explains. The putty has a similar texture to toothpaste so is easy to apply and dries in a couple of minutes. The intent is that a kit is sent to a breeder who does this easily at home. The imprint is followed by a positive replica made by pouring material into the impression. Caroline is then able to examine the replicas under a highly advanced microscope. “We look closely at the fibre clusters within a 1mm square area. We count the clusters and how many fibres within each cluster. The more clusters the denser the animal's fleece and also the more fibres within each cluster the denser the animal's fleece. “The ability to assess density in an alpaca using this technique is ground breaking. Not only that, the microscope measures the micron of each of the fibres within each cluster to see how uniform they are.” This assessment has already proved extremely useful for Caroline to objectively select breeding animals that may outwardly appear among the best in her herd. “I have a particular male who I thought was one of my best, but I found his primary fibres with the cluster were 27 micron while the others were 20. The micron range within the cluster is too big which for me is a no no.”
> Applying resin
Commercial service
Leading UK and European breeders have shown interest in the ‘Skin Imprint’ and Caroline recently visited a herd in Germany. She has carried out extensive research taking prints of various alpacas within leading herds and is ready to launch a commercial service. Caroline has managed to get cost of testing to below that of a skin biopsy but it is still higher than other fleece tests. The increased cost is due to the unique testing and microscope used and the results are unique to skin imprint, she adds. “Skin Imprint may be more expensive but it really does provide in depth information on the individual alpaca.” Breeders can also choose to have a small percentage of their animals sampled, as Caroline has done with her own herd, and as a breeder she knows the results can be used to drive improvement in fleece traits. She also hopes the ‘Skin Imprint’ will enable her to build a picture of the quality of the UK herd. As breeders send imprints she can build a comparative database of results - a move that could help to improve fleece quality within the national herd.
Caroline’s interest in fleece assessment, and passion for improvement, has seen her complete all stages of BAS assessment – introduction, intermediate and advanced – and she hopes to become full qualified judge one day. Meanwhile she is determined to use her knowledge, together with the welfare friendly ‘Skin Imprint’, to continue to breed top quality alpacas and offer other breeders the opportunity to do the same. Alpaca #93
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NEWS
DENSITY A US VIEW Ian Watt, a consultant based in the United States, provides an overview of fleece density and explains how the trait is measured in the US and Australia using skin biopsies which are illegal in the UK. > High
> Low
> Low density follicle grouping
> High density follicle grouping
Longer, stronger primary hair
Primary hair conforms to secondary pressure
Branching follicles Secondary follicle
D
ensity is probably the most over used and misunderstood trait alpaca breeders use in making breeding decisions and creating selling or marketing literature. Put simply, density is the number of hair follicles in a given area, usually per square millimetre. There is only one way to arrive at this number and that is through a skin biopsy - but this option is not available in some countries.
A skin biopsy is usually a 10mm punch of skin taken from a handspan down from the backbone over the third last rib called the midside, where fibre samples should be collected from. It is then processed onto a microscope slide which is read through a 4K (4,000 pixel) camera computer programme. At that time the number of primary and secondary fibres are not only counted but measured for diameter. As a selection tool, this information is invaluable when one considers that there are only three factors that determine fleece weight – density, length and micron. The benefit for breeders, intent on producing high in demand fleeces, is that making density and length their two primary selection traits delivers sustainable profits.
Density is set at conception
Approximately halfway through the pregnancy the cells that produce follicles (fibroblasts) initiate the production of the 10 Alpaca #93
Highly branched secondary follicles
Low branching incidence in secondary follicles
primary follicles for a period of two to three weeks after which they are shutdown and then produce the secondaries for a period of about four weeks. Once those follicles are established the leftover fibroblasts convert into collagen which determines skin thickness. It is interesting to note that the finest fibres in a cria fleece are the primary hairs. The result of this process is that a cria is at its densest at birth after which it loses density as it grows into an adult – which is why it is always wise to look at density of animals of the same age and size when assessing the trait especially when purchasing genetics. Density does not increase as an alpaca ages or after the first shearing.
Live assessment
As skin biopsies are prohibited in parts of Europe it is worth understanding how to assess it in a live animal. First and foremost is understanding there is density and then there is organised density – there is a big difference between the two. When opening a fleece one can see jagged lines of skin between the follicle groups in dense alpacas. When that jagged line is not apparent the fleece is described as disorganised. The difference between the two is that when it comes to processing the organised fleece will process with much less waste. Second is the degree to which soil penetrates the staples – less dense animals allow soil to
become trapped between the fibres simply because the follicles are spaced further apart in the skin. The further down the staple the penetration occurs the more disorganised or less dense the animal is. Third is the definition of crimp. Crimp is a structural artefact that allows the fibres to align together thus protecting the stapes from collecting and holding soil and vegetable matter. When the crimp is highly defined it means the follicles are very close together and so the alpaca is dense in a very organised way.
US results
The top 10% of US tested males have density numbers in the 75-80 follicles/square millimetre range and the females in the 60-70 range. And there is plenty of room for improvement – as a guide merino rams regularly meet 120 follicles/ square millimetre.
About the author
Ian Watt has been consulting in the Austrailia and US alpaca industry since 1991. He mentored in biopsy testing with research vet and wool scientist Dr Jim Watts using the ‘soft rolling skin’ (SRS) breeding philosophy and has been providing a biopsy service since 2002, along with an OFDA 2000 fibre testing, for breeders in the US, Australia and Canada.
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Alpaca #93
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NEWS
NATIONAL ALPACA FARM OPEN DAYS T he National Alpaca Farm Open Days were a resounding success with 90 BAS members opening their gates to the public in early September 2021, writes BAS CEO Duncan Pullar.
Reports from delighted BAS members recorded more than 30,000 people attending the events across the UK. BAS hosts worked hard on local promotion which was supported by radio and press coverage. As ever Facebook proved to be a potent tool for getting the message out. Events ranged in size from 12 to 6000 participants and everyone held an event on a scale that suited them, although one or two reports indicated that some hosts were surprised by the response and had a few more people than they bargained for. The aim is to make the 2022 weekend of 3-4 September as good, if not better. If you would like to be part of this event and promote the joys of alpacas to the general public then please contact me by email at ceo@bas-uk.com. It is a great shop window for British alpacas and their passionate owners. The key things to remember, if you are interested, are that the public should be able to meet an alpaca without having to pay an entry fee. Organise an event that you can cope with in terms of people coming, traffic and times of opening. Comments from host farms who enjoyed a fantastic weekend suggest owners and helpers enjoy the event as much as the public: "We had a wonderful time on Saturday. It was a really enjoyable day for visitors, helpers and me too. Can’t wait to do it again." "Both the response and atmosphere were amazing with visitors ranging from those with a passing curiosity to those with a desire to pursue ownership". "We had an absolute blast at the weekend! We have never run an event at the farm and are not open to the public so this was a first! We had about 800 visitors over both days. A lovely steady stream all day from start to finish. All the feedback since the event and on the day has been wonderful and people have been very appreciative of the chance to see the farm and meet the animals." "We were blown away by the turn out we received. It was a great day and the smile on 12 Alpaca #93
all of the kids' faces was amazing and lovely to see." “…we had a fantastic event! We incorporated our Alpaca Farm Day with a charity event raising funds for our local neonatal unit which is close to my heart as my identical twin grandsons were in there for nearly five weeks. We had over 550 visitors throughout the day. There was live
> Open day at Arcadia Alpacas
entertainment, disco and games, market stalls, children’s activities which included meeting the reptiles and crafts and face painting and of course a bouncy castle. The alpacas were very inquisitive and loved the attention, we had a set time that they were all up at the fence when we feed them and some people were given carrots to hand feed them, which they loved.”
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SHOWS
NORTH SOMERSET SHOW Exhibitors and the public enjoyed a great day out at the North Somerset Show on May Bank Holiday Monday.
T
he show was organised by Garry Naish and Judith Newman and kindly sponsored by Snowshill Alpacas and Usk Valley Alpacas. Unfortunately, Garry could not be there on the day but Jay Holland stepped into the breach and with Judith as recording steward, and Dave Bearman and George Morgan as ring stewards, the day ran according to plan.
The classes were judged by Jo Bridge and after a close final championship Supreme Champion Huacaya was awarded to the champion fawn male Artwork B. R. Inti owned by Ken Freivokh and Liz Windsor. Jo described the three Huacayas in her final frontline as exceptional and some of the best she had seen. “These are beautiful alpacas,” she added. The other two in contention for the Supreme title were both juniors and included the champion light female, Alpha Mercedes, owned by Di Davies. This young female had a beautiful fleece with a uniform micron and soft, “buttery" feel, Jo said. Also in the final line was Artwork B.R. American Hustle the champion brown male owned by Ken Freivokh and Liz Windsor. Jo said both juniors would have their day, but on this occasion it was the intermediate male Artwork Inti, with his outstanding fleece density and his presence as a “strapping macho”, who took the Supreme title. Suri Supreme Champion was awarded to the champion brown female Winsaula Agatha Raisin owned by Mark and Paula Winsor. Jo said she was looking for Suri champions that were true to type, showing fleece with a good lock structure and beautiful lustre on a strong frame. And the Supreme Champion had all the attributes required in a Supreme Suri. Jay ended the show by thanking the show’s organisers Garry Naish and Judith Newman as well as the exhibitors. > This is Chris Powell's grandson Noah, taken at the North Somerset. He really wanted to be a young handler at the show, but wasn't old enough. Instead, he led Pegasus back from the ring when he got reserve Champion
BAS National results apology The editor would like to issue an apology to Mark and Paula Winsor, Winsaula Alpacas for not including the result of the Grey Suri Fleece Championship in the BAS National Champion of Champions Fleece Show
14 Alpaca #93
report in the May issue of the magazine (Issue 93).
The National Grey Suri Fleece Champion is Winsaula Malahide, owned by Mark and Paula Winsor, Winsaula Alpacas.
TOFT S
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EST. 1997
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www.toftalpacastud.com Rob & Shirley Bettinson Toft Manor Lodge, Dunchurch, Warwickshire, CV22 6NR | shirley@toftalpacastud.com | 07970 626245
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Is your relationship with your animals all you had hoped for? How can Camelidynamics techniques help me on my alpaca journey? Camelidynamics is an approach to and collection of methods that represent the most positive, least intrusive techniques for training and managing alpacas. This two day handling course will change the relationship you have with your animals forever. Understand why camelids behave the way they do and learn kind and efficient methods that are science-based, for safe handling and husbandry that’s fun. Tell your vet that we have courses for them too. For those interested in finding out how this approach can inform and support your human/alpaca interactions in the therapeutic arena, we are now offering courses for owners and professionals. Working with Alpacas in Animal Assisted Activity or Therapy.
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SENIORCONSULTANT
Alpaca #93
15
SHOWS
NORTHUMBERLAND After a two year break, we were very excited to welcome exhibitors back to the Northumberland Alpaca Championship, writes chief steward Rachel Vaclik.
T
he show took place as part of the Northumberland Country Show at Bywell, Stocksfield on 3 June – a great way to celebrate the jubilee weekend. Run by the North East and Borders Alpaca Group (NEBAG), the show was organised by chief stewards Rachel Vaclik and Paul Vaclik (Munaycha Alpacas). After a week of uncertainty we were blessed with glorious weather, allowing us to enjoy the whole day in the sunshine which delighted both alpacas and owners.
We were pleased to welcome Tim Hey to Northumberland to judge this year. Tim brought with him a wealth of knowledge and experience and gave a very high standard of judging. HIs detailed and informative feedback not only helped the exhibitors but he made the audience feel very involved and held their interest throughout. The show attracted a large number of entrants, many rolling over from the postponed 2020/21 shows, but we also had the capacity to welcome extra entrants as well which brought our numbers to 127. As well as entries from the local area we were pleased to welcome back familiar faces from Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Cumbria and Scotland. We always love attracting new breeders to the show and this year was no exception. We would like to thank all our sponsors who continue to support the show and help to make it a continued success. We would like to give special thanks to our overall section sponsor Ad Gefrin who supported us in such a big way. As always the entries presented an extremely high standard in both Huacaya and Suri classes and made for an interesting show with champions coming from within and outside the region.
Results
• Supreme Champion, kindly sponsored by platinum sponsor Nero Black Alpacas, was awarded to Rivenherd Alpacas for their white male Rivenherd Hardy. They were presented with the Vicki Ridley Memorial Trophy. • Reserve Champion, sponsored by Sheriff Alpacas, was awarded to Barnacre Alpacas for their brown male Barnacre Groschen. • Suri Supreme, kindly sponsored by Balnuith Alpacas, was awarded to Sheriff Alpacas for their white male Sheriff Can Can. 16 Alpaca #93
Photos: Noah Bay Photography
> Supreme Huacaya
> Supreme Suri
• The Best Northumbrian, sponsored by Ad Gefrin, was awarded to Rivenherd Alpacas for Rivenherd Hardy. For a full list of results see the BAS website.
Other highlights
This year also saw the return of the young handlers class – a delight for both participants and audience alike. We had a good turnout of various ages and they were put through their paces to negotiate a mini obstacle course. The entrants rose to the challenge and performed exceptionally well with everyone keen to demonstrate their alpaca handling skills. We are firm believers that the alpaca breeders of the future should be encouraged at an early age and the enthusiasm and skill shown on the day was praiseworthy. One of the highlights of the day was having the opportunity for the top three winners to be part of the Grand Parade for the judging of Best in Show. In previous years this has not always been possible but thanks to the determination of the judge, and excellent organisation behind the scenes, we were able to complete the judging the early afternoon allowing the Supreme and Reserve Huacaya and Supreme Suri to take their rightful place in the line up along with the top winners from the other sections. Standing proud in the main arena, alongside Shire horses, premium bulls and other livestock while judging took place, they attracted a lot of attention - great exposure for the exhibitors and an opportunity to showcase alpacas. The show itself had a record number of visitors and the alpaca section drew an immense interest from the public. The public viewing area was
> Reserve Huacaya
packed for most of the day, as well as attracting a large crowd outside watching classes, learning from the judge and waiting for the all important results. We continued to focus on entertaining and educating the public which we feel is always an important part of our show, broadening their knowledge, awareness and interest of these wonderful animals. We had educational banners, examples of fleece and it was great to welcome back the Tynedale Guild of Spinners who are always a highlight for the public and help demonstrate the stages of animal, fleece, yarn and product. The extra marquee space provided an ideal spot for NEBAG members to sell their alpaca products to a large audience, generating a lot of business. After such a long break it was fantastic to be back in the tent once more, bustling with activity and excitement, and a chance to reconnect and catch up with friends and fellow breeders. That, along with the beautiful weather made for a truly successful day and many happy memories made on what is one of the most prestigious shows of the North East alpaca calendar. As show organisers we are looking forward to a little break over the summer, enjoying the birthing season, but we are always thinking of ways to make the show bigger and better and planning will soon begin in the autumn for 2023. We would love to see you there so keep an eye on the BAS website for details around the beginning of March when entries will open. For any queries contact: rachel.vaclik@gmail.com
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
2ye0ars
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in ser
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 #93
17
SHOWS
SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIPS
After two years of pandemic lockdown, 2022 brought a welcome return to showing with the opportunity to catch up with friends old and new and see some of their recently bred alpacas out in the show ring for the first time, writes Pauline Robson, Scottish Alpaca Group treasurer and membership secretary.
I
t also brought the extension of the Scottish Alpaca Championships to a day and a half in order to accommodate the 212 animals entered by 30 herds from all over the UK. Our judge, Barbara Hetherington, did a sterling job, working tirelessly through the alpacas put before her, giving an informative and detailed oral reasoning on the alpacas she placed in each class and acknowledging the high quality of the entries.
It was a year of firsts for this show - we’ve obviously had too much time to plan and think about it! As well as the change to a day and a half, the show was live streamed and recorded, there is a link on the Scottish Alpaca Championships Facebook page so if you missed it live or weren’t able to watch it then you can catch up in your own time. Thanks go to Amberly Alpacas and Velvet Hall Alpacas for their sponsorship without which we wouldn’t have been able to have this resource.
Fibrezone
Our third ‘first’ was the addition of a Fibrezone, a competition that demonstrated the quality and diversity of items that can be made using alpaca yarn and fibre. We were delighted with the quality and high number of entries. The competition showcased 57 entries from 10 exhibitors and demonstrated the time and talents of these makers and crafters using pure British alpaca fibre to create items of clothing, household items, jewellery, toys, and celebration pieces by knitting, crochet and felting processes. There was also a yarn class with examples of yarn from the finest two ply through to chunky Aran style. It was a difficult task for the judges from the Dumfries and Galloway Spinner's Guild to make their final placing decisions with rosettes being awarded from first to sixth in each class. Congratulations to all exhibitors on the excellent quality of your work and products, especially to the winners. Many thanks for your help in making this such a successful event. The Marleen Miller Memorial Trophy, given in memory of our former Scottish Alpaca Group chair who sadly passed away earlier this year, awarded for the Best in Show was presented by Marleen’s husband David to Alison Wiseman of Balnuith Alpacas, for her lovely little teddy with his suitcase of clothes. We plan to make the Fibrezone an annual event and hope that next year it will be even bigger and better.
As in previous years some of our volunteers sold surplus show catalogues to the members of the public who visited the show and are happy to report that this raised donations for charity totalling £140 which will be split equally between Marie Curie and the St. Andrews Hospice in Airdrie who cared for our retired chair, Marleen Miller, in her final days. Full results are available on the BAS website but the top awards were: • Supreme Champion Huacaya Sponsored by Artwork Alpacas Velvet Hall Finisterre – Stuart Ramsay and Jean MacDonald • Supreme Champion Suri Sponsored by Alpaca Evolution Wellow Fridays Child – Neil and Michelle Payne • Best British Bred Huacaya Sponsored by Sheriff Alpacas Velvet Hall Finisterre – Stuart Ramsay and Jean MacDonald • Best British Bred Suri Sponsored by Bobcat Alpacas Wellow Fridays Child – Neil and Michelle Payne • Judge’s Choice Huacaya Sponsored by Legacy Alpacas Artwork B.R. American Hustle – Ken Freivokh and Liz Windsor • Judge’s Choice Suri Sponsored by North West Suri Alpacas Wellow Florence – Neil and Michelle Payne • Best Scottish Breeder Award Sponsored by Nero Black Alpacas Velvet Hall Alpacas – Stuart Ramsay and Jean MacDonald • Best New Scottish Breeder Award Sponsored by Nero Black Alpacas Starrywell Alpacas – Neil and Tracey Carpenter The exhibitors all appeared to enjoy their weekend and some were kind enough to tell us they thought it was a well run and friendly show. Huge thanks go to the show committee, our judge, the generous sponsors, the volunteer helpers and of course the exhibitors without all of whom the show just wouldn't happen. Congratulations to all breeders and exhibitors who came to the show, we hope to see you again in 2023.
Become a BAS member 18 Alpaca #93
www.bas-uk.com
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BRIGHT FUTURE
Determined to keep learning and improve her herd Nicola Grant was thrilled when her work paid off and the Solomons Alpacas’ show team of six all came home with rosettes on their first outing to the South of England Show, writes Alpaca editor Liz Mason
20 Alpaca #93
N
ikki started with a bigger herd than most when she bought 19 alpacas and started Solomons Alpacas, with her husband Jon in 2019.
After looking for the perfect piece of land with some water and a big tree the couple found the ideal property at Blackhorse Farm, in Hampshire. A former DJ and civil servant at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Nikki now works full time with the Solomons herd which has grown to 38 alpacas. “Our intention was to find a small piece of land – about an acre with a big tree and a little bit of water. We have never been big holiday people so this was going to be our retreat,” Nikki explains. While they were looking for the ideal place for their retreat the couple visited a property with alpacas. Although she had been around horses for most of her life, and trained as a riding instructor with the British Horse Society (BHS), the visit was the first time Nikki had come into contact with alpacas. “When I met the alpacas one in particular, as I know now, was an incredibly friendly alpaca and kept following me around, nibbling at my ears, and I said to my husband I’d love to have some when we have our own place, to cut the grass.” Jon agreed – providing Nikki looked after them. But when they bought more land than they expected the couple also bought more alpacas than planned and Jon too now works full time with the herd. Nikki says: “We found nearly seven acres and at the same time as the sale went through I accidentally came across a herd of alpacas that were being sold because the owner was moving on to do other things.” After researching everything she could about alpaca ownership, and the pedigree of their potential new herd, Nikki and Jon bought seventeen females. “The real surprise was when the owner said ‘of course we will cover them’ although we were unsure how many were in fact pregnant,” Nikki adds. The following summer nine cria were born. The dams were all maiden females and while there were some issues with milk supply the births were fairly straightforward – only one required intervention because the cria’s leg was bent back.
‘Chance in a million’
There have now been 27 births at Solomons Alpacas with one heartbreaking and unexplained loss in 2020 and one female cria who last season survived against all expectations. Born with apparent narcolepsy (a rare sleep disorder in alpacas), Nikki and Jon refused to give up on her. “We were advised that our best choice would be to put her to sleep. But she grew out of it after about 10 days which proved it wasn’t actually narcolepsy,” Nikki says. “She was literally like a bag of bones. There was no life in her at all. We tried giving her injections of vitamin B1 which would wake her up for a few seconds, and if you held her to her dam’s teats she would suckle, but the minute you let her go she would fall to the floor. We didn’t think she would survive overnight.” However the cria, called Solomons Chance In A Million, grew into a healthy young female and went onto win first in her class at the South of England Show in April. “She did very well, and to bring home a red ribbon for us was amazing,” Nikki says. Chance was one of six homebred girls that made up the Solomons’ show team at the South of England. To Nikki’s delight they won two firsts, three seconds, two fourths and a reserve champion. “It was my first ever show and all but one were animals that I have bred. We also sold a boy who won third for his new owner, so every animal there with a Solomons name won a rosette.” A reserve champion win for Solomon’s Cassiopeia, a junior grey female, with “an incredibly soft” fleece was also unexpected, although Nikki was hopeful she would do well. “To take six and come back with seven rosettes, >> Continued on next page
<< including one for sire’s progeny, was incredible. It really took my breath away and showed our breeding policy is going the right way.” Encouraged by the comments from judge Jay Holland and the support she received from other owners Nikki plans to continue to show locally. “We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I will never compromise the welfare of the animals – their welfare is paramount and I will always make sure they are comfortable at shows, and will not travel more than two hours with them” she adds.
Breeding the best
Having spent many hours learning, and researching alpaca breeding, Nikki’s aim is to produce top quality alpacas, particularly greys. “I want to improve the alpacas we are breeding but I’m also looking to improve alpacas generally. I’ve passed the BAS assessment courses, including the
beginners, intermediate and advanced courses and I was going to continue to become a judge but the physical demands meant I wasn’t able to continue and qualify as a judge.” A riding accident has left Nikki with back issues, but she doesn’t rule out further judge’s training as she says this will help her to improve her knowledge. “I am doing well with the alpacas I am producing but I want to breed the best possible fibre animals I can,” she adds. As part of their breeding policy Nikki and Jon have introduced four females with grey bloodlines into the herd. “I particularly love the colour, and have learnt to spin by hand. I have a spinning wheel and have been spinning since August. “We have a grey boy and I have recently been spinning his fleece straight from the bag without carding it first. The yarn has a variegated effect from white through to black and back again which I just love.”
Perfect place
After finding their ideal farm, with streams and mature oak trees, care for the environment is a priority. Nikki has taken a course in using faecal egg counts for worm control. Avoiding routine use of chemicals on the land and on the animals where possible is better for the environment and is in line with being frugal, she says. “When we had horses we would only worm them when necessary – it is better for the animals and the planet, and it also saves money.” The couple grow their own hay and Nikki has a love, and knowledge of wildlife and the countryside acquired as a child from her grandfather. The farm is in a beautiful, peaceful rural area and Nikki appreciates all it has to offer, including the red kites and owls that regularly fly overhead. Nikki and Jon have found their rural idyll and, while it may not be the retreat they planned, the farm and the alpacas have brought a lifestyle and potential business that offers a bright future.
Breeding quality, happy and healthy alpacas. Contact Nikki on 07727 121819 to find out more about our products and services www.solomonsalpacas.co.uk
About Our Farm
Alpacas for Sale
Alpaca fibre/wool
Located in the beautiful countryside of Waltham Chase we are a family run and owned farm, breeding pedigree Alpacas.
We have females, studs and cria in our herd. If you are interested in expanding your herd, stud services or starting an alpaca farm of your own, we often have alpacas for sale as well as training courses.
Hand spun. Available by the skein. Bespoke, luxury garments, available to order.
Alpaca #93
23
HEALTH
TRACE ELEMENTS
Wesley Habershon from GWF Nutrition provides an overview of the importance of trace elements in camelid feed and the function of key minerals.
A
complementary feeds Camelibra and Hembra & Cria have been formulated based on average known values to suit a broader spectrum of requirements given the mineral profile variations across the country. Some alternative formulations may also be available to those with crucial limitations.
s any alpaca owner will know, information on camelid nutrition can be limited, especially around vitamin, mineral and trace element intake. Often values are based on ruminant species and indeed many of the feeds sold on the market today have been initially formulated for other species and tweaked to suit the pseudo-ruminant camelid.
The purpose of this article is to look at the camelid's specific requirements and the various differences in organic, inorganic, hydroxy and chelated trace elements. The important trace elements we will focus on are zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. When speaking about minerals, trace elements and vitamins in both pseudoruminants and ruminants there are two key focuses: the microbial population in the foregut and the camelid itself. The microbial populations found in the foregut of the pseudo-ruminant do need some organic and inorganic minerals but it is the camelid supply which is of particular interest. Table 1 demonstrates the specific mineral, trace element and vitamin dietary targets for camelids. Practically mineral supplementation should be ground, loose or pelleted to aid intake as camelids cannot protrude their tongue to lick blocks.
How can we measure trace element supply? Forage or blood mineral profiling Once we know what we are aiming for there are a number of ways we can assess the mineral balance of the herd’s diet: • forage/hay mineral analysis • fresh grass mineral analysis • water mineral analysis • blood profiling of healthy animals can be helpful in observing your herd, although some mineral imbalances can be masked. Table 2 demonstrates the typical values of the organic mineral composition of a fresh grass sample and is a helpful starting point. By investigating and combining each herd’s limitations we can build up a picture of 24 Alpaca #93
Trace element forms Organic minerals
These tend to be the simple forms of minerals found in base raw materials such as hemp meal (see table 3). Organic minerals are easily available to the body. However, they can be vulnerable to binding with each other as with inorganic minerals, but to a lesser extent.
Inorganic minerals
deficiencies and antagonisms of the various minerals. It’s worth noting that these need to be applied with dry matter and fibre, and specifically neutral detergent fibre (NDF), intakes. A vital step for any owner is to take grass samples from across their holding (at least several samples mixed) to understand the lay of the land and any requirements that are potentially not being met. To put this into context, GWF Nutrition
The microbial population of the camelid does have a requirement for simple inorganic minerals but the traditional scattergun approach of feeding these minerals to meet an animal’s requirements in the hope that enough is absorbed is wasteful, potentially harmful and certainly not sustainable. Inorganic trace element salts dissolve into their ionic forms of cations and anions with the cations being bound to proteins and transported to the liver. However, with each step there are a number of limitations, a significant one being at the lumen where trace element solubility and secondly availability are affected by other forms of ions. For example, if zinc oxide and copper sulphate come into contact the copper and zinc will bind together within the digestive >> Continued on next page
Table 1: Suggested macro and micro-mineral concentrations in diets for camelids Macromineral
Requirement (%DM)
Micromineral
Requirement (%DM)
Calcium
0.2 - 0.75
Copper
9.0 - 12.0
Phosphorous
0.17 - 0.38
Cobalt
0.12 - 0.14
Magnesium
0.13 - 0.22
Iron
47.0 - 72.0
Potassium
0.6 - 0.96
Iodine
0.6 - 0.13
Sodium
0.07 - 0.14
Manganese
24.0 - 64.0
Chloride
0.15 - 0.25
Selenium
0.35 - 0.48
Sulphur
0.19 - 0.23
Zinc
35.0 - 54.0
Source: Van Saun (2009)
Grass-tastic –
a soft and nutritious, palatable grass feed. 100% pure, short-chopped grass
“Thoroughly recommended. The alpacas clearly find the Grass-tastic and Grass Pellets delicious. Definitely the most liked grass product on the market.” Nikki Hayton, Faraway Alpacas.
HEALTH << environment and pass out in the excrement unutilised. Diagram 1 depicts how various trace elements and minerals interact.
Chelated and hydroxy minerals
> Table 2
> Table 3
Organic material
Inorganic material
• A compound containing carbon. • Natural plant or animal based bioavailable minerals. • Seaweed meal, a background feed ingredient (ie. Hemp meal contains 95.7mg/kg organic Zinc).
• Most basic not bonded with carbon. • Relatively cheap to produce – not the best for absorption. Common in feedstuffs. • Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Copper Sulfate • Weak bonds which can easily disassociate.
Hydroxy minerals
Chelated minerals
• Salt minerals which use paracellular solvent drag to cross the gut lining from an area of high concentration to low concentration. • Zinc chloride hydroxide monohydrate, Dicopper chloride trihydroxide and Dimanganous chloride trihydroxide.
About the author
• Seperate releasing ionic form or are metals structurally bound to amino acids and use transcellular transport. • Zinc/Copper chelate of lysine and glutamic acid, Manganese chelate of amino acids hydrate. • Zinc-L-Selenomethionine, L-Selenomethionine.
GWF nutrition technical director and nutritionist Wesley Habershon took over from Stephen Tucker early in 2021 coming from a background in the dairy and ruminant sector. Wesley was recently instrumental in the launch of Crialibra, an interim feed designed to bridge the gap between Hembra & Cria and Camelibra. He has also worked with Dr Tom Shurlock, Zinpro Corporation and Claire Whitehead at the Camelid Vet Services Ltd to improve the trace element supply in the GWF Nutrition product range. Wesley is available to help readers with any nutritional or feed queries on whabershon@gwfnutrition.com
26 Alpaca #93
There are regulated legal guidelines around feeding trace elements to ensure camelid and product safety. It’s vitally important to make sure what trace elements we do have are used effectively, absorbed and benefit the animal. Chelation (bonding to amino acids) or hydroxy (paracellular solvent drag) are better forms of ensuring more trace elements are absorbed by the small intestines and feed the camelid. The paracellular-hydroxy route enables trace elements to move from an area of high concentration to low. This is an osmosis style absorption process across the gut wall and similar to our ‘Oatinol Delivery System’, which uses a specific oil combination to aid ingredient absorption and safeguard the immune system. It also further helps utilise trace elements. Chelates either disassociate releasing ionic form or follow a transcellular route by linking to an amino acid. Amino acids are simple forms of proteins all species use within cells from creation. Here we can feed smaller quantities but with much higher bio-availability reaching the desired location and preventing any risk of toxicity and waste when fed correctly. Camelibra has recently changed its formulation from hydroxy trace elements to chelated Zinpro trace elements (inc. Zinc Chelate of Lysine and Glutamic Acid 3b615). Hembra & Cria, Crialibra and Fibregest will shortly follow.
Key minerals Zinc
Zinc’s specific roles in a camelid include making and breaking proteins, male fertility, immune function, skin defence and fleece fibre growth and integrity. Soils are particularly variable in zinc supply from 30ppm-300ppm across the country (Ewing & Charlton, 2007) with many being zinc deficient. Alkali soils reduce availability and as grass matures so the zinc content reduces further. To compound this there is a difference between total and available supplies, whilst once in the animal only 15%-60% physical metal may actually be available (Ewing & Charlton, 2007). Good forms of organic zinc are in both linseed and hemp.
Copper
Copper is important for any species although toxicity is a significant risk; high inorganic feed rates have a tendency to accumulate in the liver with potential fatal consequences and so bio-availability is key. Copper is essential for haemoglobin synthesis, pigmentation and keratinisation in fleece amongst other
Phosphorous > Diagram 1: Arrows indicate direction of influence
Sulphur
roles. However, in inorganic form it can either interfere with or be bound by calcium, zinc, iron, molybdenum and sulphur. Soils also can vary in their availability of organic forms with clay soils having higher concentrations than sandy soils. Absorption ability also drops as animals age.
Iron Zinc Selenium
Manganese
Manganese is a poorly available trace element in simple form, easily affected by heavy liming or six plus pH soils which are common in the UK. Excess calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and sandy soils can also restrict availability. Body stores of manganese are limited and any liver supply is quickly used in bile secretions. It plays a role in maintaining joints, preventing skeleton abnormalities and the metabolism of feedstuffs, utilising thiamine and vitamin E.
Selenium
Selenium and vitamin E work together to protect the cell from pathogens and resulting oxygen damage. Selenium also aids liver function, stimulates antibody production and protects muscles from degeneration, whilst playing significant roles in fertility from reducing cystic ovaries, metritis and low sperm motility. It can be stored in the liver, kidney and pancreas and there are toxicity risks associated with
Molydenum
Copper oversupply. Selenium is stringently regulated so it is common to use selenium enriched yeasts in order to maximise utilisation. There is also a need for some form of inorganic sodium selenite. There are various other trace element, mineral and vitamin requirements but zinc, copper, manganese and selenium are central to a camelid diet. The key is to ascertain feed, forage and location values of trace elements so you can identify risks and choose the correct method of feeding. At GWF Nutrition we are
Mid-Cornwall’s premier alpaca herd
upgrading our main supply of trace elements to transcellular chelated amino acids to bring the benefits discussed above. GWF Nutrition specialises in high specification feeds and supplements, formulating and manufacturing these from its mill in Wiltshire. PHONE 01225 708482 paper-plane www.gwfnutrition.com
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Calcium
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www.marshwood-alpacas.co.uk Tel: 01297 678181 Geoff Bugler Alpaca #93
27
HEALTH
P G’S REMARKABLE RECOVERY
To recover from a leg amputation is a remarkable achievement, but to deliver a healthy cria five months later is testimony to the resilience of a young female owned by Michael Henderson and Susan Myerscough of Legacy Alpacas, writes Alpaca editor Liz Mason.
P
ussy Galore was “the best female” cria born in the Legacy herd in 2019, Michael says. With almost 20 years’ experience each, Michael and Susan are known for producing, and showing, quality Huacayas and Suris and they had high hopes this young female would have a bright future.
The maiden female was pregnant with her first cria when in December last year Michael was woken twice in the night by the unusual sound of his dog barking. He couldn’t hear or see anything wrong but when “I went out in the morning, at about five o’clock to feed the group, she came hobbling up the field,” he says. “I went to get some painkillers for her but when I came back, I realised that she had broken her leg as the bone was sticking out of her leg.” Heavy rain the previous night had washed soil into the mole holes on the land and Michael believes the break happened when she stepped into one of the holes. He immediately called the vet whose advice was to either put her to sleep or amputate the leg. “That was our vet’s first thought, but instead she was referred to the University of Liverpool Vet School, after which the vet cleaned the wound 28 Alpaca #93
and sedated the alpaca so we could take her on the 70 mile trip in the trailer.” “We took her down there and they X-rayed her and decided the bone was quite fragmented so they couldn’t plate it. Instead they put pins in above and below the break and two bars down either side,” Michael explains. “She had the operation in the morning and she was up and walking in the afternoon. But unfortunately after about six or seven weeks she broke one of the bars that was holding the pins together. “The fracture opened up but the open wound had healed so the vets decided to put a cast on to hold everything together, but she was never comfortable with the cast and was limping on it.” After two weeks the cast was removed but the wound, where the pins were inserted, was found to be septic. “At that point the vet decided they would have to amputate her leg, which was really heartbreaking after all this time, and the progress she had made” Michael says. The following morning, the young alpaca’s leg was removed and within five days she was able to walk after having to be helped to stand, and get her balance.
Michael and Susan had first wanted to have the leg amputated as their vet had advised. But they were persuaded by the hospital’s vets to go ahead with an operation to repair the leg for ethical reasons. The aim was to save the leg and give the young female a good quality of life. “We were worried because the operation was quite complicated and there were welfare implications that had to be taken into account because we knew she would have a long stay in hospital,” Susan adds.
Successful pregnancy
Pussy Galore was at the university hospital for 12 weeks before she finally recovered and was able to come home. But Michael and Susan ensured she was not alone. “We took two girls down to be with her,” Michael says. Following the trauma of a leg break and amputation, ‘PG’ as she is fondly known, had made a remarkable recovery. Not only did she cope with the loss of a leg, Pussy Galore held her pregnancy and delivered a healthy female cria in May this year. Michael discovered the cria, who is yet to be named, in the field - her remarkable dam had delivered the newborn without any assistance – although Michael and Susan knew that she was still carrying her cria. “Alpacas generally abort within 24 hours of a cria dying inside so we knew it was in there,” Michael adds. Both Michael and Susan are delighted by the birth. Susan suggests Pussy Galore takes after her namesake, a ‘Bond girl’ in the film Goldfinger. “She’s a tough old bird” she adds. Michael says: “She did really well - some alpacas I don’t think would have come through but she’s a strong girl.” They would both also like to thank the team at Lanes Vets in Lancaster, in particular Harry who according to the University hospital did a first class job of cleaning up the initial wound Susan says: “We must also thank the University of Liverpool Veterinary School, including Niall and Rachel, for their care of Pussy Galore and her companions!
20 YEARS OF BREEDING EXPERIENCE • Males and females for sale to suit your budget • Exceptional 24/7 support for clients • Stud services
Call for a chat: Susan 07796 678637 Michael 07793 081388 Alpaca #93
29
HEALTH
FIT TO BREED
It’s breeding season and Ami Sawran, from Westpoint Farm Vets, outlines some key health questions to consider to ensure your herd, and your individual breeding males and females, are fit to breed.
B
reeding an alpaca may only take minutes, but there are (consciously or otherwise) a lot of decisions that go into a pairing with the intention of producing next year’s cria. The end result, and the characteristics you are hoping to improve with the next generation will vary from farm to farm, but ultimately, the underlying health of the dam and sire is a consideration for everyone.
As a vet, I do not have decades of personal alpaca breeding experience to call upon. I am not here to dictate whose fibre characteristics would best suit your intentions, but there are some questions you can ask yourself prior to breeding your alpacas that are rooted in both herd and individual animal health.
Are your animals suitable for breeding?
Their physical conformation, and absence of genetic defects notwithstanding, there is a lot more to breeding suitability than meets the eye. Many vets offer pre-breeding checks, often called ‘breeding soundness examinations’ or similar. They vary in their scope, but the premise is that they check how physically suitable an animal is for breeding. For female alpacas, this can involve an ultrasound scan of the reproductive tract (which must be done very calmly, and with adequate restraint, as it is a rectal scan). This allows observation of the ovaries, and any structures on them (such as follicles), and an appraisal of the uterus and cervix. The vet will also perform a vaginal examination with the aid of a speculum. In previously bred females, this can determine if there is any residual damage, scarring or bruising, and investigate any discharges, as they can indicate infection that would preclude pregnancy. In maidens, this will ascertain that she doesn’t have any unforeseen anatomical defects. In male alpacas, measurement of the testicles and examination of associated structures is undertaken. The male’s ability to fully extrude his penis can be demonstrated (as some younger males may yet have adhesions to the prepuce or foreskin). Vets can also ascertain the quality of semen with the aid of a special collection vessel, or observe a mating and take a sample directly from the female, depending on available equipment. This process might seem like an unnecessary expense, when one can simply put the pairs together and see what happens, however, as the season progresses, valuable time is lost and successful pairings late on in the season can drag next year’s unpacking season out into the colder months. Not to mention, repeated matings with a subfertile male or female can result in trauma to the female genital tract that could further hamper her ability to conceive. Your breeding animals are a huge investment, so it may be worth undertaking fertility examinations pre-purchase to ensure that they are capable of their intended jobs. If you don’t want to do breeding checks as a matter of course, you should certainly consider them in the event of a problem breeder; any females that are repeatedly returning to breeding, or a common denominator male among many non-pregnant females should be evaluated to determine whether they have a treatable condition, or whether they should be retired from breeding stock.
Is their nutritional status adequate?
Regular body condition scoring is a must for your breeding herd. Generally speaking, you want your animals to sit in the middle of your 30 Alpaca #93
chosen body condition scale. On the understanding that Suri and Huacaya can carry their coverage slightly differently, your vet can demonstrate how to accurately score your animals if you aren’t already in the habit. Over conditioned animals struggle to conceive, sometimes even due to the basic mechanics of them being the wrong shape to mount or be mounted! Obesity is also linked with higher incidences of heat stress and can inhibit milk production, and even cause dystocia (difficult birth), where intra-pelvic fat makes the birth canal narrower and leaves the cria less room to squeeze through. Under conditioned alpacas are less inclined to divert energy to their reproductive tracts, and may suffer from sub-fertility too. This doesn’t mean that it is impossible for them to conceive, however it is less likely. Physical weakness from poor nutrition can preclude a male’s ability to mount a female and mate successfully. If your alpacas are less than body condition score three to five around mating time it may be worth considering an examination, or at the very least, a faecal egg count to determine whether parasites are affecting their ability to maintain condition. Internal parasites are rife in summer, and mating, though presumably quite exciting for some, can be an intense time where they are susceptible to disease and parasite burdens – particularly when the female has just given birth herself and is pouring energy into lactation and cria rearing.
Heat stress
Both heat and humidity can have deleterious effects, particularly on male fertility. Shearing will certainly help to avoid heat stress, but you could also consider feeding highly digestible feeds (as fibre digestion can produce excess heat in the body). You might notice the males breathing more heavily, or adjusting their position to cool themselves off – this will increase their energy, electrolyte and water demands. If you require any specific breeding health advice, it’s always worth discussing your particular situation with your vet. It is much easier to investigate things that worry you in your breeding stock now, before they potentially become a bigger issue that could hamper an established pregnancy – there might be a small window in the year where your breeding females are open, and it can help to be proactive in this time. I wish you much luck and success in the current breeding season.
About the author
Ami graduated from Liverpool University in 2011 before undertaking a farm animal internship in production animal health and welfare at the Royal Veterinary College alongside Westpoint. She has since worked with several Westpoint branches taking on the role of clinical director at Chelmsford in January 2019. She joined the clinical board at VetPartners in 2020 and was appointed to its Farm Executive Board in 2021; in 2022 she joined the board of the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS). Ami also runs the Camelid Special Interest Group for VetPartners and holds a certificate in advanced practice. To contact Ami see: westpointfarmvets.co.uk
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Alpaca #93
31
HEALTH
MANAGING BIRTHS In the third in a set of three ‘Alpaca bites’ webinars, Andrea Turner of Langford Farm animal practice discussed how to prepare for and manage a successful unpacking (birthing) season. Andrea’s article is based on the webinar and aims to help owners manage births.
F
irstly, it is important to know if our alpacas are pregnant and roughly what date are they expecting? The gestation for an alpaca is on average 350 days however, there is a large range to this figure therefore it can be useful to have breeding females pregnancy scanned to confirm pregnancy and enable good record keeping with respect to unpacking dates and management changes.
There are certain management changes which are required when coming up to unpacking. Management decisions such as making sure vaccination and worming protocols are up to date and assessing nutrition by body condition scoring can be beneficial for optimal unpacking and milk/colostrum production. Vaccination is especially important as the passive transfer of immunity to the cria via colostrum is essential for survival and should be done at least four weeks ahead of the arrival of cria to ensure enough time for the dams to have optimal immunity at that time.
Stages of birth
In this section we run through a normal birth for an alpaca and the timings involved. This can be important, so we do not interfere too soon or too late and cause problems.
Preparation (stage 1)
This stage normally lasts between two and six hours and initially the dam separates off from the rest of the herd. Cervical dilation and uterine contractions commence, and the dam may present with no outward clinical signs at this point.
Delivery (stage 2)
This should last under one hour and usually within 30mins. The dam is often restless, frequently moving up and down. This stage is when the water bag is seen, and progression is every 15 minutes to emergence of toes and nose. Alpacas are often standing when they finally give birth.
Placental expulsion (stage 3)
The afterbirth normally is expelled within two hours of birth, and it is important to note dams won’t eat placenta like many other species, so this will need to be removed to prevent possible disease transmission and unwanted predator interest. So, the main question often asked is when to intervene? Keeping an eye on the clock is essential as this is the main indicator for intervention. Scenarios such as the ones listed warrant further investigation: • Prolonged period of stage 1 activity (longer than six hours) • Bag is seen but there is no progress within an hour
• Dam is straining unproductively • Dam was straining and has now stopped • Dam has become depressed and separated from the herd for a prolonged time • Dam can’t stand Before trying to unpack/intervene yourself, make sure the dam is correctly restrained to prevent any traumatic injury to herself, you or the cria.
Golden rules of unpacking
• Be clean! Make sure you have thoroughly washed your hands with hibiscrub (ideally – or soap at least!) Use long rectal gloves if possible. • Lots of lube (lubricating gel)! • Clean holding pen • Adequate restraint is essential • Dam will likely continuously rise and lie until cria is engaged in pelvis • Take your time.
Know when to call the vet
Scenarios such as these often indicate a professional's help may be needed: • Can’t feel a head/ leg- this can indicate torsion (twisted uterus) and a caesarian section could be required • Can’t correctly identify which legs belong to which head • Cria won’t fit through pelvis • Dam can’t stand • You aren’t confident or have exceeded the time limit (15/20mins of unproductive effort). Once the cria has been delivered, there are several more tasks to ensure mother and youngster have the best start to their new life. The cria should be quickly checked over for possible congenital diseases: • open mouth and check nostrils for a cleft palate • check umblilcus for hernias - variable swellings around base of navel • check anus and vagina with thermometer/ gloved finger to make sure it is patent and the cria hasn’t got a blocked anus (atresia ani) or vagina (imperforate vulva). The next crucial step is to dip navel with iodine 10% solution or a chlorohexidine 0.5%
To find out about our other upcoming client webinars and events visit the Langford vets website: www.langfordvets.co.uk or follow us on Instagram: INSTAGRAM @langfordfarmvets
solution. This is to prevent bacterial infections entering through the umbilicus and causing potentially fatal problems later on. Post-birth dam care often revolves around pain relief (eg: Metacam) and occasionally antibiotics as prescribed by your vet in certain circumstances. Check the udder for colostrum and make sure all teats are patent/working. In older dams air-filled udders will need to be stripped out. Afterwards it is vital that the dam and cria have time to bond. This can sometimes require one to one segregation from the rest of herd so they can be left to settle. Further care should involve close observation to ensure the placenta passes within six hours otherwise a vet is needed. Make sure the dam is eating and drinking and the cria is suckling. Colostrum is vital for a good start in life: a cria needs 10% of bodyweight within six hours of birth for all the antibodies to be absorbed to give adequate passive transfer of immunity. If mums' colostrum is not available substitute goat colostrum, if this is not available then sheep colostrum is the next best thing. Artificial lambs' colostrum is a last resort. When colostrum is not obtained by the cria within this time, or you are unsure of intake after 24 hours, a plasma transfusion may be required. Our next ‘Alpaca bites’ webinar series will kick off at the end of the year when will be discussing how to prevent, identify and investigate dental disease in alpacas. The webinar will take place 13 December 2022 – put it in your diary and keep an eye on our web pages for the registration page.
About the author
Andrea Turner qualified from the University of Cambridge in 2011. She completed a production animal internship at the Royal Veterinary College before spending some time in practice in South East England. For the past eight years Andrea has worked as a farm animal clinician at Langford vets a farm practice associated with the University of Bristol, becoming lead clinician in February 2022. In 2016 Andrea was selected by the British veterinary camelid association to attend a camelid training course in Ohio. Since then Andrea has built on her knowledge to offer camelid specific care and services to her clients and to train other vets in the practice in camelid case management.
Alpaca #93
33
HEALTH
WHY WON’T MY ALPACA GET PREGNANT?
Claire E Whitehead, recognised specialist vet in camelid health and production, outlines common reproductive problems and explains what you can do when your female isn’t getting pregnant.
> Figure 2: Claire E Whitehead performing a female reproductive evaluation in a camelid-specific chute at her clinic. Interestingly, owners often comment how well behaved they are when in the chute: once away from the home environment and they can see that they can’t escape, they are (mostly!) very calm
R
eproductive efficiency is vital in any livestock breeding business. Any period of time during which a reproductively sound female alpaca is not pregnant translates to a wasted investment. In an ideal world, a female alpaca is bred back 21 days after she gives birth and is pregnant for an average of 343 days. This gives an ideal interval between successive parturitions of approximately 364 days, or about one year. It is important to keep as close to this ideal as possible in order to have females giving birth during the ideal birthing months (Spring and Summer) or they will gradually slip back such that you are left with having to decide whether
34 Alpaca #93
to breed a female in the Autumn or leave her until the following Spring, which wastes even more time.
Obviously, not every female will conceive every time: overall conception rates in alpacas are around 55%, so you have to expect some females will not become pregnant the first or even second time they are presented to the male. However, if a female is consistently repeating the same behaviour and not conceiving, there will be a reason for this. A breeding soundness evaluation (BSE) by a specialist vet with camelid-specific reproduction experience is the quickest way to find out what is wrong and hopefully correct it. Your general practice vet is unlikely to have this expertise or the equipment
required to perform a proper examination. Endlessly repeating breedings or continuously presenting a non-receptive non-pregnant female to a male in the hope that things might change is not only pointless, it may also make things worse. As Einstein said, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”
Common reproductive problems
The most common acquired reproductive problem in alpacas is endometritis (inflammation/infection of the uterus). If this goes untreated, the inflammation can spread into the deeper layers of the uterine wall so that treatment may become impossible due to the development of fibrous tissue. Furthermore, because of the very invasive nature of copulation in alpacas with the male’s penis actually penetrating all the way through the cervix in order to deposit semen at the tip of the uterine horns, repetitive breeding can worsen the inflammation in the uterus and cervix and also add bacterial contamination into the uterine environment. Endometritis can be resolved with proper management. With maiden females (that is, those that have not yet had a cria) you may sometimes see a female that appears very uncomfortable when being bred. There may be blood observed after breeding, and sometimes the male will not be able to get comfortable and gives up trying to breed that female. In these cases, the most common reason is that the female has a hymen that the male is unable to break down. Typically a male will easily be able to manage this, so I do not recommend interfering with females routinely to break down their hymens. I would normally only check for a persistent hymen after the above behaviour is observed because 95% of the time, it is not a concern. Some experienced breeders are able to evaluate for persistent hymen and break them down. However, if you are not confident I would not suggest doing this yourself until you have been shown how. With very small holes, you may get it wrong – there is another hidden opening in this area. The urethral opening is within about 1cm of the hymen and you would not want to accidentally open this. Not only would it be excruciatingly painful, but you could also do serious damage. There are other potential problems that may be found also. Where no hole is palpable, it could be that the anatomy of the vagina is not correct. In some cases, there is a complete wall – attempts to create a hole in this can lead to introducing infection into the uterine fluid that is accumulating on the other side. Correct differentiation of these problems is needed as some are fixable (and do not constitute a reason not to breed) and the female can subsequently be bred, while others mean that you cannot breed the female. When females are bred and successfully ovulate, a corpus luteum forms that produces progesterone. This structure is responsible for maintenance of pregnancy but occasionally it will stick around in the absence of conception, and sometimes this occurs when there is inflammation in the uterus. In this case, it is termed a retained corpus luteum (CL). These can be seen on ultrasound (Figure 1). This is one reason why ultrasound confirmation of pregnancy is key. Behaviour testing with a male gives you a preliminary indication of pregnancy if a female spits off from 14 days onwards, but it doesn’t confirm pregnancy. About 15% of non-receptive females will not be pregnant. If you don’t confirm pregnancy by ultrasound, you could end
> Figure 1: An ultrasound image showing a corpus luteum on the left ovary, adjacent to the tip of the uterine horn
up waiting for a birth that will never come and end up wasting potentially two years of breeding life. If you confirm pregnancy by ultrasound, you can be certain of the diagnosis. Females that are not pregnant can be rebred and this results in less wasted time with females open. It’s a good idea to also reconfirm pregnancy again at eight months, at which point you need to increase nutritional provision for females entering the last few months of pregnancy and any non-pregnant females can be allocated for early rebreeding in the Spring. A really important thing to remember is that if you have a female that is determinedly spitting off and you don’t think she’s pregnant, confirm the diagnosis first by ultrasound. This is best done by having your vet visualise the non-pregnant uterus on rectal ultrasound. It is much easier to miss a pregnancy on transabdominal ultrasound and be incorrect, but you cannot mistake a non-pregnant uterus. If a female is behaviourally non-receptive but not pregnant on ultrasound, we can give her hormones to cause luteolysis – that is, to make the CL go away. But clearly this will terminate any pregnancy. Some of the problems that may be encountered in female alpacas are listed in the table and divided into those seen exclusively in maiden females and acquired problems (these may also be seen in maidens). These can usually be discovered by a thorough reproductive evaluation. >> Continued on next page Table 1: Reproductive problems in female alpacas and llamas Maiden Females
Acquired Problems
Persistent Hymen
Endometritis (infection/ inflammation of the uterus)
Immaturity
Cervical scarring
Congenital Disorders • Partially imperforate vulva • Ovarian hypoplasia • Segmental aplasia • Double cervix • Uterus unicornis
Persistent/Retained CL • Endometrial cysts • Follicular cysts • Paraovarian cysts • Hydrosalpinx • Ovarian tumours
About the author
Claire E Whitehead, graduated as a vet from the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 1999 and worked in private practice in the south of England. Having had a growing herd of alpacas at home Claire realised that there was a niche to be filled in the area of camelid veterinary medicine in the UK and moved to the US to learn about the veterinary care of camelids and obtained a Masters degree with a thesis on vitamin D supplementation in camelids. After moving back to the UK, Clare set up the Camelid and Farm Animal Hospital at the Royal Veterinary College (London). She left the RVC at the end of 2010, and subsequently set up Camelid Veterinary Services. She was recognised as the first RCVS specialist in camelid health and production in February 2016. She is the current president of the British Veterinary Camelid Society.
Alpaca #93
35
HEALTH <<
What can you do when a female isn’t getting pregnant?
We can do a breeding soundness evaluation. This will establish the underlying cause of the infertility and this may be resolved by the subsequent actions taken. A Breeding Soundness Evaluation typically involves an initial interpretation of history, physical findings and evaluation of the reproductive tract itself. The reproductive examination should include inspection of the external genitalia, ultrasonographic evaluation of the entire reproductive tract including the ovaries, each uterine horn, the uterine body, cervix and vagina as well as a vaginal examination. Figure 2 shows a female alpaca having a BSE in a custom-made alpaca chute. Depending on the individual, a culture from the uterus may be indicated, or flushing of the uterus under ultrasound guidance so that you can ensure first of all that the flush is in the uterus and
Case example
A seven year old female called Fine Design was presented for evaluation having failed to conceive for three years. She had been bred with two different males, had a course of antibiotics and later on had a series of non-diagnostic tests done at the regular vet’s including ultrasound, uterine culture and biopsies, costing around £450. When she came down to see me, I found that she had evidence of endometritis, collected a sample for culture from the uterus, performed a uterine flush under ultrasound guidance and gave antibiotics based on culture results once available. I also advised a specific controlled breeding protocol to improve her chances of conception when being bred. The owner was thrilled to let me know that she was pregnant to her first breeding following her visit to me – and even more ecstatic to let me know when she gave birth the following summer to a healthy female cria! Although the owner travelled around six hours to come to see me, the cost of the consultation and treatment was only £370 +VAT.
> AJ Bell, Florens Alpacas
36 Alpaca #93
secondly observe any filling defects that might help achieve a diagnosis (eg endometrial cysts or segmental aplasia of the uterus). Flushing of the uterus may also be therapeutic in some cases. Other diagnostic tests may also be recommended based on the findings of the initial examination: these may include hormone analysis, biopsy or endoscopy of the uterus. Many vets are not comfortable with the use of rectal ultrasound – and for good reason! Camelids are small compared with other large animals, such that rectal palpation or using rectal probes can be a potentially hazardous activity, particularly if adequate restraint is not achieved. Furthermore, vets may not be familiar with the camelid-specific reproductive anatomy and physiology in order to assist them in making a diagnosis. It takes time to develop these skills and to be able to recognise what is abnormal and differentiate it from the normal. Camelids are different from other domestic species with respect to reproductive anatomy and physiology and findings that may be normal in a cow for example may be highly abnormal in an alpaca. Additionally, for a thorough evaluation of the reproductive tract, it is necessary to have the right equipment. Some ultrasounds are fine for pregnancy diagnosis but not good for the detailed imaging required for reproductive evaluations; having the right tools for vaginal examination can also make life very much easier. For these reasons, it is important to have the reproductive evaluation performed by a vet with camelid-specific expertise in reproduction, in much the same way that you would not ask your GP to do IVF. It is a specialist skill. Therefore, if you have an alpaca with reproductive failure, and your vet is not happy performing a BSE or has taken the evaluation as far as they are comfortable doing without success, they may suggest referral. If not, you may also ask for referral to a vet with this experience. Referral is not required if they haven’t seen the case, but reports will be sent back to your vet so that they are aware of what has been done in case subsequent issues arise. Please remember that just throwing antibiotics and hormones at an alpaca in the hope that something works is not good practice. For starters, it would be irresponsible use of antimicrobials. Secondly the medicines chosen may not be properly targeted at the problem that your female has. Thirdly, you can waste valuable time (and money). If you are still not convinced that reproductive evaluation is worth it, consider a possible cost-benefit analysis. Let’s say that you have a female alpaca worth £5000. Consider that she may have 10 crias in her lifetime for example and, on average, 50% of those cria should be female and 50% male. If we make the assumption that each female cria is worth the same as the dam, and assume that the males will be pet quality since only the best males should be used for breeding (the going rate for a gelding alpaca is around £500), then if you were to sell every one of those offspring your potential sales from offspring from this female could total around £27,500, with the average value per offspring of £2,750. So, if that female loses a year of breeding, which may have been prevented by proceeding with a timely reproductive evaluation, you’ve effectively lost £2,750. This analysis does not take into consideration the amount spent on managing and feeding a non-pregnant alpaca, vaccinating her, and neither does it consider the time costs of the individuals (and males) that are trying to get her bred. In addition, here we are also not considering the loss of potential future genetic advancement in terms of the progeny. To give you an idea of the cost of the BSE, at my clinic a typical full evaluation involving rectal ultrasound of the reproductive tract and vaginal examination +/- culture +/- uterine flush may cost from £200-£350 (current prices) depending on what diagnostics are required. It usually takes around one to two hours to complete and can usually be done as an outpatient procedure. I am always happy to take referrals for reproductive evaluation of alpacas or you can contact me directly on 01491 680313, or email me at claire@ukalpacavet.com. For more details about my services, visit www.ukalpacavet.com. My clinic is located in South East Oxfordshire, close to Reading.
BAS REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT North West Alpaca Group
T
he North West Alpaca Group (NWAG) has 62 members with herds across Cumbria, North Lancashire, Southern Scotland and the east coast, writes Jane Colman.
CHAIR: Barbara Hetherington, Beck Brow Alpacas SECRETARY: Jane Colman, Wreay Syke Alpacas TREASURER: Michael Henderson, Legacy Alpacas
facebook-f NWAG Alpaca Group DESKTOP www.northwestalpacagroup.co.uk
The aim of the group is to provide help and support to alpaca owners throughout the north of the country and bring people together, be it people with a few pet alpacas, those with alpaca experience businesses, small breeders through to larger breeders, all who have a wealth of knowledge spread across diverse areas. The Covid-19 pandemic and the inability to meet in person didn’t stop us supporting our members and during lockdown a WhatsApp group was created. The group also purchased their own Zoom service in 2020 and facilitated numerous presentations enjoyed by owners across the UK with fees for the courses providing donations to charity. Online events included: • Mary-Jo Smith (Bozedown Alpacas) – Breeding Decisions at Bozedown Alpacas • Claire Whitehead (Camelid Veterinary Service) – Birthing Workshop; Internal and external parasites; Faecal Egg Counts (FECs – theory) • Paul and Debbie Rippon (Barnacre Alpacas) – The Barnacre Alpaca Journey (fee donated Quechua Benefit) > Northern Alpaca Show
• Barbara Hetherington, Beck Brow Alpacas – Assessing conformational traits for purchasing and breeding decisions; Understanding fleece traits for breeding decisions (fees donated to Quechua Benefit) • Roger Clarke, Amberly Alpacas – Fleece Judging • Cheryl Gehly, Alpaca Owners Association (AOA) judge – Importance of uniformity of micron (fee donated to Quechua Benefit) • Jude Anderson, Australian Alpaca Association judge – What is the judge looking for in the ring?; Breeding for Gain • Charlotte Pennington, Paragon Veterinary Services – Alpaca welfare (fee donated to Ukraine Appeal) • Practical session at Beck Brow Alpacas on FECs taught by Charlie Lambert (The Vet Shed) and facilitated by Doug Steen (Teesdale Alpacas). It wasn’t all serious sessions though, we also had Zoom social activities so we could get together for a bit of fun. Barbara Hetherington led an NWAG Quiz Night, bingo was brought to us by Alison Wiseman of Balnuith Alpacas and we were even entertained by magician, Pete Heat through Mary-Jo Smith.
WhatsApp support
With the birthing season in full swing we hope the WhatsApp group will provide further help, reassurance and support to every member where and when needed as time can be of the essence in some cases. It is also hoped that we will be back holding more in person workshops in the autumn but our Zoom workshops will no doubt remain as these have proved to be a great way of delivering courses to those that may not be able to travel or spend too much time away from the farm. Course providers also do not have to travel meaning some courses are more accessible. Shows are also returning. In April we held the first NWAG Alpaca Championships (Spring Halter Show) since the start of the pandemic and with the Westmorland County Show (Short Fleece Halter Show), Northern Autumn Fleece Show with the Scottish Alpaca Group (SAG) and the Northern Autumn Halter Show with SAG. We are hopefully returning to normal where all alpaca breeders and owners can meet up once again. Alpaca #93
37
TREKKING AND HOLIDAYS
GLAMPING AND ALPACAS
Roddy Hamilton and his wife Jane run a luxury glamping site, with alpaca walking experiences, at The Private Hill in Yorkshire. Roddy tells Alpaca editor Liz Mason why, after looking at different farming options he chose glamping and alpacas. Could you tell us something about your background and what you did before becoming a farmer? I’ve actually had farming in my blood ever since I was born! I grew up on a farm, and have farmed whenever I possibly could throughout my life, so while I’m always willing to learn new farming skills it’s an area I’m fairly comfortable with. Apart from that I count myself as extremely lucky to have had an exciting career with several global blue chip multinational businesses as well as one or two rather unique ‘jobs’ working alongside some rather special individuals around the world. Why did you want to buy a farm and why did you choose Thrussendale Farm? I farmed before I came back to North Yorkshire, principally commercial sheep and pedigree Dexter cattle, but when the opportunity arose to acquire Thrussendale Farm I jumped at the chance to farm a mere 20 miles from where I was born. The incredible beauty of the place struck me instantly along with the peace, views, facilities and of course the chance to be back in Yorkshire.
Why did you decide to diversify and introduce glamping? As any small farmer knows (and some larger farms too!) it’s hard to make a viable living from a small parcel of land. In order to achieve the same levels of revenue that we do from our luxury, boutique, glamping operation I would need to breed, and finish, approximately 1200 lambs a year, or breed around 150 commercial cattle selling these as yearlings each year. Or of course a combination of the two – not possible on a mere 65 acre holding. We’d looked at renewables and won a five year contract with BQP pigs who finish high welfare pork for Waitrose to keep around 4000 head on the farm at any one time. That was a good commercial opportunity but didn’t sit well with the beautiful part of Yorkshire we are lucky to live in. Instead I chose tourism which actually enhances the area greatly. What makes The Private Hill a special experience for guests? With so many, varied and fabulous, places to stay in the United Kingdom we were entering a sector that was already rich with choice for guests. The Private Hill therefore had to be a little different – different in the way we did things, different in our approach, and unique in the personal levels of service we wanted to offer. Our location helps a lot but it is the truly fabulous team of local people that work within the business that really make the difference and set us apart. Luxury facilities help too of course!
Do you take the guests out with the alpacas or do you employ someone to walk with them? I couldn’t possibly do half as good a job as our young guides so I let them get on with it. I do however try and meet all of our guests whenever I can and time allows.
Why choose geodesic domes over bell tents, pods or shepherd’s huts? The place on the farm where we wanted to launch our luxury glamping business is an exposed hillside. I guess you cannot have the spectacular views without some level of exposure to the elements but winds of more than 70-80 mph are not uncommon in our part of the world when storms arrive. Geodesic domes gave us the best option to work with the wind and, I hope, have minimised our ‘risk’ of storm damage. They give a sense of space too which guests seem to love and, coupled with fully ensuite facilities, a birds’ eye view of the world beyond. Were there any difficulties gaining planning permission? Planning itself was actually pretty straightforward. Inevitably we were asked for masses of information, a number of reports, including a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA), and quite a lot of other things. I took the view that we needed to provide our local planning department with whatever they needed, without argument, to enable them to determine our application fully. It’s always wise to do what’s asked of you and leave as little as possible to misinterpretation. When and why did you decide to add alpacas to the farm? And how did you go about buying them? Having lived, and worked, in Latin America for a number of years I of course already knew what an alpaca was! But it was a lovely couple staying at The Private Hill that persuaded me to invest in our initial ‘team’ Renoir, Perseus, and Ziggy. Since then we haven’t looked back with guests longing to meet and walk these wonderful members of the farm family. It was a local farmer that gave me the contacts for Snowshill Alpacas and Roger Mount couldn’t have been more helpful. The rest is, largely, history! What do you think the alpacas have brought to the glamping experience and how have your guests, and other farmers, reacted to them? Having our three boys on the farm has certainly drawn the attention of local farmers and visitors to the area. Most locals probably thought I was nuts but they have added such a wonderful, energising, dimension to the farm business and innumerable smiling faces from those that come into contact with them. As a spin-off from purchasing the boys it’s enabled us to offer a rather fun job to several local young students who have trained as guides and who, interestingly, have become superb ambassadors not only for the farm business but the local area too. We are so lucky to have such a fantastic team of alpaca walking experience guides. They really do make the whole experience incredibly cathartic for our guests.
Would you recommend alpacas to other owners looking to diversify? Yes – 100%. But you need to have the appropriate facilities, time, and passion. Without those things it’s probably best avoided. Do you manage the site for wildlife or have any special conservation areas? I’ve always had a keen interest in nature and wildlife. Not, in any sense, an academic level of knowledge on the subject but simply someone who was brought up to respect the wildlife around us and to, where possible, do even little things to help all species thrive. In fact it was our need to carry out an ecological assessment of the area (as a part of our planning requirement) when we wanted to establish The Private Hill, that really increased my interest. Since then we’ve voluntarily carried out a full farm ecological assessment and have created exciting new habitats for flora and fauna. Curlew have returned to the farm, our brown hare population is thriving, grey partridges have successfully bred on the farm and we’ve got some of the local ecologists excited by our wide variety of wild flowers around the place. So yes – this is something we do take very seriously indeed and it is managed carefully. At the end of last year I was personally thrilled when we were recognised by Natural England who supported our application to the higher tier level of Country Stewardship. The farm now has a real chance to become somewhere even more special and to really make an impact on the wildlife we are fortunate enough to be responsible for. Do you plan to add any more alpacas in future? I think a team of three suits us well and that if we increased numbers we’d quite possibly lose the personal touch with which we have established our small space in the alpaca walking world. Do you think owners need to have experience in hospitality before opening a glamping site and what advice would you give to landowners thinking of setting up their own site? Absolutely – if you don’t understand the hospitality business from start to finish then you could potentially lose a very great deal of money. We receive many, many, enquiries from people looking to become involved in the glamping business and I always advise them to come and stay here, to talk to me at length, and to then make their minds up. It’s certainly not for the faint hearted but one way or another I’ve been involved in the hospitality sector for much of my adult life and wouldn’t want to do anything else -apart from farm, of course, and look after the wonderful (animal) characters we are lucky enough to have on the farm. It’s certainly a way of life, and not even remotely considered a job, but probably one of the most rewarding moments of my long and fun life. Alpaca #93
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TREKKING AND HOLIDAYS
ESCAPE TO ARRAN Tom and Emma Jessop left professional careers on the Scottish mainland to open a glamping and alpaca trekking business at Balmichael on the Isle of Arran. But the couple have “absolutely no regrets”, writes Liz Mason, Alpaca editor.
O
wning alpacas is often described as life changing and this is certainly true for Tom, Emma and their three boys who moved to Arran at the end of 2019.
Tom was a chartered accountant and Emma, a primary school teacher when they decided to leave their professional careers and start their own business. The couple wanted an alternative to the nine to five routine and they wanted an outdoor lifestyle. After considering several options they decided to open a glamping site. Alpaca trekking wasn’t part of their original business plan. But after a visit to an established site and seeing that trekking could offer glampers, as well as day visitors, something extra the couple established Arran Alpacas alongside Balmichael Glamping. Since then the popularity of their alpaca treks has taken them by surprise. Tom said: “When we started with the alpacas we didn’t really anticipate how hugely popular they would be. We trek mainly in the summer season for an hour and we have massive cancellation lists. Everyone is really taken with them which is really good.” Having an alpaca herd also works well with glamping. Children staying on the site can help to feed the animals in the evening and are excited to wake up and see them in the morning. They also appeal to adults who may never have met alpacas before. But as Tom explains the alpacas arrived almost by accident: “We came here and saw this site which had planning permission for glamping and that’s what attracted us, and we kind of stumbled into the alpacas.” Before visiting the derelict former outdoor centre at Balmichael the couple saw an established site for sale on the mainland which offered llama trekking. Impressed by what they saw Tom and Emma decided to include trekking as part of their business but they decided to add alpacas rather than llamas. “Alpacas are less intimidating and a wee bit smaller,” Tom said. “The alpacas were also something we could all be involved with, including the boys.” The couple visited the Glamping Show in Birmingham where they met alpaca breeder Harvey Brown, from Blackberry Alpacas. He helped them to contact other owners in Scotland including Caledonian Alpacas who have an established trekking centre in Falkirk. ‘Meeting the right people at the right time was certainly helpful because
40 Alpaca #93
you wouldn’t want to do this without the help of someone who is more experienced. It's a huge benefit,” Tom said.
Renovating the farm
With little or no facilities on site before the alpacas arrived the couple worked extremely hard to get their farm ready for their first alpacas and their first guests. They moved tonnes of rubbish from the old visitor centre, renovated old stone barns and put up new fencing for paddocks. Field shelters were also built for the alpacas and more have been added as the herd has grown. Their first six alpacas arrived at the end of March 2020, the week before the first Covid-19 lockdown. This delayed their plans for glamping but they were still able to offer treks to visitors which gave them some income. “We had a difficult start due to Covid-19 as we were unable to fully open the glamping side of the business. But we had the alpaca treks as an outdoor activity and it was easier to keep this open and the alpacas did save us that year by providing a bit of an income buffer,” Tom said. With the alpacas proving hugely popular Tom and Emma added five more alpacas and a llama. “The alpacas are something that sets us apart a bit in terms of what we offer and the two sides of the business really work well together. We have people that come here for glamping and want to do something with the alpacas, and we have people that come on walks see the glamping site and come back for glamping.” Balmichael Glamping offers something a little different on an island with stunning scenery, beautiful beaches, spectacular sunsets and plenty of wildlife. Guests can stay in one of three barrel pods overlooking the alpaca paddocks or two spacious safari tents with panoramic views. The couple have put their heart and soul into renovating the farm. Managing the site and the alpacas is also hard work but Tom said they have “absolutely no regrets’” about their move to Arran. “You work a lot more because you are on site and there is a lot to do but it is not the same as working behind a desk. It is enjoyable. “You meet the public and you appreciate everyone who comes to walk the alpacas as they all have big smiles on their faces. They are all very happy and it is good to see that. Today for instance has been very busy with treks but everyone has loved it. It has been great weather for it and you can’t beat it.”
oak view alpacas Garry and Andrea Naish, Wickwar, South Glos.
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TEAS AND FLOWERS
DELIGHTFUL COMBINATION Flowers and alpacas are a delightful combination at Bewl Rookery, where visitors can also enjoy traditional English tea served on vintage china, writes Alpaca editor Liz Mason.
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was looking forward to my visit to Bewl Rookery to meet Carol Ballet, and her husband Mark, and learn how their herd of 14 alpacas contribute to Carol’s flower garden.
Carol has a field of a quarter of an acre, as well as garden flower patch, devoted to annuals and perennials, including roses and dahlias, which she sells as flower posies and seasonal hand tied bouquets. The couple also offer afternoon tea in a garden marquee as well as a weekly ‘Paca picnic’ lunch in the marquee or orchard. Carol and Mark aim to give their guests a high quality traditional tea or lunch using local and homemade produce and comments from appreciative visitors suggest it is a five star experience. Unfortunately I had to cancel my visit due to Covid-19. However, during a telephone interview Carol told me how the couple discovered alpacas and why they are responsible for a flourishing flower enterprise. “I first fell in love with alpacas in Australia because we used to live there,” she explained. “I was working at the Royal Agricultural Show and part of my job was to write a newsletter for the show members. “I had to find stories for the newsletter and early one morning I went into the barn where all the animals were and there were alpacas. I’d never seen them before and I just fell in love. Fifteen years later I was able to fulfil my dream.” After travelling the world the couple came back to the UK and found a beautiful house in East Sussex with 10 acres of land. They kept hens but Carol had not given up on her alpaca dream. She learnt more about the animals she loved and her research included visits to open days at Toft Alpacas, and Lightfoot Alpacas. Carol and Mark bought three girls and three castrated boys in April 2019 from Vicki Agar at Spring Farm Alpacas. Carol also went on a husbandry
ALPACA
PODS
course with Vicki and learnt about Camelidynamics, a handling method developed by Marty McGee. It didn’t take long for Mark to fall for the alpacas as well, and he now gives entertaining and informative talks to their tea guests. “We started with six and at that stage it wasn’t a business it was fun really. We had a bed and breakfast and we said that the alpacas were for our guests to see, but it was really for us.” Advertisements on the online site booking.com and a location close to famous gardens, including Great Dixter and Sissinghurst attracted international guests to Bewl Rookery. But after the Covid-19 pandemic the couple decided to close the B&B to new guests and focus on the alpaca teas and flower enterprise.
Bigger herd and more flowers
In just a few years the herd at Bewl Rookery grew from six to 16 alpacas, and what began as a “garden patch” to provide cut flowers for guest rooms has also grown to include a quarter acre field. “I grew vegetables but as the vegetable garden got bigger I just put in more flowers,” Carol said. The alpacas are responsible for the flower field Carol adds, because the couple needed to fence their open 10 acres into smaller paddocks to enable them to manage the land. When the land was fenced the couple sectioned off an area close to poisonous rhododendron and laurel bushes. This left them with a quarter of an acre plot which they were unsure what to do with. Seeing the potential for sales of home-grown seasonal posies and bouquets they decided to use the field for flowers. “It is all because of the alpacas really because we fenced that piece of land and I thought why don’t I have a go at flowers?” >> Continued on next page
Weather: Protecting against adverse weather Ventilation: Provide good air flow Flies: Shelter against summer heat and flies Adaptability: Water drinkers, troughs and deep bedding can all be added Husbandry: A great place to complete feet-trimming, vitamin drenches or as a quarantine area Appearance: Practical and attractive Size: Various options and sizes available. Please visit our website for more details.
Being an Alpaca breeder the welfare of our animals is paramount so the pods are designed and manufactured by ourselves taking this into account. We designed the Alpaca pods for our own herd and are now pleased to offer these for sale. UK Design Numbers 6031339, 6031340, 6031342
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sandhillsalpacas@aol.com Sandhills Alpacas, Sandhills Farm Cottage, Ness Lane, Tockwith YO26 7QL
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<< Carol follows organic principles and the alpacas make an essential year round contribution to the growth of healthy plants. “The whole cycle of everything we do here is organic - chemical free and no-dig as I am a massive follower of Charles Dowding,” she said. Charles Dowding is a pioneer organic gardener who developed the ‘no-dig’ method for vegetable growing at Homeacres in Somerset. When Carol contacted him to ask about growing flowers using the method, which involves covering the soil with organic material rather than digging to prepare beds, he said it would work. “It completely made sense because all you need is cardboard, compost and alpaca manure and you are off,” Carol added. “It’s also an incentive to clear the fields, which you need to do for the health of the alpacas, but we also have the manure to use on the flowers.” Alpaca manure has “amazing advantages” over fresh cow or horse manure because it doesn’t need to be left to rot for at least a year, she explained, It can also be used fresh or composted on the flower beds. And it is fantastic for no-dig beds. “Alpaca manure has all the goodness the plants need including nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus but it has lower levels of nitrogen so therefore it doesn’t burn the roots like other manures,” Carol said. “The benefit of no-dig is that you are protecting the soil underneath and leaving it undisturbed and so the (soil) structure is good. You build on top of it, and the cardboard rots down and eventually it becomes all one.” All Carol’s flower beds are made by covering the soil with cardboard, which she wets, before heaping on alpaca manure and compost made from vegetable peelings, chicken manure and garden waste. Ideally beds would be made in the autumn and the manure left to rot over winter. But when there is a need these can be ready earlier. “I made my first bed in March 2020 and I was putting plants in by June because I needed to get my first year going.” The flower field beds were sown with annuals in the first year and then Carol has added to these with perennials including roses and dahlias. In spring she uses alpaca manure on the hydrangeas and roses. “The other thing it is great for is making alpaca tea - for the flowers not our guests,” Carol added. The tea, made in a big barrel, is also an excellent feed for seedlings and once a week is used to water the flowers. As well as taking alpaca husbandry courses Carol has completed a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Level 2 course. Keen to learn more she has joined Flowers From The Farm, a “massively supportive” group of British flower growers where buyers can find home-grown flowers for sale. Carol’s jam jar posies and bouquets are sold locally from a table at the farm gate, at the village cafe as well through a farm shop. “Demand for British flowers is growing in the same way as demand for British vegetables as more people want to reduce food miles and buy locally,” she said. Cut flower workshops are a possibility in future but with the alpacas, the teas, and the flower garden the couple have little time to spare. After our interview Carol was planning to plant out dahlias – cold, wet weather had delayed planting but whatever the weather Carol and Mark are enjoying life at Bewl Rookery. 44 Alpaca #93
FIBRE
‘A RELAXING HOBBY’
Iain Sharp and Anne Cheston, Abberley Alpacas have no regrets about starting their alpaca adventure after a chance conversation in a hotel bar sparked the start of a new hobby and continuing journey.
H
ello, we're Iain and Anne, owners (workers!) of Abberley Alpacas. We began our alpaca adventure back in 2015, some seven or so years after the start of Iain's secret obsession with these animals, following a conversation while on holiday in a hotel bar (like you do!) with a family who had alpacas. From this point Iain decided we needed alpacas and so when we
relocated to Worcestershire with Iain’s work, one of the priorities for a new home was land for grazing.
When we started out, we didn’t know much about alpacas at all (I’ve travelled to Chile and Peru but didn’t really pay much attention at the time), so we made sure we did our research. Before moving to Worcestershire, we lived in East Sussex and paid a visit to Chris and Vicki
Agar of Spring Farm Alpacas; this was just a walking experience, but it was enough to see whether these weird camelid critters were really for us. Later that spring, as our relocation to rural Worcestershire quickly approached, we went on a basic husbandry course at Toft Alpacas. This gave us a good introduction into what it takes to look after these animals; and on the day we were there >> Continued on next page
FIBRE
<< we were lucky enough to see a cria being born, a beautiful rose grey Huacaya – we still have the photos and from that moment we were hooked! We moved house in the summer of that same year and by October took delivery of our first four alpacas. The initial thinking was that we would start with a few boys as pets, but instead we ended up buying four pregnant females with a view to breeding. At the same time both of us got very busy with work and we found it impossible to contemplate parting with any of our herd – they’re all 100% part of the family each with their own unique characters – Iain’s pretty sure some of the boys would follow him into the house, open the fridge and help themselves to a beer given half the chance! So, having changed our plan we have instead collected alpacas and have gradually increased our numbers over the years with a mixture of breeding and buying in. We are now at 20 alpacas – nine girls and 11 boys. We view this as purely a relaxing hobby, we don’t show, although we do play an active role in our regional alpaca group, the West Shires Alpaca Group (WSAG), and get heavily involved in running the alpaca section of the Royal Three Counties Show each summer and also the Midlands Championship Halter Show each November. From there we both got asked if we would help at the BAS National Show, which we did, and I think we did ok. Iain’s view is that ‘if you spend your time at work “driving a desk”, then you might as well do something that gets you outside and well away from it in your spare time’. However, Iain has developed a habit of taking this to extremes and has an unfortunate addiction to groundworks – he’s never far away from a digger or dumper or plotting yet more hairbrained improvements! It’s quite common for piles of stone, or plant and machinery to turn up on the drive unannounced! Along the way, we’ve tried to learn as much as possible and have been on
Alpaca Fibre Alpaca Fibre Collection 2022 Collection 2022
various courses. Iain’s been on a shearing course with Jay Holland (although I don’t recommend anyone hiring Iain – I have the photographic evidence of his attempts at two of our boys). I’ve been on a Camelidynamics course with Victoria Barrett, we’ve both attended birthing courses with Claire Whitehead and I’ve completed the introduction to parasite testing with Sue Thomas at Lyme Alpacas and continue to try and soak up information and knowledge from fellow alpaca owners and at WSAG events. Yes, sometimes it can be hard yards doing the rounds before and after work, especially in the depths of winter when it’s blowing a gale or absolutely tipping down, but on balance we know we get far more from our little gang in terms of personal reward and achievement, than the actual effort we put in, so it all works out in the end! As well as trying to learn as much as possible about alpaca care and husbandry, I have been learning to use their fibre. I joined our local Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, and after the first meeting came home with the Guild’s spinning wheel on loan and spent the next few months attempting to create some decent yarn from their fleece. I then got a Rigid Heddle Loom for my birthday and, after having the fibre processed into yarn at a mill – I know that I’m never going to make a dent in our fleece mountain spinning by hand – I am enjoying exploring the creative potential of this simple loom. I have also started hand dyeing the yarn to add colour to the beautiful natural shades. I’ve been lucky enough to get a few commissions and produce alpaca scarves to order. It's fair to say that the alpacas have become a bit of a hit with the locals, and we have a light hearted Facebook page which seems to keep people in the village and beyond entertained! So, what next? At the moment we’re probably at a size that is manageable between the two of us so we are going to stay at or around the size we are at for a while. Iain’s view is that if as we get older (people do that!) and work slows down, we might think about doing more with the alpacas – he tells me that all the “improvements” we make are all to make things easier for us; but I can’t help thinking he’s putting in all the infrastructure to secretly sneak a load more alpacas in! Well, that’s us, there’s definitely no regrets on our alpaca journey and we’ve loved every step, met lots of nice people and we honestly wouldn’t change a thing!
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Alpaca #93
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Alpacas for sale
A list of BAS members who are breeders and advertising their alpacas for sale
SOUTH EAST
ALPACA ANNIE 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: office@alpacaannie.com WEB: www.alpacaannie.com
LIGHTFOOT ALPACAS
MORALEE FARM ALPACAS
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.
Moralee is a family-run alpaca farm in West Sussex. We care for a herd of high-quality Huacaya alpaca with award-winning genetics.
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
SOUTH EAST
Our mission is centred on breeding for improvement – focussing on white and light-coloured alpacas with fine fleece in a gentle and caring environment. All our alpaca are kept in small groups, so are used to human contact and receive lots of attention. Our services include: the sale of Females for Breeding, Drive-by Stud services and Male-Field Pets. TEL: 07809 731164 EMAIL: claire@moralee.farm WEB: www.moralee.farm
SOUTHERN ENGLAND
ALPACA EVOLUTION
SCOTFIELD ALPACAS
Located in Buckinghamshire, between Milton Keynes and Buckingham, Alpaca Evolution offers a full range of alpacas for sale from our high-quality herd of 700 plus alpacas, both Huacaya and Suri, including stud males, breeding females and pets.
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.
We also offer a range of learning opportunities for all levels of experience both on farm and via webinars. With our unrivalled experience we pride ourselves on the support we offer to our clients and the high standards of herd welfare we maintain.
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
We welcome visitors by appointment. TEL: Nick 07979 651742 & Alexandra 07795 843790 EMAIL: enquiries@alpacaevolution.com WEB: www.alpacaevolution.com
Sue Hipkin 07770 455533 Lisa Hipkin 07770 455534 WEB: www.scotfieldalpacas.co.uk
SOUTHERN ENGLAND
Herts AlpAcAs 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 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.
PENNYBRIDGE ALPACAS 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, fancy grazers and sheep guards available. ‘Home of The Alpaca Experience’.
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.
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
EAST MIDLANDS
WEST MIDLANDS
JANDJ ALPACAS
TOFT ALPACAS
The family run JandJ Alpaca herd was established in 2005 with four breeding females, today we have over 90 beautiful animals. We are located in Lincolnshire on the Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leiceistershire border just off the A1.
Based in North East Warwickshire we offer over 120 pedigree alpacas in all colours, ages and price ranges. We run a number of prizewinning stud males and offer on farm and mobile mating services. We are confident that our prize winning herd will live up to all your alpaca expectations. Shirley and I have been qualified BAS judges for a great number of years and have judged throughout the UK and Europe.
With years of experience our aim is to help you choose the best alpacas to start you journey, whether it be breeding females, stud males or pet boys.
We run regular alpaca husbandry workshops every month throughout the year. We have been breeding alpacas for 25 years and are dedicated to sharing our extensive experience to guide you towards realising your own alpaca aspiration whatever that maybe. Please ring to book.
Stud services also available from top coloured genetics. TEL: Martin or Clare 01636 626990 EMAIL: sales@jandjalpacas.co.uk WEB: www.visitalpacas.co.uk
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TEL: Shirley 07970 626245 / Rob 07973 123008 EMAIL: shirley@toftalpacastud.com / rob@toftalpacastud.com WEB: www.toftalpacastud.com
SNOWSHILL ALPACAS 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 80% are Huacaya). Although our breeding programme is biased towards the darker colours, we do also have superb quality whites and beige alpacas.
SOUTH WEST
DARK SKY ALPACAS
Located in rugged and beautiful North Cornwall, we focus on Suri and have a herd of elite alpacas with some of the best and varied Suri genetics in the country. Alongside our own animals we have invested in top quality alpacas from specialists in the UK and New Zealand. Our farm has been ‘custom made’ for alpacas, with biosecurity and welfare of paramount importance, and we love and care for the herd ourselves. We offer full stud services and in particular Suri starter herds, quality breeding stock and luxury alpaca products. WENDY: 07712 136949TOM: 07825 105530 EMAIL: tomandwendy@darkskyalpacas.com WEB: www.darkskyalpacas.com
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! Herd Reduction Sale MARK: 07540 115329 AMANDA: 07882 456084 EMAIL: mark@potteryalpacas.com WEB: www.potteryalpacas.com
CENTRAL ENGLAND
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
ANIMAL HEALTH
JG ANIMAL HEALTH High specification organic chealated nutritional supplements suitable for all camelids. • Premier Camelid Drench
ADVERTISE HERE
Your booking will include an online listing in the Alpacas for Sale section on the BAS website. TEL: 01732 448748 EMAIL: Wendy.King@talkmediasales.co.uk
Fibre Processors and Retailers
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
• Premier Mineral Supplement
20% OFF
5% OFF
ALL products Safe4disinfectant www.medisave.co.uk
• Premier Mineral Bucket • A, D3 & E Paste
Terms and conditions apply
TEL: 07866 607466
Terms and conditions apply
EMAIL: jganimalhealth@aol.com WEB: www.jganimalhealth.co.uk
PROCESSORS OF FIBRE – MINI MILLS AND OTHER
CLASSIC CARDER
RETAILERS/WHOLESALERS IN BRITISH ALPACA PRODUCTS
HOMESTEAD FARM SUPPLIES
WEB: www.classiccarder.co.uk
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
DBWOOLS
M.R.HARNESS
ALPACA FIBRE
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.
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 EMAIL: paulbrittain@mac.com
COLLECTION 2022 We buy fibre shorn from all parts of the alpaca and collect from your door in most areas of the UK. We will purchase fibre from current/previous seasons if kept in good condition so don’t let it go to waste! Collection times/dates to suit your shearing schedule.
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.
TEL: Michael Cooke 07494 151166
All items are hand crafted ‘in house’, in England, so you can be assured of good workmanship and quality products that last.
EMAIL: michaelcooke@dbwools.co.uk
So please come and try the ‘Choice of Champions’.
WEB: www.standardwool.co.uk
TEL: 01299 896827 EMAIL: mary@mrharness.co.uk
Part of the Standard Wool group
Discounted Prices on Microchips*
10% OFF
AGRI Shelter® Terms and conditions apply
2 FREE worm counts worth £40 for NEW BAS members then 25% OFF Worm Counts after that*
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 #93
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READER'S STORY
Children’s book author and retired alpaca owner Fiona Wallace reflects on the magical time she spent with her alpacas, llamas and blackface sheep on a Scottish croft.
T
wenty years ago, I began a life changing journey when I became the owner of fourteen alpacas, two llamas and twelve blackface sheep, which lived on my 11 acre croft in the Bathgate Hills, West Lothian, Scotland.
Since I began there have been many ups and downs as I have looked after my animals in all types of weather, and in difficult situations. Now retired after twenty years, I reflect on how it all began. At the yearly four day Royal Agricultural Show near Edinburgh, I was captivated by the stand behind ours that was showing alpacas. These were owned by Pat and Bill Bentley of Sake House in Cumbria. It would be true to say, despite never having seen or heard of alpacas before, that I immediately fell for these gorgeous animals. I remember racing back to our agricultural stand to find my husband, and in total excitement asking him: “Can I buy an alpaca?” “Of course,” he said, and handed over his cheque book. The following day I asked him if I could buy another one. “Yes,” was the reply. On the last day of the agricultural show my husband and his friend decided to visit the alpaca stand to collect what he thought were two ladies alpaca jumpers. Without a word, Bill Bentley pointed to the pen showing two very much alive woolly jumpers with eight legs – if keeping a marriage alive is being able to surprise your husband then that moment was the equivalent of a 2,000 volt shock. My poor husband recovered quickly and has been my biggest support all these years. He is my “dream catcher” whose life was turned upside down and yet he weathered it with great fortitude. Next to arrive over time were another twelve alpacas.These were castrated males as I was interested in the fleece and not breeding, Quickly following in their footsteps were the blackface sheep. I wanted to learn about sheep husbandry. Twelve of them arrived, big and fat, carrying lambs. It was a rapid learning curve for me at lambing time each year – I nearly learned about divorce instead! Two llamas joined the croft next. They proved to be an exciting addition and were marvellous flock guardians, specially Fred the taller of the two.
Becoming an author
I decided to write a book for children between the ages of six and twelve, This was to be an educational book, but fun as well. ‘Alpaca Magic’ was launched in the round room at Oatridge Agricultural College in November 2005 and the People’s Friend published it in 2006 in their magazine - it sold nationally. The best advice I was ever given by someone in the alpaca world was: “Fiona when you take charge of your herd of alpacas stand at the gate and watch them for a whole hour. That way you will learn a great deal about your animals.” They are like children all betraying their own personalities and traits; they are mischievous, getting into trouble and causing trouble. It really was the best advice I was ever given. It was important to give them all names. The first alpaca I called Spats because of his little white feet. Then Colgate, he had yellow teeth and obviously needed to have them cleaned. Then came Hamish, black as coal but 50 Alpaca #93
with a beautiful temperament. Then Pinkie, he just looked like a pinkie! Then Angus, full of mischief; George likened to an old professor, and Magic who had the longest neck and would wash his feet in the water troughs was just a magic boy! Then there was Bonzo, my husband’s favourite alpaca, who was a beautiful brown colour. Snowflake had the largest snowflake on his nose, His fleece was lighter brown in colour and made the most beautiful teddy bears. And then there was Harry, the biggest grey alpaca I had ever seen. He would make me chuckle as he always looked as if he was wearing false teeth when chewing his cud! Horace came next, he was known as Hungry Horace or Horrible Horace. He was the smallest of the alpacas but he was an awful bully. Dan was a very large alpaca, very quiet, caused no trouble and had long eyelashes. Then there was George, a beautifully natured alpaca, just adored eating carrots. And last, but not least, there was Bute, a beautiful fawn alpaca, who was the last to pass away at the grand old age of 23 years old. Eleven of the alpacas all lived to a very old age, as did the llamas, 18 and 19 years respectively. The alpacas were shorn every year in June. For six years I had the most fantastic teddy bears made from their fleece of all shapes, sizes and colours. They were dressed to match their personalities, even in Scottish Highland outfits. For 19 years I did alpaca talks all over south east Scotland. I taught students at Oatridge Agricultural College and in the croft for five years. Owning camelids changed my life. Alpacas and llamas are easy livestock to keep and look after, and they give of themselves so much for very little. I am totally blessed and my love affair with these wonderful animals has been a privilege and has allowed me to enjoy their spiritual being so much. Twenty years of caring, and loving my Longmuir herd has enriched my life immensely. They have all passed on now, but what a terrific experience it all was!
Sire: Surtierra Shadow Dam: Inca Journey Forth
Inca No Strings
incaalpaca.co.uk
Inca Lewesdon
Inca Moonshine
