Alpaca Yearbook 2022

Alpaca British Alpaca Society bi-monthly magazine

ISSUE 90: YEARBOOK 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 Mystic Star of Artwork cria.....

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

CONTENTS

4

The BAS

6

Registration

8

Setting and achieving breeding goals

12

Estimated Breeding Values explained

14

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

Breeding for colour

Paula Winsor, Winsaula Alpacas, shares some of her findings on alpaca genotyping, a coat colour test she describes as groundbreaking for her herd breeding programme.

30 Britain is open for business

56 New venture

Traditional farming becomes harder each year. But an alpaca business can offer a viable additional income.

Demand for quality breeding stock is outstripping supply globally.

36 The right time for alpaca

Animal welfare and sustainability are the biggest factors affecting demand for animal fibre within the global fashion market.

60 Environmental approach 64 At the Glen

One of South West Scotland’s oldest hill farms has introduced an alpaca herd as part of a diversification plan to support the local community and protect the land for future generations.

40 Unique and relevant to Cornwall

GRAPHIC DESIGN Jo Legg 07306 482166 jo.legg@flair-design.co.uk 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

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22

PRINTING Precision Colour Print

44 Sustainable British alpaca

66 Cambrian camelids

Exploring the environmental benefits of alpaca grazing.

46 Luxury and sustainable British alpaca

Knitwear brand Ally Bee was launched using British alpaca yarn to offer “a sustainable luxury alternative to mass production”.

Showing for success

BAS judge Barbara Hetherington outlines why the UK’s show circuit is crucial to the future prosperity of the UK alpaca community and how show ring assessment drives ongoing improvement in the national herd.

70 Planning for emergencies

Westpoint Farm Vets outlines a basic first aid kit and details how to make it easy for an attending veterinarian to assess the situation if they are called to an emergency on your farm.

48 A perfect fit

72

Rita Wilson with her husband explains how starting an alpaca business has changed their lives.

24

Supreme Fleece Champions

Brillbury Alpacas have won Supreme Champion Huacaya Fleece for two years in succession at the Heart of England Show. Their success comes after building a herd with top genetics.

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www.kelsey.co.uk

42 Hand spinning adventures

20 BAS National Show

DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain: Marketforce (UK) 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 020 3148 5000

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.

‘Alpaca chat’

BAS National judge and breeder Mary-Jo Smith tells us about her alpaca highlights and offers some helpful advice to help you improve your herd and prepare for the biggest event in the BAS showing calendar.

Dream team

Steven and Tracey of Lythe Brow Alpacas are devoted to the herd and spend all their spare time with the alpacas.

How applied behaviour science offers a better understanding of behaviour and how Camelidynamics can help you to handle your animals without using force.

74 76 52

Managing an alpaca business

BAS board member Neil Payne tells us about the diversified business he runs and shares some useful guidance for similar enterprises.

Understanding behaviour

BAS courses A new challenge

Deciding to breed alpacas comes from a passion for the lifestyle and a desire to improve our animals..

80 Alpacas through the seasons

Our photo competition attracted some great images.

Cover photo: The Pwllpeiran Upland Research Centre, part of Aberystwyth University

Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

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THE BRITISH ALPACA SOCIETY

T

Dedicated to the welfare of alpacas and the education of their owners in the UK.

he British Alpaca Society (BAS) currently has 1,700 members representing almost 37,000 alpacas spread in various densities all the way from Lands End to John O’Groats.

As well as providing information and support to its members, one of the organisation’s most important functions is maintaining a pedigree registry for all alpacas in the UK national herd and a European directory for all BAS registered alpacas domiciled in Europe.

The alpaca industry is at an exciting stage of development and the BAS is working hard to support its members in their initiatives – both in the UK and Europe. By joining the Society you become part of a national community, dedicated to all things alpaca. Membership offers knowledge, networking and support to help you protect your investment and work towards your own alpaca aspiration.

Regional groups

The British Alpaca Society supports a national network of regional alpaca groups who meet on a regular basis to share experiences and knowledge, organise events and talk about the alpaca.

The autonomous groups provide an invaluable forum for sharing expertise through workshops, lectures and shows and related alpaca events, with the emphasis on self-help, accessibility and local initiative.

Whether you are an owner, a prospective owner, or just interested in these fascinating animals, your regional group will always make you welcome.

Website

The BAS website is a one stop educational resource containing detailed information on the alpaca, the membership and the Society. The BAS also has its own Facebook page which it uses to keep members updated on news and the latest information on events and shows.

Alpaca magazine

The BAS provides its membership with an informative bi-monthly magazine dealing with all aspects of alpaca ownership. The editorial content is applicable to the aspirant, beginner and established breeder within the UK and Europe.

The BAS also provides its members with regular electronic information updates.

Education and training

The BAS, through its regional representatives on the national Education Committee, provides members with a range of educational courses on alpaca assessment, advanced alpaca assessment, alpaca fibre and processing for breeders.

Through its comprehensive BAS judge training scheme, it provides the UK industry with certified qualified judges to support the show circuits and through its training and Recertification programme, it maintains the standard and consistency of alpaca judging in the UK. Its National Fibre Committee provides members with information on shearing, skirting, sorting and processing alpaca fibre, keeping them up to date with all developments within the alpaca fibre marketplace.

Alpaca welfare

The BAS is dedicated to the welfare of alpacas. It facilitates training and education dvd’s and documents to aid husbandry and care of alpacas and is involved in all facets of government liaison regarding disease monitoring and exports. The BAS have emergency contacts for welfare issues and support members who have husbandry related questions or need help.

Showing

BAS Show Committees support a programme of BAS accredited halter and fleece shows throughout the length and breadth of the British Isles. Not only do these shows provide a showcase and learning experience for the general public, they also play a major part in educating and informing alpaca breeders throughout the UK.

Membership fees Single membership – £84 per annum Joint membership – £105 per annum £10 discount for direct debit payers Herd registration fee – £25

www.bas-uk.com 4

Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

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REGISTRATION IS WHAT YOU NEED

Libby Henson from Grassroots Systems Ltd explains why the BAS pedigree database is so important to the industry.

T

here are currently almost 40,000 alpacas registered as living in the UK in BAS herds ranging in size from two or three animals to several hundred. Most herds consist of 10 to 20 registered animals. It is important that all UK born alpacas are logged with the BAS even when they are kept as pets or for fibre production.

Identification

All alpacas should carry a microchip which is the primary form of Identification and is the quickest way to positively identify a lost or stolen animal.

Registration

An essential tool

From the point of view of the whole alpaca community, an easily accessed pedigree database provides us the opportunity to look at trends within the national population and produce statistics for the BAS Board, the marketing committee, Alpaca magazine, and potential new members.

A strong database is an essential tool in the future development of our industry and a key to the development of a successful breeding strategy. In the UK we have just such a registry, accessible to our members via the BAS website. It holds a wealth of information on over 70,000 animal records.

Ensure that your alpacas are part of the future – check your papers and get your herd registered.

If you need help or advice please contact the Grassroots Office on 01392 270421 or email agency@grassroots.co.uk Or write to: BAS Registry, PO Box 251, Exeter, EX2 8WX

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Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

All cria should be logged with the BAS registry as soon as possible, and before their first birthday. There are three sections of the registry – Registered, Notified and Listed.

Females and males destined for breeding should be ‘Registered’. A DNA profile is included in the registration fee for males.

All pet males which will not be used for breeding or have been castrated should be ‘Listed’ (free of charge).

All other males, whose destiny is not yet decided, should be ‘Notified’ (£5 +VAT). Certificates are automatically provided for all fully registered animals and are available for ‘Listed’ or ‘Notified’ males for a small additional fee.

Late fees apply to all cria applications which are not reported to the registry until after their first birthday.

Transfer

Animals which have been sold should be transferred on the registry to the new owners. The transfer fee applies to ‘Registered’ females, ‘Registered’ and ‘Notified’ males and is normally paid by the vendor. Transfer of ‘Listed’ non-breeding males is free of charge.

Registry available online

The details of all ‘Registered’, ‘Notified’ and ‘Listed’ animals is available for members, online, via the members area of the BAS website (www.bas-uk.com).

Please log into the members area (top right hand corner of the screen) using your herd letters and password. Then click on registry (top right hand corner of the screen).

The screen opens with a list of the animals you own. Click on the magnifying glass top left to search the whole database. Type in some information to start the search. The more information you provide the smaller the list offered. If you are having problems locating an animal, please contact the Grassroots office. To view more details on any one animal click on it in the list. Click on pedigree, progeny or show results for these details.

Anything in orange is a link, for example to ancestors, breeder or owner.

Manage your herd records – online. The Online Registry can also be used to apply to make changes to the registry.

• You can record the birth of cria and apply to Register, Notify or List.

• You can report transfer of ownership on the animals you have sold so that we can transfer the animals and contact the new owner to invite them to join the BAS. • You can let us know about deaths and record the reasons for death.

This information is held confidentially, but is used to produce annual summaries of reasons for death, which may help to identify trends and areas where research is needed.

• You can apply for DNA testing and DNA parentage tests to assist with the identification of your animals and confirm their pedigrees.

• You can do show entries for the majority of BAS shows.

Before you buy

Please do check that the animals are on the BAS database or contact the Grassroots office for assistance. 01392 270421 or agency@bas-uk.com. It is very important that animals are registered before you buy because cria can only be registered by the person who was the registered owner of their mother on the day they were born.

If you purchase unregistered animals you will not be able to register them yourself, and any cria they subsequently produce will not be eligible for registration. Remember if you are planning to show, or to breed animals you may wish to sell in the future, you must begin with pedigree registered stock.

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Four ways to log your cria There are now four ways you can apply to notify, list or register your cria with the BAS.

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You can send a paper application form. These can be downloaded from the website or contact the Grassroots Office and they’ll pop one in the post.

You can make an application via the Grassroots Online Registry.

You will need your member number/herd letters and password, if you have forgotten them please contact the Grassroots office You can make an application via the Grassroots Mobile App which you can download from the Google Playstore or Apple Appstore.

You can email your application as an excel spreadsheet. This is particularly useful for members who already have an on-farm computer system because the report can be exported direct from that system. The excel spreadsheet must include your herd letters and name in the title of the file. The whole batch in that file must be destined for one registration type (eg, notified males, listed males or full register).

Registration is also important because the pedigree of an animal, its offspring, siblings and other relations are a good indicator of its breeding potential and that of its descendants. If you want to breed to improve your stock, you need to know as much as possible about what you are buying.

Grading-up scheme

If you do already own unregistered stock, please contact the BAS registry for advice. It may be possible to trace their registered parents and arrange for late registration and transfer. Failing that, there is a ‘grading-up scheme’ which enables unregistered stock to be brought back into the fold, over three generations.

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7

BREEDING

SETTING AND ACHIEVING BREEDING GOALS Amberly Alpacas was established in 2006 by BAS judge Roger Clarke and his wife Elaine, in Northern Ireland’s picturesque Clogher Valley. One of the core elements of the couple’s management practice is a dedicated and systematic approach to breeding for ongoing improvement and advancement, as Roger explains.

A

s we all know, there is no such thing as ‘the perfect alpaca’ and so, when talking about advancement, we are referring to the production of animals that reliably present themselves with and pass on desirable traits and characteristics. Characteristics that are representative of the alpaca breed standard and therefore, moving towards the ‘ideal’.

Whilst I appreciate that environmental and other factors can play a role; it is important to note that those aside, the physical expression of traits and characteristics (phenotype) displayed by an individual alpaca are strongly influenced and directed by the animal’s genetic make-up (genotype).

Therefore, as is the case with most things in life, successful alpaca breeding doesn’t just happen by chance. The best results are achieved when astute planning is involved. But how do you know what to plan for?

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Planning

In answering this question, you need to have a clear idea of what your ‘end game’ is: what is it that you want to achieve? If breeding for advancement is your goal, then one of the main starting points is that of establishing a baseline. This involves the identification of where you are in terms of both a personal level of knowledge and experience, as well as an assessment of the level of quality conveyed by both your individual animals and your herd, as a whole.

In most cases, baselining through assessment will involve a study of the phenotypical traits (those traits that can be observed and/or measured) expressed by each alpaca, as well as any given knowledge based on heritability and/or the use of additional tools which may help to identify further aspects of their genetic potential. Depending on the objective, available tools may include: fibre testing, genetic colour testing and the use of estimated breeding values (EBVs).

It is therefore, the outcome of such assessments, that helps to identify the relevant strengths and areas for development within a herd and ultimately, the selection criteria necessary for setting and achieving your breeding goals.

Next steps

Whilst those of us who are breeding for advancement are all striving towards the production of the ideal alpaca, the reality is that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ and so; ongoing advances are best achieved when layers of improvement are attained and built upon year on year.

These layers are best achieved by prioritising your goals and by identifying a structured approach towards improvement. In essence, as we are all at different stages in our journey, the breeding goal that you set will depend greatly on what you want to improve first. Once this improvement has been reliably realised, then a further goal can be set and another layer of improvement achieved.

How to realise your goals?

Whilst we first set our goals in the abstract, there comes the time to make them a reality. This is where mating decisions come into play. It is important for us to use all of the information at our disposal in order to make mating decisions that will offer the greatest potential for achieving our goals.

In essence, we are utilising genetics to try and make the desired improvements in the phenotype and therefore, it is the phenotypic expression of desired traits (or those which we desire to improve upon), that should be used as selection criteria.

Put simply and as an example: if improving uniformity of micron is our goal, then we must identify and select unions using alpacas that have the genetic ability and reliability to pass this trait on and allow its expression in the phenotype.

With this in mind, mating plans are best approached on an individual basis. With males being selected for particular females and females selected for particular males, all based on the knowledge gleaned from your ongoing assessments.

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www.amberlyalpacas.com Amberly House, 108 Knockmany Road Clogher, Co Tyrone BT76 0XJ

amberlyalpacas@yahoo.co.uk

The Pennybridge Herd and Alpaca Stud

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• Starter Herds • Champion Stud Services • Fancy Grazers • Sheep Guards • The Alpaca Experience www.pennybridgealpacas.co.uk joy@pennybridgealpacas.co.uk 01256 764824 Based in North Hampshire near the Surrey/Berkshire Borders.

Less than 5 mins from M3 J5. Close to Ports & Airports.

Continued on next page >>

Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

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BREEDING << Let’s illustrate with an example: Just because a male has done particularly well in the show ring, doesn’t mean that using him over your females will result in you achieving your set goals. The chances are that some level of improvement will be made but will it be in the areas that you had identified and set as a goal?

As with other livestock, there is no ‘one size fits all’ and so, it is really important to take a considered and individualised approach to all matings.

It is also important to remember that the potential input from both the dam and the sire should be given equal weighting when it comes to planning.

Assessing outcomes

Whilst we can make all the best plans on paper, it isn’t until we put them into practice that we can really know whether or not they have been fruitful.

As the old adage says; ‘the proof is in the progeny’ and for me, never a truer word has been spoken.

With that in mind, I firmly believe that the practice of self-reflection is another key element to achieving improvement and so, assessing the outcomes of your mating decisions is the natural next step in deciding your future direction and associated goals.

Did the outcomes work? Are improvements evident? If the answer to questions like these is yes, then you know that you’re on the right track.

A layer of improvement has been achieved and you’re one step closer to achieving your ultimate goal.

In addition to this, whilst we are all guilty of wishing our lives away from one birthing season to the next, assessing the outcomes of our matings , i.e. the progeny, gives us an invaluable insight into the true genetic potential and

level of heritability, presented by the parents. Information that should play an instrumental role in the planning of future unions.

Despite all of this and in the face of the very best planning and use of all the tools at our disposal, there will be times when the outcomes are not quite as we’d hoped or expected. Such occurrences happen to us all and are a reminder that nature itself will always have the last say.

In situations like this, I would always tend to take things back to the drawing board. What was the outcome? How did it fall short of the desired expectations? Remember…all knowledge is key and it is just as important to learn about what didn’t or doesn’t work as it is to establish what does.

The Holy grail

Regardless of your approach or what your aims or goals are, breeding alpacas is an incredibly addictive affair. For me there is nothing more exciting than the anticipation of what is to come. Every year that passes brings another layer of improvement and progress and as the layers stack up, we hope that we are that little bit closer towards our quest for the ideal.

Similarly, as breeding for improvement is an approach towards reliably producing animals that are conformationally sound and therefore, ‘fit to function’, as well as displaying all of the commercially desirable fibre traits, it’s important to note that this approach is just as pertinent for the fibre sector as it is to any other aspect of the industry, including showing and agri-tourism.

As we look to the year ahead, I wish each and every one of you a very successful birthing season and hope that your plans and future goals pan out as you’d hoped.

Mid-Cornwall’s premier alpaca herd

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Higher Carpalla Farm Foxhole St Austell 01726 338580 07974 796792 nigel@nigelretallack.co.uk www.carpallaalpacas.co.uk

+44 (0)75 6434 8964 amberlyalpacas@yahoo.co.uk www.amberlyalpacas.com

A PACAS

Amberly House, 108 Knockmany Road Clogher, Co Tyrone BT76 0XJ

Established in 2006 and home to multi supreme champion alpacas; Amberly is now the longest established, prize-winning herd of Huacaya and Suri Alpacas in Ireland.

We believe that an investment in alpacas is an ‘investment in happiness’. Let our success and expertise help shape your investment the Amberly way.

ALPACAS

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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

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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 #90 YEARBOOK

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BREEDING

ESTIMATED BREEDING VALUES EXPLAINED Duncan Pullar, BAS CEO, outlines why the Estimated Breeding Value (EBV) project, recently introduced by BAS, can help breeders improve fleece traits.

T

here are some basics to breed improvement that I hope everyone can agree on. Any animal breeder, alpaca or otherwise, needs to know:

• what trait, or traits they are trying to improve • the difference between good and bad in that trait • how to identify animals that have ‘good’ genes.

There are two broad categories of traits; those controlled by one or two genes including eye colour, and those controlled by multiple genes including mature body weight or fleece weight.

For the first group the effect of husbandry or environment on the outcome of breeding is non-existent – the amount of food an alpaca eats will not affect eye colour. For the second group, husbandry and environment will have a significant effect on the outcome – better fed Fleece traits are 60% husbandry/ environment and 40% genetics

12 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

Summary of EBV solutions for fibre traits for animals in the datafile Trait

Minimum EBV

Maximum EBV

Mean EBV

MEAN measure

Fibre Diameter (FD) micron

-4.25

6.86

-0.14

21.8

SD FD micron

-1.07

1.75

-0.03

4.6

Comfort Factor %

-26.34

28.94

0.05

90.4

Spin Fineness

-7.42

6.74

-0.36

21.5

Staple Length (mm)

-12.87

12.15

1.74

99.1

Fibre Curvature Dg/mm

-25.39

35.41

-3.26

33.8

Fleece Wt (kg)

-0.46

0.85

0.06

2.1

alpacas have a thicker fibre micron measure and will have a bigger body weight. As husbandry and environment vary between farms, the same genetics under different management will produce a slightly different outcome.

For traits controlled by a single (or perhaps two or three genes) including eye colour or coat colour, you can get quite a long way towards improving your animals just by seeing what is in front of you and picking animals with the traits you like to be the parents of the next generation.

That said, coat colour in alpacas is controlled by three or four genes and is predictable, however you will benefit from genotype testing, because different combinations of genes can give you the same colour and they will not reproduce consistently.

For other traits, including fleece weight and fibre micron diameter, there are many genes involved in shaping the outcome that we see, as well as the effect of husbandry/environment. Selection by eye is almost impossible which is where Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) come in to help work out which alpacas are genuinely superior.

EBVs can separate out the effects of genetics and husbandry/environment and present a number that only reflects the genetic potential of the alpaca for that trait. We know from the data collected already that in a trait such as fibre micron diameter 40% of what you see in a shorn fleece is down to the genetics of the alpaca and 60% is down to management (see cria picture).

One way of thinking about this, which explains what is going on is as follows: if you have a group of alpacas of the same age and sex but from different herds (and hence breeding, husbandry and environment) all with a measured micron averaging 20 the EBVs for fibre diameter might vary from minus four to plus four micron. So, although they all look the same you will want to pick the alpacas that carry genes for the finer fleece to be part of the breeding programme, namely those with an EBV of minus four rather than plus four.

The data required to produce EBVs is easily gathered. The information on the pedigree registry plus the measure of the trait, say fibre micron diameter, and shearing dates is all that is

BREED AVERAGE needed. A powerful computer then compares the performance of all related animals and works out the effects of husbandry and genetics. The more data we have from more alpacas the stronger and more accurate the analysis becomes.

In the two years that the BAS EBV programme has been running we have collected data from 40 different herds and, along with historic data, we have information on approaching 10,000 alpacas.

Data is collected and collated through the summer and early autumn with a calculation of EBVs for the contributing herds in November each year. Data is released back to owners in December after checks have been done. EBVs are currently calculated for fibre diameter, Standard Deviation (SD) of fibre diameter, comfort factor, spin fineness, staple length, curvature, and fleece weight. There is a preferential rate agreed with Art Of Fibre for the BAS EBV project fleece sample analysis.

I know from conversations with herd owners in the scheme that they will be making matings using the data. It is worth saying that EBVs are a tool that help breeding decisions and are obviously not the entire story. You still need healthy sound alpacas of good conformation but EBVs will help you identify alpacas with the fleece genetics needed to make breed improvement. If you only use the best alpacas to be parents of the next generation fleece quality will improve. EBVs will also identify poor animals that should be excluded from the breeding programme as the

New

Original

12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Finer

Coarser

Fibre diameter

graph shows.

In future, when contributing herds are comfortable with the idea, the full results could be included in the registry for all members to peruse. In other species the data helps buyers and sellers value alpacas and helps everyone pursue breeding goals with more confidence.

As data accumulates a new trait of persistence

of fineness should be produced which will identify those alpacas that keep a fine fleece as they grow older; repeat measures of the same alpacas as they age is key to achieving this aim.

The good news is that EBVs do work and the traits we are interested in are highly heritable.

By using EBVs within two or three generations noticeable progress can, and will, be made.

If you are interested in being part of the EBV programme contact Duncan at ceo@bas-uk.com

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Yeat Wood Farm, Wootton Underwood, Bucks HP18 0RL Mobile: 07803 726464 Email: julia@csalpacas.co.uk Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

13

BREEDING

BREEDING FOR COLOUR

Paula Winsor, Winsaula Alpacas, shares some of her findings on alpaca genotyping, a coat colour test she describes as groundbreaking for her herd breeding programme.

A

s a breeder with a fondness for breeding coloured Suri, in particular silver grey, we were very excited when Neogen released their coat colour genotyping test as it gives us a science based test to determine if our alpacas are genetically grey, rather than a perception based on coat colour or phenotype.

Access to this knowledge is groundbreaking for us, however we quickly realised that genotyping results provide us with far more valuable information beyond whether our alpacas are grey.

Malahide

There is an assumption that alpaca genotyping is only useful for grey breeders. However, we find we are able to provide a far better service to customers as they will often describe the colours they would like to produce – usually with the target colour being grey. But with 75% of grey to solid mating’s resulting in other colours being produced there is more to consider.

With colour genotyping information, we can provide advice with far more certainty as to the types of colours a dam and sire are likely to produce when mated and recommend which stud to use over our dams depending on the desired outcome.

Genetic discovery

The most interesting discovery we have made is that both our grey herd sires – Winsaula Malahide and Winsaula Joker – carry the classic grey gene, with the bonus that they both carry one of only two genotypes associated with black alpacas.

Joker is genotype Ee aa with a medium silver grey phenotype; Malahide is EE aa with a phenotype of light silver grey. We were excited to learn that the two capital EE’s in Malahide’s genotype mean that he is unlikely to produce light offspring as he does not carry an MC1R allele, and regardless of phenotypic colour all his offspring will cover black.

Joker carries just one MC1R allele, denoted by the little e. So far Joker has produced black and dark silver grey cria. But he has also produced white when mated to a female carrying the least ideal genotype pairing for a colour outcome. With an understanding of how genotyping works, we can plan his mating’s more accurately to achieve grey or coloured cria.

Our BAS National Modern Grey Champion, Winsaula Suited and Booted’s genotype is also EE aa although there is no test yet to identify modern grey. Suits, standing at stud at Lopham Alpacas, has no white in his genotype which would be denoted by A. This suggests there are other genetics at play producing the white fibres in his black fleece and we are looking forward to research on the modern grey test being completed.

Interestingly, statistics from Snowmass Alpacas in the United States (US) suggests that 86% of bay black alpacas are Ee aa like Joker and the remaining 14% are EE aa like Malahide. There are roughly 217 bay black alpacas listed on the BAS UK registry, and if we apply the stats ratio from the US it suggests only 31 bay black alpacas in the UK are EE aa.

The data from Snowmass Alpacas presents a ratio 48% EE aa to 52% Ee aa in true black alpacas. If we apply the same ratio to the true black Suri’s on the UK registry, only 30 of 70 are EE aa suggesting just 21% of black Suri alpacas have the full EE aa black genotype. Breeding silver grey is very closely linked with breeding black alpacas and we find the seemingly low occurrence of this EE aa genotype hugely interesting.

By comparison three of our higher quality light fawn females tested as ee aa. This aligns with the data produced by Snowmass in that 59% of their light fawns were found to carry this genotype. We wanted our three light fawns to produce darker colours however as each one of them has two copies of the MC1R allele they can’t produce darker colours unless they are bred to an EE or Ee sire.

The outcome of this knowledge was a beautiful black cria from one of our best fawn females who had previously produced a multiple Supreme Champion light female. In hindsight, and with the benefit of genotyping knowledge, we now know the previous genotype pairing was unlikely to produce the colours we aspired to produce, but as she won two Supreme Championships, we are certainly not complaining!

In our herd about 35% of our animals do not carry a copy of a dilution mutation of the MC1R gene. That is their genotype is EE and we are expecting this ratio to rise when our latest test results come in. We are finding our alpacas without the dilution mutation particularly useful because we are able to breed them to white or light animals with diverse bloodlines and/or diverse fleece traits to improve the overall quality of our herd.

For more information on coat colour genotyping at Snowmass see The American Alpaca Journal January 2022, Alpaca Coat Colour Genotyping: Review and Preview at www.snowmassalpacas.com/american-alpaca-journal For Neogen UK email: JShennan@neogen.com

Grey Suri Alpaca Stud

81.5 points

Winsaula Malahide 10 Championship Titles Genotype: EE aa Classic Silver Grey 78.5 points

Winsaula Joker

Triple Supreme and 2020 Judges Choice Champion of Champions Genotype: Ee aa Classic Silver Grey All Enquiries

01934 732324 / prwinsor@icloud.com Finding us

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15

BREEDING

‘ALPACA CHAT’

BAS National judge and breeder Mary-Jo Smith, Bozedown Alpacas, tells us about her alpaca highlights and offers some helpful advice to help you improve your herd and prepare for the biggest event in the BAS showing calendar.

What has been your highlight, or have there been several, as an alpaca breeder?

There have been several highlights in my career as an alpaca breeder!

Number one has to be my good fortune to experience three trips to Peru to select alpacas. Each trip brought new challenges in finding the right alpacas for our herd but also in meeting and spending time with the indigenous Quechua people. Judging the National show in 2016 also makes the top of my highlight list along with being invited to Canada to judge a show. I am from Canada but all my alpaca experience is from my time in the UK and I was excited and honoured to travel home to judge.

What made you decide to become a judge?

After being involved with breeding alpacas for around eight years it was time for a new challenge and another way to learn and improve on my alpaca skills, so I thought I would give it a go.

When I first started on the courses I didn’t think judging was something I wanted to do but felt it was a challenge to see if I could attain my judge’s ticket. Placing the alpacas in order of quality was not an issue, I had plenty of experience with this on our farm, however public speaking was not a favourite of mine and I found oral reasoning a class challenging, to begin with, to make it sound fluid and educational. However, after some experience I found that I enjoyed my time in the ring and love the opportunity and privilege of being able to look through everyone’s alpacas and hopefully give positive but informative feedback.

What makes a top quality alpaca and what qualities do you want to see in the BAS National 2022 Supreme Champions?

I certainly have a picture of my ideal alpaca in my head and I am looking forward to seeing how much closer we are to achieving this when I judge the National this year.

I will be looking for an alpaca that is true to type, well balanced and has near perfect conformation. The alpaca will hopefully grab my attention as it walks into the ring and then upon opening the fleece, I will be looking for an alpaca that is carrying a fine fleece for age, with excellent density, brightness/ lustre and handle and will be uniform in colour and fineness. I will be looking for uniformity, not only within the staple/lock but also across the animal along with producing a fantastic fleece length. Not much: just an alpaca carrying a balance of all the traits we want for a beautifully finished garment!

What makes judging the BAS National special?

Being able to judge at the National is a special experience all round! Not only do we get the opportunity to judge the best alpacas from across the UK but we get to judge a show that is set up to be the best!

The venue is excellent, the show committee works hard to make sure the alpacas are being judged in ideal conditions, with a dry, fantastic sized ring and brilliant lighting. As judges we don’t have to worry about show conditions and making sure the alpacas have equal opportunity for judging conformation or lighting, all we have to worry about is judging the alpacas and placing them in the correct order!

Judging the BAS National show is certainly a highlight in our judging career and it is an honour to be asked to judge. I am especially looking forward to judging the males this year and seeing what everyone has been producing over the last couple of years.

Continued on next page >>

16 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

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Have you bred your ideal alpaca or is this still something you want to achieve?

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

No, I have not bred my ideal alpaca yet! Over the last 21 years of breeding I have seen the quality of alpacas change drastically and every few years I see a massive jump in our herd along with the industry as a whole. However, I have set my sights high and I’m not sure I will see my ideal alpaca in my lifetime but that won’t stop me trying. I think I have bred a few alpacas that meet my ideal frame but feel I am a long way off producing the ideal fleece. I have set my goals based on a thousand – year-old mummified alpaca that had a near on perfectly uniform fleece –17.9 microns with a standard deviation of only 1.1 across the entire alpaca – legs and all!

Although, we have made great strides in our industry on all aspects of breeding alpacas, in the health, frame and fibre these magical creatures still have the potential to make even more impressive genetic advancements. However, this is one of the many things I enjoy about alpaca breeding; we can all make a difference!

The best advice I have been given has not necessarily been given to me through alpaca farming but farming in general – record keeping and knowing your animals. Know everything about them. What is their fertility like, do they get pregnant right away, do they produce thriving crias from the start, do these wean as strong animals, do they mature early, do the males get the females pregnant right away?

Are they conformationally sound, are they carrying quality fleeces that maintain over the years, do they reproduce themselves, are we seeing improvements each year? Are the alpacas fit for purpose? If not, why are we breeding from them? Only breed from the alpacas that are adding value to your herd. By following this advice myself I have been able to produce a reliable breeding herd with depth and breadth.

What advice would you give to breeders looking to improve their herds?

The best advice I can give to any breeder is to learn to evaluate your alpacas and understand the positive and negative characteristics you have in each alpaca and across your herd.

If you understand where you are starting from and what you need to improve upon, you can make better breeding decisions. If you do not understand the individual traits within your herd then you are just guessing with each mating and you won’t make steady improvements.

Remember that 50% of your genetics come from each side: both the dam and the sire. So, choosing the best available herd sire is always a good start but depending on what quality the dam is those genes are always still in the alpaca even if they are recessive and not seen in the progeny phenotype. Having a breeding strategy will certainly help in achieving your goals.

What’s the best way for owners to improve their overall assessment skills? And does showing help breeders to improve their herds?

BAS offers courses which help owners learn to assess their alpacas. The one to start with is the introduction to alpaca evaluation of conformation and fleece, followed by the intermediate course. These courses are not only for those wanting to be a judge but are very useful even if judging is not your intended outcome. I do believe that showing both in halter and fleece shows helps breeders to improve their herds not necessarily in the show results themselves, but by getting out to shows, seeing what others are breeding and taking the opportunity to look at lots of alpacas.

I highly recommend looking at the alpacas as they come out of the ring. This is your opportunity to get out and see everyone else’s alpacas and then compare these with your own herd. Listen to the oral reasoning of the judges and then look at the alpacas and see if you understand what are described as placing differences between the alpacas. Don’t just look at the top placings but use the opportunity to see lots of different qualities. The majority of breeders are always pleased to show you their alpacas.

Fleece shows offer a more personal feedback unless you can get to see the fleeces on display. But when your fleece comes back from a show look through your fleece score card and look at the areas of strength and weakness in your fleeces. Ideally lay your fleece out and go through the fleece card while looking at the fleece. The way to improve your herd is to assess and learn your strengths and weaknesses in your alpaca and your herd and look to reinforce the good points and improve on the weaker ones.

18 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

What advice would you give to breeders looking to succeed at the National?

Success comes in many forms at the BAS National Show. Certainly, one of them is in the show ring, but outside the show ring is important as well.

Making new contacts, advertising your herd and taking advantage of the opportunities to learn, whether that is about assessing alpacas, marketing, husbandry skills or end products. There are many opportunities to achieve success. However, as I am judging the halter classes, I guess I had better offer some advice for the show ring!

Obviously, everyone will be choosing their best alpacas to show so all I can advise is to give your alpacas the best opportunity to shine and by this I do not mean to tamper with your alpaca as paddock condition is what we want. However, you can maintain the paddocks.

It is always stressful running up to the Nationals as it is the first show of the season and our weather is generally unhelpful! Don’t stress too much about the mud as it tends to all drop off before the show. However, I like to keep a paddock ready for my show team to go into the month running up the show – which has grass in it, if possible! I know this is not always possible, but keep your paddock rotation in mind so that they can go in the least muddy field – or start praying for sunshine and spring grass!

Otherwise, the main thing is to spend time training your alpacas. The ones that are comfortable on the lead and parade themselves around will not change their placings at the show but they certainly catch the judge’s eye!

Don’t just teach them to present themselves well but make sure they are used to being touched, showing teeth, touching tails etc. As a judge it is much easier to judge if the alpacas are used to being handled. If we cannot judge them properly this may move you a place down the line. We will certainly do everything we can to judge the alpacas fairly but I think if the alpacas walk well, have presence in the ring and are easy to judge it can help enormously.

Mary-Jo Smith at the Three Counties Fleece Show 2021

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19

SHOWING

BAS NATIONAL SHOW 2022 The BAS National Show, which takes place in March, is a celebration of all things alpaca and is a highlight of the year for many BAS members, writes BAS CEO Duncan Pullar.

The energy and buzz filling the halls at the Telford International Centre (TIC) over three days is great to experience for both exhibitors and visitors alike.

T

he show ring audience includes visitors who have been alpaca owners for years, those thinking about starting and those who are somewhere in between. There is always a good number of visitors from Europe, and exhibitors are more than happy to ‘chat alpaca’ and explain how the show’s classes are judged and organised.

The judging, which takes place over two and half days, ends on Sunday afternoon when the Supreme Champion Suri and Huacaya are selected in a tense finale and being presented with a Supreme trophy and sash is a huge achievement for the winning owners and breeders.

More than 600 alpacas will be judged this year by two experienced BAS judges working in two rings simultaneously. Tim Hey will judge the Huacaya and Suri females while Mary-Jo Smith will judge the Huacaya and Suri males as well as the Champion of Champions Fleece Show.

The Fleece Show, judged at a separate venue in February, will include those fleeces which have won Champion or Reserve in a BAS fleece show in 2021 and winning fleeces will be on show in Telford.

Photo: Abbey Kite

The Fibre Zone has grown in recent years and includes competitive classes for yarn, garments, homeware, toys and crafts. The quality, inventiveness, and range of products on display is outstanding and well worth seeing.

Trade stands enable companies to showcase a range of products and equipment. Including field shelters and machinery for paddock maintenance, feed and veterinary supply businesses and as well as garments and jewellery made from alpaca fibre.

As well as a showcase for some the UK’s best alpacas the event is a focus for fun, meeting old friends and making new ones. So, make 2022 the year you come and share the excitement at the TIC from Friday 25 March to Sunday 27 March 2022.

For the latest information see the BAS National Show website: www.basnationalshow.co.uk

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SHOWING

SHOWING FOR SUCCESS

BAS judge Barbara Hetherington, Beck Brow Alpacas, outlines why the UK’s show circuit is crucial to the future prosperity of the UK alpaca community and how show ring assessment drives ongoing improvement in the national herd.

I

t has felt so good to get back in the show ring this autumn after two years of cancellations due to the pandemic. Firstly, I had the pleasure of judging the YAG halter show, followed by exhibiting at the Northern, Midlands and NEBAG Shows. After so many rule changes I think we all had to temper our excitement until the dawn of each show, when we were sure things could go ahead.

It was very evident, from the three shows that we attended, that breeders had not only missed the social side of showing, but had also missed having their alpacas assessed and compared to those belonging to others. The detailed oral reasoning from the judges makes showing alpacas very informative and can be an aid when making breeding/purchasing decisions.

This aspect of evaluating and comparing herd improvement is a big part of showing and has been a loss for the industry.

We are extremely fortunate in the UK to have so many halter shows (both spring and autumn) and for these to cover a wide geographical area.

The regional shows are a real credit to all the volunteers who give up vast amounts of time to ensure that the shows represent BAS and the alpaca industry so well. These events would not be possible without their dedication, and of course, the generosity of the sponsors and those entering the show.

Healthy market

It would be easy to think that showing alpacas is only of interest and value to those who actually take part. Often we hear that showing only represents 22 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

a small number of BAS members, but of course the shows are crucial if the alpaca industry is to prosper – should there be no credible show circuit, then this would impact on all alpaca owners, both pet and commercial.

Most importantly, it is the show circuit that keeps the market value of those top quality alpacas buoyant. Without the accolades for breeding increasingly improved alpacas, and the desire for many to win those accolades, the market would be much less competitive at the top. This higher value for the sought after show quality alpacas of course cascades down, helping everyone whatever their goals of ownership.

We are one of only a few farms who have a herd size big enough to provide us with an income through breeding alone. However, our breeding numbers do make it necessary for us both to be employed fulltime on the farm. With relatively small numbers (when compared to most sheep and cattle farms) prices for the top quality show stock does need to be at a certain level to fund the business. This then enables us to provide non-show stock at competitive prices, be that for pets or for trekking and therapy businesses. We also provide starter herds of pet quality females for those not wishing to show.

Importantly, it is our experience gained from caring for hundreds of alpacas over the years that means we can provide expert support with health and welfare issues.

Of course the show circuit reflects the qualities the fleece industry requires and thus is a driving force in improving our national herd. It is vital that we breed alpacas with continually improving fleece qualities (ultimately this is

where the value will be) who are healthy and robust. The added value from showing also allows money to be put back into the industry for all. I believe that a thriving show circuit creates a healthy market place which in turn supports a healthy national herd.

Why we show

It is fairly safe to say that I am addicted to trying to breed the very best alpacas we possibly can. Not just Huacayas, and not just a couple of colours, we breed both Suri and Huacaya and across the colour chart (okay not grey so much). Our breeding programme is simply based on breeding quality.

The shows are a good marketing and networking opportunity but ultimately it is the taking part in the competition that is the most exciting part for me. How are our youngsters stacking up? This is the constant question until they get in the ring.

Of course being a BAS qualified judge I could just assess my own alpacas.

I don’t need to go to the shows. But it is the challenge of competing against others, of hopefully coming out on top, and if not looking at those who are taking the top spots. However, win or lose the alpaca show circuit is a friendly place to be. I am sure most would agree many friendships are forged at the shows despite the competitive nature of the event. If anyone is interested in showing and hasn’t done so yet, do get in touch with your regional group and get involved. Equally, if you do not wish to exhibit but wish to help and observe you would be most welcome. Of course the BAS National Show also relies on a team of volunteers who put in months of work leading up to the event, any help is always gratefully received there too.

Choosing our National Show team

The BAS National Show 2022 is planned to be a spectacular event. After a two year hiatus the National Show Committee are pulling out all the stops.

Live streaming will be constant from both rings. For those attending the show, there will be approximately 630 alpacas to see and a large screen split to show the close ups in each ring. To add to the excitement there will be an auction of top quality alpacas as part of the Saturday night event and of course the Champion of Champions fleece winners will be on display as well as the winners from the Fibre Zone.

With all this in mind we need to make every member of our show team count. Under normal circumstances our show team is largely made up of youngsters, as the adults have usually had their day in the ring and have either proven themselves to be winners or otherwise. However, with no halter shows in 2020 we have a number of adults who have missed their opportunity for glory at the National Show.

Our entries are generally limited by the decision as to whether to drive one or two trailers to the show. With two trailers we can fit in around 21 alpacas, but not if we have too many adults. Lots to consider for our National Show team this year but we will certainly both be towing.

We often get asked when do we start selecting our show team. I would answer that by saying the planning of our show team starts with breeding decisions. Whilst, there are a few breedings each year that I am happy to experiment with (sometimes we just need to see what a male can do) the vast majority are bred to have predictability of quality (not always guaranteed). We rarely use one male extensively, but aim for a good mixture of genetics and hopefully colours.

Our provisional National Show team consists of at least one male and one female Huacaya in each colour (with the exception of grey) and representation of our Suri herd in the coloured categories (not white or light). Our aim is to demonstrate the quality across the breeds and colours.

A strategy that is likely to mean that we leave some high ranking alpacas at home. I just need to make the right call in February hoping that they look as good by the end of March. Whilst showing might be essential for the alpaca industry, we can’t all win and certainly not all of the time, we just have to enjoy being part of this spectacular event that promotes British alpacas worldwide.

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23

SHOWING

SUPREME FLEECE CHAMPIONS

Anne and Mike Shaw, Brillbury Alpacas, have won Supreme Champion Huacaya Fleece for two years in succession at the Heart of England Show. Their success comes after building a herd with top genetics, and learning from experienced breeders and BAS judges, as Mike explains.

2

020 was an exciting year for us when we won Supreme Champion Huacaya and Best of British Huacaya fleece at the Heart of England autumn fleece show, said to be the largest in Europe, with our junior Huacaya, Brillbury Daffodil Dancer.

We were even more pleased when in 2021, we again were awarded Supreme Champion Huacaya and Best of British Huacaya fleece at the autumn Heart of England Alpaca Group (HoEAG) fleece show with our junior boy, Brillbury Elite Star.

Our fleece championship successes come after an alpaca journey which began with a 2014 wedding anniversary trip away to Darsham Hall Luxury Bed and Breakfast in Suffolk, then the home of Melford Green Alpacas.

Anne had been keen on finding out more about keeping alpacas and I thought this trip would be the perfect anniversary gift.

We ran an international mental health company, providing employee assistance programmes together with more complex psychological interventions and appropriate responses to mental health issues caused by traumatic events, such as terrorism or high impact accidents. Given our extremely full business lives, we knew alpaca ownership would be a challenge for us but we believed that the effort expended would be more than offset by the peace we felt when spending time with these amazing creatures. Fortunately, we owned sufficient land for when we felt able to take the plunge.

A couple of years later, our desire to own alpacas was growing stronger and in spring 2016, after what turned out to be another but this time very Dams walking up hill overlooking Vale of Aylesbury

expensive, trip to Melford Green, we became the proud owners of a herd of 11 breeding females, including five that were pregnant. All had excellent genetics, and we intended to develop our herd using stud males from the finest genetics we could find.

Paul Rylott, generously offered to agist the animals at Melford Green as our ground source heat pump installation had caused huge trenches to be dug in our planned alpaca field! We will never forget the day when the alpacas arrived – so wonderful!

Entering the show ring

We’d heard about showing alpacas and we decided to give this a try entering all five of our cria into the 2017 BAS National Show at Telford.

While this was probably quite naïve, given our time with our herd, it turned out to be a great learning experience and we even managed to win two fourth places – very exciting at the time!

Unexpectedly, in 2018, Jude and Paul Rylott decided to retire and offered us the chance to purchase the entire Melford Green herd. We decided to purchase more dams, some of whom were pregnant, and then to progress our strategy of working with stud males from outside herds.

We began this journey with experienced breeder and alpaca judge, Mary- Jo Smith at Bozedown Alpacas on a two-year breeding programme to improve the traits we felt we needed using some of their best stud animals.

We then worked for two seasons with Bob Hyde at Furze Park Alpacas and have been delighted with the results of the matings from both farms; 2021

Brillbury Daffodil Dancer Bozedown Rico III

Jolimont Rodrigo 2 of Bozedown (Imp)

Peruvian Male

Peruvian Female

Melford Green Lupe Lamora

Snowmass Invincibly Elite XX of AUK (Imp)

Bozedown Zodiac II

Bozedown Comet

Galaxy of Bozedown (Import)

Venus of Bozedown (Import)

Bozedown Enara

Olympus of Bozedown (Import)

Dasha of Bozedown (Import)

was our sixth year producing cria bringing us to a total of 76 Brillbury cria out of a total herd of 115 animals. We’re now very ably supported by our herdsman, George Knight, who is a real asset to our team.

Being new owners, there was much learning to cram in but following a number of BAS courses, spending time with experienced breeders, a short spell on the Heart of England Alpaca Group committee and volunteering to help at halter and fleece shows, our alpaca assessment skills improved.

We even managed to spend a day with BAS judge and breeder Tim Hey after winning the bidding at the BAS National Show dinner auction. This was immensely helpful as he spent the day looking at our herd with us and showing us how to choose a show team. While our knowledge is improving all the time, our success at breeding has been the product of the hard work put in over many years by Melford Green, Bozedown and Furze Park from where our animals’ genetics originated.

Genetics from further back in the pedigrees has also been an important factor and Snowmass (US), EP Cambridge (UK and Australia), Alpaca Stud (now Evolution) and Jolimont (Australia) have all contributed to the animals we see today.

Each year seems to deliver an improvement on the past and it’s particularly exciting now that Brillbury born dams are featuring in our breeding programme. This year, we were excited to make our first stud purchase when Beck Brow Dressed to Impress became part of our herd and began work with us. We’re looking forward to using some of our own

Snowmass Invicible (USA)

Snowmass Legacy Gold (USA)

Snowmass Marlee Love (USA)

Unique of Bozedown (Imp)

Snowmass Sweet Serenity (USA)

Snowmass Royal Rose (USA)

6Peruvian Gold Serenity (USA)

Molly with cria and orphan Fernando Daniele

Continued on next page >>

A new paddling pool creates excitement before it's even filled properly Anne and Mike out in all weathers

Peruvian Male

Peruvian Female

Brillbury Elite Star Valley Alpacas The Diplomat

Melford Green Vanya

Cambridge Samson (Import)

EP Cambridge Peruvian Spartacus (Aust.)

Peruvian Male

Peruvian Female

Jolimont Amatea (Aust.)

Peruvian Male

Melford Green Manitou

EP Cambridge Aria

Peruvian Female

EP Cambridge Peruvian Caesar (Aust.)

Peruvian Male

Peruvian Female

EP Cambridge Alvedora (Import)

Jolimont Conquistador (Aust.)

Jolimont Alva (Aust.)

Snowmass Quetzelcoatl of AUK (Import)

Snowmass Star Quest (USA)

Snowmass Lily of The Valley (USA)

Melford Green Lana

Melford Green Honor

Bozedown Viscount

Ysabel of Bozedown (Import)

Melford Green Henry

Olympus of Bozedown (Import)

Aryana of Bozedown (Import)

Melford Green Naomi

Bozedown Ulyses

Mayor of Bozedown (Import)

<< studs when they become mature and we have at least three possible

Supreme Champion and Best British winners, Brillbury Alpacas with judges Tim Hey and Jay Holland A new arrival attracts the herd welcome

contenders now, but time will tell.

As part of our education, we helped at shearing time at Bozedown.

Mary-Jo is always happy to have owners observe and learn from her very slick operation – an extremely valuable opportunity.

Following on from this and several courses/experience days, it was our work as show volunteers with the HoEAG fleece show that helped us the most when assessing our fleeces for show entries.

When we first began, we’d just use the fleece statistics as a guide and worry about whether we were skirting properly, but now, having spent time with several judges at competitions, we are much better placed to select our show animals and fleeces.

Owner of C S Alpacas and alpaca judge, Julia Corrigan-Stewart is a close neighbour and we have benefited greatly from her friendship, wisdom and mentoring. Paul Rylott has also been constant since the day we purchased the animals and is always available for guidance.

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SHOWING

DREAM TEAM

Lythe Brow Alpacas was established in 2016 by Steven Ellershaw and his wife Tracey, along with Steven’s two boys Sam and Tom. The couple both work full time and are devoted to the herd spending all their spare time with the alpacas, or planning how to improve, as Steven explains

L

ythe Brow is a real family affair, we are all involved in all aspects of alpaca ownership, with varying levels of enthusiasm. We can’t understand why but the boys didn’t seem too keen on the poo picking aspect until we purchased a quad bike! The boys enjoy showing and love being in the ring, as well as meeting other owners; Sam can often be found in the pens of the larger breeders discussing mating decisions and, much to our surprise, potential purchases.

The highlight of showing for Sam and Tom was winning Champion Junior Handler at the 2018 BAS National Show in their respective age groups. As proud parents we stood at the ring side biting our nails. Would they know the stuff that they had spent weeks revising? Would the alpacas behave for them in the ring? What if one did well and the other didn’t? Now, that would have been a long drive home? But the boys got dressed up that night, suited and booted they thoroughly enjoyed the Gala Dinner.

Building our herd

We always dreamed of having alpacas and visited the BAS National Show several times prior to embarking on a beginners’ course in spring 2016.

By then we had already fallen in love with alpacas and their enchanting personalities. We were hooked and started preparations at home – our Lythe Brow dream was about to come to fruition.

In the summer of 2016, we bought two young females from a local breeder; this was the best way to get guidance and support close by as we started our exciting journey. A few weeks later we took delivery of a small herd of four pregnant females, three with cria at foot plus, our first stud male to continue spitting off our girls and to wean our male cria with.

Enforcer and Eden

We wisely decided to buy quality over quantity and purchased a top-class female in this group as we wanted to buy the best that we could afford at this time. This special female has gone on to produce our three times Supreme Champion Lythe Brow Alchemist who is part of our stud team, as well as a fawn male cria this year who we have high hopes for, so she was well worth the initial financial investment.

Buying from a well known and extremely knowledgeable breeder who provides ongoing support and mentorship is invaluable. They have been with us every step of the way to celebrate with us the good and support us through the bad and have become close friends.

Starting to show

In the early days we only had a very small show team so there wasn’t much in the way of decisions to be made when it came to choosing our show team.

Our very first show was the North West Alpaca Group (NWAG) Halter Show in 2017 where the organisers and the other exhibitors made us feel so welcome.

We were absolutely astounded when our three entries all won first places and our young male Cosssack went on to win Champion Fawn Male.

The buzz was addictive, and we couldn’t wait to get back into the ring. Several years down the line, we now have a larger number and wider genetic pool to select from alongside our increased knowledge base which makes choosing the show team a little easier. We spend a lot of time looking at the herd and admiring certain characteristics. Making sure they are conformationally sound.

We look through the fleeces of our cria and intermediates on a regular basis; we prefer fleeces with lots of character, those that when you open them make your heart sing. We also spend a lot of time halter training so that they walk confidently around the ring and are comfortable being touched.

We really enjoy showing; it is great to get constructive feedback from the judges and meet lots of likeminded people and we have made many new lovely friends. Winning any rosette is a great feeling and a Champion ribbon is a real achievement but gaining your first Supreme Champion is a magical moment – especially when it is one that you have bred yourself.

We were privileged to achieve our first Supreme Champion in our first showing season. Since our adventure began we have been regular attenders at the NWAG Show, Scottish Nationals, Yorkshire Alpaca Show and Northumberland Show as well as the BAS National Show.

‘Something special’

Lythe Brow Alchemist was only the second cria born at Lythe Brow but we knew from the moment he arrived that he had the potential to be something special. From an early age he stood up tall and proud, loved the excitement of shows and always walked into the ring interested in what was going on.

It is great to get positive feedback about an alpaca you have bred.

Alchemist was pulled out of a line by a very respected Judge and described to the exhibitors as “an upstanding macho, who has all the qualities of a stud male. He actually wants to be here and is loving life. When you are looking at

Alchemist

Cossack, Lythe Brow's first Supreme Champion

stud males on the Altiplano, this is exactly what you are looking for.”

He has gone on to achieve three Supreme Championships, multiple Champions and Fawn Champion of Champions Fleece in the 2020 BAS National Show. We are very proud of him and our decision making. He is now making beautiful babies at Lythe Brow and throughout the North West and Scotland.

Watching shows and taking in the judge’s feedback has really helped us to develop our understanding and consolidate our goals. We are part of NWAG and Yorkshire Alpaca Group (YAG). The vast array of educational webinars and Zoom calls by the regional alpaca groups and BAS have helped keep the alpaca community together and showing has helped us to forge long lasting friendships. Everyone is so welcoming and willing to help each other and we are excited to be taking over the reins for the Westmorland Show (7 September).

Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 we have been unable to show for the past couple of years. Then at the end of the 2021 birthing season Tracey fractured and dislocated her ankle which required surgery. We have really missed attending shows and seeing everyone, although we have loved watching and supporting these events via the live video links where available and through sponsorship.

Sam is very proud of the Lythe Brow team

We have managed to send a couple of fleeces into fleece shows and had some fabulous news when one of our stud boys, Lythe Brow Boaz was awarded first place white (24-48 months) and Champion White.

Future plans and goals

Our aim is to breed fawns and as we all know when you try to breed for a specific colour, instead of fawn females you get white boys. Over the last few years, we have added other genetic lines to our herd through purchases and using specifically selected stud males. The breeders we met through doing this have all been supportive offering guidance and encouragement along the way.

We have recently added new genetics from New Zealand. We went looking for some fawn daughters of a specific male that we coveted from afar and they arrived with us in 2021 just in time to settle in and be mated. We have 20 females confirmed pregnant, so we are excited for a busy 2022 birthing season.

Long term we want to continue to improve the quality of our herd along with continued success in the show ring. Our ambition is probably the same as most small breeders, which is to be able to reduce the hours we both work elsewhere in order to spend more time doing what we love.

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lythe_brow_alpacas Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK 29

EXPORTING

BRITAIN IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

The British alpaca Industry is in a very healthy state and demand for quality breeding stock is outstripping supply globally, writes BAS judge and breeder, Tim Hey, Inca Alpaca.

O

ur alpacas are thriving with great nutrition, world class breeding strategies and the British Alpaca Society (BAS) is supporting breeders with all aspects of promotion and education. BAS members are in a perfect position to capitalise on this exciting, sophisticated and growing industry and the future of British alpacas has never looked brighter.

The UK has long had a relationship with alpacas, starting in the mid 1880’s when the beauty and resilience of alpaca fleece was ‘rediscovered’ and re-awoke the world’s interest. Sir Titus Salt, originally from Morley near Leeds in Yorkshire “discovered” the remarkable fibre of the alpaca and began promoting its use in the finest fashion houses of Europe.

In the mid 1990’s the UK approved imports from Chile and in September 1996 BAS was formed. These imports of foundation stock were soon followed by large imports of quality stock from Peru and then Australia and the US and these bloodlines started to change the face of the British industry as the alpacas began their development towards a commercial fibre producer.

30 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

Tim with workers in Qatar

In Europe, alpacas are a bloodstock industry and breeders will make money from breeding for some time before we have enough fibre to satisfy commercial demand; BAS underpins the value of the domestic herd through a number of valuable initiatives including: • The establishment of a screening protocol for all imported alpacas and administration of a world class pedigree register that links, or is in the process of linking, valuable attributes such as show results and the Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) • Support to regional groups offering local services, education and promotion • A thorough and well respected judge training programme • Welfare and husbandry training courses delivered by BAS affiliate trainers • A comprehensive network of halter and fleece shows • All aspects of marketing and promotion to promote breeder sales Continued on next page >>

Estancia Accoyo

Don Julio Barreda and his world famous Accoyo herd from Macusani Peru are synonymous with elite alpacas that have dense fleeces, prepotent genetics and superior stature. The Accoyo legacy lives on at Amberley Farm, where careful implementation of sound breeding practices and attention to detail are at the heart of this unique herd of elite quality white huacayas.

Please get in touch for more information on how our alpacas offer a lifetime Tim Hey of selective breeding. We look forward to hearing from you.

accoyo-europe.com Tel/WhatsApp: +44 (0)7875 532827 Email: timhey@accoyo-europe.com

EXPORTING From strength to strength

The size and quality of the British herd continues to grow from strength to strength as sales of seed stock remains in high. In fact, 2021 saw an increase of 21% for pedigree transfers of female alpacas. The current population of registered alpacas in the UK is 37,000 and is expected to grow as BAS membership increases and the females are bred. This increase in sales of breeding stock, and the growth of the British industry, can be attributed to several factors including: a 69% increase in exports due to strong EU and Middle Eastern demand, lifestyle changes for people moving from the urban areas to the countryside, increased prices and demand for fibre and low global supply of breeding stock due to China’s dramatic herd growth as a result of importing.

The UK is in a very healthy position to thrive going forward as it benefits from experience in relation to alpaca health and nutrition, parasite control and improved husbandry techniques. For many generations now breeders here in the UK have been selecting for production traits when breeding.

Pallet ready for loading on to aircraft

32 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

These traits include: • Correct conformation • High fertility • Easy birthing • Fast growth • Disease resistance • High yielding quality fibre This selective breeding has resulted in much healthier and far higher quality stock and the rate of improvement has been dramatic. The veterinary community also have greater knowledge and understanding of alpacas and are able to give better advice and treat any issues quicker and more effectively.

The implementation of health and biosecurity plans formulated in conjunction with farm vets are becoming more common place and this is improving heard health, growth, fertility rates and disease monitoring. The Continued on next page >>

YEAR S IN A 100 VIATI ON Animal Transport Experts

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Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

33

<< development of the Enferplex test offered by www.surefarm.co.uk has

undoubtedly boosted the confidence of owners and buyers when it comes to bovine tuberculosis (TB) surveillance. Breeders have embraced this sensitive test – some herds get their whole population tested annually and most now carry out pre and post movement tests. The Enferplex test has also been welcomed by exporters as buyers in the EU demand assurances that the stock they are buying is TB free and this test does reduce the risk of importing disease.

Export clearance

Earlier this year, Brexit brought new challenges to the European alpaca community as the UK moved from member state to third country status.

Although the export health certificate and individual tests remained largely the same, the way the export is treated in relation to customs has altered - all alpacas now need to clear customs and have VAT paid by the importer before they can cross into or out of the EU. At the time of writing a new set of exporter rules are coming into effect for all exporters in the EU and third countries exporting within or into the EU. These include the following: • All breeding age alpacas must be part of a TB annual surveillance scheme using a skin or blood test • All deaths on the holding must be investigated with post mortem examinations • There must be a herd health plan created in conjunction with the farm’s vet.

Alpacas in transit

The new need for customs clearance when entering the EU at any of the ports such as Calais, Caen and Rotterdam on the mainland and Rosslare in Ireland has meant that most of these ports were not set up to process animals from the UK (formerly a member state and now a third country).

This meant new facilities had to be constructed and approved and to date Rosslare has been approved – alpacas have been moving through the port and we expect Rotterdam to come on line at any time and the French ports soon after.

Exporting alpacas from the UK, whether to the EU or to meet growing demand in the Middle East and India, still remains simple and open to alpaca breeders large or small and we invite all alpaca owners in Europe, the Middle East and India to come and see what our great nation has to offer.

Our stock is world class and buyers can purchase with confidence. Many UK owners may be surprised to hear just how many small breeders have exported in the past as the perception is that it’s really only available to the larger breeders.

If you wish to register to be an exporter please contact BAS CEO Duncan Pullar and he will be able to direct you with the requirements: ceo@bas-ulk.com

FIBRE

THE RIGHT TIME FOR ALPACA

Animal welfare and sustainability are the biggest factors affecting demand for animal fibre within the global fashion market and alpaca fibre is ideally placed to meet the industry’s requirements, says Art Of Fibre managing director, Paul Vallely.

KEY MOTIVATORS 100%

1%

8%

7%

12%

6%

80%

38%

28%

16%

50%

26%

35% 31%

0%

31% 27%

15%

44%

6% 4%

18%

12%

16%

3%

1% 4%

5%

Comfort

Availability

Discount

27% 32%

12% 2% Product

20%

23%

3%

2%

4% 4%

Style

Design

Brand name

20% 8% 3% 3% 5% Price

9 8

21%

3%

30%

10%

10

15%

40%

19%

5% 22%

31%

40%

20%

15%

24%

70% 60%

9%

21%

90% 31%

9%

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Survey of buying behaviour – (rated 8 factors influencing buying preference on a score of 1 to 10)

P

resenting a BAS fibre assessment webinar Paul said: “The world market is moving to sourcing fibre from producers with strong animal welfare and sustainability credentials. This suits alpaca fibre because in terms of animal welfare there are no livestock farmers who look after their animals better than alpaca owners.”

Alpaca meets the global move to a more sustainable fashion industry because it has a low carbon footprint, and garments can be made from natural yarns without the use of environmentally damaging chemical dyes.

High end designers are also including more “soft next to skin wear” using mohair, cashmere or cashgora in their collections and “where there are opportunities for mohair and cashmere there should be opportunities for alpaca.”

Paul’s fibre background includes owning a 3000 head superfine merino wool growing operation in Australia for 25 years. “We had a huge emphasis 36 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

on genetics because we were aiming for the absolute top end of the Italian fashion market.”

He also set up an ultrafine bale scheme in Australia supplying high quality alpaca fibre to top designers, including Georgio Armani. Now based in Ireland he works in the supply chain for an Italian fashion house sourcing wool from Australian superfine merino producers with high welfare and sustainability credentials. He also manages Art Of Fibre with alpaca fibre testing laboratories in the UK and the EU. Although most alpaca fibre used by the fashion industry is sourced from Peru there are opportunities for British alpaca – not in large commercial markets, but for small vertically integrated businesses making high quality garments. “This is the time where opportunity is just around the corner for alpaca,” Paul said.

Continued on next page >>

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37

Trait averages for 2020 AOF testing of reference studs throughout EU/UK plus BAS EBV averages as at 2021 AFD

SD

Curv

CEM

CF

Suri

23.3m

5.6m

11.5d/ mm

11.5m

78%

Huacaya

22.2m

4.8m

34.8d/ mm

9.6m

88%

EBV

21.8m

4.6m

33.8d/ mm

90.4%

<< While achieving commercial quantities of consistent quality British alpaca with similar micron, similar type and colour is “almost impossible” there is certainly potential for niche marketing small quantities of quality fibre, he added.

Several surveys examining people’s garment buying decisions all show similar results – only a small percentage (about 6%) of those surveyed said price was the most important factor determining whether or not they would buy a garment.

The element rated highest, or second highest, by most people was comfort. “Softness is the most important factor influencing comfort and it is the biggest element determining whether or not people buy a garment and how much they are prepared to pay for it,” Paul said.

Softness and raw fibre traits

• Raw fibre traits are one of the most influential factors determining fabric/yarn softness • Fibre diameter (average and range) is the most influential raw fibre trait determining fabric/yarn softness • High micron fibre tends to resist compression against the skin, resulting in prickle effect – the higher the micron, the greater the prickle sensation • Further, the higher the micron, the higher the external scales on the fibre (cuticles) relative to species

Magnified images of various fibres showing differences in scale height

Magnified image of fibres within a fibre staple

Raw fibre traits are the most important factor affecting softness for garments made from natural fibre, and fibre diameter is the most influential factor determining garment softness. “Manufacturers know that raw fibre traits will influence the softness of a garment and when they buy raw fibre for the top end of the market the main factor influencing their buying decision is fibre diameter.”

Fibre diameter is measured in microns (one micron is 0.001 mm). “When we buy fibre on a commercial scale the micron dictates the price. Providing there is nothing extraordinary, such as the fibre is very tender, the micron dictates the price we pay – it is the most important element affecting fabric softness and this has an enormous impact on the price of the final garment,” Paul said.

The range in diameter of fibres within a fleece consignment is critical – even a few 60 micron guard hairs will ruin a quality fibre bale because they will impact how comfortable the final garment feels. “It is not just the average micron but the range within the consignment that is also important,” Paul said.

High micron fibre tends to resist pressure against the skin and cause a “prickle factor” affecting the final garment. But fibre with low average micron will feel soft next to the skin and can be suitable even for lingerie.

“It is my strong opinion based on my experience that the name of the game is softness. Shape retention is important but soft next to skin wear is dominating the fashion world,” Paul said.

Fibre testing and breeding

Coarse wool

Fine wool Alpaca Cashmere Silk

38 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

Linen

Cotton Polyester

Given the crucial nature of ‘soft handle’ for breeders pursuing quality fibre production, breeding goals therefore cannot ignore average fibre diameter and variation in fibre diameter. This is where midside fibre testing can play a vital role when pursuing and monitoring genetic progress towards fleece quality.

When considering the objective attributes of alpaca fleeces, it is important to be aware of how fibre varies over an alpaca fleece. “The first thing to look at is how the fibre changes along its length because the diameter varies according to how much nutrition is delivered to the fibre follicles,” Paul explained.

As nutrition increases to the fibre follicles the fibre diameter increases and as nutrition decreases the fibre diameter decreases. For example, in a pregnant female “an enormous amount of nutrition” is diverted to the unborn cria often resulting in the fibre diameter being reduced unless supplementary feed is introduced.

“On the other hand, if feed quality and/or quantity is increased, then we see an increased fibre diameter. Normally with alpacas, we see variation in diameter along the fibre vary by about four to five microns over one year.

In some extreme cases, we have seen variation along the fibre vary by 12 microns in one year as a result of significant changes in available nutrition and health of the alpaca.”

The second form of variation within an alpaca fleece is the variation in diameter between fibres within fibre staples or bundles. These bundles are the clearly identifiable clusters of fibre over a fleece. The variation in diameter of fibres within these bundles is largely repeatable within a fleece, and although the average diameter of the bundles does vary over the fleece, it does so in a highly predictable manner.

Fibre bundles are the greatest source of fibre diameter variation in alpacas, normally around 20 to 25 microns between fibres. Fortunately, however, this is a trait that is highly heritable and therefore makes it clearly possible to improve through breeding.

The third form of variation is the difference in microns over the fleece.

For instance, we often see differences of 10 microns between the neck and the finest bundles from the saddle area. In terms of the saddle or blanket area, we should see no more than about two microns difference in average diameter, while obviously the aim is to have no variation over this area.

Paul also expressed a note of caution with ‘overdoing’ genetic progress towards fleece volume. Increasing fleece weight comes with some risk.

“Having been involved with a number of livestock industries, I have witnessed first-hand the problems with the area of ‘genethics’.

“Productivity increases in the livestock industry, including the Merino sheep and dairy industries, have caused unbelievable pressure on the animals to produce more of a product than they were ever designed to do and the end result is that we condemn those species to long term suffering and it takes generations (of breeding) to get it back to where it should be.

“I would suggest that breeding towards reducing the variation of fibre type over the entire body of alpacas will substantially increase the volume of high quality fibre produced without the strains of carrying extremely heavy fleeces. On the odd occasion, I have seen alpacas with almost no variation with quality fibre type over the entire body, and if one alpaca can do it, then it is conceivable that all alpacas can eventually do it.

“In terms of genetic progress through breeding, it is far more effective to evaluate the overall genetic make-up of an alpaca (its genotype) rather than just focus on the traits that alpaca is exhibiting (phenotype). This is where breed indexing programmes such as the BAS EBV project can be of enormous value. These programmes form pictures of the genetic background of alpacas as well as putting together trait data on their offspring – all of which greatly enhance the predictability of the traits with future progeny and in turn, allow us to effectively recognise those alpacas with superior genetics.”

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39

FIBRE

UNIQUE AND RELEVANT TO CORNWALL

Dark Sky Cornish Alpaca Smocks are made in the South West in collaboration with Two Rivers Mill and the British Alpaca Fashion Company and are a luxury take on the traditional Cornish smock as Wendy Scott explains.

A

fter two years of hoarding fleece from our growing herd here in North West Cornwall we really wanted to make something special from it. As we specialise mainly in Suri, our product needed to lend itself to the silky, draping qualities of that fibre and we wanted to make something that was both unique and relevant to Cornwall. And so, our journey began!

We met Anila and the British Alpaca Fashion Company through Instagram and after visiting their studio in Dulverton on the edge of Exmoor we were all excited to work together. Anila’s ambitions and belief in alpaca as a fibre to make bespoke, luxury clothing were contagious so we decided to design our first Dark Sky products in collaboration with her.

Concept and design

Tom and I came up with the concept – what could be more Cornish than the fisherman’s smock? We thought we could use alpaca to create some luxury smocks ideal for embracing the outdoor life, just as at home in the countryside as walking to the local pub in Kensington.

We knew we wanted to feature Suri fibre, keep the colours completely natural and have a super high quality product that people would want to pay for – at this point, we needed Anila’s input.

The British Alpaca Fashion Company has invested in a state of the art knitting machine and a small team of experts to work on the design all the way through to making up the final product. Having taken our brief, 40 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

the prototyping phase was both an exercise in design and delivery – experimenting with shapes, styles and knitting techniques until we came up with something that we loved and that could be made!

Spinning the yarn

Anila introduced us to Phil at Two Rivers Mill. They have collaborated on many projects over the years and Anila knew Phil would be able to spin Suri fleece to the quality needed for the smocks and to the tight specifications necessary for her knitting machine to run smoothly.

Suri is the rarer type of fleece which means there hasn't been a huge amount of precedent for its use in clothing in the UK, but Two Rivers Mill have successfully spun a range of 100% and blended Suri yarns, mostly in fine 2-ply counts. As the smocks would demand a high performance yarn Anila and Phil agreed that a 60:40 Suri to Huacaya blend would give us the drape and finish we were looking for along with better wear resistance.

Phil produced three colourways from the raw fleece we provided: cream, beige and silver grey – we were delighted with the first stage of making our smocks!

Prototyping and production

Anila and the team at the British Alpaca Fashion Company were also excited and got to work on the prototype smocks. We had two face to face design workshops in which we finessed ideas and tried things on with video

calls in between due to Covid-19 restrictions. This resulted in two different designs that we decided to take forward into production. While both are unisex, one is more tailored and ‘smart’, the other more casual and ‘comfy’.

Having settled on the styles, there was still more work to do to get a range of sizes with all the right proportions – recognising that we are producing quite small volumes but obviously need to cater to different body types and dimensions. After the first run, we called in friends and family of different sizes to check out sleeve and hem lengths and figure out if we had the right amount of ‘bagginess’ in the arms and cuffs etc. I’d describe it as both an art and a science to get to something that works well.

Presentation

It was back to Tom and I to design and source the labels and packaging to present these lovely garments in a way befitting their quality. We chose leather logos to feature on both designs together with sew in name, size and care labels and finally, swing tags.

We added QR codes to the swing tags and made a bespoke section of our website: ‘Who made my smock?’. Only owners of the smocks are able to access this part of the website and see the story of their smock – from the alpacas who grew the fleece, all the way through the production process.

(To see the rest of the web page, you’ll have to buy one!)

The presentation boxes are the finishing touch – something lovely enough to keep and use, we hope. So, there we have it, the finished product of all our labours. Friends have already snapped up a number of them and we will have them as an optional extra for guests who come to stay in our newly finished holiday cottage, hoping that they may want to take home a beautiful product to remind them of their holiday in Cornwall and the wonderful alpacas they met on our farm.

We have other ideas brewing and will see how sales go before we decide exactly what we make next. We are certainly excited and hopeful that this is a part of our business we can develop further.

Please get in touch if you are interested in one of our smocks or have any other ideas you’d like to discuss.

Wendy & Tom Scott: www.darkskyalpacas.com Anila Preston: www.britishalpacafashion.co.uk Phil Allen: www.tworiversmill.com

Dark Sky Alpacas

suri & huacaya Sales plus full stud services

www.darkskyalpacas.com

darkskyalpacas Dark Sky Alpacas

Wendy & Tom Scott

New for 2022 - elite Suri starter herds

Lower Hamatethy St Breward, Bodmin Cornwall PL30 4PG

Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

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FIBRE

HAND SPINNING ADVENTURES

From the moment we started keeping alpacas I had this grand idea of processing their beautiful fibre. I had always knitted, and love anything crafty or creative, writes Clara Boulton, Natterjack Alpacas. However, after endless excuses, “I don’t have time” to “gosh, it’s a lot of work” I decided to make a start.

M

yself and my partner both have busy, hectic lives juggling the alpacas with our day jobs and I wanted something to do to de-stress but still feel productive.

I had been using a drop spindle for a while but it was starting to feel a little time consuming. Without going into lengthy detail, I just want to emphasise that hand spinning isn’t an alternative to having fibre processed on a bigger scale and returned to you as a perfect product. Mistakes can and will happen. However, that isn’t to say it isn’t one of the most rewarding things I have ever done!

When looking for a spinning wheel, I personally went for the Ashford E Spinner 3 as my weapon of choice. The E spinner’s compact nature just ticked all the boxes – although I will admit, there were a lot of choice words when I started out.

I have always enjoyed using the ‘park and draft method’ with my drop spindle (basically charging up the twist by spinning the spindle, planting the spindle in such a way it can’t spin any further, usually between your knees, and then at your leisure allowing the twist to go along the fibre).

I felt in total control and very chilled. The spinning wheel was a complete contrast as I wasn’t able to pause and take my time; one minute I was spinning too chunky, the next too thin and the yarn was breaking, not to mention the endless saga with over and under twisting!

So, while I would recommend a drop spindle as an easy way to dip your toe in and gain some understanding on how the process works at a much smaller investment cost, be prepared to feel like a newbie to hand spinning all over again when you give a spinning wheel a go.

Huge customer interest

So, where am I now? I am making less mistakes and I am starting to

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use my beautiful yarn to make products. Those first few lumpy bumpy skeins have been made into pom-pom keyrings and my first few balls of sport weight and double- knit yarn have been made into headbands. Now I am onto my chunky yarns and I even completed my first bobble hat.

So, what is the bottom line and where do we want to go next? So far, we have had a huge amount of interest from our customer base who visit us for alpaca treks and experiences. We can’t keep up with the demand for our handmade products and being able to buy an ethical and environmentally friendly alpaca hat seems to strike a chord with many of our visitors.

We really just want to keep our processing venture to a level where we enjoy it and still feel the benefits. There is something extremely therapeutic about spinning whilst listening to a podcast or an ebook, or even some music. I would recommend it to anyone even if like us you struggle to find 30 spare minutes in the day. My partner usually does the carding while I spin and knit, so it’s something we do together as well.

It is also hugely rewarding to stick on a homemade headband and feed that same alpaca the next day. We also offer Animal Assisted Interventions and I have already begun to think of ways I can incorporate spinning and working with alpaca fibre into our repeat sessions for some clients.

If anyone is thinking of starting, I would recommend starting with some dog slicker brushes and a drop spindle. It’s a minimal investment and while you aren’t going to be spinning a basket full of yarn in an evening you will start to learn the important skills. Also, checkout local groups, we have a fabulous local group of spinners who meet at least monthly who swap skills (I went down the route of bribing them with free alpaca fibre in return for knowledge), and there are similar groups up and down the country (see The Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers www.wsd.org.uk).

‘Everything Alpaca for Everyday Living’ Here at Mulberry Alpacas we have:

Luxurious alpaca socks, hats & gloves, scarves, blankets & throws, soft toys, bedding, rugs, clothing & accessories.

Alpaca socks Lovely knitted items Penrose alpaca duvets and pillows Alpaca yarn and fleece Cuddly toys And a herd of friendly Alpacas So, come and visit soon!

Mulberry Grange, Red Hall Lane Higher Penley, Wrexham LL13 ONA

RETAIL and WHOLESALE Ethically sourced. Made in the UK & by our artisans in Peru.

Visit our online shop to view our extensive product range.

Contact us directly to help with your requirements.

ONLINE SHOP OPEN NOW!

The Alpaca Shop® Email: info@TheAlpacaShop.uk

Tel: 07713 639 447 or 01978 710224 Email: mulberryalpacas@btconnect.com We’re 4 miles north of Ellesmere Open Saturdays 10.00 until 16.00 and by appointment TELPHONE ORDERS WELCOME

eShop: www.TheAlpacaShop.uk

www.mulberryalpacas.co.uk

Meon Valley Alpacas Hampshire

Are You Doing The Rounds ? …

With over 22 years Experience we can help you select your breeding stock, or pets, from our prize-winning herd of friendly Huacayas – and we’re friendly too!

Visit our website or call Karen 07913 247144 www.mvalpacas.co.uk Beginner & Advanced Courses by Arrangement Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

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FIBRE

SUSTAINABLE BRITISH ALPACA

The clothing and textile world has more recently become one of chain store, cheap and imported garments often made in third world countries where the workers are underpaid and work in appalling conditions, writes BAS fibre committee chair Emma Taylor.

B

AS would like to alter the way we think of our fibre and clothing – where it is sourced from and how to reduce the carbon footprint that we each have a responsibility for. Since Brexit people are becoming more aware of where raw products and parts are manufactured/ sourced from and assembled, often now preferring to ‘Buy British’ where possible.

Alpaca is one of the world’s natural fibres and importantly, is sustainable. Natural undyed alpaca could help to change the way people view what they wear and help the environment too.

Alpaca feels good, looks good, is sustainable and eco-friendly Rarely have we considered where raw materials are sourced from. Most manufacturing labels that make the claim ‘Made in Britain’ are actually only finished in the UK. Any imported item (food, machinery and fibre) which undergoes a process in the UK can legally be marked ‘Made in Britain’. This not only devalues UK products and produce but means our economy does not benefit fully and our farmers (owners of alpacas) are challenged even more in the marketplace.

This is about ‘Buy British’ and ‘Buy/Sell/Made in Britain’ from alpaca reared, fibre grown, harvested and produced in Britain. Provenance is becoming more of a consideration to customers/ buyers of products and we too can be a part of a changing world.

Many owners of herds of alpacas, might consider them as pets or commercial or somewhere in between, but everyone can, should and must contribute to the UK fibre market.

No one can do this alone but maybe as a group dedicated to alpacas, we can try to make a difference. Everything has to start somewhere and with consumers being more aware even the small-scale producer can participate and 44 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

make a difference by expressing the benefits of home-grown alpaca fibre.

We can offer guidelines to ensure the welfare of alpacas, that fibre is harvested in a respectful and caring manner and that all herds have access to information to be able to provide all Five Freedoms in life to safeguard animal welfare: • Freedom from hunger and thirst.

• Freedom from discomfort • Freedom from pain, injury or disease • Freedom to express normal behaviour • Freedom from fear and distress We know that if we make good breeding choices, pay attention to husbandry and nutrition that our alpacas ‘live well’. In doing so they will produce good quality, useable fibre. Happy alpacas often mean good fibre, good fibre makes good yarn and good yarns make good products which in turn translates into good revenue.

Alpacas originate from Peru, Bolivia and Chile where their fibre was so prized that only Royalty was permitted to wear such beautiful garments.

Alpacas manage the extremes of temperature in South America well. Today we have to offer a helping hand in our unpredictable British weather.

We are fortunate that our climate is well suited to alpacas, as long as keepers understand the fundamentals of managing them in our climes.

While many talk of the micron of alpaca versus wool, in truth it is the uniformity which will look after the micron. Every fleece varies over

Grown in the UK

Grown in the UK

BLENDED

PURE

BRITISH

ALPACA

BRITISH

ALPACA

Grown in the UK

Grown in the UK

its entirety but that variance can be reduced by selecting appropriate breeding stock to negate the lesser traits.

Most alpaca falls into the range of 18-25 micron, the lower the variation (SD) the better the handle and the better the product. There is of course a use for all fibre including the second cuts – cat nip toys are being created now. When fleeces are processed, they are carefully ‘matched’ within a batch to produce the best outcome meaning best final products from the fibre supplied.

Chemicals used in scouring and dying are damaging to both the individual fibre structure and the protective layer and the environment and are unnecessary in producing products. We need

to consider the impact and the damage that has already been done and the way we can contribute to reducing further damage for generations yet to come.

Virtues of alpaca

Eco-friendly, sustainable, anti-bacterial, flame resistant, hypoallergenic, more insulating than wool, stronger & lighter than wool, should not pill, natural & biodegradable, is free of lanolin, breathable (will wick moisture away), wind resistant, stain resistant (when cleaned immediately) and available here in the UK!!

So, lets extol the virtues of British alpaca, their fibre and products – British Alpaca feels good, looks good, is sustainable and eco-friendly too.

Mobile apps from AlpacaSeller for Android and iPhone Are you connected to the market place?

Tel 01730 823256 l chris@alpacaseller.com l www.alpacaseller.com

Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

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FIBRE

LUXURY AND SUSTAINABLE BRITISH ALPACA

Knitwear brand Ally Bee was launched using British alpaca yarn to offer “a sustainable luxury alternative to mass production” for people who want to make informed wardrobe choices, writes Alpaca editor Liz Mason.

A

lison Baker, Ally Bee ‘s founder, chose British alpaca fibre to launch the brand in 2014 because it met her commitment to designing for sustainability, high welfare and circularity – its ability as a natural fibre to be recycled without impacting the environment.

"I made a conscious decision at the outset to design and source with low impact and low waste in mind. This meant natural fibres – no nylon, glitter or sequins - traceable to origins and made without cruel animal treatment, and with high standards of land management and processing,” she explains.

46 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

At least 80% of the alpaca fibre in Ally Bee designs is British fibre “crafted using bespoke-spun British alpaca yarns” made by Two Rivers Mill in Dorset.

The brand’s garments, and blanket throws, are carefully made in limited edition runs in a small factory in the Scottish Borders.

Ally Bee British alpaca designs include a crew neck alpaca wool jumper in grey marl, a limited edition jumper in caramel marl and a special edition ‘Fireside’ jumper with alpaca trim. British alpaca accessories complete the collection and include scarves, armwarmers, gloves and alpaca wool blanket throws.

Care for the environment and animal welfare

Alpacas have a gentle grazing habit and cause less damage to the land than any other livestock. Their light impact on the land coupled with the high welfare standards adopted on UK farms, also influenced Alison’s decision to launch Ally Bee with British fibre.

“British alpacas are reared with special care, and this promotes a healthy rich fleece. They are provided with shelter from the cold, and receive vaccinations and supplements in addition to a dental check and toe-nail clip at shearing time.

“This gentle grazer also produces a rich, voluminous fleece each year that must be shorn for the animals’ well being.”

Unlike imported cashmere and Merino, British alpaca yarns are washed, spun and knitted in their country of origin reducing the high carbon footprint attached to the transport of most knitwear yarns.

All Ally Bee yarns are made to commercial knitwear specifications; they are dye-free and contain no acrylics meeting the brand’s commitment to circularity. “At the end of its wearing life, an undyed alpaca garment or accessory can be returned to the earth to fully biodegrade and without leaching chemicals,” Alison explains.

With eighteen possible shades from assorted browns, creams and black, alpaca fibre has a natural colour palette. “In addition, with careful blending at the early stages of the spinning process, alpaca fleece can be spun into a range of warm, autumnal colours, without the need for the chemical and high water consumption of the conventional colour-dyeing process.”

Since founding the brand Alison has added knitwear made from recycled cashmere and merino – sourcing consistent quality British fibre has been “tricky”, she explains making it difficult for her to grow a commercial ready to wear brand with British alpaca.

“It would be marvellous if UK alpaca growers could form a successful, co-operative to pool and grade the annual clip for spinning into consistent, quality finely spun yarns produced on cone for knitwear manufacturing.

“The quality – at volume – is a big gamble, so it makes it impossible to know the quality of the garments you can make, if any, from any given batch and means there can be no forward planning which makes it commercially unviable for a ready to wear fashion brand.”

Although “it is risky to produce British alpaca at volume that does not mean it is completely out of the question” she adds. However, for now “it is best as a small, exclusive, one-off range.” British alpaca “is such a beautiful fibre, with such potential as a high quality and sustainable material to compete with questionable yarns of murky provenance.”

For more details visit the Ally Bee website: www.ally-bee.com

ALPACA

PODS

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

www.tockwithalpacas.com

07791 881556

sandhillsalpacas@aol.com Sandhills Alpacas, Sandhills Farm Cottage, Ness Lane, Tockwith YO26 7QL

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FIBRE

A PERFECT FIT

Rita Wilson, Gainne Mor Alpacas, explains how starting an alpaca business with her husband Trevor on the family’s farm in County Donegal, Ireland has changed their lives in this interview for Alpaca.

Why did you decide to keep alpacas?

For many years my husband's father John, and his brother Robert, were farmers in the seaside village of Downings, in County Donegal. In 2017 Trevor suffered the loss of his father and Robert sadly passed away a year later from motor neurone disease. It was a very hard few years for the family and knowing Trevor wanted to spend more time outdoors I started to look at what we both could do alongside the family's sheep farm.

I became intrigued by the endearing look of alpacas, their versatility and the fact that by nature they are more environmentally friendly than other livestock. Alpacas are very suitable for a smallholding and with their docile and calming nature I knew they would fit perfectly into our lives.

Trevor’s older brother Gary, who took over the farm let us use some buildings and land and in March 2019 our first females arrived – soon after Trevor started to fall in love with alpaca farming. We then had to make a decision; did we grow our herd into a business or stay with alpaca keeping as a hobby?

To make Gainne Mor Alpacas work as a business we both needed to

commit wholeheartedly and embrace everything alpaca. I have run my own landscape photography gallery in Downings for more than seven years and I knew if we were going to go down the business route a business plan was essential to move forward. For Trevor to live solely on alpaca generated earnings meant we had to explore all possible revenue streams from fibre production, alpaca experiences and breeding.

Knowing alpaca fleece is one of the world's most sustainable fibres I contacted William from McNutt of Donegal, and based in Downings, about the possibility of making woven scarves from our fibre. Realising how much fibre we needed, and how many scarves we could get from one cone of yarn, we knew it was going to be a slow process but from the start William wanted to support our venture. McNutt of Donegal has produced some of the world's finest weaves for more than 60 years and to have someone onboard with so much knowledge and experience was a real asset.

The next step was to learn all we could about alpaca fibre and to help with this I contacted Amberly Alpacas in Clogher. Roger Clarke invited

us to visit and answered our questions, and by getting our hands on the fleeces of every alpaca we looked at we could fully appreciate the quality and how to assess them.

The love Roger and Elaine have for their alpacas is evident in how they handle and speak about them – they know each one’s quirks and personality, and I will never forget the soft, buttery feel of a finished knitted product Elaine showed us – this really gave us something to aim for.

With a few more alpaca purchases we were on our way to producing our first batch of weaving yarn in 2019. This arrived from East Anglia Alpaca Mill in early autumn with just enough time to have the scarves woven before the Christmas rush. They were very popular with locals and tourists alike and sold quickly over the summer of 2020.

As well as the woven scarves we sell 100 gram yarn balls and rugs hand made by Pocket House Studio. These are a big hit with guests to the farm and we even have some custom orders for 2022.

Is there anything you wished you'd known before you started?

One of our biggest challenges was scale – we didn't have enough animals to produce sufficient consistent quality fibre for commercial yarn production. We had a few fawn fleeces, a few ebony and a few other colours but we needed to send a lot more to the mill in 2020.

William suggested collaborating with other owners to send as much fleece as we could for batch processing. This would enable us to produce more scarves than the previous year and increase our colour range.

Setting up the warp takes time at the factory so we had to be conscious of the time involved to make it worthwhile for McNutt. As we have built up a good relationship with Roger and Elaine they were more than happy to work with us alongside McNutt of Donegal to produce our scarf range.

Continued on next page >>

drum carders for ,ibre preparation

www.classiccarder.co.uk

Tel: 01746 714130 paulbri9ain@mac.com Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

49

What have you found to be the best way to sell your products?

Tourism is the best way to sell our products. We started selling online in November 2021 but our scarves and yarn are a ‘touchy feely’ product and selling online doesn’t allow customers to feel the softness. The tourism sector is an opportunity to expand our reach and revenue and market our products directly to the public.

Our alpaca experiences create a connection with customers and they can understand why alpacas are sustainable and environmentally friendly. When customers are able to see the product as well as the animal they make a connection and are more inclined to purchase the item. Customers also love the traceability from alpaca to end product and this is a huge focus for us.

I started to sell the scarves, alpaca plush toys, wooden sculptures, mugs and cushions in my photography gallery in summer 2020. This is where I did my market research for the experiences and business branding and I was in a very lucky position as thousands of tourists come to Downings every year.

Why did you decide to offer walks and how have people responded?

When our first alpacas arrived we were inundated with messages from locals wanting to visit. We soon realised the potential they offered for agri-tourism and we made the decision to offer meet and greet experiences and alpaca walks in summer 2021.

The website was launched with an online booking system in June and alpaca walks for those over eight years old available once a day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Animal welfare is paramount for us and no alpaca is walked more than once a day.

We also offer meet and greets for children under eight as private one family groups. Each child has their own alpaca colouring pack as a keepsake from their visit. The children love to sit at the benches colouring

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while looking at the alpacas. There's something captivating and magical about watching the alpacas with children and once a child stands quietly the alpacas soon want to investigate. The child’s face says it all – the joy on some adults’ faces is also lovely to see.

People find the alpacas captivating, therapeutic, and a good remedy to reduce stress as the pace is slow. Overall, we have been overwhelmed with the support and enthusiasm for our business in Downings from locals and visitors alike.

Can you tell us about your aims as a breeder?

We want to produce quality fibre animals. Since Amberly Alpacas produces outstanding alpacas purchasing top quality animals was a priority for our business plan and these first steps will influence the yarn we produce years down the line.

White alpacas are our base herd because their fibre is ideal for blending to make other colours particularly grey. We also made the decision not to have stud males. Our main aim is to improve our fibre each year and to achieve this outside matings are the best option for us.

We also purchased our first Suri female, Lignum Million Dollar Baby in 2021 with thanks to Amberly Alpacas. The lustre of her fleece even on the dullest of days is amazing and I cannot wait to see the yarn she produces.

I also have keen interest in Leopard Appaloosas and would love to add one to our herd in future.

What do you find most rewarding and enjoyable about keeping alpacas?

The births – definitely the births. Watching a cria safely on the ground and the tender bonding process between mum and cria is amazing to witness. These moments are so endearing and the animals are a joy to be around. They have been a lifestyle change for us but they have improved our lives emotionally and mentally and given Trevor a new purpose in life – a goal to be the best alpaca farmer he can.

DIVERSIFICATION

MANAGING AN ALPACA BUSINESS

West Wight Alpacas and Llamas has enjoyed one of its best ever summer seasons. BAS board member Neil Payne tells us about the diversified business he runs with his wife Michelle and shares some useful guidance for similar enterprises based on their experience.

I

n 2010 Neil’s wife Michelle announced that she was going to buy four alpacas. “My first question was what’s an alpaca, my next question was where are you going to keep them?

“Within a few months she’d bought 11 alpacas – she’d also sold the house and bought some land,” Neil told members during a BAS webinar.

“I didn’t complain too much as I quite liked the idea and that was the beginning of West Wight Alpacas and Llamas back in 2011.”

At the time Neil and Michelle could find only one other herd offering alpaca walks. That was Peta and Bruce Ives at Dunreyth Alpacas. Since then, walks and experiences have become hugely popular and at least 80 other businesses are understood to be offering similar experiences across the UK. West Wight Alpacas has grown gradually over more than a decade and Neil and Michelle now employ up to 14 people over the summer months with up to ten people working each day. “We are a tourism island which gives us a great haul of people to draw on,” he said.

The business itself is made up of several different enterprises and Neil described West Wight Alpacas as the centre, or hub of a wheel with five spokes including: • A breeding herd of Suri alpacas and Woolly-silky Llamas • A walking and trekking centre with alpacas and llamas • A farm park with rare breed Wensleydale sheep, miniature donkeys, Golden Guernsey and pygmy goats, Kuni-Kuni pigs, small mammals and “a huge variety of poultry”

• A country gift shop called Snouts and Tails • A café called the Llama Tree Pizzeria

Alpaca walks

There are 60 Suri alpacas and one Huacaya on the Isle of Wight together with 25 llamas – Neil also shares a Suri enterprise in the north of England.

The West Wight walking herd is made up of 30 alpacas and llamas with another eight animals joining the business in 2022.

“We need to have that number of walking animals because we offer five walks a day in high season each lasting about 45 minutes. Some owners walk for longer but we choose to offer more frequent walks – up to five, or we may increase this to six a day. This is because visitors like to spend a bit of time with us and then go off to do something else – we are best described as a half day attraction,” Neil added.

The limit for walkers is eight with another eight people allowed to accompany a walk. This is the number judged by risk assessment, and agreed by an insurance company, as safe.

“In practice it means we have a maximum of eight alpacas and sixteen people on a walk. That is the way we work because I want to avoid a situation where a family of five for instance books one alpaca and tries to share it around – it just doesn’t work for us.

“The absolute maximum that works for us is one alpaca and one person sharing or accompanying that alpaca.

Continued on next page >>

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DIVERSIFICATION << “For a hen party we must have two members of staff – and again that is what we have risk assessed as the right number and is also the number agreed by our insurers.

“We do have quite a lot of hen parties on the Isle of Wight and I like to think that for a hen party an alpaca walk is the highlight,” Neil said.

BAS welfare guidelines

West Wight’s walking herd of 30 is split into three groups of eight. Walks last 45 minutes but as five minutes is spent getting the group ready and another five minutes is spent taking photographs this means the alpacas walk for a maximum of about an hour and fifteen minutes in one day.

This is well within the guidance included in a BAS code of conduct for walks and treks, produced by Neil, together with Doug Steen (Teesdale Alpacas) and the Llama Society. It recommends a walking time limit of an hour and a half a day for an alpaca.

“If we are walking for longer then we take llamas because they will happily walk all day long and not worry about it. While alpacas are happy to walk it’s important that you don’t overwork them – they will get fed up.”

Neil’s 2021 business target was 800 walks and with more people choosing to holiday in the UK, and the Isle of Wight, this target was “easily reached”.

“We had the most amazing summer with staycations – we had the highest grossing summer by a long way. But we are a seasonal business and in November bookings dropped off a cliff but I’m hopeful they will pick up.”

Aside from the walks many people come to just visit the farm park and being able to feed grass pellets to the animals is a highlight. “We sold over 15,000 pots of grass pellets this year at £1 a pot so it is well worth doing,” Neil said.

Membership of the National Farm Attractions Network (NFAN) is also well worthwhile and according to Neil has been “one of the best things we have done since we started the business.”

“As a group they work fantastically together – they can help with risk assessments and certainly when you are dealing with food, and need to know about food hygiene rules, they are brilliant.”

Trebling turnover

When it comes to increasing revenue a gift shop “is a massive added value, and must have for any farm park or visitor attraction”.

The renamed Snouts and Tails country shop was recently relocated to ensure visitors must now walk through to enter the farm park and the move has been hugely successful as Neil and Michelle have trebled their turnover.

Online sales have also increased.

“We try and be different and have an eclectic mix of stock. It’s not just all about alpacas – it’s a country gift store selling different gifts from all over the country and we try to stock fair trade items where we can.

“Our bestseller is socks and alpaca toys. Our website has also trebled in trade and has become massive. But our turnover over the last two years has trebled just by moving the shop and making sure people walk through it to enter the farm park.”

A café is also essential but it is an enterprise Neil and Michelle have not found easy. The goal for Llama Tree pizzeria this year, which has reopened under a new manager, is to build local clientele and increase turnover and profitability.

Essential licences

Before opening any business Neil advised owners to ensure they have the correct paperwork and have covered health and safety requirements for visitors. Essentials include: • A local authority licence • Risk assessment (consider professional assessors such as the National Farmers Union) • Adequate insurance cover • Food hygiene certificates and appropriate training in safe food handling for employees • Handwashing stations and instruction signs.

And as a final thought Neil suggested that as more owners offer alpaca walks and experiences “it is important to keep them unique and exciting”.

This means and considering other businesses in the area before starting out.

“Please don’t set up two miles from someone else or you could take 50% of their trade.”

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DIVERSIFICATION

NEW VENTURE Traditional farming becomes harder each year. But an alpaca business can offer a viable additional income and may even attract a celebrity visitor in search of a peaceful hide away as Alice Pond, Fostings Alpacas explains.

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ack in 1949, Kevin’s grandfather purchased a 100 acre farm in Kinnerton, mid Wales. After taking over the farm, Kevin’s parents purchased an additional 90 acres at Fostings Farm.

They soon realised that rearing sheep was not enough to support the family, so Kevin’s dad established a contracting business.

In 2017, they moved into their self-built bungalow, while their eldest son remained in the main farmhouse with the aim of eventually taking over.

For some time, Kevin flitted between living with his parents and with me. Back in winter 2017, when I decided to leave my live-in job as an owl centre manager we needed to seriously discuss our future. As we both love the countryside, we wanted to be at the farm but the job prospects for me were rather narrow, and as I am passionate about working with animals the thought of having to work in an office due to the lack of local animal-based work terrified me! However, finding a job working with animals would involve us relocating, causing Kevin to walk away from the farm.

By this point, Kevin had created his own agricultural contracting business, allowing him to stay at the farm so he could help his dad and brother. But traditional farming gets harder each year due to changes in consumer demand, climate, advances in technology – leading to mass scale production which drives prices down, disease, legislation changes, and more. So, despite running at capacity with more than 700 sheep and contracting businesses on

the side, the farm couldn’t support the family.

We needed to generate enough income to support us both (and plan for supporting Kevin’s parents after their retirement), without impacting the running of the farm or taking grazing ground away from the existing sheep flock.

We moved in with Kevin’s parents at Fostings in April 2018 and decided to invest in building a small glamping site. Alongside this, we wanted to introduce a viable animal business that wouldn’t need vast acreage and could become part of the glamping experience…

The start of something new

Since my school years, I have always been fascinated by llamas and alpacas. I had worked with a small group of alpacas for five years (as well as goats, donkeys, horses, owls, reindeer and more), so I was familiar with their temperament and needs.

Kevin had plenty of sheep and cow knowledge, but no experience with alpacas, so we attended the ‘Getting Started with Alpacas’ course with Amazing Alpacas in July 2018. We learned all about the realities of keeping alpacas, including selection, feeding and nutrition, health and husbandry, breeding, cria care and the fibre market. The course was so helpful, and we would highly recommend it to other prospective keepers.

Continued on next page >>

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DIVERSIFICATION

Hare's Form pod

A couple of weeks later, a friend saw a local keeper advertising seven alpacas for sale – it felt like fate! We viewed and selected four BAS registered alpacas. During this time, we were working towards obtaining planning permission and had ordered our first glamping pod, so money was tight. My brother generously lent us the money to buy our first four alpacas and, as a result, Siesta, Perdy, Josephine and Napoleon arrived at Fostings on 26 August 2018.

Making our dreams a reality on minimal income was not easy. But we were determined. We each worked three jobs over seven days to fund our new ventures and we had a lot of early starts and late nights to fit in working on our new businesses.

During 2019, we purchased two pregnant females, four females, one stud and one male. Our first cria, a grey female, was born and a second, third and fourth cria followed that year. We were invited to join the Alpacas in Wales network and sold our first two alpacas to a lovely schoolteacher with their help. We also opened our first glamping pod in July that year, after an arduous nine months back and forth with the local council.

<<

Storms and studs

Alice with Fosting Alpaca's first born Cria, Pip Hare's Form Glamping

2020 – what a year! Storms raged and floods prevented us from collecting our newly purchased stud. And of course, Covid-19 happened. This was devastating to us as newly opened glamping site owners. However, we chose to take advantage of the lockdowns by applying for the government’s Bounce

Alpacas outside Huacaya's Cush Pod

Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) and investing in a second pod.

I left employment in September 2020, so that I could focus on working on my own website design and virtual assistant business that I had also been building! This flexible working pattern allowed me to be around more in the daytime with the alpacas as needed.

While we waited for our full business plan to unfold, we needed some additional income to cover the upkeep costs of the herd. We tried alpaca walking for a while, but it didn’t work with our busy schedules and impacted on the glamping guests’ privacy and peace.

By chance, a local keeper asked if we could provide two of her alpacas with a stud service. We already had our own studs and thought this could be just the thing we were looking for. We researched how other UK breeders provided this service and began advertising this on our website and social media.

From strength to strength

Last season we welcomed four cria (all boys), bringing our herd total to 19.

The alpacas often get a mention in glamping guest reviews, and they even met celebrity Pete Wicks from The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE) when he stayed at our brand new pod which opened in April.

Pete had this to say: “Sometimes you just gotta get away…and spend time with alpacas. A little while ago I spent a few days in Wales at a beautiful remote location surrounded by sheep and alpacas and I loved it! Amazing views, amazing lodge and amazing animals.”

These two successful businesses are now providing us with a reliable income, enabling us to stay and farm for years to come. Without them, we wouldn’t be here today.

Looking to the future

Our goal is to grow our herd to approximately 20-30 breeding females.

We would like to have a larger herd but remain small enough to know each alpaca by their name and character because from the very beginning, we have focused on rearing friendly alpacas that enjoy being around humans.

We hope to sell our cria to alpaca keepers across the UK, enabling them to expand their own herds or even begin their alpaca journey!

We are also working on a plan to grow our stud group, enabling us to offer a more diverse choice to customers and serve more females during each visit.

And of course, we want to continue learning everything we can about these incredibly sweet, cheeky, and loveable animals.

If you’re thinking about keeping alpacas, expect to have your heart stolen by these lovely creatures. We guarantee you’ll find yourself sneaking out at every opportunity to hang out with your alpaca family – they are an absolute pleasure to be around!

To find out more about us and our herd, visit: www.fostingsalpacas.co.uk

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DIVERSIFICATION

ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH

Many of us are only waking up now to the need to take action to help tackle climate change. But Jane Gardner-Turrell and David Turrell made care for nature and the environment a priority when they began keeping alpacas at LacockAlpaca seven years ago.

60 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

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avid Turrell said: "Care for the environment is something that we are very committed to – it’s in our core values and everything we are doing in terms of our approach to working with the land."

This includes: • developing a viable alpaca business which supports a sustainable environment shared by others • developing the ecology of the farm and to share that understanding with others • targeting nature lovers and those with an environmentalist mindset, as well as continuing learners and those who value the aesthetic in nature and arts.

“Our reason to believe in this approach is rooted in a desire to share the natural world as a source of wellbeing for all. This involves creating the right environment.”

Jane and David are retired teachers and both have more than 40 years’ experience in education. David was an executive headteacher and Jane an assistant headteacher. When they started keeping alpacas at their Wiltshire farm Jane explains that the couple saw themselves not as landowners but as “custodians of the countryside” with care for the environment at the heart of their decision making.

David adds that after their time in education they also wanted to “give something back” to the

community and this has meant working locally to improve the environment and help to combat climate change.

“We are passionate about keeping alpacas and our aim is to explore how we blend keeping alpacas with how we respond to the climate emergency,” David explains.

Carbon footprint

Since the couple bought their alpacas in 2015 the climate crisis has moved higher up the political agenda. The National Farmers Union (NFU) has responded by setting a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across UK agriculture by 2040. But to reach this goal farmers must first understand and calculate their carbon or GHG footprint.

As part of their environmental commitment Jane and David are having their carbon footprint assessed at LacockAlpaca. This means working out, with the help of a carbon adviser, how much environmentally damaging GHG is generated by each part of the business. “For us this is about acquiring knowledge about the impact of our activities,” David says.

Each strand of the business, including glamping and farm stays, will be measured giving Jane and David a better understanding of their contribution to the total carbon footprint.

"We are working towards 2030 for carbon neutral, we are looking to install electric vehicle

(EV) points in 2022 for a sustainable electric tractor and other farm vehicles.

“Our farm house uses ground sourced heating and we have installed air soured heating systems in our two farmstays. We have a biodigester and also provide chemical and paraben free products for our guests. We only use sustainable timber.”

Jane and David are also working with Lackham, Wiltshire Agricultural College and Bournemouth University undergraduates on a variety of sustainability projects; they have just recently completed a comprehensive soil analysis.

Continued on next page >>

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Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

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Like all ruminants, including cattle and sheep, the alpacas produce some environmentally damaging methane. As part of their overall environmental management plan David and Jane aim to have feed assessed and to look at ways of reducing methane output.

Grassland management can also contribute to the climate crisis. Ploughing pasture releases carbon stored in soil and spreading nitrogen fertiliser, made by burning natural gas, releases nitrous dioxide (N2O), a highly damaging GHG from soil.

Jane and David however aim to ensure their grassland management helps to improve, and not damage, the soil or contribute to GHG emissions.

“How we manage our pasture to protect the land and at the same time make sure we are producing good quality grass is part of our environmental management plan,” David says.

“This means looking at how we manage pasture to get the grass we need and at the same time protect and enhance the soil.”

Jane adds: “The fact that alpacas do not damage grassland because they have soft pads and the fact that they produce fibre, which is a sustainable product and they are pleasing to work with all contributed to our decision to keep alpacas.

“We now make sure we do not routinely drench for worms but have regular faecal tests and although it might sound funny even the alpaca poo is clean which means it can be taken away by people who visit the farm to use as a fertiliser.”

<<

Trees and hedges for carbon capture and biodiversity

One of the best weapons in the fight against climate change are trees and hedges that capture and store CO2 as they grow. Their contribution to nature and biodiversity is also recognised by government in new environmental land management payments for sustainable farming set to replace the EU area payment scheme.

At LacockAlpaca Jane and David have joined forces with their neighbours in an initiative that will see 84 acres of land planted with more than 35,000 native trees and 22,000 hedge trees.

Forest, an area near the farm, used to be, as its name suggests, an ancient forest. It was once King John’s hunting grounds and Jane and David want to see if they can replicate at least some of it on their tree planting site.

“There are some small pockets of ancient wood left and there are farms nearby where landowners have identified trees that are more than 1000 years old.

“We are interested in collecting seed from some of these and regenerating them and we are in the planning stage of the project with help from the Woodland Trust,” David says.

Although the farm is not open to the public for alpaca walks, holiday guests are welcome to meet the alpacas and in future plant a tree if they would like to.

Many have already expressed interest, and are delighted to hear about the tree project.

“We are not a petting farm, we breed alpacas and we offer people who stay with us the opportunity to come and spend time with them when we are feeding the animals and see how we work very gently with the animals. We believe in fostering a respect for animals and nature.

“We use Camelidynamics and we explain what we do and we also talk about what we can do to combat the worst aspects of climate change,” David says.

Although no longer a full-time teacher Jane still works as a tutor and adopts a similar approach with young people visiting the farm. Some may be troubled, or going through a difficult time and Jane has found that time spent with an alpaca can make “a massive difference for troubled youngsters because they can form a bond with an alpaca”.

“I know the youngsters that we see bond with the animal and respond positively to being with the animals and to being in nature.”

Jane and David’s experience and nature friendly approach to alpaca keeping suggests that there are ways to respond positively to the climate emergency and that UK alpaca owners are part of a nationwide effort to make a difference.

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DIVERSIFICATION

AT THE GLEN

One of South West Scotland’s oldest hill farms has introduced an alpaca herd as part of a diversification plan to support the local community and protect the land for future generations, writes Alpaca editor Liz Mason.

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stablished in 1855 and owned by the Bond family since 1973 The Glen is renowned for the quality of its Scottish Blackface sheep. The farm, set in a UNESCO designated ‘Biosphere’ has a 1,000 ewe hill flock and pedigree Blackface sheep have been at the heart of the 3,000 acre Dumfriesshire hill farm throughout its history, as owner Christopher Bond explains.

“We are a true hill sheep farm – that means our sheep don’t come inside and spend time in a barn to be fed before they are sold. They are out on the hills 364 days a year.

“In the 1970s and 80s we were one of the top hill farms in terms of sales of pedigree Blackface lambs. But the market has changed and the economics of farming have changed, and like many other hill farms and estates we need to diversify to survive.”

The Glen is still heavily reliant on an established hill flock to maintain income from lamb sales and farm payments. But a change in government rules will see a reduction in future farm payments alongside a move to a much greater emphasis on environmental land management.

Tree planting and bog restoration will help protect the land at The Glen for future generations. But as part of a wider diversification scheme Christopher aims to establish The Glen as “a hub” for the wider community offering holiday accommodation in restored bothies, alpaca walks, farm tours, tree planting and “a chance for local people, and visitors, to enjoy nature and the outdoors”.

Galloway Alpacas is a key part of these plans and the alpaca walks will enable the farm “to give something back to the community”, Christopher says. “Dumfries and Galloway is a deprived area with a lot of people out of work and I want to try and give something back to our community. The alpacas bring a smile to people’s faces, and at the same time help to bring in an income and protect the land.”

‘An incredible connection’

Alpacas have “an incredible ability to connect with people”, particularly children with autism, and their ability to form a bond with people who walk with them also lies behind Christopher’s decision to introduce the Galloway alpaca herd to the farm.

“My own son had a difficult time when he was six, but when I saw him with some alpacas his face lit up - it was an incredible reaction.”

Christopher has seen similar reactions with other autistic children who have visited the farm. “Their parents have told us they have never spoken before but suddenly they are talking to an alpaca.

“Others might not be able to stay still for any length of time but they can calmly lead an alpaca, and people have genuinely broken down in tears because they have been so happy to see how their children have reacted to the alpacas.”

Adults also have “the most incredible time” on alpaca walks and Christopher adds that “first and foremost the alpacas are less about making money and more about trying to give someone happiness, and we have had incredible feedback from our visitors.”

Christopher’s own first encounter with alpacas was with semi-wild animals while travelling in the Altiplano in Chile ten years ago. “It never crossed my mind at the time to introduce them to The Glen”, he adds. But some years later a meeting on a farm much closer to home in Edinburgh struck him as “interesting” and not long afterwards the first Galloway alpaca arrived at The Glen.

“We are fortunate in that we have the land and infrastructure for livestock so buying the alpacas hasn’t been a massive capital outlay,” he says.

“I started by buying an alpaca for my son on his birthday. It was to see if alpacas would work on the farm and also to bring a smile to his face. Then I decided we needed some more and I ended up buying a herd.”

Future investment

Christopher bought 12 boys and set up Galloway Alpacas to offer walks.

Although the walking herd aims “to bring a smile” to people the enterprise also needs to contribute to The Glen’s income. And after the first year Christopher is “reserving judgement” on its profitability. “We launched in the summer of 2021 and offered walks three days a week – we didn’t have a website and we didn’t have any marketing,” he adds.

Key factors affecting the business’s profitability are footfall and employee costs. Dumfries and Galloway is in a remote rural area “in the middle of nowhere” and footfall for a similar business would be higher on the outskirts of Edinburgh or Glasgow Christopher explains.

“If you employ someone at £15-20,000 a year to run the business, and take on extra employees to help at busy times, and you haven’t got the footfall, then the business model is quite tough.”

Galloway Alpacas has however shown in its first year that it is a viable business, and can pay back the financial investment in the herd within four years, he adds.

Alpaca fibre is a potential additional revenue stream. But Christopher sees further investment in marketing to double footfall, as well as in breeding, as the best way to move the business forward in its second year.

As Galloway Alpacas becomes better known locally there is also potential to widen its work with disadvantaged children and Dumfries and Galloway Council are interested in bringing children to the farm each week as part of their education programme.

The farm’s first wedding in the summer was also “a massive success” attracting a five star review from the bride’s mother; weddings are another potential source of revenue that Christopher is keen to explore.

Showing is also a future possibility and following the family’s experience and reputation in the show ring, with award winning Blackface sheep, Christopher does not rule out a show ring appearance for Galloway Alpacas.

But for now, the focus for the alpaca herd at The Glen is on supporting the local community, bringing smiles and helping Christopher protect the land for future generations.

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DIVERSIFICATION

CAMBRIAN CAMELIDS

Exploring the environmental benefits of alpaca grazing.

W

hen it comes to livestock, Wales is generally best known for its sheep. However, the longer necks and legs of some of the woolly inhabitants at our research centre is a giveaway that times could be changing, writes Mariecia Fraser, Professor of Upland Agroecology at Aberystwyth University.

The Pwllpeiran Upland Research Centre, which is part of Aberystwyth University, is located 15 miles inland from Cardigan Bay, in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains. It is a centre for the study of all aspects of upland farmed ecosystems, and the 550 hectares of land at the site consists of a combination of improved pasture, rough grazing and heather moorland. The very first research at Pwllpeiran began in 1933 and the site has had a long and unrivalled record of involvement with change and development in the uplands.

Arrival of the alpacas

Just over two years ago we successfully secured funding from the Joy Welch Trust to start a research herd of alpacas, as part of new initiatives, as we looked to the future for upland farming.

A combination of altitude, poor soil and harsher climatic conditions restricts most farms within upland areas to grassland-based sheep and beef production, and farm business surveys show that for decades these have been heavily reliant upon support payments to be economically viable. With new post-Brexit support schemes across the UK expected to focus on delivery of public goods rather than production, the addition of alternative species Mariecia Fraser and some of the younger alpacas

Photo: J Moorby

such as alpacas offers opportunities to develop innovative livestock systems that capitalize on the stock and grassland management expertise already available on upland farms while delivering wider environmental benefits.

Adaptations to Andean conditions mean that camelids are also well suited to the poorer quality vegetation found in UK upland areas.

Grazing preferences

A key benefit of camelids within mixed livestock systems is that their grazing habits are distinctly different to conventional livestock. Previous research at Pwllpeiran with guanacos showed they will happily consume invasive hill grass species (including purple moorgrass/molinia) rejected by sheep, while avoiding plant species of conservation concern (e.g. heather).

Consequently, they could deliver substantial environmental benefits in terms of habitat management, making them attractive to future payment schemes supporting biodiversity and carbon storage from upland areas.

Our grazing research over the next few years will focus on whether the dietary preferences of alpacas are similar to those recorded for the guanacos, and the related impacts of their grazing. We will be targeting environmental damage caused by both over-grazing, as was common when subsidies rewarded farmers for every animal kept, and under-grazing, which is becoming a serious threat to biodiversity in certain areas as stocking levels on the hills decline. In many situations this lack of grazing has led to conservation groups mechanically cutting problem species such as purple moorgrass to try and reverse declines in habitats for endangered butterflies Continued on next page >>

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DIVERSIFICATION << and ground-nesting birds.

Mixed grazing with alpacas could also lead to better pasture utilisation and overall animal performance on sown grasslands. Research with the guanacos on improved pastures found that, unlike sheep, they do not heavily select out highly nutritious clovers from a sward. Instead, they are happy to graze on older, stemmy material that sheep reject. These grazing habits are similar to those recorded for cattle, and there is lots of evidence to show that lambs grazing alongside, or following on from cattle get a performance boost as a result. And improved performance and pasture use efficiency is great for reducing the relative amount of methane produced – another environmental win.

Other research

Our alpaca herd will also be used as a resource for other, more lab-based research, looking at poo samples for example. As you know, camelids are pseudo-ruminants rather than true ruminants; their digestive system has three rather than four chambers within the ‘stomach’ and a different pattern of motility. There are currently global research efforts underway exploring whether microbial populations in ruminants, which still contain organisms new to science, could be a source of novel anti-microbials to address the pressing problem of antibiotic resistance.

Our experimental herd will provide a resource for research work by staff and students exploring this and other topics where differences in comparative physiology could offer valuable new insights into biological systems. This type of research could also support the development of new feeding systems and products aimed at minimising and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.

We have also developed a close collaborative link with the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, the largest agricultural university in Peru, which Fizz posing for a selfie with Pauline Smith from the BBC Wales programme Country Focus

Star turn

Not surprisingly, our alpacas have been a huge hit with all the staff and students that have met them so far. And it’s not just biology, agricultural and veterinary students that have sessions with them, groups from arts and humanities courses have also enjoyed meeting and learning more about the herd during away days at the Centre.

Thankfully all our alpacas like meeting new people – especially Fizz (a.k.a. Peiran Champagne). Fizz was the second cria born at Pwllpeiran and it became apparent very early on that she thrives on being the centre of attention; she’ll literally come running if she spots a camera. So far, we’ve had four cria born on site, taking us up to a total of 10 alpacas. Our immediate goal is to keep expanding the herd so that within the next two-three years we will have the numbers necessary to allow us to start some of the larger grazing experiments planned. We look forward to updating members on our progress in the future.

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Cosmo (aka Peiran Cosmopolitan), the first cria to be born at Pwllpeiran

Photo: M Fraser

Guanacos on the hill at Pwllpeiran in 1996

has experimental programmes and facilities for alpacas, sheep, cattle, and guinea pigs. For now, our joint research has focussed on farming systems in the highland regions of Peru. These are generally based on a combination of land where there has been some pasture improvement plus extensive rangelands, and so there are strong parallels with the hills and uplands of the UK. Once again we are exploring ways in which livestock production can be made simultaneously more efficient and nature-friendly by making the most of differences in dietary preferences.

Photo: J Moorby Photo: M Fraser

About the author Prof Mariecia Fraser is Professor of Upland Agroecology at Aberystwyth University and Head of the Pwllpeiran Upland Research Centre. She has a BSc(Hons) in Animal Science and a PhD in Grazing Ecology, and has specialised in developing and testing management strategies for upland systems for over 25 years.

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HEALTH/WELFARE

PLANNING FOR EMERGENCIES

Ami Sawran, Westpoint Farm Vets, outlines a basic first aid kit and details how to make it easy for an attending veterinarian to assess the situation if they are called to an emergency on your farm.

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bandage is on a limb, you should monitor the leg either side of the bandage – swelling, or coldness could indicate that the bandage is too tight. This is particularly important for extremities like feet – so do keep checking how they look and feel.

situation that nobody wants to find themselves in, yet one we should always plan for, is the veterinary emergency. Certain situations such as minor wounds may be dealt with quickly and competently at home with a well-stocked first aid kit, but others require more in-depth clinical intervention. It pays to know the difference and to have certain items at your disposal to prevent a difficult situation becoming even more stressful.

A basic kit list for your farm shelves includes: • Bandage scissors • Cotton wool • Gloves • Self-adhesive stretchy bandaging or ‘vet wrap’ • Bandaging material • Hibiscrub or similar surgical wash • Umbilical clamps or forceps • Saline (for cleanly sluicing out wounds or eyes) • Elastoplast • Splints (often a section of pipe with edges sanded down will do) • Clippers • Clean towels • Headcollar and Rope • A contact number for your vet, with holding address details Your vet may advise on medications appropriate for you to store on farm. Some suggestions include an antibiotic-based spray, an aluminium-based spray and injectable or oral pain relief. Antibiotics may be appropriate, but this is situation dependent.

How to prepare for vet attendance

When you request a vet to attend, it is helpful to pass on any identifying features of the farm or area to help them find you. Dropped pins or a ‘What Three Words’ location can help for remote areas especially. The vet might wish to speak to you ahead of time to assess the situation, or the administrator may triage your emergency over the phone, as they may need to prioritise this and other outstanding calls depending on their 70 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

Limit fracture damage

relative urgency.

Animals need to be kept as calm as possible prior to vet attendance, to ensure that the examination reflects how the animal’s organs are working and responding to an injury or illness.

Therefore, pen or restrain them safely so you don’t need to run around, stressing the animal (and yourselves) to catch it once the vet has arrived.

If you are dealing with a bleeding alpaca, clean, steady pressure is your best weapon against blood loss. Clean towels or swabs are great for pressing on to wounds on the body or legs, but for bleeds from body cavities such as obstetrical injuries, a pair of clean tights, stuffed with cotton wool can act as an absorbent pressure bandage.

It is important to keep bleeding animals as calm as possible, with slow, deliberate movements and a quiet atmosphere – elevating their blood pressure will only serve to make them bleed faster. If you are intending for a vet to assess a wound, it can be helpful to flush it with saline or cooled boiled water if it isn’t still bleeding, but do not cover the wound in any sprays before it is assessed. If you are applying bandages to any wounds, care should be taken to keep them tight enough to limit bleeding, but not so tight as to cut off circulation. You should be able to slide your finger down the side, and if the

Limb fractures can be very traumatic, but damage is limited by stabilising the limb as much as possible. You can discuss this with your vet and may be advised to apply a splint to limit damage prior to their arrival. Do not attempt to splint an upper limb fracture, as any weight on the limb can act as a pendulum, making the injury worse.

When applying splints, the joints both above and below the fracture site should be included and immobilised. It is important to note whether there are wounds associated with a fracture, as ‘open’ fractures are often managed differently, and may require more immediate referral to orthopaedic specialists.

Many types of emergencies such as sepsis or collapsed animals may require the vet to understand things like the vaccination status and worm-management history on the farm. It helps therefore to have details of what your animals were vaccinated with and when, as well as dates and results of faecal egg counts, or worming treatments to hand – they may be pertinent to the cause of illness. Often these can be misplaced on pieces of paper, which can slow down triaging and treatment. A good filing system is literally a lifesaver!

I certainly hope you don’t need to utilise any of the above advice, but if there is anything that should be remembered above all else, it is that if you have concerns with any of your animals – your gut instinct is very likely correct, and you should consult your vet, even if it is just a phone call. Many would much rather offer advice that could help you deal with an issue at home if that is your preference, then attend days later, to something that was not appropriately handled – this is particularly important for wounds, which may not be able to be sutured closed unless they are particularly fresh and uncontaminated.

Chilla Valley Alpacas is a small rural business based in Cornwall where we have a herd of breeding alpacas We are a small family run alpaca breeder based in Devon where we specialise in quality genetics over quantity. We produce selectively bred strong healthy animals with desirable fleece characteristics. All of our animals are BAS registered and microchipped. We have a small number of alpacas in a variety of colours for sale this year and would be pleased to receive your enquiries.

Also available is our range of yarns, knitting kits, duvets and socks.

Worm Counts PARASITE CONTROL MANAGEMENT FOR ALL GRAZING ANIMALS

www.chillavalleyalpacas.co.uk

no: 01409 221699 All animals Telephone BAS registered and microchipped Potential stud males and pregnant females for sale See our range of yarns, kits, and socks

An independent testing service for faecal egg worm counts by a Qualified Medical Laboratory Scientist.

AMTRA trained RAMA /SQP following BVA guidelines.

2 FREE WORM COUNTS Worth £40 for NEW BAS members then 25%OFF Worm Counts after that*

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*Terms and conditions apply

NEW TESTS FOR 2022 Clostridium • Rotavirus • Giardia • Cryptosporidium Ectoparasite & Fungal testing

Are you looking for or in need of a little extra help with your animals and their routine husbandry tasks?

KW animal services offers that extra pair of hands. Jobs include: Shearing of alpacas | Vaccinations | Worming Halter training | Foot trimming | Microchipping I can also offer advice and help with a range of other issues such as matings, birthing, common husbandry problems and paddock management. Reasonable rates

Why not contact me to discuss your requirements AlpacaHandbook2022.qxp_Layout 1 07/01/2022 10:49 Page 1 Tel: 07748 613771 | Email: kwilde1@yahoo.com

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Tel: 07779 667798

www.wildwoodwormcounts.co.uk sarah@wildwoodanimalhealth.co.uk

ONE VERSATILE PRODUCT FOR ALL SKINCARE NEEDS

Antiseptic Skincare

When it comes to alpacas, you want to ensure that you treat any health challenges as early as possible. Leucillin is a user friendly topical antimicrobial no animal owner should be without, this stringently tested over the counter antiseptic is a powerful biocide with unbeatable pathogen reduction yet has been formulated to match the natural pH of mammalian tissue. Neither damaging to skin or fleece, Leucillin rapidly eliminates bacterial, viral and fungal germs which can lead to a plethora of common health concerns.

Safe in ears, eyes, mouth as well as other delicate tissue, Leucillin’s versatility enables quick relief and effective skincare you can rely on.

The Leucillin team are always on hand to answer your queries, please call or email today to find out more and order your free sample.

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info@leucillin.co.uk

fast acting formula anti-bacterial, anti-viral & anti-fungal quickly relieves, soothes & calms cuts, grazes & post surgical sites weepy eyes foot rot fly strike sores irritation caused by mites safe to use on pregnant animals & their young no damaging chemicals or dyes to fleece passed for use in organic lifestocks systems 100% safe on all skin types

www.leucillin.co.uk 0345 548 9800 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

71

HEALTH/WELFARE

UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOUR

Victoria Barrett, from Simply Alpaca, outlines how applied behaviour science offers a better understanding of alpaca behaviour and explains how Camelidynamics can help you to handle your animals without using force.

P

resenting a BAS webinar Victoria said that when she first learnt about applied behaviour science “it required a fundamental shift in the way I thought when I interacted with them”.

“To really change our animals’ behaviour first we have got to change our own, and in Camelidynamics we are looking for a commitment to facilitate rather than force behaviour to change the quality of our relationships with our animals,” she explained.

The definition of behaviour is “the way a person or animal behaves in response to a certain stimulus or situation”. Research in the 1800s resulted in a set of laws and one, ‘The Law of Effect’ finds that “in any given situation, the likelihood of a behaviour occurring is related to the consequences that behaviour has produced in the past”.

Behaviour is therefore a tool used to produce consequences – for example alpacas may act in an affectionate manner for food. And, in behaviour science, a consequence is defined as “the event that strengthens the behaviour that it immediately follows”.

“When the consequences of a behaviour results in something of value such as food, freedom or females for example then that behaviour will be repeated and strengthened,” Victoria said.

“When the consequence is adversive – being grabbed or being caught, being injected, or having toenails clipped, or many of the other things that we do – then that behaviour is less likely to be repeated.”

Feedback that influences behaviour comes from the environment including inaminate objects, other animals and people or handlers; it then follows that learning can be described as behaviour change due to experience. “This 72 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

means when it comes to the way our animals behave around us, or for us, understanding how our animals experience us and our behaviour couldn’t be more important,” Victoria said.

Victoria is often asked about alpaca and llama behaviour by owners who may give their animals labels such as dominant, sad, aggressive or stubborn “or anything else to describe what they think is going on”.

However, a working definition of behaviour is not what an animal is or has, but rather what it does that can be measured, or observed given certain conditions, Victoria explained. “The problem with labels is that we think we understand the problem when we have just given it a name. Labels also create self-fulfilling prophesies often causing the owner to get what they expect.”

Refusal to walk on a halter and lead rope is an example. “Steady pressure is applied to the lead by the handler and the animal applies equal and opposite force. The animal is labelled stubborn and the owner pulls more so the animal pulls back more and no one is going anywhere.”

Labels describe an animal rather than what they do, Victoria said. More importantly they absolve human handlers of any responsibility as they decide it is the animals’ fault. “We can’t teach animals what to be, they will be who they are, but we can teach them what to do and when to do it. So, when we focus on behaviour, we are really looking at changing the way we think about it and describing accurately what we see.”

Describing what we see, rather than labelling, is known as operationalisation and offers the potential to prevent and change problematic behaviour. For example, rather than saying my alpaca is happy we can say that it is quiet, grazing and ruminating; or rather than my

alpaca loves me, she will come when called and allow herself to be stroked, particularly when offered food.

Beserk male syndrome

Victoria described how Eddie, a llama came to her with the label ‘beserk male’ which some owners believe is a syndrome an animal is born with. “This makes the assumption that his human care givers had nothing to do with it, but more recently it is better known as novice handler syndrome and this is exactly what happened to Eddie,” Victoria said.

Eddie was an only cria with an owner who “wasn’t well versed” in alpaca behaviour. As a friendly, outgoing cria Eddie ran up to his owner as a playmate because he had no other cria to play with. His owner interacted with him, he found this positively reinforcing, therefore his behaviour was reinforced.

“We all know that when they are little and 10-15kg alpacas are cute, but when they start jumping up at you having grown to 80-90kg then that behaviour which used to be cute is suddenly dangerous.

“It’s purely from handlers with limited experience, or knowledge, that creates this behaviour, and creates these individuals known as beserk males,” Victoria explained.

Reducing such problematic, and often dangerous, behaviour is difficult as it occurs as a result of an ongoing interaction between genetics, behavioural history and the environment.

A systematic and simple ABC approach, taking into account the antecedent stimulus (A) immediately before the behaviour (B) and the consequence (C) of that behaviour, is needed to resolve any problematic behaviour including kicking, spitting or cushing.

Victoria said: “It is possible to stop pushing our alpacas’ kick, spit and cush buttons but first we need to know where they are, and identifying the antecedent stimulus is where to start. It’s the consequences that will then strengthen or weaken future behaviour in the same situation.”

Non-verbal communication

Owners want alpacas to be comfortable around people and humans are “a touchy feely species” that enjoy hugging soft, cuddly animals “and this tends to make for a no man’s land around camelids”. Understanding non-verbal communication cues, or body language is key to an appropriate, and positive, interaction.

“Once we understand their body language then we can see the effects of our attempts to hug, stroke or reach out to them and we can start to see that it is really quite uncomfortable for them. So, reaching out consistently will reinforce to the alpaca to step no closer than an arms’ length away from us.

“The same logic applies to the method that many people use to catch their alpacas – if you use the corner, grab, hold method with any animal that gets close enough then an animal will learn that if I get up and run away then I can’t be caught, and that’s really not what we want for our animals.”

A better approach, Victoria said is “to operationalise trust as we all want our animals to trust us”. An animal with trust in humans will have a certain level of certainty that an interaction will result in good outcomes. “Animals that are able to trust humans will use their behaviour to confidently approach rather than escape opportunities to interact with people,” she added.

Camelidynamics is a collection of methods using the most positive least intrusive methods of training and handling. Based on behavioural science it uses methods that focus on containment rather than restraint. It is also an approach that has an awareness of the need to provide an alpaca with company, an escape route, and an environment that feels safe as well as the opportunity to experience positive reinforcement.

Developed by Marty McGee, Camelidynamics also focuses on progressive densensitisation; working in small steps to address problematic behaviours including biting, spitting or cushing, or being used to human touch. It is about working in balance, and without force, but with an understanding of an alpaca’s behavioural needs.

Is your relationship with your animals all you had hoped for?

How can Camelidynamics techniques help on my alpaca journey?

Camelidynamics is an approach to and is a collection of methods that represent the most positive, least intrusive techniques for training and managing alpacas.

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.

This two day handling course will change the relationship you have with your animals forever.

For those interested in finding out how this approach can inform and improve your human/alpaca collaborations we are now offering courses for owners and professionals.

Working with Alpacas in Animal Assisted Activity and Therapy.

Courses for vets now available

For more details and to book your places go to

www.SimplyAlpaca.co.uk

SENIORCONSULTANT

Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

73

EDUCATION

BAS COURSES Education is at the heart of the package of membership benefits offered by the British Alpaca Society. The aim is to provide all members with the right opportunities to learn more about alpacas wherever they are in their alpaca journey, writes BAS CEO Duncan Pullar.

B

AS offers many different types of educational events tailored to different levels of experience.

despite Covid-19 restrictions and there is now a good pool of BAS members ready for the next step on the ladder if they wish.

Affiliate training

Judge training

The first rung on the educational ladder is the training offered

by BAS affiliates. This consists of 11 modules generally delivered over two days on the affiliate’s farm. They are a mixture of practical and classroom work covering: catching your alpaca, fitting a head collar, halter training, feeding and basic management, vaccination, worming and supplements, alpaca breeding, mating, birthing, shearing, what do to with fleece, and marketing your alpaca business Most delegates on the affiliate course are in the early stages of alpaca ownership and prospective owners often take part to ensure they are ready for their alpacas when they arrive. In the past year six affiliates have delivered more than 50 days of training across the UK.

Introduction to Alpaca Assessment

The second rung on the ladder is the introduction to alpaca assessment.

This is either a one day face to face course or a four session Zoom course on alpaca conformation and fibre. The course is suitable for owners who are interested in breeding and it covers basic conformation including teeth, stature, genitalia, legs, gait and body scoring.

The fleece element includes how to recognise the different qualities and traits of fibre including weight and value, fineness, density, crimp, uniformity, length, colour, amplitude and frequency and an introduction to analysis histograms. There are practical opportunities to assess fleeces and discuss the merits of different qualities and styles.

Over the past 18 months we have run this course four times as four two hour webinar sessions with samples posted to each delegate. The four sessions are delivered in the evening at weekly intervals. Previously the course would be put on about six times a year at various venues around the country with about 12 delegates attending each meeting. Often these courses will be organised by local regional groups offering an opportunity for local breeders to meet their alpaca owning neighbours.

Intermediate and Advanced Alpaca Assessment

Intermediate Alpaca Assessment is where training starts to get serious.

This is a three day course assessing alpaca conformation and fleece.

The course is a comprehensive package in basic alpaca assessment and applicable to all, as well as being a prerequisite for those wishing to enter BAS judge training. The advanced course builds on the knowledge gained on the intermediate course and includes a great deal of practical work examining and assessing conformation and fleece with an exam at the end of each course.

We have run two intermediate courses and one advanced course this year 74 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

BAS offers judge training to ensure a continued supply of judges and to keep judging standards high and consistent. There are two stages to training; Stage 1 concentrates on training in the assessment of alpacas using the comparative method for halter and the absolute method for fleece and is essentially a practical course. Candidates must have successfully completed the Advanced Alpaca Assessment Course to attend.

Stage 2 is only open to those who have passed Alpaca Judge Stage 1 within the previous three years. It is a largely practical course, building on the skills achieved at Stage 1. Candidates who pass stage 2 can then do apprenticeships with a BAS qualified judge at four BAS approved shows.

Apprenticeships are a combination of shadowing a qualified judge and putting assessment skills into practice at shows. After successfully completing apprenticeships the final stage is certification.

Ongoing training

Over the past two years BAS and regional BAS groups have presented Zoom Webinars on a range of subjects. The format has worked very well with 50 to 80 members in attendance during the livestream. Most webinars are recorded and some have had more than 100 views on YouTube. As webinars are a member benefit the videos are not searchable on YouTube but any member can ask for the link or find it in the members area of the website.

Topics we have covered include birthing, Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), business diversification, fleece analysis, show ring preparation, parasites and many more and it is a format that is set to continue this year.

Specialising in breeding coloured suri

www.farawayalpacas.co.uk • 20+years breeding • Suris in all colours

• Breeding for advanced fleece traits and easy temperaments

• Mentoring for new owners • Mobile Stud Services

Faraway Suri Alpacas Contact: Nikki Hayton Mobile: 07971 342975 Email: nikki@farawayalpacas.co.uk

Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

75

EDUCATION

A NEW CHALLENGE Deciding to breed alpacas comes from a passion for the lifestyle and a desire to improve our animals, writes Carita Saarinen, Wuthering Heights Alpacas, Finland.

Photo: Carita Saarinen

A

s every breeder knows, choosing this lifestyle can be challenging, but many of us love challenges. Luckily, we don’t have to be experts to start our journey as we can learn from the experience and knowledge of those willing to share their wisdom.

I have dedicated my life to alpacas for almost 10 years after starting my own herd in February 2012 and it was a natural step for me to join the BAS judge training programme. I also gained experience and knowledge of fibre, while managing the Art Of Fibre EU laboratory in Finland from 2019 to 2021 and when the BAS course became available, I thought it was time to take on a new challenge.

BAS judge training

The BAS judge training programme starts by covering the basics of alpaca fibre, conformation, selection and breeding and is open to anyone whether or not they want to continue to judge training level 1 and 2. The first Evaluation Course covers the basics, but owners with more than two years’ experience can start with the Intermediate Alpaca Assessment Course.

I started my training by taking the Intermediate Course in October 2021 at Toft Alpaca Stud in Warwickshire. We were really well looked after by Rob and Shirley Bettinson, and the food was delicious – many thanks to the chef!

The course was very well organised and our tutors Barbara Hetherington (Beck Brow Alpacas) and Tim Hey (Inca Alpaca) prepared a comprehensive set of presentations and material for us along with practical sessions using fleece samples, full fleeces and live animals.

We also practised oral reasoning for the first time, explaining our assessment of traits in front of the rest of the group and placing a line of 76 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

alpacas in order – definitely an experience worth coming a long way for. Also, it was satisfying to achieve almost 100% in the exams – only one dropped mark!

The following Advanced Alpaca Assessment course in December 2021 was held in Buckinghamshire at CS Alpacas Stud where we were looked after by Julia Corrigan-Stuart. The course was popular with 20 delegates taking part over two days – many thanks to CS Alpacas for hosting us and providing Suris and Huacayas for us to assess.

This course also combined theory and practice and I highly recommend it for breeders who want to invest in their knowledge and understanding of breeding and selection. It provided even more depth to our knowledge of selection and breeding enabling us to deliver even more informed and accurate assessments on live animals and fleeces.

Our tutors, Mary-Jo Smith (Bozedown Alpacas), Tim Hey and Barbara Hetherington provided a well thought out combination of comprehensive presentations, material and practical sessions and I very much enjoyed the weekend.

It is hard to describe how wonderful it is to be part of a group sharing the same enthusiasm, and love for alpaca breeding, as well as the desire to improve the quality of our work. I loved getting to know the other owners on both of the courses and made some great new friends.

As a group we are now more than half way towards becoming alpaca judges and so far, it has been a marvellous journey. I am looking forward to seeing many of my new friends during the next stages and I am excited to learn how to carry out even more precise, quick and accurate assessments, give oral reasoning with ease, and also to take the tools I have learnt back home with me and see how I can improve.

IT’S IN OUR DNA

Alpacas for sale

A list of BAS members who are breeders and advertising their alpacas for sale

SOUTHERN ENGLAND

ALPACA EVOLUTION

Herts AlpAcAs

We are committed to the success of the British Alpaca industry and realising the potential and possibilities this offers. We are passionate about the Alpaca, and continuing to progress the quality of our herd of 700 plus alpacas, both Huacaya and Suri, without compromising our high standards in ensuring excellent herd welfare. Offering unrivalled experience and support to our clients, and helping them achieve success is core to our business ethos.

15 years of selective breeding and dedication has successfully proven our genetics both in and outside the show ring, winning multiple Herts Alpacas championships and of course one of the British Alpaca Futurity’s major Best Breeder awards.

We offer a full range of alpacas for sale, stud males, breeding females and pets as well as learning opportunities for all levels of experience. We welcome visitors by appointment. Located in Buckinghamshire.

TEL: Nick 07979 651742 & Alexandra 07795 843790 EMAIL: enquiries@alpacaevolution.com WEB: www.alpacaevolution.com

We offer a range of courses including: ‘Introduction to alpacas’, ‘Birthing’, ‘Husbandry’, and a day long ‘Advanced’ course.

Alpacas for sale in all colours, at prices to suit all pockets, but more importantly from elite herd sires and proven bloodlines.

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.

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

CENTRAL ENGLAND

SNOWSHILL ALPACAS

FAERIE TALE ALPACAS

Established in 2002 and situated on the North Cotswold hills close to the picturesque village of Snowshill, the current herd numbers over 300.

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 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.

We are happy to discuss your requirements, be it for pet males, stock guards, or breeding females to suit your budget but with no obligation to purchase. We have over ten years of experience with these adorable animals. Give us a call and let us see if we can help you.

Full range of alpacas for sale, attractive pets to top show quality breeding girls and stud boys. Large choice of stunning stud males available to service your girls. Also offering natural alpaca fabrics made in the UK from the fleece of our own herd.

TEL:

TEL: 01386 853841 or 07711 044106 EMAIL: snowshillalpacas@btinternet.com WEB: www.snowshillalpacas.com

Sue Hipkin 07770 455533 Lisa Hipkin 07770 455534 WEB: www.scotfieldalpacas.co.uk

The PennyBridge Herd and Stud. One of the first alpaca farms set up in the South of England, still producing show winners from champion stock. Good quality starter herds, proven and potential stud males, stud services, fancy grazers and sheep guards available. Please phone to book a viewing with no obligation to purchase. ‘Home of The Alpaca Experience’ – visit our website for further info.

Our farm in Hertfordshire offers: feed, supplies, coats, halters etc. Importantly we deliver total customer care. See website for customer reviews and details of our award-winning herd sires.

SOUTHERN ENGLAND

SCOTFIELD ALPACAS

PENNYBRIDGE ALPACAS

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

SOUTH EAST

LIGHTFOOT 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.

We provide after sales advice and back up services when we sell our animals. Whether you are looking to improve or expand your herd or just thinking of alpacas as pets, why not contact us to arrange a visit.

TEL: 07802 263589 WEB: www.alpacabreeder.co.uk EMAIL: graham@alpacabreeder.co.uk

EAST MIDLANDS

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

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: jandj.alpacas@zen.co.uk WEB: www.visitalpacas.co.uk

78 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

TEL: Shirley 07970 626245 / Rob 07973 123008 EMAIL: shirley@toftalpacastud.com / rob@toftalpacastud.com WEB: www.toftalpacastud.com

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 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

Fibre Processors and Retailers RETAILERS/WHOLESALERS IN BRITISH ALPACA PRODUCTS

ANIMAL HEALTH

JG ANIMAL HEALTH High specification organic chealated nutritional supplements suitable for all camelids.

• Premier Camelid Drench • Premier Mineral Supplement • Premier Mineral Bucket • A, D3 & E Paste TEL: 07866 607466 EMAIL: jganimalhealth@aol.com WEB: www.jganimalhealth.co.uk

PROCESSORS OF FIBRE – MINI MILLS AND OTHER

CLASSIC CARDER Classic Carder produce a full range of British, handmade drum carders for fibre preparation. Featuring our unique interchangeable drum system which allows quick and easy drum change for carding different fibres.

TEL: 01746 714130

HOMESTEAD FARM SUPPLIES Everything you need for your alpacas delivered to your door! We are a one-stop-shop for alpaca supplies, including headcollars and leads, vitamins and nutritional supplements, healthcare and welfare supplies, colostrum, coats for cria and adults and microchipping equipment.

We also have a good selection for your other animals, including dogs, chickens and horses, as well as a range of farmhouse items and gifts, including our famous home cheese-making kits.

We are alpaca owners ourselves and we are always happy to help with your questions and enquiries.

Order direct from our website or by phone. You can expect fast, friendly service and advice.

TEL: 01295 713188 EMAIL: homesteadfarms@btinternet.com WEB: www.homesteadfarmsupplies.co.uk

M.R.HARNESS M.R.Harness was founded in 1995 after existing part time for a number of years. Mary herself is a qualified engineer and is well placed to assess materials and their useage.

Company policy is to test as many of the webbing designs as possible before release, as each item is unique to the animal it is designed for. This has led M.R.Harness to become the supplier of choice for headcollars, leads, coats and harness for all the various smallholding animals, but specialising in alpacas and llamas, and working ponies.

All items are hand crafted ‘in house’, in England, so you can be assured of good workmanship and quality products that last.

So please come and try the ‘Choice of Champions’.

TEL: 01299 896827 EMAIL: mary@mrharness.co.uk

EMAIL: paulbrittain@mac.com

BAS Members exclusive BAS Members get free membership to My Society and can benefit from a number of exclusive offers. Here are a few:

Medisave

The Professional Solution

20% OFF Terms and conditions apply

Discounted Prices on Microchips*

Terms and conditions apply

10% OFF

AGRI Shelter®

WEB: www.classiccarder.co.uk Terms and conditions apply

2 FREE worm counts worth £40 for NEW BAS members then 25% OFF Worm Counts after that*

British Alpaca Society The fibre breed

Become a BAS member Single membership – £84 per annum Joint membership – £105 per annum £10 discount for direct debit payers Herd registration fee – £25

www.bas-uk.com

5% OFF

ALL products Safe4disinfectant www.medisave.co.uk

www.ellipsefabrications.co.uk Terms and conditions apply

Wildwood Animal Health www.wildwoodanimalhealth.co.uk

Free bag of Camelibra NG2

Terms and conditions apply

Terms and conditions apply

(worth £28 & free delivery)

Checkout these and many other offers on The My Society page on the BAS website by going to the moving carousel on the home page and clicking on the My Society link www.bas-uk.com The British Alpaca Society cannot be held responsible for any issues regarding products, off ers or services off ered under the My Society scheme. All off ers 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 off ers can be seen on the BAS website.

www.bas-uk.com Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

79

ALPACAS THROUGH THE SEASONS Our Yearbook photo competition on the theme ‘Alpacas Through the Seasons’ attracted some great images. Thank you to BAS CEO Duncan Pullar for judging the entries.

O

ur first prize winner is Steve Makenzie, Bardsea Alpacas who receives a year's free BAS membership. In second place is Dave Bearman, Apple Vale Alpacas who wins a £50 BAS account credit. Third prize, and a £25 BAS account credit goes to Chris Agar from Spring Farm Alpacas. Congratulations to our winners, well done to the commended entries and thank you to everyone who sent photos.

See page 82 for Highly Commended winners >> Dave Bearman, Apple Vale Alpacas

Chris Agar from Spring Farm Alpacas Steve Makenzie, Bardsea Alpacas

80 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

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Make a difference to your life or herd

LIMESTONE ALPACAS Focused on breeding healthy, high quality white and coloured alpacas (always happy to advise and support)

The proof is in the progeny: Limestone studs from Koo Wee Rup

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For offspring sales or stud services in 2022 message Paul on 07855 462760

Limestone Alpacas, Church Lawford, Warwicks CV23 9HD willspauld@aol.com | Paul 07855 462760 Alpaca #90 YEARBOOK

81

B

A HIGHLY COMMENDED A. Gaynor Sharples B. Dave Bearman C. Thomas Boyd D. Steve Mackenzie

E. Sally Illett F. Steve Ellershaw G. Chris Agar H. Thomas Boyd

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Made in Wiltshire Official BAS Partner

The UK’s favourite alpaca feeds.

As a key supplier to many of the UK’s most established alpaca herds since 2003, we’d like to think we know a thing or two about camelid nutrition.

From our acclaimed Camelibra, designed to provide the correct nutritional balance to maintain healthy digestion from natural forage/fibre based diets, our unique Hembra & Cria to maximise the growth and fibre development of the newborn from birth to post weaning and Fibregest, our high quality soluble fibre feed, we have the perfect answer for optimum nutrition whatever your situation.

In addition, no minimum order quantities, nationwide sales support and full nutritional backup all come as standard too. www.gwfnutrition.com

For further information, stockist details and to order, please visit gwfnutrition.com or call 01225 708482

Supreme Champion alpaca breeders with 28 years experience Inca Incognito – Supreme Champion Female.

We are proud to offer: Detailed guidance and support for new owners.

Business planning for breeding herds.

Elite pedigree breeding and pet stock for sale and export to the EU and Middle East.

Help obtaining planning permission for a dwelling using alpaca breeding as justification – we did it and have helped others.

www.incaalpaca.co.uk Please call Tim and Tracey to talk more about alpaca ownership: +44 (0) 7875 532827

incaalpaca.co.uk