MAGAZ IN IAL E IC
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April 2015
AANZ National Show September 18th – 20th, 2015 Mystery Creek Events Centre HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND
Come and enjoy the competition The opportunity to spend time with your friends and show off your alpacas to the public. Visit the website to see sponsorship packages as these are a great way to promote your stud and get excellent benefits in exchange.
Events include: Breed Show; Fleece Show; Gala Dinner; Online Stud Services Auction; Trade Stands and Displays; 'Alpaca Farm' Experience for the Public This is the premier event in the AANZ show calendar and we hope to make it a successful and happy experience for you all. Contact the organising committee if you have any specific questions.
The website alpacaexpo.co.nz is the best place to find out all the info. Updates will be made frequently. Contact: alpaca2015@alpaca.org.nz
MAGAZI NE IAL IC OF
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April 2015
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Inside this issue…
Message from the President
03
The State of the National Registered Herd
04
Towards an Alpaca Meat Industry
08
Greg Charteris
Registry Working Group COVER PHOTO: Courtesy of Kellie Dodd Nevalea Alpacas
David & Heather Bridson
08
The Alpaca Breeder's Quest for True SD
14
Fleece Improvements: What Do We Value and How Do We Measure It?
20
Annual Health Plan
25
Presentation is Everything
27
Talking Teeth
29
Alpaca Fiesta 2014
32
The Quechua Benefit Story
37
Lights… Camera… Action!
42
A Rural View on Homeopathy in Alpacas
44
Lying Around on the Job
46
Consistent Quality Alpacas
50
Advertising Breeder Profile
54
New Member Profile
56
My National Alpaca Day Open Farm Checklist
57
Paul Vallely & Jennifer Errey
Compiled by Robyn Anderson Ben Davidson
Paul McDowell
Allison Quagliani Nick De Bruyn Mike Safley Lyn Skilling
Toni Charteris Jenny Phillips
Steve Marshall
Nic Cooper & Linda Blake
Janine Cochrand & Allan Cumming Marketing & Promotions Sub‑Committee
20
29
32
37
50 BOOK YOUR ADVERTISING NOW!! NZ Alpaca Magazine is now viewed by an international audience on www.issuu.com
New Zealand Alpaca is printed on paper derived from resources which are managed to ensure their renewability for generations to come.
1
Editor Frith Latham magazine@alpaca.org.nz
Website www.alpaca.org.nz AANZ – All Enquiries Toni Soppet – AANZ Office Manager PO Box 6348, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch 8442 Phone (03) 341 5242. Mobile 021 368 994 tonisoppet@alpaca.org.nz or aanz@clear.net.nz
Advertising AANZ Office advertising@alpaca.org.nz Phone (03) 341 5242 Deadlines New Zealand Alpaca is produced three times per year. Deadlines for all advertising & articles for the next issue is 26th June, 2015.
AANZ Council President Greg Charteris 128 Stan Wright Road Karaka, Auckland president@alpaca.org.nz
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Secretary Martyn Ellwood-Wade secretary@alpaca.org.nz Treasurer Wayne Allison treasurer@alpaca.org.nz Southern Region Rep. Currently Vacant southernrep@alpaca.org.nz Central Region Rep. Heather Goffin centralrep@alpaca.org.nz Northern Region Rep. Sarah Busby northernrep1@alpaca.org.nz Northern Region Rep. Willem Alblas northernrep2@alpaca.org.nz Liability Whilst all efforts have been made to ensure accuracy of information this Association accepts no responsibility for any errors contained in advertisements or text. Views expressed by advertisements and contributors are not necessarily endorsed by this association. Copyright All material appearing in NZ Alpaca is copyright. Reproduction in whole or part is not permitted without the written permission of AANZ.
If we take note of the activity at the Australia Nationals, it is a reminder that our National Show is the biggest one shop showcase of NZ genetics. This is a once a year opportunity for us to seek improvements and I encourage all serious Alpaca breeders to attend the Mystery Creek event.
Message from the President Welcome to our April 2015 edition of New Zealand Alpaca magazine. I know that we all eagerly anticipate receiving the latest Alpaca publication and I want to take this time to express my thanks to both the recent past and present editors Robyn Anderson and Frith Latham for a magazine that we can be truly proud of. Robyn has stepped aside after a long and faithful service for the magazine and Frith has stepped in to take this task on. This is a huge commitment and one we should all be extremely grateful to Frith for, I hope that all members will support Frith with articles for up coming publications to ensure the high quality continues. I understand that we have some very interesting articles in this month’s edition and I, like you, look forward to reading them. Time certainly speeds by, our December 2014 magazine talked about the success of the 2014 National Show held in Christchurch and we are now in full swing for the upcoming 2015 National Show to be held at Mystery Creek in Hamilton. Brenda and Ivor Gainsford have bravely stepped up to head this show and have done a lot of work in researching the best venue. As with all decisions there are as many opinions on where the show should be held as there are venues available. The final decision came down to the critical geographic proximity to the organisers for logistical reasons. We know this venue is very suitable for the show and is central for most people including overseas people to fly in to. I hope that we will see a good attendance from South Island breeders as this is our one show to have Alpacas from across the country attending and competing. I am very encouraged by the quality of current NZ breeding which has taken significant steps forward over the last few years. This improvement is being demonstrated by the number of Alpaca sales we are seeing between NZ breeders and also in the increasing interest from Australia in some of our leading genetics. Whereas we can still source excellent genetics from Australia given their larger genetic pool, I would encourage NZ breeders to also look closely at our own back yard for genetic improvement, as there are some stunning animals on our shores which are often overlooked. If we take note of the activity at the Australia Nationals, it is a reminder that our National Show is the biggest one shop showcase of NZ genetics. This is a once a year opportunity for us to seek improvements and I encourage all serious Alpaca breeders to attend the Mystery Creek event.
by all involved. For any breeder that has not attended one of SJSC’s breeder workshops I would highly recommend you participate as the information shared by our judges with the “hands on” sessions is hugely valuable to even those with years of experience. These events are funded by attendees and have limits on the number attending so make sure you get to the next one that SJSC run. I would like to thank Sue Richards who has been a real driver of SJSC initiatives and has just stepped down from SJSC duties. National Council has also recently completed the introduction of the NZ Parent Verification system and registry changes. This work has been ably done by Sarah Busby and I believe Sarah has written an article in this issue introducing and explaining this new initiative. This is a real step forward in giving our European buyers security in what they are buying, it has been a long time coming and we hope that all serious NZ Alpaca breeders will see the value in this and participate in the verification process. Thanks to Sarah for all her hard work on this. National Council has a number of other initiatives involving Fibre, Marketing and Meat that need attention. Often your National Council is criticised for lack of forward action but daily housework regularly consumes our valuable and limited time. National Council is made up of volunteers and I believe to successfully execute some of the important tasks we have to implement, we will need to approach some of you out there who are passionate about aspects of our industry and seek specialist help in some areas. We will be looking into this prior to our AGM and maybe discuss this with a wider audience. The showing season is in full swing and is a hectic time for many of us. I hope you have enjoyed some successes or are maybe just benefiting from mixing with other friends and breeders. Hopefully we will all have more grass by the time this goes to print, facial eczema concerns will be behind us and autumn will be well on its way. All the best for winter preparations, hope you all have plenty of hay in the sheds, good farming wishes to all. Greg Charteris President, AANZ
We have seen some very pleasing developments in the past year with the Showing and Judging Committee running excellent breeder workshops and judge training weekends. All our SJSC members and our judges are to be commended for this as it consumes significant work and personal time 3
THE NATIONAL STATE REGISTERED OF THE HERD by the Registry Working Group
we have restricted our data to just With our registry, the IAR (NZ) those alpacas on the registry. We have being a computer database not made any attempt to guess the we are fortunate enough to number of unregistered alpacas within be able to analyse the entire New Zealand. The second significant difference is that with the recent database from time to time and extract useful information. enhancements to the registry in the area of Parent Verification, we can now begin As with all databases, they hold to report on those numbers too. the answers to many different How many registered questions, it is just up to the user to ask the right questions. alpacas are in New Zealand? Following on from 2008, then 2012, we have now produced a 2015 analysis of the registry. For ease of comparison and for spotting trends we have used the same questions as before. There are a couple of exceptions. In this analysis
The current figures for registered alpacas is 19,461. This is an increase of approximately 2000 since 2012 and 4500 since 2008 when there were 15,000. The trend is still upwards. Unlike some other livestock industries there has not been a sudden rise in numbers where
25000 20000 15000 2012 2015
10000
numbers can quickly outstrip the need for alpacas, and hence an industry can fail. Alpacas have a slow and steady rise that is mainly due to them having just one cria per year and to the fact that the majority of males do not go on to be breeding males. Whilst the database shows there are 6740 registered males, it is fair to assume that there are many more living in NZ than reported. Of these males 5,766 are huacaya and 974 are suri. When we analyse the females, there are 10,952 huacaya and 1769 suri females making a combined total of 12,721 females on the registry.
Where are all the alpacas? Our initial estimate of there being 19,461 alpacas in NZ can be further divided to show their regional locations. Looking at the table you can see that in 2015 59% live in the North Island, 41% live in the South Island. As our database segregates herds into smaller zones around the country the table shows you the distribution of alpacas across the country.
Registered Alpacas in New Zealand – Region Northern Region Central Region Southern Region
5000 0 Registered Females
Registered Females
4
Registered Males
Total Registered
44%
41%
Huacaya
Suri
Total
10,952
1,769
12,721
Registered Males
5,766
974
6,740
Total Registered
16,718
2,743
19,461
15%
Zone Bay of Plenty Canterbury-Mid Canterbury-South Canterbury North Central Plateau Coromandel East Coast Fiordland Hawkes Bay Manawatu/Wanganui Nelson/Marlborough North Auckland Northland Otago South Auckland Southland Taranaki Waikato Wairarapa Wellington
Registered Alpacas 1414 2880 861 1966 160 123 167 25 699 1630 836 2316 742 1088 890 315 266 2162 383 539
Herd size There are two herd codes that have over 400 alpacas in them. There are still a large number of small herds, but they actually contain a small fraction of the total registered alpaca. This fact therefore has little effect upon the whole herd statistics but has a bigger effect on the direction of the industry as a whole in that a large number of member votes are held by the owners of a small fraction of the national herd. 28% of the total number of herd codes in the AANZ have 10 or fewer alpacas in them. If we look at the herds which contain the largest number of registered alpacas, the top 20% of herds own more than 42% of the total number of alpacas on the registry.
Colour Statistics When a cria is born in our paddocks we run through a certain number of questions in our heads: Is it alive and OK? What sex is it and what colour is he/she? For this analysis Huacaya and Suri are put together. In practice, if this information is to be used by the AANZ in any forward planning for fleece sales and marketing, the two very different fleece types would need to be reported separately through a different analysis. However, here we are just giving a national overview. The newest type of analysis we can run is to do with those registered alpacas who have been DNA parent verified (PV).
Colours 16% 29% 6% 7% 3%
3%
4%
4% 4% 6%
4%
14%
These alpacas have been proven beyond doubt to come from the parents stated. We have been able to carry out voluntary DNA parent verification for a few years but recently the AANZ enhanced your registry by putting a logo of a strand of DNA beside each alpaca that has been Parent Verified. This logo is un-missable on the computer screen within the search results table, in the 4 generation pedigree and on the individual alpaca listing or pedigree certificate. It is hoped that this obvious acknowledgement of an alpacas true identity will encourage more breeders to Parent verify their own progeny as they are born. As this is in it’s infancy we should view the number of PV alpaca on the database in 2015 as being the baseline figure. In analyses that we run in future years we hope there will be a steady increase in the PV numbers. In 2015 the baseline number fully DNA parent verified alpacas on the IAR (NZ) is 136 (active) and 165 that have been tested but some of them have been sold overseas and are no longer active on the registry. There are other alpacas that have been DNA matched against their mothers (Dam match) 13 total and their fathers (Sire Match) 19 active, but the DNA sample of either the mother or father is not available for them to be fully verified. They are at least half proven!
How can we make the analysis more accurate? On the members section of the website you are able to download a form A6 (change of animal status). This form should be used to let the AANZ office know of any alpaca that
Black Dark Brown Dark Fawn Dark Grey Light Brown Light Fawn Light Grey Medium Brown Medium Fawn Medium Grey Rose Grey/Roan White
has died, been sold to non-members as pets, is to be removed from the registry because it has a disqualifying fault or maybe has been exported and sold abroad. Status changes are free. You can register your cria as soon as you like using the online registration forms which are easy to use and it costs less to do this online than by the old fashioned paper way. The quality of the results from analyzing any database is only as good as the accuracy of the information held within that database. Please keep your herd registrations up to date.
ENHANCING YOUR REGISTRY Historical Perspective In the normal course of your routine around your farm you may not think very often about the importance of our registry, the IAR NZ. However it is enshrined in our constitution that National Council must insure the rules and regulations surrounding the Registry are enforced. Years ago (and in some cattle breed societies to this day) registries were called stud-books, they were physical legers into which all the names, breeding and progeny of the pedigree animals were written. By their very nature (one large paper ledger) access to them was restricted, ability to update them was limited to one or two people, the registrar, and 5
they were updated maybe once each year. It was hard to know which animal lived where and it was hard to know anything current about each animal. Stud-books or registries relied upon the owner stating who bred with whom and declaring what was the result of that mating. The accuracy of that information was entirely dependent upon the honesty and accuracy of the records kept by pedigree animal breeders. Then their information had to be accurately transcribed by hand into the registry by the appointed Registrar. Before the advent of modern DNA technology (before they even knew what DNA was in fact) breed societies made efforts to keep the information on their registries accurate by putting rules or restrictions upon the mating/breeding decisions of their member’s stock. These are registry regulations. They are the written rules that tell us as members what we can and cannot do when trying to put information upon the registry. An important regulation is regulation R1 7.4(b) ii (i). In plain English it is a regulation that says we must never mate a female to one male, then change and mate her to a different male unless there is a gap of 45 days between the two different matings. Did you all know
that? Do we all do this religiously? This regulation was put in place so that a baby born at full term is easily traced or attributed to the mating with just one male. With a significant gap of 45 days between different males it ought to be possible to know exactly which male fathered the offspring. In that way the information put onto pedigree registries was supposedly accurate and thus the ‘integrity of the registry’ was protected.
The Registry Now With the advent of computers and electronic databases things have thankfully moved on, certainly in the alpaca world, as we have an entirely electronic database called the International Alpaca Registry (NZ). We acquired the right to control our own registry and to determine our own future when we separated from the IAR and became the IAR (NZ). This was a major step forwards for the AANZ and it’s members. We talked about there being a gradual step-by-step series of improvements and enhancements to the IAR (NZ). Firstly we added our very own style of user-interface. The black white and grey page you see carrying the AANZ logo each time you log in to the registry. We added show catalogue creation software
to help our show convenors create accurate catalogues more easily. We brought in online registrations of our cria. This was coupled with a new monthly invoice based payment system so we no longer needed to send cheques with each registration. Recently we added a number of new colour classifications within the fancy colour section when registering new cria so their markings can be recorded more accurately. We can have our records added almost overnight; it allows us to keep current with any alpacas details and with their breeding events. We can all become Sherlock Holmes if we wish and enquire about the wider families of any alpaca, find out the colour of its progeny when coupled with different dams etc. However there is still one major flaw in our modern, technologically advanced registry: it is entirely based upon the accuracy or inaccuracy of our members’ record keeping. We look at a pedigree certificate and in black and white (well blue and white on our computer screens) it SAYS that Flossie and Jimmy gave birth to Starlight. We seem to be happy to take it on face value, but it is potentially completely inaccurate. Since the pioneering work of James Watson, Francis Crick and a few other clever scientists DNA was discovered. It is the key to our genetic blueprint. DNA technology now allows us to take a tiny spot of blood from our alpacas, along with blood from their parents and can prove without a shadow of a doubt that the cria is indeed from the parents we say it is from. We call this DNA parent verification or PV. Uncertainty has been replaced by our ability to PROVE accurately who the parents are. The AANZ National Council is very proud to announce that DNA parent verified alpacas on the IAR (NZ) will be recognized as having their parentage proven beyond doubt by being associated clearly with a new Parent Verified Logo.
What Will We See? Working with ABRI who host and maintain our registry, we have developed the following clear ways by which users can see which alpacas are DNA parent verified. This means their heritage is proven. 6
When you begin your search you start with the AANZ landing page. Here you will see a new search button that allows you to look specifically at Parent Verified alpacas only. The default selection will remain the same, you are searching through all the alpacas, but if you click the search button ‘Parent Verified Only’, your search will be restricted to only those alpacas with a proven heritage. (These examples have been created at random by technicians at ABRI.) There are many other ways of seeing information or searching for information from the IAR. When you ask the IAR to select a list of alpacas from your own, or any other herds you see a familiar table. Now you will see a small logo displayed clearly beside every alpaca that has been DNA parent verified. If you select or click upon the alpaca with the DNA logo displayed in the final column you will see this. The logo has the words Parent Verified clearly displayed alongside the image of the DNA logo. When you view the pedigree of any alpaca, those alpacas in earlier generations that are DNA parent verified will show up with the simple DNA logo against each PV alpaca in the pedigree.
How Can I Get Involved? The blood collection method is easy, the cost very affordable and the scheme voluntary, but inclusive to all members. Contact Toni Soppet in the office for some blood collection papers and you will be provided with instructions on how to collect your samples.
Looking To The Future In time we can expect pedigree certificates to show three or four, then more generations that have all be DNA Parent Verified. It is our aim to applaud and clearly recognize every alpaca on our registry that is proven to be from the parents stated. The AANZ wishes to help members create a registry that stands alongside the very best in the world. The registry of the future will be using these very alpacas as building blocks for excellence and accuracy. We are striving to offer our members ways by which they can enhance their own herds, create new business opportunities and be proud to be breeding alpacas in New Zealand. 7
We have a great affection for our alpacas. They are intelligent, easy to manage and have a light environmental footprint. We farm alpacas because we like them or we wouldn’t be doing it. But at the end of the day, they are animals and we are farmers and farmers are in business to profit from their farming activities. One aspect of alpaca farming that has great potential is alpaca meat.
TOWARDS AN ALPACA MEAT INDUSTRY by David & Heather Bridson – Elysian Alpacas
At the end of the day dumping alpacas is little different from dumping roosters from the chook run down at the local metal dump. Dumping animals devalues the livestock of others. There is a strong suspicion among many that the welfare of the animals is also placed at risk.
Photo courtesy of Mesa Meats.
T
he natural order is that animals and plants yield more than they need to reproduce themselves; there is redundancy built into the system to ensure its survival. For example, too much grass grows in spring and summer so we cut and store it as hay or silage in order to have sufficient feed in the winter. Farmers are people who manage the surplus production of plants and animals to make a living. Alpacas are fundamentally no different in this respect from any other farm animal. They are intelligent. They are beautiful animals. But their over-production of fibre and offspring is what enables us to make an income from them. 8
Like all animals they produce more males than we can handle. And like all farm animals they reach the point where they are no longer able to produce viable offspring or quality fibre consistently. While alpacas are one of the most efficient converters of grass into protein eventually the interplay of climate and soil fertility makes it risky for us to try to carry increasing numbers of stock. There are several ways that alpaca farmers manage this problem. One way is to dump them for rock bottom prices on Trade Me. This may make some farmers feel better about not having to kill them themselves. It may provide a quick way out of the industry for others.
The best course for the future is to expand on what we are already doing – developing markets for breeding animals and fibre, continuing to sell pets to responsible owners and producing value‑added products such as cloth, garments and those made from felted fibre. So far, we have not reached anything like the potential of the alpaca as a farm animal. True, some farmers have made a lot of money out of alpacas by breeding top quality animals and selling them. Others have made their fibre into value-added products and been successful in finding profitable markets for them. However, there are only relatively small numbers of alpaca farmers who are blazing the trail for the rest of us by realising the full potential of the alpaca as a farm animal. Tessa and Peter McKay from Mesa Mills and Mesa Meats are examples of this.
Alpaca as meat Alpaca meat has plenty going for it. It has half the saturated fat of beef (around 3%) and a third less cholesterol than beef. The total fat content is low at around 6-7%. It has the lowest calories of any land-based meat (150 calories per 100 grams) and only about a third of those calories come from fat. [See Table 1]. If the animal is unstressed at slaughter it is tender and mild-flavoured. It takes on the flavour of any marinades and sauces well. If I may illustrate from our own experience. All the alpacas I have killed have been two year old entire males. We do not have a cool room to hang slaughtered alpacas so we take them to Gary Krom from Kaimai Range Venison who hangs them in his cooler for 4-5 days. Gary charges us about $125 to bone out and vacuum-pack the meat. We find the best combination for us is back steaks, fillet, rump and Denver
steaks, four seasoned rolled roasts, neck chops and mince or sausages. From a live weight of 70-75 kg we end up with about 30kg of meat (boned out). If we had to buy 30kg of beef of a similar quality we would be looking at around $20 per kilogram. The value of that home-killed meat to us is in the order of $600 from one animal (less the cost of the butchering). The meat is tender and has a mild flavour. Neck chops can be tough so we cover them with water and cook them on low in our crock pot with garlic and a mix of root and other vegetables for 12 hours or until the meat is separating from the bone. At that point we dispose of the bones; the meat and vegetables can be eaten ‘as is’ or thickened and made into pies. Denver steaks1 are a versatile meat, with a slightly stronger flavour than the finer cuts (such as back, fillet and rump steaks). They are great for kebabs or
Table 1 Comparative Meat Nutritional Values 100g Sample
Calories
Fat (g)
Cholesterol (mg)
Protein (mg)
Pink Salmon
138
5.75
39
20
Alpaca
150
5.7
60
23
Venison
159
3.3
66
25
Turkey (light)
154
3.45
68
29
Buffalo
179
9
71
25
Chicken Breast
159
3.42
83
31
Lamb Leg Roast
213
7.62
83
25
Beef Bot. Round
214
9.76
92
31
Pork Shoulder
219
10.64
101
29
Veal Cutlet
213
10.35
125
26
Source: http://lean-too.com/home1_files/Page392.htm Table 2 Alpaca Numbers in New Zealand, 2015 Huacaya Registered Females Registered Males Registered Wethers* Total Registered Estimated Unregistered Males Total Estimate
Suri
Total
10,952
1,769
12,721
5,766
974
6,740
452
37
489
17,170
2,800
19,970
5,258
826
6,084
22,428
3,626
26,054
*Estimate only – updated figures unavailable Source: New Zealand Alpaca Association
1 Denver steaks are cut from the chuck or shoulder of the animal. They are cut in a different way from traditional chuck or blade steak which makes the meat more tender. 2 Refer to: http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/consumer/Homekill-brochure-2012-web.pdf http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/homekill-brochure-2012.pdf
can be cubed and used in stir fries. Another alternative is to slice thinly, marinate and barbeque them or use them in Asian dishes. We like a Korean bulgogi marinade. We make a finely textured and flavoursome alpaca burger using our own fresh herbs from the garden, a bit of flour and garlic, some tomato purée and 2-3 of our own eggs. It is delicious meat. However, I do not know yet whether there is a decline in meat quality as animals age. Those who have tried it say not. If this is the case, then it is most fortunate for a potential alpaca meat industry. Alpaca meat is a product that we can be proud of and which I have no doubt at all is a commercially viable prospect.
Where to from here? The laws around home killing animals for meat in New Zealand mean that only the animal’s owner and family can eat it – it is illegal to sell, trade, or barter meat to anyone else.2 It cannot be served to paying customers, raffled or donated for use as a prize. Home-kill can only be undertaken by the animal’s owner by killing it on his/her own property, or by hiring a listed home-kill or recreational catch service provider instead. There are only two abattoirs in New Zealand licenced to kill alpacas – one in Feilding and the other in Ashburton. There are another five pet food abattoirs. My view, and one shared by others I have talked to, is that freight costs and stress on the animals may rule out transport of alpacas for all but those within a reasonable distance of existing abattoirs. Growth in national alpaca numbers has increased by about 3,000 between 2012 and 2015. However, the more animals we have the faster the growth – in other words, increase in stock numbers is likely to follow an exponential growth pattern until such time as the market is saturated and rate of culling matches rate of reproduction. Existing abattoirs are asking for 200 animals to be killed at a time to make it worthwhile switching their killing chains from other livestock to alpacas. We do not know how many alpacas are available for slaughter in any one year. However, making an assumption that there are 5,000 animals available each year for killing, that these animals are evenly distributed in both islands and killing takes place for 6 months of 9
Table 3 New Zealand Meat Consumption Per Capita
About the authors
NEW ZEALAND MEAT CONSUMPTION Year Ended September 2009 KG PER CAPITA Lamb Mutton
7.5
% 8%
2.8
4%
Beef and Veal
28.0
31%
Poultry
31.3
35%
Pig Meat
19.6
22%
TOTAL
89.2
100%
Source: New Zealand Alpaca Association http://www.fedfarm.org.nz/files/2012-Compendium-of-New-Zealand-farm-facts.pdf
the year, then there would be sufficient animals to supply two abattoirs in each island provided that the infrastructure and markets are in place. 5,000 animals would yield around 150,000 kilograms of boned meat. This represents 0.04% of New Zealand’s annual meat consumption. To provide just 1% we would need around 120,000 alpaca carcases. This represents 24 times the quantity of animals that may currently be available. Initially promotion of alpaca meat as a healthy alternative to beef and lamb seems like a promising way forward for the local market. However, there is astronomical potential for alpaca meat internationally. The OECD projects that up to 2022, 80% of the demand for meat production will come from developing countries.3 We suggest meeting with those interested in working together on a trial - or perhaps a number of trials - in different parts of the country. We would need to negotiate a deal with a local abattoir, then support them through the registration process. We would then need to keep them supplied with a throughput of stock on a regular enough basis to make it viable for them. Finally we would need to develop markets for alpaca meat and hides. Those of us who have been involved in working together with other alpaca farmers to market our products are finding that united we stand, divided we fall. For inspiration we need look
no further than our own domestic deer industry. It was 1969 that the first licence was granted to establish a deer farm in New Zealand. Within 20 years (1989) New Zealand had half the world’s population of farmed deer at 1.6 million animals.4 The systems developed in New Zealand to capture deer in the wild and graze them on farms today lead the world. However, the biggest impediments to growth of the industry were not technological. They were bureaucracy and red tape. While total deer numbers have reduced since then to about 1.1 million animals, in 2014 New Zealand exported over 16 million tonnes of venison having a value close to $181 million. Including velvet, hides/leather and other products the total export value of the deer industry was $241 million.5 The pioneers of the deer industry succeeded because they believed in their product, were innovative and were determined to work together to achieve a world-beating result. According to the Ministry of Primary Industries the first alpacas were imported into New Zealand for farming in 1986.6 Ours is a youthful farming industry but with enormous promise. The biggest impediment to the development of a profitable alpaca farm industry in New Zealand in my view is not bureaucracy and red tape. It is our lack of belief in and failure to work together to develop the place of – alpacas as a credible and profitable farm animal.
3 OECD/UNFAO http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3333e/i3333e.pdf 4 http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/deer-and-deer-farming/page-3 5 http://www.deernz.org/about-deer-industry/nz-deer-industry/deer-industry-statistics/glance-industrystatistics#.VONtIfmUeSo 6 https://www.mpi.govt.nz/document-vault/3853 10
David and Heather Bridson own Elysian Alpacas, about 25 minutes west of Tauranga. Currently they have 56 huacaya alpacas on 17 acres. They both have full-time jobs. David has his own business providing help and support to other businesses, schools and not-forprofit organisations and Heather is an accountant for a local company. They have four children ranging in age from 22 to 31. Heather’s passion for alpaca fibre came out of her craft interests in spinning, weaving, dyeing and felting. Elysian Alpacas now sells a range of handcrafted alpaca products including knitwear, quilts, felted goods and carded dyed fibre for spinning and felting. Increasingly, David and Heather can be heard going into raptures about alpaca meat and are keen to see alpacas become a credible and viable farming option.
To increase the momentum amid the groundswell of interest in this opportunity we are happy to act as a point of contact for those of you who are interested. Our contact details are: info@elysianalpacas.co.nz We are looking forward to hearing from you so that we can work together to develop a credible, commercially viable and sustainable alpaca farming industry.
THE PROOF IS IN THE
PROGENY
Photo courtesy of Robert Gane-Canchones
Patagonia Celtic Rising Sun ET
www.shamarra-alpacas.co.nz
A k a |r o , N 5141 e w Z| einfo@shamarra-alpacas.co.nz aland Frank & Anya Walkington 03a 304
www.shamarra-alpacas.co.nz
11
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On Farm Quarantine Facility Setting the Suri Standard
Ch o i c e Quality
Affordability All Colours
www.surilana.com.au Â
Ian and Angela Preuss Strathbogie, Victoria, Australia, 3666 PH: +61 3 57905394 Mobile: 0407931789 Email: suris@surilana.com.au 13
THE ALPACA BREEDER'S
QUEST FOR
“TRUE” by Paul Vallely – Australian Alpaca Fibre Testing Jennifer Errey BSc Hons – Errydge Park Alpacas
SD
Using Standard Deviation (SD) of Fibre Diameter has proven to be a useful objective trait for alpaca breeders in their quest for genetic improvement towards producing high quality fleeces. It is a standard statistical result included in any fibre testing report and thus easily obtained by all alpaca breeders interested in the fibre production qualities of their stock. What is SD? We measure the Micron (or average fibre diameter – AFD) with our fleece sample testing. However, just as not all full grown alpacas are exactly the same size, so the fibres growing within their fleece are not all exactly the same fibre diameter. SD is a statistically calculated measure of the variability between the individual fibre diameters produced by an alpaca. SD, as calculated for fibre testing results, varies depending on 2 factors: • hereditary (or genetic) influences • environmental (or stressor) influences Alpacas that exhibit low SD’s are typically alpacas with low incidence of coarse fibres and low variation in fibre diameter Micron across the fleece. These fleeces exhibit superior fibre processing outcomes. SD is one of the most heritable fleece traits and, therefore, presents clear advantages for inclusion as a breed selection trait. To cap it off, as the alpaca industry moves towards a more commercial fibre production basis, SD is a key selection criteria for fibre processing buyers and thus critical when considering the qualities of potential/active stud sires. A review of annual statistics of fleece testing performed by Australian Alpaca Fibre Testing (AAFT) for the calendar 14
year 2014 reveals the average SD for huacayas is about 4.7μ, while the average SD for suris is about 5.2μ. While some breeders have enjoyed considerable improvement over the years in their SD’s as a result of carefully planned genetic improvement strategies, the national annual averages for SD have generally remained constant for the past 5 years. That was until the 2013/2014 season. For Australia, 2013/2014 was the type of growing season that producers of natural fibre dread. Spring (Sept to Nov 2013), turned out to be the equal hottest on record while the national rainfall was 34% below average. Whilst the northern tropics enjoyed their usual wet season drenching, in the southern states, there were only about 15 previous springs in the past 115 years that were dryer. As spring holds the key to summer feed conditions throughout southern and eastern Australia, it was inevitable that much of Australia was going to be a ‘very sunburnt country’ for the first part of the fibre growing season (spring shearing until the following shearing) ie. spring, summer and early autumn. Then in April 2014, came rain, rain – and more rain for the south. The southern country was drenched with many areas experiencing 40% more rainfall than the national average. South
Australia had its second wettest April and many other parts of the country almost broke records. Suddenly the sunburnt country turned into lush paradise for livestock (and internal parasites as many soon realised). Rainfall data depicted in Figures 1 & 2 (courtesy BOM website) shows the stark contrast between the Spring 2013 and Autumn 2014 rainfall in the southern Australian area, particularly in the North Eastern Victoria and Southern NSW region. In Spring the rainfall was up to 200mm below the average for the 3 months. In Autumn, the rainfall was up to 200mm above the average for the period. If average 6 month data period were taken for the rainfall anomaly, it would appear to be a quite normal unexceptional period rather than the extreme variance actually experienced. This sharp recovery from harsh drought conditions to lush pastures is great stuff for ‘Discovery’ channels, but the question remains, ‘how does this relate to scary SD statistics on my fibre test reports’.
Fibre diameter variance: environmental influences Once an alpaca is conceived, its genetic influences on SD are set, they cannot be changed for the developing alpaca and these influences remain constant
Paul Vallely, Co-author of this paper, discloses a commercial interest in the findings of this paper as owner of Australian Alpaca Fibre Testing (AAFT).
Figure 1. Rainfall mm: Spring (Sept 2013 – Nov 2013) and average anomaly.
Jennifer Errey is a Scientist who together with her husband, Robert, operates Errydge Park Suri stud in Nth East Victoria. The extreme environmental impact of the 2013/2014 weather patterns on the fibre diameter profiles and SDs of their Autumn 2014 cria drop is the subject of a separate paper.
Figure 2. Rainfall mm: Autumn (April 2014 – June 2014) and average anomaly.
throughout its life. However, pre and post natal nutrition of the cria will have a profound impact on the development of the fibre follicles (from which fibre is produced under the skin of the animal), and therefore, will have an impact on the degree with which the genetic influences are allowed to be expressed in the eventual fibre. Environmental influences throughout an alpaca’s life can substantially impact the SD, pushing the results up or down depending on the duration of the stressors. As many would be aware, an increase in nutrition reaching the fibre follicles results in an increase in the diameter of the fibre being produced at that time. Conversely, reduction in nutrition reaching the fibre follicles results in a reduction in the diameter of the fibre being produced at that time. The degree to which the level of nutrition is increased (or reduced) influences the degree to which the fibre diameter is increased (or reduced) or, preferably, remains stable throughout the year. Translated into practical terms, an increase in the quality and/or quantity of feed will normally result in fibre diameter Microns increasing. Conversely, a reduction in quality and/ or quantity of feed for any reason will result in lower Microns. An increase in any stress to the animal will also cause
microns to temporarily go down as the nutrition is diverted away from fibre growth to sustain the body’s response mechanisms to deal with the stress. Examples of environmental stressors impacting on nutrition availability to the fibre follicles can include sudden increased worm burden, substantive injury or prolonged illness, changed social conditions (moving alpacas away from their usual group or being picked on by another dominant alpaca) as well as the obvious stress of change in available feed and nutrition levels due to seasonal variation for pasture fed stock. The obvious case in point is the extreme variation in available pasture feed over
the 2013/2014 fibre growing season. The first half from October to April saw a massive reduction in available feed, followed by a massive increase in available feed over the second half of the season, April to September. And many alpaca breeders will see this reflected in the SD component of their fleece test results for samples taken during the second half of 2014. Variation in fibre diameter along the length of the fibre over a season is demonstrated in this extreme example of an alpaca fibre test from eastern Victoria, Australia after shearing in 2014. If you could see this sample under a microscope, its outline would look a bit like this:
Figure 3. Fibre diameter profile average showing extreme variation along the fibre length. The narrowed point towards the centre of the fibre will be vulnerable to tender breakage when processing. 15
The micron profile of the alpaca shows that the fibre diameter at the time of prior shearing (left point of linear graph) was 26.3μ, fell sharply to 19.0μ before rising just as sharply to about 24.0μ. The diameter of the fibre then levelled off. The fibre was about 23.3μ at the point where the sample was shorn from the alpaca (right point of linear graph). The maximum variance in fibre diameter along the fibre length was 26.3μ – 19.0μ = 7.3μ. Subjecting this sample to standard fibre testing using OFDA2000 technology, a standard fibre diameter profile and statistic data together with a histogram that all should be familiar with is produced. This sample’s fibre diameter profile and data for 2014 show some marked variation from averages that alerted the owner to review and question the results: The variation in diameter along the fibre of this example shows marked environmental influence during this fleece’s growth period. As this sample was taken after the extreme rainfall variance conditions experienced in 2013/14, it is likely that it was a pasture fed alpaca and the initial sharp decline in the micron was caused by the harsh, dry and hot spring/summer period. Conversely, the sharp increase in the second half of the season is likely to have been caused by the increase in nutrition brought on by the lush autumn. The last 25mm of the graph where the SD levelled out would probably be due to a levelling of available nutrition during winter.
Figure 4. Fibre diameter profile as measured by OFDA2000.
How SD is calculated with OFDA2000 Technology The next step is considering how this affects SD when using OFDA2000 technology. Overall (general) SD reported in fibre test results is calculated using an algorithm in the OFDA2000 testing machine as it scans down the length of the sample and measures the fibre diameter many times. It calculates the Overall SD using 2 main components: • True (genetic) SD • Variable (environmental) SD Normally, the Variable (or environmental) SD is low enough that it has little impact on the True SD. This means that the Overall SD and True SD are generally about the same. But if the Variable SD markedly increases in value due to eg. extreme seasonal nutrition fluctuations, this will impact on the reported Overall SD. 16
Figure 5. Diagrammatic representation of variation along fibres and variation between fibres (True SD).
How are these 2 components calculated? When using OFDA2000 technology, the fibre sample diameter is measured along its whole length. As the fibre sample is measured, the variation in fibre diameter comes from two sources. 1. Variation in fibre diameter along the fibres (environmental nutrition based variation) 2. Variation in fibre diameter between the fibres in the bundle (genetic based variation).
Remembering that when measuring the width (diameter) of fibre samples, the SD figure represents the overall variation (in diameter) of the fibre within the sample. Standard deviation is a statistical calculation that represents how far either side of the mean (average) you need to go in order to capture about two thirds of the total variation in diameter for the respective sample. With the first source, the variation in diameter is the difference in the average
diameter for each individual fibre within the sample. For alpacas, the difference in diameter between individual fibres within a sample is normally between 25 to 35μ. For example, for an alpaca fibre sample with an OFDA2000 reported average Micron = 20.0μ, you would expect to see the finest fibres being about 10 to 15μ, while the broadest fibres being about 35 to 45μ. This form of variation is depicted in the histogram graph provided with fibre test reports. With the second source, the variation in the diameter along the fibre is caused by variation in the amount of nutrition reaching the fibre follicles. This is the form of variation in diameter referred to above, ie, the variation influenced by aspects such as seasonal fluctuations. For alpacas, the normal variation along the fibres is about 2μ to 5μ. As mentioned above, this variation is depicted in the micron profile linear graphs provided with fibre test reports. SD as a reported value therefore represents the overall variation of both the variation along the fibres as well as the variation between the individual fibres. Normally, the variation between the fibres is the dominant cause of variation within a fibre sample. It is also the form of variation that is largely caused by genetic influence. Therefore, the variation between fibres is the part of SD that we are trying to improve with our genetic breeding programs. Because it is normally the dominant component of SD, using the overall SD statistic found in fibre test reports is an effective tool with which to breed higher quality fleeces. However, the 2013/2014 season was not normal. The micron profile in Figure 4 shows an extreme degree of variation along the length of the fibres, ie. 7.3μ compared with the normal 2-5μ range for SD and this is caused by higher than normal fluctuations in environmental influences. This environmental influence on variation was far greater than normal, and consequently, played a much greater influence on the SD figure than normally occurs. The alpaca example in Figure 5 was a Huacaya and we would expect the SD to be, eg, 4.6μ or less. At 5.2μ, this alpaca appears to be an alpaca that would not be considered suitable for genetic improvement towards fibre quality. However, as shown, the SD figure in this case was abnormally influenced by seasonal factors and thus
Figure 6. Sectional sub‑sample fibre diameter profile demonstrating removal of environmental influences.
the OFDA2000 algorithm has calculated an excessively high Overall SD. So how do we extract the extreme environmental influence and get to a True SD value so that we can make appropriate judgement on the alpacas true value for breeding stock? When reviewing the micron profile along the fibres of the above example, the last 25mm of the sample indicates little environmental influence on the sample’s diameter variation. By sectionally subsampling and testing the last 25mm of the sample, we are able to remove the impact of the extreme environmental variation, thereby confining the SD measurement to that of the genetically influenced variation between the individual fibres – the True SD.
The micron profile shown in Figure 6 was generated from the same sample but restricted to the sectional subsample which tested only the last 25mm of the fibre sample. It can be seen that the Overall SD has been reduced from 5.2μ to 3.9μ by removing the extreme degree of variation along the fibres. The SD of 3.9μ represents a more true indication of the breeding potential of the alpaca for genetic improvement of fleece quality. It should be noted that the reported SD Along on the first profile is 2.1μ (see Figure 5). This is the SD calculation for just the variation along the fibre. It is very high as it is reflecting the extreme variation in fibre diameter measured along the fibre length. The SD Along for the 25mm sectional sub-sampled portion 17
is only 0.2μ which indicates there is very little variation along the section tested. It is also worth noting that the flat portion of the micron profile can be found at any point along the sample. To effectively carry out this sectional test to determine ‘genetic’ or True SD, an examination of the entire profile is required.
The Good News… Good stock husbandry of your alpaca herd has to be maintained at all times throughout the year to minimise the impact of environmental influences on fibre diameter variation. However, we cannot totally eliminate these influences
18
and sometimes illness, stress and/or climatic conditions will conspire against us. When we can’t totally obliterate all environmental influences on SD, we can at least look closely at the fibre test results and determine when and how (if possible) to obtain SD results that will closely approximate True SD results. This will only be required when variance in diameter along the fibre is substantively impacting the overall SD, ie. when it is greater than 5μ and/or SD Along is greater than or equal to approximately 1.2μ. If you have fibre test results where the profile visibly shows marked variation along the fibre length (ie. ≥ 5μ) and where the results for SD Along is ≥
1.2μ, you should discuss this with your fibre testing provider. Specialist subsampling for sectional testing may be able to be conducted to reduce the variable environmental influence on the Overall SD and gain a True SD result. And finally, if you have prize genetic stock, always review the fibre testing results closely and if anything seems out of the way, discuss the results with your fibre testing provider first. With a Micron of 23.3μ and “True” SD of 3.9μ as demonstrated by the sectional subsampling test results, the Huacaya in this example was well worth considering for stud sire material instead of being written off and castrated.
SIRE – Hope Downs El Goro DAM – Greenwood Mischa IAR No – 339474 DOB – 23/02/2005
GREENWOOD GREYLORD New Grey Genetics from Australia SIRE: Hope Downs El Goro DAM: Greenwood Mischa IAR No: 339474 DOB: 23/02/2005
New Grey Genetics from Australia
Greylord will be based in the Auckland area until early Greylord will be based in the Auckland area until early February. This is a rare opportunity to access one of Australia's foremost grey herd sires. February. This is a rare opportunity to access one of Australia’s He has absolutely NO SPOTS. foremost grey herd sires. He has absolutely no spots. Kit & Sheryl Johnson Silverstream Alpaca Stud (03) 327 3020 Silverstream Alpaca Stud info@alpacastud.co.nz Kit & Sheryl Johnson Phone: (03) 327 3020 | Email: info@alpaca-stud.co.nz
19
FLEECE IMPROVEMENTS WHAT DO WE VALUE AND HOW DO WE MEASURE IT?
We polled a number of alpaca fleece growers recently, both Huacaya and Suri, to find their views on what they consider to be the most useful fleece tests, and why. All participants have medium to large herds, some have experience as judges, all are involved in processing alpaca fleece, some as mill owners/operators, and all as ‘end alpaca product’ producers. They bring a wealth of fleece experience to the discussion.
Many thanks to: Leonie Walker Nevalea Alpacas Maggie Sewell Adobe Alpacas Julie Mansell Riverdale Alpacas Keenan Scott Waiheke Alpacas Lindsay Riddle Sherlin Alpacas Sue Richards Surico Alpacas
Do you test the fleece of all of your alpacas every year? If not, is there any particular reason for not testing them all? Leonie Walker of Nevalea Alpacas: No, not the whole herd. We do test a few females but mostly we test the stud sires for 3 – 4 years to ensure they are developing as we thought they would, or if there is any other trait we would like proof of. It backs up and supports what we are doing and is useful when discussing stud services with clients or potential animal sales. Testing is also a useful tool to justify ‘sum insured value’ when insuring animals. We have over 500 alpacas on farm. The cost for testing our whole herd isn’t justifiable. We keep good records
20
Compiled by Robyn Anderson – Awatere Alpacas, Canterbury
for each alpaca, year by year, so we know what their fibre is like, the yield we are expecting and what their fibre will be used for. Over time we have developed ‘eye appraisal’ where we can assess micron and handle by viewing and feeling the fleece. Maggie Sewell of Adobe Alpacas: I test the second fleece of my alpacas, which then gives me an indication of the placement of this animal in my fleece “hierarchy”. I have specific uses for various qualities of fleece (both fineness and crimp definition) and will only retest if the fleeces are borderline when checked on their handle. Julie Mansell of Riverdale Alpacas: We are primarily interested in fleece production. The test gave us no further information than what we could see with the naked eye.
Keenan Scott of Waiheke Alpacas: We selectively test these days. We assess our herd and decide which alpacas we will make available for sale, and which ones we will retain and breed from. Fleece tests are a help to potential clients when deciding on a purchase. We do take hundreds of mid side samples for our own assessment and year on year. For the alpacas we decide to retain, after years of experience and handling of alpaca fleece, we have developed a keen eye and a feel for handle of the fleece. We have a strong sense of identification of micron. For these alpacas our testing is visual, backed up by tactile assessment handling the fleece. Lindsay Riddle of Sherlin Alpacas: No, we haven’t tested our alpacas for many years now. There is an obvious cost saving, but that isn’t actually the reason. Sheryl has been sorting our fleece for many years. We have over 300 alpacas on farm so she has immense experience and a talent in assessing a fleece for quality. Sue Richards of Surico Alpacas: We test all breeding stock, for several reasons. We are working towards breeding for suri that retain a uniformly low micron as they mature and fleece testing is a valuable tool in this assessment. So we can understand how they are changing as they mature and make informed breeding decisions. So we can classify their fleece before shearing. So we can develop our own knowledge and improve our skills in identifying micron.
Do your fleece results influence your breeding decisions? In what way? Leonie Walker of Nevalea Alpacas: Yes they do but testing is only part of the equation. A fleece sample will not identify conformation issues, or if the fleece is uniform or consistent, or how far down the legs it grows, for example. Maggie Sewell of Adobe Alpacas: Yes – for females who they are mated to, to get the best results. For males whether they will be used as stud males or relegated to the “fibre-only” herd. Julie Mansell of Riverdale Alpacas: We breed for fleece. The influencing factors for us are fleece weight and
uniformity in all aspects, micron, SD, style and lack of strong, this is a key one for us. Lindsay Riddle of Sherlin Alpacas: Yes, it does, but of equal importance to us is good conformation - building a strong frame to hang a good coat on. Sue Richards of Surico Alpacas: Fleece results do influence our breeding decisions, they confirm our decision making when choosing a breeding. They are another piece in the puzzle of building the picture of strengths and weaknesses of a particular animal.
To what end? Is the commercial processing of fleece a factor in this equation? Leonie Walker of Nevalea Alpacas: Definitely. In our operation processing fibre is where the money is, and is our main reason for running alpacas. We are growing a luxury fibre. Pre shearing care ensuring fleece is clear of contaminants such as seed heads, twigs etc, sorting and preparation of shorn fleece for processing, assessing the fleece for its end use are also part of that equation. Maggie Sewell of Adobe Alpacas: Commercial processing is the prime reason – I am breeding purely for commercial use. Julie Mansell of Riverdale Alpacas: 100% in mind as a factor, we don't want hairy fleece or fleeces full of strong primaries. Keenan Scott of Waiheke Alpacas: Yes it is. We now do core testing of our bales of alpaca fleece prior to scouring. This gives an accurate test of micron bands and any variations in the whole bale of fleece. Lindsay Riddle of Sherlin Alpacas: We are commercial fleece processors. We are alpaca breeders and every alpaca produces fleece. There is a use for every bit of fleece produced. Sue Richards of Surico Alpacas: For commercial processing we want fleeces that are fine and uniform so we need to be able to identify those traits. In all natural fibres the finest fleeces get the premium prices.
Have you achieved success by using fleece results in your breeding decisions? Leonie Walker of Nevalea Alpacas: Yes, when you see 100% CF holding in our alpacas from year to year, or a male 14 years of age still at 25micron, and when progeny also holds these qualities. We are, of course, always looking to improve. We are breeding for premium fleece for longer – consistent, uniform fleece around 22 micron with a comfort factor of at least 90% depending on the colour of the alpaca. Maggie Sewell of Adobe Alpacas: Yes – achieved more crimp, or better fineness when required. Julie Mansell of Riverdale Alpacas: In the past to a degree this was helpful, but the fleece results did not always reflect the end product in the yarn. I have a story of 31 micron black producing beautiful yarn (very uniform) and this always sold immediately. Lindsay Riddle of Sherlin Alpacas: Yes we have by using our own fleece analysis. We know what we are trying to achieve and are always looking to improve on those qualities in the next fleece. Sue Richards of Surico Alpacas: Each breeding decision we weigh up the fleece results with other important production traits such as density and conformation.
Do your fleece results influence your decisions to exhibit alpacas at show? In what way? Leonie Walker of Nevalea Alpacas: We don’t always have fleece results ahead of shows – we use ‘eye appraisal’ to assess micron and handle, but usually take an alpaca to a show to get the judges critique on them. Maggie Sewell of Adobe Alpacas: No – I don’t show animals. Julie Mansell of Riverdale Alpacas: We are not interested in showing our alpacas or fleeces. Lindsay Riddle of Sherlin Alpacas: Yes we have by using our own fleece analysis. We know what we are trying to achieve and are always looking to improve on those qualities in the next fleece. 21
Sue Richards of Surico Alpacas: No, we usually have made our decision about our show team before fleece results are ready, we are usually looking for the complete package for a show.
Do you consider fleece results an important selling feature? Leonie Walker of Nevalea Alpacas: It depends on the where the market is – for pets ‘no’, but for breeding and stud services, then ‘yes’. They are a backup to our ‘eye appraisal’. Maggie Sewell of Adobe Alpacas: Yes – purchasers should be asking for fleece statistics before buying. Julie Mansell of Riverdale Alpacas: Its part of the equation, I would rate a good fleece test on an older animal than one on a younger animal but you can not beat getting your hands on the animal. Keenan Scott of Waiheke Alpacas: For our clients, yes I do, but it is imperative to remember this is probably just a mid side sample and only one tool of many in fleece / Alpaca assessment. No commercial value in having a fleece with a fine mid side sample and large variation of micron across the blanket and neck. Lindsay Riddle of Sherlin Alpacas: On occasion we take fleece samples if a buyer is interested in having fleeces tested. We prefer the notion of a prospective buyer physically taking a fleece sample him/herself from the alpaca and having it tested Sue Richards of Surico Alpacas: Yes, because the market demands it and purchasers see it as an independent assessment. We believe that fleece results are most valuable when comparing animals within a herd rather than comparing across herds where environmental and testing conditions vary.
Which fleece measurements do you regard as the most important, and why? Leonie Walker of Nevalea Alpacas: CF (Comfort Factor) helps identify handle and for the end product of a luxury fibre, handle is most important, and SD (Standard Deviation). The two are correlated. 22
Maggie Sewell of Adobe Alpacas: Combination of fineness, crimp, handle and staple length. : Handle – because this characteristic is carried directly over to the handle of the yarn produced from it. Julie Mansell of Riverdale Alpacas: Standard deviation, this is telling you what really is happening in the fleece, but you can see this with your naked eye if you actually have a look at the fleece, save yourself $6. Keenan Scott of Waiheke Alpacas: We specifically test for micron, SD and micron variation or lack of it across the fleece. SD is critical, both across the staple samples and along the staples. We are looking for alpacas that will hold micron and lack guard hair under all environmental inputs. Lindsay Riddle of Sherlin Alpacas: Handle, it has to feel right or we are wasting our time. Sue Richards of Surico Alpacas: Micron and SD are the 2 we regard as most important. Through our work with the development of processing suri we have discovered we need uniformity of micron and SD is the best indicator of this. We need more understanding of ‘SD Along’ and what it is telling us in relation to processing. Recent work has high-lighted the gap in the knowledge around this and its relationship to overall micron. CF is something we consider in relation to hair in a fleece, most undesirable, causing it to be discarded to the seconds bin.
Are there any fleece measurements which you do not rate, and why? Maggie Sewell of Adobe Alpacas: Not really. I haven’t mentioned lustre above, but it is still a very important characteristic. Julie Mansell of Riverdale Alpacas: Spin fineness what use is this in production?
Are there fleece measurements not yet done routinely that you would like to see introduced, and why? Keenan Scott of Waiheke Alpacas: These are wish list items as the technology is not quite there yet but an accurate test or measuring facility for measurement of Density and Follicle Density would be very high on the list. At this point in time there is too much non tangible adjustment made by those measuring these. Of course fleece weight is the best indicator of density for us on farm.
Peter Chatterton of Design Spun, the worsted spinning mill in Napier commented that they test all fleece before processing. For their purposes micron is the most important fleece test for their spinning processing. They are looking to see a nice bell curve. Also very important to the spinning process is the soundness of the fleece, amount of vegetable matter or ash, and consistent fleece length.
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Vitamin D3 The recommended dose is 1000-3000 IU/ kg. The higher dose (3000 IU/kg) is for animals in mid-winter or autumn born cria, at other times of the year the lower dose (1000 IU/Kg) is sufficient. Give 150 000 IU to females in the last 3-4 months of pregnancy (2000 IU/kg for a 75kg animal). Vitamin D injections are sold at vet clinics and your vet can give you the correct volume of drug to inject.
5-in-1 and 6-in-1
SPRING • Vaccinate pregnant alpacas with 5‑in‑1 or 6‑in‑1 two to four weeks pre-unpacking • Give Vitamin D (1000IU/kg) to the adults • Get birthing supplies: antiseptic lube, vetadine spray for navels, electrolytes, colostrum etc… • Take faecal samples from 10-12 animals for faecal egg counting (FEC) and monitoring internal parasites. Drench animals with suitable anthelmintic after veterinary consultation • Body condition score (BCS) all animals monthly • Blood test 6-10 animals to check trace elements – selenium, copper, vitamin B12 – supplement after veterinary consultation
SUMMER • Vaccinate cria at 3 months old with 5-in-1 or 6-in-1 sensitiser shot • 5-in-1 or 6-in-1 booster 4-6 weeks after sensitiser shot • Monitor cria and lactating females faeces for worm burden (faecal egg counts at vet clinic), drench accordingly • Avoid old ryegrass paddocks that can cause staggers, especially in the autumn • BCS all animals monthly • In facial eczema areas monitor spore counts and start dosing with zinc
Used for preventing sudden death from clostridial bacterial infections. An initial sensitiser dose is required, followed by a booster 4-6 weeks later. An annual vaccination is then given.
Trace elements In many areas of NZ soils and pastures are low in selenium and some soils contain high levels of elements that lead to copper deficiency. Animals should only be supplemented with copper or selenium after discussion with your vet. If too much is given it can be toxic/fatal for your animals.
Faecal Egg Counting FEC is an important monitoring tool for herd owners to determine the internal parasite status in their herd. If the worm burden is high a larval culture may be done to determine the type of parasites that are present.
Body Condition Scoring To monitor weight gain and weight loss in the herd monthly BCS should be done and recorded. This allows for early intervention in cases of weight loss and helps with grazing management
AUTUMN
WINTER
• Give vitamin D to the adults and cria prior to winter
• Wean cria
• Observe animals for signs of ryegrass staggers • Monitor faecal egg counts from all age/ sex groups, drench accordingly • Trim toe nails • BCS all animals monthly
by Ben Davidson Rangiora Vet Centre
• Supplementary feed with hay/ baleage/chaff etc • Monitor faecal egg counts from all age/ sex groups, drench accordingly • BCS all animals monthly • Give vitamin D to all animals at the end of winter
25
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by Paul McDowell
What is brand identity? Simply put, brand identity is the visual expression of your business. This is made up of many elements, including the logo, stationery, products, uniforms, signage, website, etc. It’s everything visible about your brand.
Why is it important? In today's world a businesses brand identity can be as important as the product or service you offer. A strong identity is a powerful tool, which fuels recognition and builds trust with consumers. A few years back, Jeff, who was running a small renovation company in Auckland approached us wanting a rebrand. The brand identity he had, by no means matched the culture of his business and professionalism of his workmanship. We went on to design an identity that not only looked great, but finally lined up with the culture and professionalism of his business. Years later, Jeff's business is thriving and has become one the largest renovation companies in Auckland. As a business owner we all find ourselves in Jeff's shoes at some point. Knowing that our brand identity is not a true reflection of the kind of service we provide. We are a great company, but we look behind the times. Most of these things, plus more, dampen our sales and affect growth.
Paul McDowell Creative Director Refined Notion www.refinednotion.co.nz Paul runs a design studio based in Pukekohe, Auckland. He is captivated by quality and has a great passion for design and seeing small businesses grow.
We have to remember that customers are exposed to thousands of advertisements every year, so the ability to stand out for the right reasons is vital. As a business you want to engage with customers, tell stories and embody your brand’s voice. It's all about putting your best foot forward, creating reasons for clients to use you over another competitor. This is why successful businesses work hard at building their brands and present them in a clear and consistent way.
Why do you need a designer? Design plays an essential role in creating professional brand identity. It expresses the brand and builds an understanding of why you exist. So it's vital to make the right decision and use a professional designer. It's easy to fall into the trap of having a ‘do it yourself attitude’. Ask yourself this, would you get a plumber to build your house? He might have the tools, but that doesn't mean he'll know how to use them, the same principle applies to design. It takes time and patience to develop an effective brand identity, which could make or break your business. First impressions count and those first few seconds where a consumer judges your product or service simply based on your visual presentation, will have a huge affect on your sales and future growth. Remember this – Great design is great for business. 27
28
TALKING
TEETH by Allison Quagliani – Alpaca Dental Services www.alpacadentist.com.au, email allison@alpacadentist.com.au
Abstract Alpacas spend more than half of their lives eating and chewing. It is essential as their carers that we understand the basics of alpaca dental anatomy and the effects dental problems can have on the overall health and welfare of our alpacas. This paper will provide an overview of alpaca dental anatomy, discuss the most common problems alpacas have with their teeth and provide owners with a guide to identifying individuals within their herds, that may need dental attention.
Introduction
Incisors
Cheek Teeth
The incisors are the six teeth in the lower jaw at the front of an alpaca’s mouth (Fig 2). They are designed to fit snugly against the dental pad of the upper jaw. They are used to grasp and cut grass, leaves and shrubs.
At the back of the mouth in both the upper and lower jaws are the premolars and molars, usually referred to as the cheek teeth (Fig.4). The cheek teeth are arranged so the upper and lower arcades (rows of teeth) mesh together to produce an efficient grinding surface. These teeth do all the hard work grinding the food to a consistency suitable for swallowing.
Cria are usually born with their front two incisors and by six months of age will have all six. These first incisors are deciduous teeth and they will be replaced commencing at around two years of age with permanent teeth. By the time the alpaca has reached three and a half years all six deciduous incisors will have been replaced.
As in other animals, the mouth is the first stage of the digestive tract. A correctly balanced, well functioning mouth allows the alpaca to graze and chew both comfortably and efficiently – essential for the overall health and wellbeing of the animal. Good teeth play an important role in this process. Dental disorders are not only painful for the animal, (to which many humans can relate) but left untreated will have a detrimental effect in many areas including body weight, fibre quality and the ability to reproduce.
Fighting teeth
Dental Anatomy Alpacas have a total of 30-32 teeth comprising of six incisors, six fighting teeth and 18-20 cheek teeth (Fig 1).
Females usually have fighting teeth but they are much smaller than those of a male.
During their lifetime alpacas will have two sets of teeth. The first teeth, known as deciduous or baby teeth, are temporary and will be replaced between two and four years of age with permanent teeth.
Fighting teeth erupt at around three years of age and should be trimmed to prevent serious injury to other alpacas.
The fighting teeth of an alpaca are located behind the incisors (Fig 3 and Fig.4). There are two in the top jaw and one in the bottom jaw on both sides of the mouth. These teeth are very sharp, curve towards the back of the mouth and are well designed to rip and tear. Males have well developed fighting teeth and can cause serious injuries to their paddock companions during fights for dominance.
Occlusion and Malocclusion The meeting together of the upper and lower teeth and the dental pad is referred to as occlusion. If the teeth do not occlude correctly then this is referred to as malocclusion. The teeth of an alpaca form and grow in the jawbones beneath the gums. These teeth erupt into the alpaca’s mouth and wear away against the opposing teeth/ dental pad as the animal bites and chews. This process of continual wearing and eruption continues throughout the life of the alpaca until the teeth are worn out. Any uneven
Fig 1. Alpaca skull showing dental anatomy. 29
Fig 2. Incisors.
Fig 3. Fighting Teeth of a mature male.
Fig 4. Skull showing the Cheek Teeth and well developed Fighting Teeth.
Fig 5A. Undershot jaw, front view.
Fig 6. Overshot jaw, side view.
Fig 7. An overlong molar in the lower jaw has worn a gap between two of the top teeth. When this alpaca's mouth was closed the long tooth was gouging the gums and has also damaged the bone.
wear will cause a malocclusion and hamper the animals’ ability to graze and chew correctly. Malocclusions cause varying degrees of discomfort or pain to the animal. While times are good and food is plentiful the discomfort may not seem so obvious. When times are tougher, for example during times of drought, late pregnancy or lactation the effects of malocclusions become more pronounced. 30
Incisor Malocclusions Undershot jaw (Fig.5A and Fig.5B) is one of the easiest malocclusions to recognise as the lower incisors protrude beyond the dental pad. Overshot jaw (Fig.6) is when the dental pad protrudes beyond the lower incisors. Both of these malocclusions can easily be seen by parting the lips and looking at the conformation of the mouth. These problems have
Fig 5B. Undershot jaw, side view.
been proven to be hereditary in other species (Fowler, 1998, p. 483). These alpacas can still hold good condition on long pasture or with supplementary feeding. When pasture is in short supply and these animals have to forage for themselves their ability to hold condition is compromised.
Molar Malocclusions Between birth and four years of age an alpaca will replace its deciduous
premolars and twelve permanent molars will also erupt at the back of its mouth, three on each side, in both the upper and lower jaws. As you can imagine this eruption pattern doesn’t always go to plan. When the upper and lower cheek teeth do not occlude correctly the unworn teeth become so long that they grow into the opposing gum and in extreme cases the bone is also damaged (Fig.7).
Recognising Malocclusions A dental abnormality will manifest itself with one or more visible signs. Regular observation of your alpacas will identify small problems before they become major challenges. Animal age, conformation, seasonal conditions, diet and regional soil variations can all have an impact on dental health. Alpacas should chew evenly on both sides of their mouth without dropping food to the ground.
of the mouth referred to as quidding (Fig.8). Alpacas with overgrown or very sharp molars use this ball of food to protect their cheeks and gums from the pain incurred while chewing their food. The quid is not swallowed but spat out and you may find them on the ground in the area where the alpacas live.
Conclusion A correctly functioning mouth is an integral part of alpaca health and well being. Malocclusions can have significant negative impacts but can usually be corrected to a degree sufficient to restore animal health.
Bibliography Fowler, M. (1998). Medicine and Surgery of South American Camelids. Ames,Iowa: Iowa State University Press.
Often loss of body condition is the first symptom owners become aware of. Some animals may show a reluctance to eat, dribbling, an abscess or swelling in the cheek area and obvious pain whilst chewing. Swelling in the cheek area may be due to the holding of grass or hay in the side
Fig 8. A 'quid' held in the cheek area. A sign of serious tooth problems.
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7
2014ALPACA Arequipa, Peru by Nick De Bruyn – Shandara Alpacas
As the post conference farm tour (AAA, Adelaide April 2014) was coming to a close and we were reminiscing over a glass of red at Mount Compass in SA, an area better known for wine drinking than wine making, mention was made of the upcoming Alpaca Fiesta in November 2014. A number of ears pricked up and the seed was sown.
Opening Ceremony.
With less than 6 months till the opening ceremony, some serious and speedy planning was needed to book travel and accommodation for the conference, but also any add on meetings and touring. Our departure date of 5 November came around very quickly and one of the group was keen to let everyone know he had bought a Jeep, suitcase that is. After two of us received an upgrade on the Sydney to Santiago flight, the competition was on and serious for any upgrades or even exit rows on future flights as well as accommodation. 32
Our first port of call in Peru was Lima via Santiago and all went as planned. Michelle and Nick had arranged a meeting with the Australian Trade Commissioner in the Australian Embassy and this proved very worthwhile in fostering a working relationship for our membership in areas not just in Peru but through Austrade as well. From Lima, most of the group flew direct to Arequipa, but 2 of us wanted to see the Nasca Lines so travelled by bus over 2 nights. Once the conference program had started we
joined up with others from Australia, so our contingent now consisted of; Michelle & Paul Malt – Big Sky & AAA Adrienne Clarke, Chris Williams, Misty O’Connell – Ambersun Julie Wilkinson – Baarrooka Max & Craig Mathews – Bardella Park Richard Bowden & Eduardo Casapia – AAFL Nick & Lyn De Bruyn – Shandara Day one saw participants travel by bus to Tocca to join in the annual Vicuna Chaccu or round up. This is an
annual event to bring in a large herd of Vicunas for not only shearing but a major ceremonial blessing of the Vicunas event. Bringing the herd in to the yards from an open range, can been physically taxing, especially at an altitude over 3,300 metres. Considering our only altitude training might have been the escalators at our local shopping centre, additional oxygen was provided to some of our group by ambulances on standby. No names ! As the Vicunas are an endangered species and primarily owned by the Peruvian government, there are bans on their export, so to experience an event like this or to see the Vicunas in their natural habitat, it
Factory welcome.
is strongly recommended you put this Chaccu on your bucket list. Back in Arequipa, the conference itself was underway with three major components, the judging of animals, seminars and trade fair exhibition. The conference opening included mass bands and over 200 dancers in amazing costumes representing the different regions and cultures of Peru. Welcome speeches by the President of the IAA and senior government ministers highlighted the importance of the Fiesta to Peru in promoting both trade and tourism opportunities. Judging – Over 1050 animals representing some 39 local communities and while the majority of alpacas were
huacaya, there was a much higher percentage of Suris than what we would see at any Australian show. Judging techniques varied from the norm in that all animals in the class walk in together but not observed by the judge as they do so. Once they are all in, the judge will do a fleece check only and select 5-6 finalists from the group. The rest are eliminated immediately. Samples of fleece are then taken for micron testing in an onsite laboratory. This testing process creates delays in announcing the winners of each class and eventual champions and in most cases winners were not announced until the final day. Alpaca owners and managers were very hospitable in allowing access for visitors
Dyeing workshop.
33
Show rings.
to inspect their animals which led to some healthy sales being transacted. Seminars – A distinguished list of international and local experts covered a range of topics including genetics, shearing techniques, dyeing methods, bio-bleaching, cloth and finishing techniques. These topics show the conference had an overriding emphasis on fibre processing through to the final product which then flowed through to the trade fair exhibitors. In addition to these seminar sessions, organisers arranged a 2 day business symposium where 70 international buyers from 16 countries were able to meet with Peruvian suppliers of alpaca products. These buyers
included representatives from some of the major European fashion labels such as Max Mara, Cerruti etc. Trade Fair - In amongst some 84 exhibitors, Sol Alpaca and Kuna had major displays highlighting just how far our industry has grown in the design and production of quality fashion garments. Trade stands featured everything alpaca related from fashion to artwork originating from a number of South American countries and beyond. Over 5000 people visited the trade fair over the 5 days with a reported $US 17.6 million spent in direct sales and forward orders.
Suri. 34
Of particular interest to delegates were the factory visits to Michell and The Inca Group. Senior staff of both companies hosted the tours which were as informative and entertaining for both factory staff and visitors. Our arrival at Inca gave us a taste of the red carpet when factory staff formed a guard of honour for us to walk through. This was accompanied by welcome signs in different languages and continual applause. Away from the conference proper, our evenings were taken up with a number of spectacular events, including the launch of a high profile photographic exhibition in the Santa Catalina Monastery highlighting the
cultural history of Peru. An international fashion parade featuring alpaca fashion from some of the world’s major fashion houses and designers was held at Claustros De La Compania. To see this quality of fashion garments being produced from alpaca fibre, justifies the importance of how we treat our fleeces from as early as the shearing process. The final night produced a night of truly gala proportions, great food, great wines, “unique” fireworks display and a band that got the whole crowd involved. This event was held at the “Seminario Redemptoris Mater” and as per the previous two venues; each of these buildings showcased the rich architectural history of Arequipa. Once the conference was over, it was time to revert back to being tourists with visits to Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu. We consider ourselves to be very privileged to have been able to walk through Machu Pichu as we were told that accessibility will soon be restricted to approx 3 hours per visit before visits will be restricted to a viewing platform only. Due to an industrial strike, our train trip to Puno was delayed by 3 days so more time to spend in Cusco which was not a bad thing, although it did require cramming a lot into our last few days. The last day for some of our party saw an early morning trip out to the Reed Islands on Lake Titicaca before driving down to the Bolivian border and on to La Paz. The border crossing and experiences in La Paz caused some concern; however the two of us that were left out of our group soon flew back to the northern town in Peru, Iquitos. A few days on the Amazon calmed the nerves before flying back to Lima to prepare for the trip home and that last trip to the markets to ensure our suitcases were loaded to the baggage limits. One final highlight from the Santiago to Sydney flight was our flight path went that much further south, we had a spectacular view of Antarctica’s icebergs. Totally unexpected, but another experience to cross off the bucket list. Should you get the opportunity to attend any future Alpaca Fiesta, we strongly recommend you make the effort. The contacts we have made, the experiences, the culture, the people and all things Peru will be in our memories forever.
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27/02/14 4:21 pm
THE QUECHUA BENEFIT STORY by Mike Safley
In 1996, world renowned alpaca breeder Don Julio Barreda wondered: “Is there was anything American Alpaca breeders could do to help the poor Quechua children from his hometown of Macusani˝. The answer was yes, and Quechua Benefit was born.
Alpacas are raised at altitudes of between 12,000 and 16,000 feet in the central highlands of Peru. This extreme elevation is the last plateau upon which man can survive. Rosa and her husband live, together with their seven children, occupying a 10’ by 15’ tobacco colored hut constructed of mud bricks. It has no running water, no electricity, no drainage, no toilet and no bath. Smoke from the cook fire hovers at the blackened ceiling of the golden thatched roof, evaporating through the straw into thin air, like mist from a pond. The floor is dirt. On nights when the wind whistles, and the ice on the ground was covered by snow, a basic function, such as going outside to relieve oneself, is not a reasonable alternative. Alpacas connect the supporters of Quechua Benefit to the Quechua people of Peru. These people care for 95% of the alpacas here on earth. I began to work with the Quechua poor at the request of a man who
would became a dear friend: Don Julio Barreda. The Casa Chapi orphanage is dedicated to his memory. He was an alpaca breeder, a simple shepherd at first glance, but he had a wisdom that radiated far beyond alpacas. Our story begins with his simple request; “can you help my people”. The difficulty of the Quechua people’s lives is reflected in the infant mortality figures reported by Jorge A. FloresOchoa in his book Pastoralists of the Andes. “26 percent of the infants born are dead before age one; 37.5 percent are dead before age five; 42 percent of all babies born are dead before they reach age ten.” These dismal facts have not changed over time. Yet the Andean alpaca communities have persisted. Most people could not exist in similar circumstances. Here, everything is altered by the altitude, temperatures reach freezing in bright sunlight. Mountain peaks, when viewed in the thin air and blinding light, seem near enough to touch, but run away forever as you approach. The men
and women who live at these perilous altitudes are constantly challenged. Rosa walks with her shoulders pulled back by the weight of her baby wrapped in the green and red-striped poncho tied at her neck. The everpresent hat, worn in the ancient fashion of her pueblo’s women, marks her birthplace, the same area where she might have 12 children before she dies. Her ruby red bell shaped skirts are layered over handspun, hand-knitted alpaca leggings, worn like a fancy woman’s stockings but giving better protection against the hostile weather. Teams of Doctors, Dentists, surgeons, optometrists and caring alpaca breeders have been returning to Peru ever since that first mission in 1996. In 2013 a mission team visited an area so remote that the patients could not remember ever having any gringos pass through before. A typical team sees about 300 patients a day working from morning to night. They pull teeth, examines babies, and care for pregnant mothers. They hand out worm 37
Mike Safley founded Quechua Benefit in 1996 at the request of Don Julio Barreda who asked “Can you help my people?” The goal of the charity is to connect alpaca breeders from around the world to the very basic needs of the “Criadors” of Peru who live in poverty at subsistence levels in the highlands. Since its beginning Quechua Benefit has provided more than 100,000 people with free medical and dental services, built a children’s village named Casa Chapi and supported social programs in the highlands including disaster relief during deadly cold spells. Watch the video: http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=C0cOJGjdsaU Dr. Rhonda Deschner, Medical Director, examines a patient.
Why We Volunteer medicine, antibiotics, neo natal vitamins and pain medicine. They strive to see everyone but that is often impossible. Don Julio said the need in Peru is like a dripping faucet; “it never stops”. Why do people donate their hard earned money, participate in the medical missions, contribute their skills, and volunteer for a largely forgotten people. It is easy to recite Quechua Benefits accomplishments; 75,000 patients and counting have received free medical and dental treatments, all provided by volunteers; the support of feeding programs that have provided 100’s of 1,000s free meals and; the construction of the Casa Chapi Children’s Village that shelters some of the poorest children on earth.
Quechua Benefit has accomplished a lot, all through the generosity and effort of hundreds of volunteers. All of this explains what and how: but not why. Over time I’ve begun to realize that LOVE is the most likely reason WHY. The range of emotion surrounding any act of charity can range from pity, an inner need to help, or a disciplined desire to give back. We can sacrifice, be faithful, donate to charity, help our friends, and lead upright lives but without love good deeds lose meaning and are often not sustainable. The Benedictine Monks of the Catholic Church believe we should visit the sick, clothe the poor and shelter the oppressed. But this tells us what to do and does not explain why we do it.
“My love for the Peruvian people, the desire to give back to the Quechua, where Alpaca’s originated. I feel a connection to them since I am an Alpaca breeder, as well.” “This is where I’m called to be.” – Dr. Rhonda Deschner “A very young woman who was 38 weeks pregnant, full term is 40 weeks. She had never heard her babies heartbeat; she was very uptight and really scared about what she was about to go through. She had so many questions for us and I think we helped to re-assure her that everything was going to be alright.” – Katie Safley “I loved the trip to the highlands, but it was hair-raising at times. The people up there are so tough, I just admire them so much!” – Dr. Jim Anderson “The highlands was one of the most difficult mission trips that I have been on and our group has been on. We went into place where American’s have never been before; but that is where the greatest needs are. It’s fun to go to places that are easy to get to, and where people are. But, most of those places have medical needs met. To go to these places where no Americans have never been to provide medical care is pretty exciting.
Dr. Rhonda Deschner having fun with one of the many young patients. 38
Dr. Dwight Bailey.
In our last clinic we saw 367 patients and just to see the joy that community had. We had the whole community involved, the schools, all the people of the town and just to see the joy they had that we were there helping them was the most rewarding part of the trip.” – Dr. Dwight Bailey
“The mayor of one of the cities gave a little speech. He was really touched by the fact that people would come from a continent away and give their time and money to help people that their own government had forgotten.” – Dr. Wayne Jarvis “My love of Peru and for the people here. I think it has been said that charitable work is really, selfish and that the people who serve actually get back more than the people they are serving.” – Ursula Munro, RN “I think it’s important that whatever gift God has given us that we give back. If God gave me a gift of practicing medicine, my role is to give that back in some way.”
Ursula Munro, RN, Director of Casa Chapi and Jill MacLeod, QB, Canada, prepare the pharmacy before the daily clinic.
– Dr. Dwight Bailey “It’s the right thing to do.” – Dr. Ed Fannon “The kids. The kids bring you back.” – Mario Garcia “QB is taking aide directly to the people who need it without it being filtered through bureaucracies and a lot of money being spent for nothing. It’s very efficient and they make good use of the volunteers and the doctors. Another thing, donors aren’t giving their money to pay for us to be here. Everyone who comes on these trips, pays their own way, buy their own plane tickets and even pay a mission fee. We don’t stay in luxury hotels by any means. I get more back than I give... It’s gonna make me live longer.” – Richard Miller
Richard Miller translates a patients complaints to one of the attending physicians.
I see the Quechua people as deserving of our charity, not because they are alpaca breeders, although that is what attracted me to them in the first place, but because they deserve to be loved. The English poet, William Blake had this to say about love;
Quechua Benefit believes that volunteers and donors will continue to contribute as long as they feel the LOVE that’s generated by their gifts of time and treasure. We invite you to join with us and help turn love into hope for the Quechua children of Peru.
Love seeketh not itself to please, Nor for itself hath any care, But for another gives its ease And builds a Heaven in Hell’s despair 87% of donations to Quechua Benefit go directly to programs in Peru. We are an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff in the United States. The directors of Quechua Benefit receive no compensation. The charity is grateful for foreign support from Canada, Peru, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and England.
I see the Quechua people as deserving of our charity, not because they are alpaca breeders, although that is what attracted me to them in the first place, but because they deserve to be loved.
Dr. Rhonda Deschner examines a very young patient with the assistance of Mario Garcia, one of our annual U.S. translators.
39
2015
Education with a Destination
Join us for the trip of a lifetime led by four of Quechua Benefit’s alpaca experts: Amanda VandenBosch, Mike Safley, Cheryl Gehly and Jude Anderson. Visit ranches, factories, sorting sheds and cultural sites. Attend educational roundtables, and meet the children of Casa Chapi. All in the company of fellow alpaca breeeders from around the world. It’s an unforgettable experience!
November 4 - November 14, 2015 There is the option to extend your stay in Peru to visit Cusco and Machu Picchu. “For me it was the best trip I have ever done: perfect organization, friendly people, breath taking animals. To see Accoyo with all the animals was very emotional.” —Wolfgang Putzinger Alpacas vom Aspoltsberg, Austria To view a complete Peruvian itinerary and testimonials from last year’s participants, please visit our website at
www.quechuabenefit.org
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LIGHTS… CAMERA…
ACTION! by Lyn Skilling – QTAZ Alpacas, Paeroa
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Our adventure started just a few days before Christmas 2014.
On a sunny December evening a car pulled in to our driveway and four smartly dressed young adults introduced themselves to us and asked if they could take a closer look at our alpacas. They had spied them as they were driving past our front boundary. A walk down the lane-way got the usual oohs and ahhs from our visitors. They asked all the usual questions: • Are they in the camel family? • What is the difference between Llamas and Alpacas? • Do we keep the males separate from the females? We answered their questions and they were definitely interested. We sat in the paddock with the Mums n Bubs and soon their cameras were out and there were lots of smiles. They were smitten. Maybe they would fall in love and purchase half a dozen! Then came the more unusual questions: • Are they hard to wrangle? No – we open the gate, call them and they come running. • Do you ever “take them out?” Yes – some go to shows. • Do you think they would walk into the Café? Aah – yes, I suppose so, if the floor wasn’t too slippery. • What if we put a mat down for them? Oh, OK, yes I guess so. It was then that ‘Claris’ told us that she was a producer working for a film company in Auckland and that they would be shooting a commercial in Thames on 8th, 9th and 10th of January. If we were keen for the alpacas to be in the ad then she would contact us in a couple of days.
Our chance at stardom – of course we were keen! Early in the New Year we received an email from Claris asking if we could have three alpacas on set in Thames at 6.30am on the morning of 8th January. She asked if, instead of halters, would it be possible for them to wear collars?
I explained that collars would not work. She wondered if their Art Department could come up with something to disguise the halters, otherwise the digital techies could work their magic. The commercial would be advertising the new Honda HR-V car that was about to be released in Australia. Hondas and Alpacas???? A strange combination. The 8th of January was a brilliant, hot day. I arrived with Desiree, Sundown and Smooth Operator at 6.30 as instructed. My young neighbour, Leila, came along to help me. I was amazed at the sheer size of the operation. There were literally dozens of people bustling around. There was enormous food truck to cater for the entire crew, actors and extras. The grounds of a local school were converted to accommodate everyone. We were delivered bacon and egg croissants and coffee. Ahh, the life of a movie star. The alpacas were content with their lucerne chaff. A treat for the day. We were asked to have the alpacas ready for action. We waited … and waited … and waited. At about 11.30am we were asked to lead the three alpacas onto the main street of Thames. The road was closed and we knew just where to stand – X marked the spot. As this was part of the ‘dream’ scene there were smoke
The dog wrangler had previously worked with the ‘Lotto’ dog in a series of commercials. He had trained animals for the movie Babe. He was most impressed with Dessy, Sunny and Smoothie. He couldn’t get over how calm and trusting they were. We devised how to keep the alpacas confined outside the café so that when they filmed from inside, it would look like they were walking past the window. With the dog wrangler lying down on the sidewalk our plan worked and the executive producer just loved them. Phew!! Job well done. At 7.30pm I loaded three very tired alpacas into my van and set off home. They were very pleased to get back into the paddock with their mates. I was pleased to lie down on the couch with a cuppa. I was exhausted but it had been a great day. I will add it to the list of amazing things that we have experienced since owning alpacas. PS: About a month after shooting the commercial I received an email from Claris saying that it could be viewed on YouTube but unless one was really looking, you couldn’t see the alpacas! In the very first scene for a split second you can see Smooth Operator’s head moving from right to left outside the café window. The ad is really great, so take a look and see if you can spot our little star. Go to YouTube and type in: Honda HR-V Dreamrun
machines pumping out smoke in all directions. Desiree, Sundown and Smooth Operator were unfazed by their strange surroundings. There was such a lot going on around them, so different from a peaceful day in the paddock. They seemed to be enjoying the experience and certainly got the attention of half of the town. After being waited on hand and foot at lunch a message was delivered to me from the Executive Producer with a request that we stay until around 6.30pm when the light would be ‘just right’ to shoot the café scene. How could I say no? Luckily the house next door had a lawn that was long and tasty looking. A few strings kept my trio perfectly happy munching on clover and watching the frantic bustle of the crew. I sat with them and then got talking to the ‘dog wrangler’. He introduced me to another star of the show, Larva was all the way from Wellington and gorgeous. She is a Japanese Shiba Inu - a breed of dog well known for their intelligence and ‘acting’ ability.
Behind the barricade outside the café, they sure got the attention of half the town.
Photo Top Left: Content to munch on the neighbouring lawn, Desiree, Sundown and Smooth Operator take in all the action during filming. Photo Left: Smooth Operator and Sundown didn’t take their eyes off the ‘star’ of the show – Larva.
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A RURAL VIEW ON
Homeopathy in alpacas
by Toni Charteris
The word Homeopathy comes from the Greek, homeo, meaning similar, and pathos, meaning suffering. Homeopathic philosophy shares some common ground with Indian Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Homeopathy originated in the 18th century when the German physician and chemist Samuel Hahnemann became interested in why the bark of the Peruvian Cinchona tree was effective against Malarial fever. He tried the drug on himself and to his astonishment began to develop symptoms of Malaria even though he did not actually have the disease. He became convinced that the drug which was the best known agent against malarial fever produced in him symptoms of that very fever. On these initial observations he based his theory which can be expressed in the simple concept of “Similia similibus curentur” – Let likes be cured by likes. Today this healing practice is enjoying increasing popularity. It is gentle and non‑intrusive and its effectiveness is beyond question even though the reasons for this have eluded scientific investigations. Homeopathy is used widely today for animals and humans – Homeopathic medicines are highly diluted and come from the plant, mineral and animal kingdoms. Homeopathic remedies can be administered to 44
the individual by way of spray onto the nose or in the mouth, or put in a supplement food. As a whole herd treatment the Homeopathic product can be put into the water supply. We have successfully used Homeopathic treatments on both our family members and our Alpacas with some remarkable results. In fact we have used these treatments with huge success on all manner of stock ( sheep, cattle and goats) during our 30 years of farming. A recent enquiry from an Auckland based Llama owner produced an excellent example of the ability of Homeopathic remedies in Camelids. The story was so compelling that the owners were keen to share this with our readers so following is his own account of the ailment and subsequent treatment. We know that the traditional veterinary world is sceptical of these type of treatments, but rightly or wrongly there is proven value in certain areas and I hope the following owner account may stimulate your interest in some alternative health management options in your Alpaca herd.
Albert
by Graham & Ann Murray Albert was a 10 year old Llama when I first noticed a problem on his right jaw below the eye. Until the evening when we noticed the problem, he had no health issues but was in a paddock with old blackberry vines and he could have put his head through the fence and become caught on them. He has been in this day paddock for years so it probably was unlikely that this may have been the culprit but at the time I could not think of anything else. There is no fencing wire in the paddock that could be an issue so we discounted this. That night I sprayed the wound with Iodine and did this for a few days and left it for about 2 weeks. At this point it was oozing a yellow fluid so we called the vet, she worked the wound and cleaned it out and administered penicillin which we carried on for a few days. Nothing happened and in a few more weeks we had the vet
back again, the same procedure was followed and again nothing improved. The vet suggested she bring the x-ray equipment around and check his jaw looking for a tooth issue. Now this Llama is very docile and I had looked down his mouth and to me it looked OK, so I declined the offer.
This is an oral spray and with Albert being so easy to work with it was not an issue spraying the Ledum into his mouth. The way I did it was use the oral drench gun nozzle and place that in his mouth which he immediately opens and then a simple spray is achieved. This was done for 3 days.
Probably out of frustration I made contact with Toni to seek help and that night we put him on the Ledum.
On consultation with Toni we then went onto Pyrogen for the 6 days. During this process the wound started
to dry up at which time Toni then put Albert onto the Herbal AB. From that point till now which is about 4 months the wound has not leaked and has sealed back up as you can see by the photos. His general health and wellbeing certainly improved as a result of this treatment.
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LYING AROUND
ON THE JOB At 11 months 3 weeks, Fleur was beginning to show signs of birthing. A first time mum 3 years of age, with a good frame and no health issues. We did not have her shorn with the others, to avoid any risk of trauma to her or the cria. At 1.40pm I went out and she was sitting slightly apart with “froglegs” but otherwise no change. When I returned at 4.00 she was obviously in labour. I observed her and she was pushing
with contractions about every couple of minutes and making a grunting sound, but there was very little dilation occurring. After 20 minutes I became concerned and called Totally Vets. Jo-an was not familiar with alpacas, but on examination confirmed that her waters had not broken and that she was not dilating. A call to one of our alpaca vets Craig, suggested observing until there was further progress. As Jo-an packed up to go, the waters came away followed by a nose which showed the cria was alive. Jo-an made several manual attempts to relax the cervix, but said that the cervix and vulva remained tight. Another call was made to Craig, who
by Jenny Phillips – Minffordd Alpacas
said he would be over from Palmerston North. During the 25 minutes it took for him to arrive, absolutely no progress was made on the dilation necessary for the cria to be born, despite the fact that Fleur continued to have strong contractions. An increasing concern was the viability of the cria in such a stressful situation. When Craig arrived, he completed his examination and confirmed that it was the cervix that was not dilating; he then pushed the head back in to get the front legs out. The cria was lined up correctly, but because of the lack of opening, the legs were unable to come out on their own. Once they were out, he pulled the head again, but only the nose was showing, there was not enough room for the forehead to come out. By this time 2 hours had passed since I had come home. Bob had also arrived back from work and was now part of the team. Despite pulling on the legs as Fleur pushed, no further progress was made and everyone was now very concerned for the cria. The options were a caesarean or pulling the cria out which would tear the female, and time was not on our side for a caesarean by now. Craig got one hand behind the cria’s head and the other on the legs and with a strong pull managed to get the cria out. During all of this, 2 vets, Bob and Fleur had been lying on the ground The cria was alive, but her breathing was rapid and very shallow. At this stage, Bob took over the cria, hanging her up and then rubbing her vigorously with a towel, to which she responded, but then seemed to be declining and attention switched to her as she was “smacked’ into awareness. She was then placed at Fleur’s head and immediately there
Jasmine, the next morning, still battered and bloody but alive. 46
was communication which also gave the cria incentive to keep moving. There was a fair amount of tearing to be repaired, so Fleur had to stay where she was, humming to her cria while the vets sutured her up. She was then given 8 mls of Penicillin, 2 mls of an anti-inflammatory and oxytocinon. Her teats were stripped and it was confirmed that there was no issue with her milk supply. Craig said he would return at 9.00 the next morning to check if any further suturing was needed. There was quite a lot of blood and it was now 7.00 at night. Cria and Fleur were moved into the barn with hay, nuts and water, while we went to get a drink and draw breath. Until 12.00 we did regular checks during which time we initially observed a steady drip of fresh blood from Fleur which gradually slowed up, but the placenta was not passed. We managed to get a total of 100 ml of colostrum into Jasmine (the cria) but also saw her latched on and suckling Mum, so were happy to leave them overnight. At 6.00a.m. half the placenta had been passed and the rest was still hanging from Fleur and Jasmine was at the milk bar. I let them out into a small paddock adjoining the barn where Fleur immediately went to try and push the rest of the placenta out which she did within an hour. When Craig and Jo-an arrived, Craig decided some more suturing was needed and once again everyone was on the ground (see photo). Once this was done, the gate was left open for integration with the herd, who had been hanging over the fence to meet the new arrival. Fleur had 7 days of antibiotics and a vet check when Craig decided on 3 more days, as there was still a small amount of pus. She came in every night and had these with no issues. There was complete bonding and once again I was left in awe of these creatures and how motherhood overcomes all else after what must have been an extremely painful process.
Checking and further suturing the next morning.
but never encountered it in alpacas, so he and J0-an had both learnt from this, and we are really grateful for his expertise in saving our female and cria. There is a question around scar tissue and future matings, but for now, we will concentrate on the present,
not remate her this year, and try again next year. Craig said it does not follow that we will have the same issues. A big thank you to Totally Vets, Manawatu for all their help and advice with the alpacas, but especially in this instance.
Cherry lane alpacas
Because alpacas are our passion We love alpacas, and we enjoy sharing our passion for alpacas with others. We have: -breeding stock -lifestyle pets -alpaca fleece -prize winning alpacas -for sale or to view
Many alpaca owners will be aware of the maxim that 95% of births are normal, and it is important to remember that when we hear of the abnormal. In 8 years of having alpacas this is the only really serious birthing problem we have had, but it does show the importance of knowing what you are looking at when alpacas go into labour.
Give us a call, email us or stop in for tea or coffee today. We would be happy to show you around our farm and introduce you to our alpacas and alpaca farming.
Craig said he had seen this problem in cattle (failure of the cervix to dilate)
6 Sunnex road, RD2, Rotorua
Contact us today! Ph Anne: (07) 3323445 email: apbannan@yahoo.co.nz
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See page 12 for more information.
ARE YOU
READY?
THE NEXT HERD SIRE CATALOGUE IS DUE OUT IN AUGUST AS PART OF THE NZ ALPACA MAGAZINE. DO YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR CONTENT READY? NOW'S THE TIME TO GET IT SORTED!
Contact Toni at the AANZ for more info: ph. 03 341 5242 | email. tonisoppet@alpaca.org.nz
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We can provide discounted fibre testing rates. You are paid as the fibre is sold, less the direct costs. We have paid out in excess of $200,000 in the past 4 years to more than 200 breeders. We can arrange pickup or you can ship to our Cromwell location. Contact Teri Edwards at (029) 770 0005 or (03) 445 1609 or email teri@ggocc.com For more information visit:
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CONSISTENT QUALITY ALPACAS by Steve Marshall – Stansbury Alpacas PO Box 195, Inglewood, South Australia 5133 Ph: +61 883 805 965 | Email: steve@stansburyalpacas.com.au www.stansburyalpacas.com.au
Most alpaca breeders have experienced at some stage mating two alpacas to produce an outstanding offspring. Having achieved a good result the first time it seems reasonable to expect the same again. Some breeders have gone as far as to duplicate the combination multiple times through embryo transfer. However due to a random combination of genes the second attempt was disappointing with a less than satisfactory result. Observing inconsistent results from various breeders led me to focus on developing a strain or line of quality alpacas that breed true to type as one of my foundational breeding objectives. At this stage I should make it clear that I am not a geneticist. Nor do have any formal qualifications in animal breeding. I am simply an alpaca breeder with a desire to breed quality alpacas 50
consistently. My interest in linebreeding stemmed from observations of Australian sheep and cattle studs with paddocks full of livestock that looked identical. I couldn’t help but be impressed with the consistency of the livestock they breed. Upon closer inspection I found that each stud breeder had developed a clearly identifiable trait, type or strain within their breed. These breeders developed bloodlines that are respected within their industry and genetics that are sought after by others. My goal was to achieve this for Stansbury Alpacas. My wife Joanne raised the concept of linebreeding presenting me with examples. It wasn’t to long before I was hooked, researching and reading everything I could find on linebreeding. I found information on linebreeding everything from mice to dogs, horses, cattle, sheep, alpacas
Dr Joanne and Steve Marshall established Stansbury Alpacas in 1997. Steve is Principal of a Secondary School and Joanne is a Doctor of Medicine. While not a geneticist or animal scientist, Steve's experience in education has been foundational in research, presenting educational workshops, conference papers and articles published throughout the world. Stansbury Alpacas is located at Inglewood in the Adelaide Hills only 27 km from Adelaide GPO. The herd has reached a maximum of 180 alpacas in 2007 but currently concentrate on a small elite quality herd of approximately 80 alpacas.
and even cheetahs. Examples of inbreeding and linebreeding various animals such as dogs, cattle, goats, sheep and horses are able to provide us with the benefit of years of experience and knowledge that we can apply to alpaca breeding. At this stage it is worth remembering that linebreeding is not an exact science. Total control is not obtainable however predictability may be greatly increased through a scientific approach and a sound breeding plan.
Linebreeding – what is it? By definition linebreeding is a concentration of the genes of a specific ancestor or ancestors through their appearance multiple times in a pedigree. In essence it usually involves choosing a specific target ancestor and selectively breeding so that the target ancestor appears multiple times in a
pedigree. Inbreeding can be similar but involves the breeding of extremely close relatives. Some would argued that linebreeding is inbreeding, but to a lesser extent. However, I think it is important to recognize the difference because some of the problems I will highlight later are clearly associated with inbreeding but not linebreeding. Keeping track of the inbreeding coefficient and maintaining a coefficient of 12.5% or less is a safe and simple way to check that you are linebreeding and not inbreeding. With multiple generations of linebreeding you may approach 20% but it is wise to achieve no more than a 12.5% gain in any one generation.
I do not recommend inbreeding. As you can see the percentage inbreeding coefficient rises very quickly if mating very close relatives and is likely to reveal severe faults with little warning that you are developing an unsustainable line or strain. Keeping track of pedigrees, monitor levels of inbreeding and various traits is extremely important and there is a variety of software available to achieve this. An understanding of Wright’s Inbreeding Coefficient and Galton’s Law of Ancestral Hereditary is also very useful in making decisions about any breeding program.
Examples of linebreeding combinations
The most obvious reason is to develop consistency and uniformity within a herd. By selecting and breeding the best progeny of a specific target ancestor it is possible to set or fix those desired traits and characteristics within a herd. Linebreeding causes an increase in the proportion of like genes and therefore increased uniformity. In fact with linebreeding you are increasing homozygosity for various selected characteristics.
Sire to a granddaughter would achieve a 12.5% inbreeding coefficient. This is particularly useful to breeders that own a stud male of exceptional quality that they wish to use as a target ancestor to fix certain traits in their herd. Son to a granddaughter would achieve a 6.25% inbreeding coefficient. Half brother to half sister would be a 12.5% inbreeding coefficient. These last two examples may be achieved without having access to the target ancestor. Any breeder can identify a particular target ancestor that they don’t necessarily have access to and line breed to it. You can even linebreed to an alpaca that is dead or in another country so long as you have access to a significant number of progeny.
Examples of inbreeding combinations Sire to daughter achieving a 25% inbreeding coefficient. Full brother to full sister would also achieve 25% inbreeding coefficient.
Why linebreed? The advantages
As homozygosity for various traits increases through linebreeding a breeder is able to more accurately and reliably predict what the offspring will look like. A carefully considered breeding plan can be a wise investment on what genetic material is passed on to the next generation. Selective linebreeding can reduce the odds in your favor and assist you in achieving your breeding objectives with more reliability. When a pedigree develops with the target ancestor appearing multiple times, homozygosity for desired traits increase and the phenotype more closely matches the genotype. That is, the physical appearance of the alpaca more closely matches the genetic make up. This is a very important factor that can easily be underestimated. Environment
Stansbury's Alexander
can play a huge part in the physical appearance that is the phenotype, of an alpaca. I have heard of figures estimating up to 60 or 70% being environmental influence. It’s a little scary to consider investing a lot of money on a particular alpaca based on its appearance alone. Does it have the genetic background have the consistency to back up its appearance? Was it a biological fluke due to a random combination of genes that can’t be repeated? If used as a stud male will it pass on the desired visible traits or is it a Pandora’s Box with the genetic diversity to produce virtually anything? A carefully planed linebreeding program can stack the odds in your favor with alpacas that have a physical appearance more closely matching their genetic make up or genotype. If it isn’t enough to have alpacas that look like they are meant to according to their pedigree, then consider prepotency. Some stud males of exceptional quality are prepotent for their exhibited, desired traits such as fleece type and quality,
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while others are not. If prepotent they are likely to pass on the desired characteristics to their progeny. Having a look at the show results for the progeny of a particular stud male can provide you with some trends. However, this can easily provide a distorted picture due to differing levels of show participation by various breeders. Prepotency for desired traits is an important selection criteria when considering any stud male. As a linebreeding program progresses and the target ancestor appears multiple times in a pedigree an alpaca is more likely to carry genes for selected traits in a homozygous form. That is pairs of genes that are the same for selected traits. Through linebreeding we have the ability to reduce the variety of genes, therefore increasing an alpaca’s prepotency for selected traits. This is one of the factors that really swayed me towards linebreeding. Linebreeding has provided me with the ability to produce alpacas that are more likely to exhibit and pass on the characteristics that are important to my breeding goals. Increasing prepotency for selected, desired traits will give a breeder the ability and confidence to more accurately and reliably predict the phenotype, physical appearance of future generations.
Inbreeding problems and disadvantages The gains of consistency and uniformity within a herd due to linebreeding are because of a reduction in the variety of genes. As the variation within the gene pool of a herd becomes smaller, hybrid vigor is reduced and therefore a corresponding increase of inbreeding depression occurs. A carefully planned linebreeding program can to a large extent avoid the effects of inbreeding depression through wise selection. However, mating of extremely close relatives, that is inbreeding, will lead to inbreeding depression and reduce hybrid vigor within a few generations. Inbreeding depression is linked to reduced resistance to disease and infection, lack of fertility, increased mortality rates and the appearance of genetic faults. Outcrossing is a very simple method of increasing hybrid vigor and maintaining robust, healthy alpacas which I will discuss a little later. An alpaca carries 37 chromosome pairs inheriting 37 from the dam and 37 from the sire. If the two genes an alpaca carries for a particular trait or fault on a chromosome pair are the same it is said to be homozygous for that trait or fault and will pass on this genetic information to its progeny. Defective 52
genes responsible for the appearance of genetic faults are usually recessive and masked by a dominant counterpart. The practice of linebreeding does not create defective genes responsible for a particular fault any more than mating two highly unrelated alpacas. Linebreeding and inbreeding does increase the likelihood that recessive genes responsible for a particular fault will be uncovered due to increased homozygosity and the reduction of gene combinations. If both parents pass on a recessive gene for a defect then the offspring will exhibit the defect. Most alpaca breeders in Australia are continually outcrossing, mating as far as possible unrelated alpacas. This practice will generally mask or hide faulty, defective genes allowing them to be propagated in the carrier state and spread widely among the Australian Alpaca population. While I am sure no one wants to breed alpacas with genetic faults, inbreeding and to a certain degree linebreeding will allow a breeder do identify alpacas and bloodlines that carry recessive defective genes and eliminate them from a breeding program. The ultimate goal would be to have developed a line or strain that is genetically sound, free from recessive defective genes that cause faults. Current DNA research in alpaca genome mapping has huge potential and could be very valuable step forward in identifying alpacas that carry genes responsible for faults before they are using in a breeding program.
Selection and culling Selection has a major role to play in any breeding program and has great influence in future generations. It is usually not appropriate to choose a stud male for instance based on a superb fleece or fantastic conformation or a good looking head, in isolation to other traits. It is easy to be influenced by the success of currents fads, but to achieve uniformity within a herd a breeder must stick to breeding objectives and stringent selection criteria. Culling works hand
in hand with selection in a breeding program and is equally important. Culling may be achieved through, not breeding from particular alpacas, using females that exhibit undesirable traits as recipients for embryo transfer recipients, castrating males that do not match breeding objectives, etc, etc. A breeder that is willing to remove animals from a breeding program that do not match the breeding objective will achieve whole herd genetic gain quickly.
Outcrossing If a breeder is not happy with the alpaca they have produced outcrossing is frequently used to bring in different genes and reduce homozygosity. By breeding to an unrelated line new genes and new traits are immediately brought into the mix. The new genes can also increase hybrid vigor and address any areas affected by inbreeding depression in one generation. There are different ways to outcross. However, if your goal is to maintain consistency and uniformity it is a good idea to outcross to an unrelated line that has some degree of linebreeding while also exhibiting the traits you desire. Uniformity within a herd can still be maintained when crossing two lines that have some degree of linebreeding, however, these uniform alpacas are unlikely to produce uniform and consistent progeny. Therefore it is important to either continue breeding back to the original line or continue with the new line to maintain uniformity and consistency in future generations.
The future I expect soon an alpaca with several generations of linebreeding will be worth considerably more than one that has a good phenotype achieved through outcrossing. This is due to the higher level of prepotency, that is, the likelihood of passing on visible traits and years invested in planned linebreeding. Linebreeding is a slow process and requires the breeder to have very clear goals and selection criteria for success.
BAFINZ BEST ALPACA FLEECES IN NEW ZEALAND
THE AANZ IS LAUNCHING A REVAMPED NATIONAL FLEECE COMPETITION BAFINZ is designed to recognise and celebrate the quality of New Zealand’s alpaca fleeces across the full range of colours.
FREE TO ENTER The Best Alpaca Fleeces in New Zealand Best Best Best Best Best Best Best
White Huacaya Fleece Light Fawn Huacaya Fleece Mid/Dark Fawn Huacaya Fleece Brown Huacaya Fleece Grey/Roan Huacaya Fleece Black Huacaya Fleece Fancy Huacaya Fleece
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White Suri Fleece Light Fawn Suri Fleece Mid/Dark Fawn Suri Fleece Brown Suri Fleece Grey/Roan Suri Fleece Black Suri Fleece Fancy Suri Fleece
BAFINZ provides a stage for fleeces to compete against each other from around the country and allows breeders to support smaller fleece shows whilst still competing for higher accolades. There are 14 awards to be won – 7 awards for Huacaya and 7 awards for Suri. Take advantage of this opportunity to advertise your alpaca as one of New Zealand’s best coloured fleeces with an award that showcases your breeding achievements. Simply enter one fleece in at least three shows in the same colour class. At the end of the show season, make a copy of the three best score sheets from the fleece you want to enter and submit them by email or post to the BAFINZ convenor. The points from the three score sheets will be totalled and the fleece with the highest overall points in its colour and breed will win. There will be an awards presentation at the 2015 AGM to announce the winners. Shows between 1st August 2014 and 30th April 2015 are eligible to enter BAFINZ. For more details visit: www.alpaca.org.nz/events/bafinz 53
Our featured breeders were drawn from the pool of advertisers from the previous magazine. If you would like a chance to have your profile featured in the Alpaca magazine, make sure you advertise in the next issue of New Zealand Alpaca.
ADVERTISING BREEDER
PROFILE Nic Cooper & Linda Blake
Alpaca Seller – Southern Alpacas Stud
Alpaca Seller’s New Zealand franchisee – Southern Alpacas Stud – has been in the industry right from the start, and is still going strong. Owners Nic Cooper and Linda Blake put that down to concentrating on proven genetics in breeding and constantly re-inventing the business model to take advantage of new opportunities.
Nic and Linda with (5kg) Inca Herald (first of the NZ Cheruvians).
Alpaca Seller is a website for alpaca sales and stud services and it is a great place to get world-wide exposure for your alpaca sales. It is a UK based business, internationally franchised, with the NZ franchise being held by Southern Alpacas Stud, also an international alpaca business. Southern Alpacas Stud bought their first alpacas from the first ever commercial auction in 1989. To be successful over 26 years means treating alpacas as a business, and having to change and re-invent your business constantly. Southern Alpacas has striven to be at the forefront of change in the industry. From a small initial herd Nic Cooper and Linda Blake of Southern Alpacas began actively marketing wether pets in the mid 1990s. As the industry grew we sold 54
Brutus with just a few of his and his progeny ribbons.
females as breeding animals and then developed stud services and stud sales. Southern Alpacas recognised the need to benchmark against the rest of the alpaca developing world - and travelling to do that led to import opportunities, pioneering high quality imports of proven genetics of other countries. Firstly a group of "Cheruvian" males ex Australia (1999), and then a major purchase from USA that included ILR Alpine Fiber's Brutus (2001) - who has gone on to be, without doubt, New Zealand's most successful stud male. We remember the disbelief amongst some NZ breeders that one imported male was shearing 5kg annually. These days many top males will shear that weight and at a low micron.
As an industry develops it needs structures and support. Nic was President of the Association (1996 - 1999) and he led the introduction of the Registry to NZ and the controversial start of the voluntary Tb Scheme. Later involvement with Breed Standards helped strengthen the quality of alpacas in NZ. In 2006 Southern developed an on-farm quarantine for exporting. We’ve exported over 500 alpacas to UK, many European countries, Scandinavia and Asia. We’ve also exported a number of llamas! The export side of our business now provides a majority of the revenue stream and more of Nic’s time is spent overseas. Nic and Linda have always shared their knowledge. Our website has a plethora of educational articles, many published in lifestyle and farming
German breeders getting hands on at a neo natal course.
magazines as well as alpaca magazines in NZ, UK, Germany, and France. Nic was keynote speaker at the World Alpaca Congress in Madrid (Spain). Southern brought the first neo natal course to NZ (1997) and went on to run neo natal courses, first within NZ and more recently throughout Europe. We expected the bloodstock/investment phase of the industry would eventually run out of steam, but it has taken a lot longer that we thought - especially with the opening of European markets and initiatives to sell worldwide through the likes of AlpacaSeller. But there has always been a limit to how many alpacas that breeders can sell to people who want to breed to on-sell to people. Or how many people will want to buy alpacas to show them. The real worth of the alpaca lies in the fibre and other end products, but the fibre (commercial) phase has been slow in development. That bulk alpaca fibre
The new French farm (“alpagas du sud”).
sells today at prices no better than sheep wool - and nowhere near the premium price of its natural equivalent - cashmere - says something about the lack of concentration on fibre awareness and quality programmes by many of the industry associations around the world. Like some other individual breeders, Southern has developed high end fibre and product lines. But individuals alone cannot drive the overall market perception placement that needs to be in place to create a successful premium market. Since 2010 Nic’s entirely different business project of designing, building and operating a boutique hotel in China has created opportunity in the Chinese business community that is now generating business back into the alpaca operation, both animal and fibre. A major Chinese client has purchased a large shipment of alpacas (export but not to China). In addition Southern
is negotiating over a freighter load of (600) alpacas to China – but regrettably these are being sourced from Australia, as the NZ protocol is not ready. In recognition of growing importance of our European client base, the latest strategic development has been purchasing and establishing a European base farm in France. The first group of our alpacas to stock that farm will be winging their way to the South of France in April. In conclusion alpacas have been a good business for us for 26 years. Constant re-invention of this business has kept Southern Alpacas profitable, at home and internationally. We look forward to the future, specifically (and hopefully) development of commercial fibre and product, leading to alpaca taking its rightful place next to cashmere, truly as "fibre of the gods".
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Each issue AANZ profiles a new member, taken from a draw from the ranks of those who have joined the Association since the last magazine. This issue we feature Janine Cochrand & Allan Cumming of North Dunedin.
NEW MEMBER
PROFILE
Janine Cochrand & Allan Cumming Swooping Pidgeon Alpaca
Janine and Allan had owned their land north of Dunedin for a number of years before they decided to return to the hilly 50 acre lot looking down to Blue Skin Bay and build a house.
The land is partly in native bush, planted blue gums and pine trees. With around 5 hectares of sloping rugged pasture to manage, they were looking for animals that didn't need to be eaten (or killed), were easy to manage, friendly to their then 8 year old son (Sebastian) and most importantly, didn't challenge fences. Alpaca were perfect, especially when Janine was educated by an enthusiastic Noelle Bennett from Munlochy Alpacas who waxed lyrical about the attributes of these intelligent gentle creatures. After much consideration and anxiety, 4 alpaca were bought with the view to breeding fawn and white alpaca. 2014 saw their first shearing, hand washing, carding, spinning, dying and 56
knitting of their own wool. It was an excellent year for experimenting with many aspects of the wool. They also purchased a half share sire from Otaio Bridge Alpaca and mated their 4 dams. 2014 was a year for researching many aspects of alpaca care in between full time jobs, awaiting the arrival of cria and attending the National show in Christchurch and local A&P shows. Sadly their first cria died as did the dam 10 days later. This followed a large prolapse, multiple vet visits, consulting with experienced breeders and agonized decision making. It was a tragic end for their maiden alpaca (who had their finest fleece). They did however have 3 healthy
cria (2 female and 1 male) who are light and medium fawn in colour. 2015 brings more learning about handling the alpaca with the hope they will have as many halter trained animals as they can. Their experience with managing a sick dam meant that they had quick lessons in getting upclose and personal with their animals and now feel that time spent halter training is probably a good investment. Janine, Allan and Sebastian are not sure how many alpaca their land (or they) can sustain but they definitely have theirs eyes on breeding for fine fleece and friendly natures. From small beginnings‌
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• Winners of the World’s First Alpaca Shearing Competition • World Class independent Alpaca shearers setting the standard and leading in every aspect of the Alpaca Shearing Industry • Introducing new technology in handling & safety of your Alpacas • 9 Cut Free style alpaca shearing, including show shearing and show blankets • Mobile shearing specialising in large and small herds • Shed management
Enquiries to: Mike Banks M: 021 256 2839 E: shearpac@hotmail.com