Dear Members,
The end of another quarterly edition of the Alpaca Advocate. Thankyou to all who have submitted articles, photos and advertised in this our summer edition.
The Alpaca Advocate is an educational read for new breeders. Support our newsletter by encouraging subscription of the magazine when talking to new breeders
Contributed by Fred Alley Jacanda Alpaca Stud
Sometimes breeders overlook the simple things in life, so wound up in the blood lines, pedigrees, fleece styles and show results that they can overlook the basics. 75-90% of all animal health problems come from nutritional deficiencies or excesses.
We use TNN Australia Mighty Min mineral supplements with A, D and E plus Selenium to help eliminate these problems by eliminating nutritional deficiencies and help make the digestive system function more efficiently, improving the general health and wellbeing of the animals. TNN Australia Mighty Min is supplied in chelated form so that the animals are able to benefit from all the nutrients without lock out.
Why are minerals necessary for good health ?
- ZINC -
Zinc is an important mineral for fertility and growth of young livestock.
Deficiency symptoms include: Poor fertility, slow cycling, poor weight gain in young livestock.
- SELENIUM -
Selenium deficiency is one of the main causes of what stockmen call “White Muscle Disease”.
Deficiency symptoms include: Un-thriftness, pale skin, weight loss in all stock, drastic decrease in kidding percentages.
- CALCIUMis required for skeletal strength, and is important for milk production
Deficiency symptoms include: Milk fever, Tentany (Hypocalcaemia)
- COBALT -
Cobalt is required in ruminants for the manufacture of Vitamin B12
Deficiency symptoms include: Cobalt deficiency can be observed by weight loss, lack of vitality, extremely pale skin in goats, rough coat, increased number of “poor doers”.
- COPPER -
Copper is one of the main promoters of production for weight gain, strength, fleece growth & quality, reproduction, skeletal strength.
Deficiency symptoms include: scouring, pale skin, infertility, rough coat, losing condition, loss of natural colour in coat, eg: Black coat will show a rusty appearance, red coat will show a yellow appearance, scouring and reduced growth weight.
-
Manganese is very important for fertility and reproduction.
Deficiency symptoms include: The first signs of deficiency is abnormalities in young kids, also in decreased conception rates.
- IODINE -
Iodine directly affects thyroid gland secretions which to a great extent control heart action, nerve response, rate of body growth and metabolism.
Deficiency symptoms include: Premature and still born kids.
- LIQUID KELP -
Gives an immediate response and adds extra natural trace element minerals for the benefit of the animal.
- SULPHUR -
Aids in helping deter biting insects such as ticks.
Deficiency can cause alopecia, poor weight gain, lacrimation, dullness, weakness and death.
- VITAMIN A –
Required for normal maintenance of cells which form protective linings on many body organs, such as gastrointestinal, respiratory uogenital tracts, and also essential for reproduction, bone development, and vision.
Deficiency symptoms include: stunted growth, loss of appetite, night blindness, nervous disorders and reproductive dysfunctions.
- VITAMIN D –
Facilitates absorption of calcium, and the clearance of phosphate in the kidney. Permits the faster and efficient absorption of minerals such as zinc, iron, cobalt and magnesium.
Deficiency symptoms include: rickets in young animals and osteomalacia (softening of the bones) and osteoporosis (loss of bony tissue in bones that are brittle and liable to fracture) in mature animals.
- VITAMIN E –
Acts as an antioxidant. Protects the cellular structures from oxidation. Safeguards the loss of poly-unsaturated fatty acids in the tissues of the body. Enhances the synthesis of Vitamin C. Involved in the sulphur amino acid metabolism.
Deficiency symptoms include: effects the normal function of muscle tissues (both skeletal and heart muscles), skeletal muscle tissue degeneration “stiff lamb disease” in sheep, “white muscle disease muscle tissue degeneration “stiff lamb disease” in calves, selenium can prevent the manifestation of Vitamin E deficiency.
At Jacanda Alpacas we started using this product over two years ago when we lived closer to the coast. We have seen a remarkable improvement in our animals health and wellbeing since then with our crias arriving strong and robust .
Mighty Min can be administered as a drench, on their feed or in their water and the recommended rate is 10mls per head per week which works out an annual cost of $2.50. This is the most cost effective method of animal nutrition we have found and we don’t have to give those nasty needles any more.
We are happy to share our experience and answer further questions .
Fred and Jacquie Alley
Heat stress occurs when an animal’s thermoregulation mechanisms fail to keep the bodies temperature within acceptable levels. Average body temperature for an alpaca is around 37-39°C, they will cope with short term heat (a hot afternoon for example) reasonably well but prolonged hot and/or humid days and warm nights can cause serious problems. What you can do:
✅ Shearing - ensure your herd are shorn before the onset of hot weather
✅ Shade and shelter - use paddocks with good natural shelter ie trees, or provide undercover access that is well ventilated
✅ Water - provide access to fresh clean drinking water. If you don’t have reticulated water make sure buckets cannot be tipped over and check them regularly
✅ Feeding - grazing may be more comfortable overnight, and if you are hand feeding consider doing this in the early morning or evening when it is cooler
✅ Cooling - The belly, legs, armpits & under their tail are the areas most effective for cooling as they are relatively free from fleece, the skin is thin & sweat glands are most accessible. Providing a way for your alpacas to cool off on demand is very useful. Cooling options include a dam (but be mindful of the risk of snakes or fleece rot from too much water), a kiddie wading pool and sprinklers - even simply wetting the ground can give the animals a chance to wet their bellies and cool down.
Adding electrolytes such as Vitrate or Lectade to drinking water can help and these are good to keep on handcheck the label for instructions on mixing.
NOTE! Updated Show Rules availableon AAA Web site.
The Regional Education Officer is responsible for arranging regular education and training activities to assist members in developing their alpaca care and husbandry skills, and in developing and conducting activities to encourage new people totheindustry.
Duties
Develop an understanding of alpaca industry training needs and opportunities through liaison with AAA and industry leaders. Develop, and present to the Committee for adoption, an Education Program (including budget) based on needs and opportunities. Once Education Program is adopted, ensure members remain informed on all activities.
Provide the Newsletter Editor with regular articles on care and husbandry and well as details of the education activities of the region.
Organise specific regional training events, including cost, venues, times, travel, and registration details.
Policies:
1. To encourage maximum membership participation, educational events are not to be used as revenue making events. These events are to be made available to members free of charge whenever practical. Where any charge is involved it will be calculated at ‘break-even’ cost.
Regional Animal Health Representative – Roles and Responsibilities
Role One: To act as a conduit between the Region and the AAA Ltd AHH&W Committee on regional animal health issues and working with AHH&W in meeting the needs of Region members in
relation to animal health.
Responsibilities: The Representative is the initial point of contact for a member who has a health concern in relation to an alpaca. So far as is practicable, the representative may resolve the concern or refer it to the AHH&W Committee.
Role Two: To provide a report three times per year (December, April, August) to the AHH&W Committee via AAA Ltd office on animal health activities and areas of concern within the Region. Responsibilities: The Representative is to consolidate enquiries from regional members, on the form provided, stating action taken where appropriate and submit this form through their Regional Committee to the AHH&W Committee
Role Three: To liaise with local animal welfare agencies in relation to cases of alpaca neglect or abandonment.
Responsibilities: The Representative is to make themselves known and hold the contact details of local animal welfare agencies (RSPCA, Rangers etc,) Also, the Representative may provide advice or assistance to the agency on an ‘as required’ basis.
Role Four: Should a significant disease/condition occur within the Region, the Representative is to advise the Regional President, AAA Ltd office and AHH&W Committee as a matter of priority.
Role Five: The Representative must be familiar with the statutory requirements for reporting of Emergency Animal Disease (EAD). Information may be found at the following website of Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry.
http://www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/pests-diseasesweeds/animal/notifiable
Responsibility: The Regional Representative must not be considered to be providing professional Veterinarian advice.
There are many factors that can generate stress, related to the transport process, handling, loading, unloading, and removal from familiar surroundings are a few. Others are confinement, constant vibration, and the inhalation of exhaust and urine fumes. The stress combined with limited water intake can compromise the alpaca's immune system, exposing your animals to added health risks. For this reason, it is necessary to minimize the number and severity of the trips.
Carefully consider time of year, places to stop with animals, car tune up, and assure that your trailer is in safe and serviceable condition. Careful planning is the key.
Keep in mind, these animals are herd oriented and find solace in each others company.
For bedding, a thick mattress of good quality clean hay without seeds or other contaminants makes it comfortable for the animals and easy for you to pick their fleece out once you've arrived at your destination.
Hydration: the day before the trip make sure they've had all the water they want. . While you're moving they won't be drinking as they travel in the cush position. Be sure to stop at least every two hours and offer buckets of their home water. Keep in mind that these rest stops are also necessary for the animals to relieve themselves. If you're transporting a nursing cria, you'll want to give the mum all the time she needs to feed her baby. Check with your vet to decide how often you must stop. Take a moment to assess the temperature and air freshness inside your trailer, and open and close doors, windows, or vents accordingly.
Leave the halters on and snug in case of an emergency exit or to easily clip onto leads to unload. The less stress the better.
In a meadow lush with green, an alpaca sits serene. With a book upon its knee, Lost in tales of mystery.
Fluffy ears that twitch in time, to the rhythm of each line. Golden fleece in sunlight beams, weaving through the alpaca’s dreams.
Pages turn with gentle care, as adventures fill the air.
From distant lands to starry skies, through the alpaca’s eager eyes.
A bookmark shaped like a worm, keeps its place with every turn. I
n the world of ink and quill, time for the alpaca stands still.
When the final page is read, and the alpaca’s eyes are fed, It closes the book with a sigh, dreaming of stories that lift it high.
So, in the meadow, calm and bright, the alpaca reads until the night, for in those pages, it does find, a world of wonders for the mind.
In the heart of the outback, where the sun sets low, an alpaca reads tales where the gum trees grow. With pages that whisper of lands afar, under the twinkling light of the Southern Cross star.
The story begins with a kangaroo's leap, through vast deserts and forests so deep. A journey through Dreamtime's ancient lore, the alpaca reads on, eager for more.
With each turn of the page, new wonders unfold, of koalas and cockatoos, their stories untold. The Great Barrier Reef, with colours so bright, an underwater world that sparkles with light.
The alpaca imagines the bushland and breeze, rustling softly through the tall eucalyptus trees. Adventures of bushrangers and outback's vast space, the tale of Australia, a land full of grace.
In the glow of the campfire, as embers dance high, the alpaca's eyes twinkle like stars in the sky. For in these stories, both old and new, the spirit of Australia comes shining through.
When the last page is turned and the book is closed tight, the alpaca dreams sweetly through the outback night. For tomorrow holds more tales, both grand and small, In the land of Australia, where magic touches all.
Malakai Lassie gave birth to a healthy BEW female cria. She is most certainly deaf and almost got into a spot of bother when she decided to fall asleep in the path of the tractor. Much controversy and misinformation revolves around discussion and use of blue-eyed white alpacas (BEWs) in breeding programs. Blue-eyed white alpacas are all-white alpacas, with blue eyes, which are often (but not always) deaf.
In understanding BEWs a little background in genetics is necessary. A phenotype is the physical expression or appearance of a gene. The genetic code for the phenotype is called the genotype. Alleles are variant forms of a gene. The white-spot gene has many variants (alleles). Allele variants include a white spot anywhere on the animal, face, tuxedo, white legs, pinto, etc. Half* the offspring from grey (white spot) and solid colour breeding will be half grey coloured and half will be solid coloured. From two grey parents, some offspring will receive two copies of dominant alleles (grey –white spot) which will have blue eyed white phenotypes. Cria will be 25% BEW, 50% grey (or variant with white face) and 25% solid colour*.
Some all-white animals have white spots on them, but you cannot see white markings on a white animal. Also, one version of the white spot gene is an all-white animal (think of it as a white spot that covers the whole body). So, it is possible to get BEWs from all-white’s bred to white spot or grey animals. Also, it is possible that an animal has a tiny white marking that you cannot see, or easily see. BEW’s
‘should’ always contribute a white-spot allele or roaning / graying allele to a breeding.
Therefore, if you breed a BEW to a non-white, solid animal, you should not get a BEW cria from the breeding, but all cria are likely to have white-spot or grey/roan markings. BEWs themselves should not produce more BEWs unless they are bred to BEW or roan/grey animals or other whitespot allele animals.
To eliminate BEWs from the gene pool completely we would have to eliminate all grey, white-spotted and patterned animals. So, we will most likely retain this cria for our own breeding program.
Alpacas love water and I was not surprised to read Charles Ledger’s observations of his alpaca herd during their marathon exodus from Peru and Bolivia. (The life of Charles Ledger: G Gramiccia) Ledger reported that after arriving at water, having crossed the Atacama Desert with only minimal water for 22 days, the animals “showed a greater inclination to bathe in it rather than drink it.
There is a wonderful legend linking alpacas and their fascination with water. This version was published in ‘Gold of the Andes” Volume 11.
According to both the Aymara and Quechua speaking people of Peru and Bolivia, long ago the world was actually made up of two, superimposed worlds, the upper and the lower. The lower world was populated with enormous flocks of plump, sleek alpacas that belonged to the apu, or mountain god, and were tended to by his daughter. The alpacas of the upper world were far fewer in number and were inferior in quality with only a short fleece. Because the apu’s daughter had difficulty in protecting her alpacas from the region’s numerous predators, her father arranged for her to marry a young herdsman from the upper world who could help her tend the flocks. For a while, the apu’s daughter and her husband lived contentedly in the inner world. Later, however, the young herdsman grew homesick and told his wife that he wished to return to his own world, and to enrich it with the inner world's flocks. The mountain god’s daughter agreed and collecting her alpacas began travelling via the springs and lakes to live with her husband in the upper world. Her father’s only condition to the marriage was that his daughter’s husband took good care of the flocks and especially a tiny alpaca that always had to be carried. The daughter’s husband proved to be lazy, however, and one day dropped the tiny alpaca on the ground, leaving it to fend for itself. When his wife saw this she took fright and immediately ran to the nearest spring, where she dived in and began swimming towards the inner world. The alpacas followed her, although a few
were prevented from doing so by the herdsman. Ever since then, the alpacas of the upper world have remained near springs and lakes where they continue to yearn after their mistress, who has yet to return.
As well as the obvious enjoyment of the alpacas, water access is an excellent prevention of heat stress. At Starwood Alpaca Farm the alpacas are permitted water access as part of our management program, the benefits outweighing the loss of leg and belly fleece. (unfortunately the consequence does restrict our choice of show exhibits)
When providing alpacas with water access consider the following safety aspects-
Drowning: Alpacas should be shorn prior to their initial introduction to water sites. Shearing in spring ensures minimal fleece length during swimming season as wet fleece is heavy. Be warned that the swimming season may extend to a year long habit.
Access to water site: Access to dams/river banks must not be steep, slippery or boggy and there should be plenty of room for multiple entry-exit sites to prevent a dominant animal standing guard over his/her private pool.
Don’t forget drinking water: Swimming is not the only thing done in the water, so an alternative supply of clean drinking water will be necessary.
Wendy Summerell
This article was kindly supplied by Wendy from Starwood Alpacas reproduced from previous Alpaca Advocate Editions the editor requested a re-run considering our changed weather conditions besides, a lovely article. THANK YOU, Wendy.
Many Alpaca Breeders and VETs have been commented on the amount of current tick activity.
Ticks are arthropods belonging to the class Arachnida together with spiders and scorpions. There are two families of ticks, hard and soft. All ticks are parasites that suck blood from vertebrates, like birds, reptiles and mammals, including humans.
The hard ticks Ixodes, is the most common tick in the tempered parts of the world. The infection is transmitted from the host‘s blood to the tick, but can also be transmitted between male and female ticks and the different stages of tick development.
During its life cycle, the tick undergoes different stages of development. After hatching from the egg, the larvae further molts to a nymph and finally ends as adult. During each stage the tick needs to get nutrition from blood.
There are approximately 880 species of ticks spread over the tempered zones of the world. Ticks have been on earth for as many as 250 million years. They like warm areas with high humidity. Usually they sit on stalk of grass waving its claw supplied front legs in search for a passing host.
The most common tick (Ixodes.ricinus) has no eyes instead it uses its sensory organs to detect an approaching victim.
Michelle Malt (Big Sky Alpacas) recommends the use of this Tick removal product.
The Trix Tick Remover works as a lasso. It is very easy to use on pets as well as children, who are sometimes difficult to hold still. The length of the remover makes it easy to use in ears, thick fur and other difficult places. The tick ends up stuck at the tip of the remover for convenient disposal. The loop is made of a carbon fibre which has a pull strength of more than 11kgs. The loop is big enough to take care of most tick species.
For more information www.tickremover.com
A rotational grazing system can improve pasture production, utilisation and persistence. Moving stock around a small number of paddocks, grazing each for a fixed time, is an easy way to get started. This simple approach can be introduced to trial the system and build confidence.
To start a simple 4-paddock rotation: Combine animals from 4 paddocks into one herd, or subdivide a single paddock into 4 smaller paddocks with temporary electric fences
Rotate stock around the 4 paddocks in a general program of 2-week grazing and 6-week rest
Managers of native pastures have successfully used 2-paddock rotations (4 week graze; 4-week rest) and four-paddock rotation (4 week graze; 12 week rest)
The rotation may be sped up (1 week graze, 3 week rest), after the autumn break to reduce the grazing pressure on new pasture growth, allowing it to bulk-up. The rotation can then be progressively increased to a 2-week grazing as more feed becomes available
Stock may need to be moved weekly in spring (1 week graze; 3 week rest) to keep pastures in the growth phase for as long as possible. One paddock can be shut out of the rotation for silage, to enable feed growth in the other 3 paddocks to be managed more efficiently
After a trial period, modifications can be made to the system.
Lantana is a perennial, summer-growing, erect or scrambling shrub, growing up to four metres high and often forming dense thickets. Flesh of the plant produces a strong, aromatic odour when crushed. The plant is a member of the Verbenaceae (verbena) family. Lantana is characterised by square-shaped stems with short, curved and hooked prickles.
All forms of lantana are thought to be toxic, with the red-flowered forms being the most dangerous to stock.
Lantana poisoning in cattle is quite common. Most cases of poisoning occur in animals newly introduced into areas where toxic forms of lantana are already growing. Older cattle that are used to grazing lantana-infested areas are not as susceptible. During droughts or when other feed is scarce, stock are also more likely to graze lantana.
Early symptoms of lantana poisoning include depression, loss of appetite, constipation and frequent urination, followed by 24–48 hours of jaundice. The eyes of poisoned animals can also become inflamed with a slight discharge. The muzzle may become inflamed, moist, and very sensitive, with a pink nose. Photosensitisation usually follows with death typically occurring 1–4 weeks after the appearance of symptoms.
This slow and painful death is due mainly to liver insufficiency, kidney failure and, in some animals, myocardial damage and internal paralysis.
Goats, sheep, horses and cattle are susceptible to this noxious weed.
Tagasaste hedges are great windbreaks and provide good green feed winter or summer minimizing your outlay for green feed. Grows well in the cooler climates—doesn't like wet feet!
Alternative for coastal properties - Pigeon Pea. – legume which grows well in rows and can form hedges. Produces seeds which can easily be sown for new plants.
Send in your favourite Alpaca photos
A ruminant has multiple specialized "stomachs" which allow the animal to digest fibrous materials. The one of special interest is the rumen which is quite large and is where bacterial digestion occurs to break down material that would otherwise be indigestible. So you need to think of ruminant digestion as a bacterial digestion factory instead of like us humans (digest chemically, with only a little help from beneficial bacteria). What this means is, it is possible to mess up the bacteria in the alpaca's gut and rumen and they will starve to death with a full stomach. How would this occur? You could overadminister antibiotics. Your vet will tell you how to administer antibiotics. If you think a little more might be better, you might wipe out the gut bacteria along with the bad ones that you wanted to kill. There are other ways, but normally, you will never encounter this problem. The rumen is designed to house and take care of its bacteria population.
Changing pastures
With many ruminants, moving onto fresh pasture is the beginning of runny stools. The bacteria get a sudden slug of different feed with a different moisture content, and they can't digest it very well. Typically, after a few days, a slightly different population of bacteria that is better suited for the food coming in will develop and the diarrhoea will go away. Alpacas are not nearly as sensitive to this as are sheep and cattle. This is a good thing.
...it is a good practice not to shock their system with changes in feed.
Avoid sudden changes
Though alpacas are not as sensitive to feed changes as other ruminants, it is a good practice not to shock their system with changes in feed. When moving from dry lot to fresh pasture, make sure they have a ready source of the hay they are used to. They will naturally eat some hay as well as the fresh pasture and give their rumen and bacteria time to adjust.
Analyzing digestion problems
The most important steps you can take to make sure everything is going well are the ones made in your pastures. Check the poop piles. Yes, your neighbours and friends will think you're crazy. Do it anyway.
WISE - The Watkins Index of Stool Efficiency
Yes, I manipulated the title to make a cute acronym. What I'm doing is assigning a number to each stool type to make it less difficult to describe. We're going to go from a 10 (which is individual beans) to a 1 (which is as fluid as milk). Also, by way of comparison, I'm going to use food to describe each one. You may find this disturbing, but when you've lowered yourself to talking about poop, you gotta accept a little humour.
These are the piles good to see. All is well with the digestion process.
Sometimes referred to as pine cones, but that's not a food. Basically, these are jellybeans stuck together. These are also OK in the poo pile.
These are squishy, poorly defined pellets that are squeezed together. You can still see good definition in the wad. This is about what you'd expect moving onto fresh pasture to create. Should get back to normal in two days.
7 Cheap plum pudding
Plum pudding with cheap plums and not many of 'em. You see little definition in the wad.
5Stiff mashed potatoes
Exactly as described. Colour them dark brown and that's what they look like. When you see these, start to be concerned, and try to identify who the owner is.
Find the owner.
4 Chocolate pudding
3 Creamed mashed potatoes
Granny mixes milk with the mashed potatoes until they're nice and smooth, like warm icing for your cinnamon rolls. Identify owner quickly. They will need medication to avoid health/weight decline and fibre breaks.
2 Ranch salad dressing
1 Heavy cream
Beyond this point, intervention and medication is urgent. Dehydration will occur quickly.
Electrolytes will need to be added to their water.
Editor… I have often thought of this article when out in the paddock doing the morning rounds. Well worth knowing the differences and possible reasoning.
Gomphocarpus fruticosus
The next time you see a Wanderer Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) fluttering around your property, treat it kindly. It’s doing a good job combating infestations of Cotton Bush, which is the preferred food of the butterfly in its caterpillar stage. Unfortunately, it takes more than the butterfly’s efforts to control this weed.
Alternative Name(s): Swan Plant Family: Asclepiadaceae. Form: Herb
Origin: Native of Africa, Arabia and Mediterranean. Flowers/Seedhead: Inflorescence a drooping umbel of flowers. Flowers all year round.
Description: Cotton Bush/Balloon Cotton is a relatively non-descript perennial shrub, about two metres in height with narrow, dull green leaves and small white flowers. It is the plant’s seed pod however, that makes identification easy. Appearing in early summer, the bright green fruit pod is an inflated oval about 4 to 7 cm long, covered in long, soft spikes. Once mature, the seeds emerge from the pod’s tapered base. Each tiny seed ends in a tuft of white silky hairs about 3cm long, from which the plant derives its name. Once they burst, these seed pods are easily blown about on the wind, spreading the seed far and wide.
Distinguishing features: Distinguished by shrub habit; milky latex; lanceolate opposite leaves; flowers white to cream; fruit a thin walled inflated ovoid pod, 4–7 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide, ending in a tapering point.
Dispersal: Spreads by seeds and lateral roots. Notes: Cotton Bush is poisonous to stock, though they will rarely eat it. The Wanderer Butterfly on the other hand, relishes the plant, and landowners can – and docultivate the insect for help in controlling the weed. Chemical methods of elimination though are a faster means of eradication – especially if infestations are large.
Control: Cotton Bush should be slashed, and the cuttings burnt, in winter. The plant spreads chiefly by seed, so poisoning with a herbicide is best done in spring, when the plant is growing, but before the seed pods appear sometime in December. Glyphosate can be applied in the ratio of 1:100, but the Department of Agriculture recommends the use of Roundup Bioactive if the weed is growing in wet areas or along a water course. Pulling weed by hand also controls small areas. As with all weeds, consistent follow up treatment of the area is a must to ensure any new growth is removed.
Web References: Search Australian web sites for further information on this weed.
Amaranthus Retroflexus—Red Root Weed
With all the rain this year came lush pastures, growing so fast it was nearly impossible for man or beast to keep up, worm infestations that were difficult to keep on top of and weeds that were in second heaven. One of these weeds has proven to be a swift
Amaranthus Retroflexus or Redroot Pigweed, as it is commonly known, has been present on our farm since we moved here – never been anything other than another nuisance weed and one we never even knew the name of TILL NOW. This year things were terribly different.
We had a number of unexplainable deaths all with the same symptoms – alpaca would sit a little more (just enough to be noticed) though they could get up and walk off on all their legs (but not like a tick toxin), showed no signs of distress and would happily eat and drink and were dead with 4 hours of the first symptoms being noticed.
Most of the animals were the ‘gutsy’ or ‘pigs’ of the herd, therefore very fit. The last of these animals to die we raced off to the vet but unfortunately we had seen this happen before and we knew her chances of survival were extremely slim, she died as we drove in at the vet. We delivered her to the LPHA District Vet who performed an autopsy. His initial diagnosis was Pulpy Kidney, the symptoms of which are very similar, and it was then that we were told that the 5 in 1 vaccine for Pulpy Kidney is only good for 3 months, something we were unaware of and in talking to others since we are yet to find anyone else who knew this either. We were told that in ‘normal’ years it is not a problem but in unusually wet with extreme growth it is a big problem and works like changing their diet suddenly. Again it is usually the fittest animals that have the biggest problem as they are the ones that make sure they get the best feed.
When the pathology results returned it was not Pulpy Kidney at all instead a toxin with the two suggested culprits being either oak poisoning (not silky oak) or redroot pigweed. We don’t have oak and didn’t know what redroot pigweed was. The district vet came and did a farm visit and pointed it out straight away. The final diagnosis was accidental poisoning – with the extreme growth of pasture the animals were unwittingly eating leaves (and not many either) from the pigweed at the same time as eating the grass.
The seed head of this weed is able to be tolerated quite well by cattle and goats, in fact our cows ate the entire plant with no ill effects at all. Even though it is apparently known to the LHPA as a poisonous plant this is one of the first cases they have come across deaths.
There are a couple of varieties of the Amaranthus but the Retroflexus is reported to be the worst. It grows quite high it is easy to pull but gloves are required as it has small thorns. The stem is red and a succulent in variety. The other varieties are more ground cover, greener in the stem and spread rather than growing tall.
www.alpacaseller.com.au
www.breedersales.com
www.fmb.com.au
www.tender.net.au
www.qldnsw.alpaca.asn.au
Gary Boseley 0411 720 420
Mick Elkin 0408 665 228
Chris Powers 0438 653 782
Drew Shearman (02) 49201507
Bernie McInerney 0429 668 240
Dusty the Aussie Shearer 0422 946 697
James Wheeler 0403 970 609
Richard Wirth 0418 972 233
Shorn by Shaun 0405535758
Contacting fellow breeders in your Region for a recommendation is probably the best way to locate a shearer.
2025 Arrange well ahead of time as the shearers are booked out quickly.
The AAA Website also has a list of shearers on the home page.
Variety of Collection points
POCKET FARM FIBREMILL
Information www.pocketfarm.com.au
WARATAH - COOPERATIVE
Information www.waratahalpacafibre.com.au
Mini Mills
FIBRE NATURALLY
Information fibrenaturally@gmail.com
BOSTON FINE FIBRES
Information www.bostonfinefibres.com.au
Thankfully just beat the rain and got shearing completed before the wet weather started.
Quick and easy ideas fo your xmas BBQ. Fruit Skewers and Vege Skewers.
Use your imagination!
Felt covered buttons:
Make interesting buttons by using self-covered button kits.
Cover with felted fabric
Interesting effects can be made by using dyed and natural alpaca colours.
Washing Fleece:
Washing fleece is relatively easy. Don't let it intimidate you. You can get great results without felting your fleece. Here is an easy method you can use.
Salad Spinner Method
This is the method of washing fleece is easy for small batches. It's quick and easy. It does a great job of spinning the alpaca fleece dry. It's convenient and can be done on our sink.
MATERIALS:
•Large salad spinner with removable basket
•Liquid dish detergent
•White vinegar
•Raw fleece
Fill one sink with hot tap water to a level that will cover your fleece. Add a few drops of liquid dish detergent after filling the sink. You don't need a lot. Swish the water with your hand. Place the raw fleece in the basket of the salad spinner.
Put the basket filled with fleece in the water and gently push the fleece down into the water until it is all wet. Do NOT agitate the water at anytime during the cleaning process or you will end up with felt. Let it soak for 20 minutes.
A minute or so before the 20 minutes is up, fill the second sink the same way as the first. Lift the basket out of the first sink, allowing it to drain as much of the water as you can, and place it in the second sink. Push the fleece down into the water. Just before the 20 minutes ends, fill the empty sink with warm water and a couple of capfuls of white vinegar. Again, lift the basket from the water and let it drain. Place it in the vinegar water and let it soak for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse the other sink.
After this rinse, lift the basket out and drain.
Place the basket in the salad spinner, put the lid on, and spin. Dump the water out that has accumulated on the bottom of the spinner and spin a second time.
After washing fleece, spread it on a screen to dry. A lot of the vegetable matter will fall out at this stage as the fleece dries. Some will be removed with carding. Use a window screen and lay it across the bathtub. If in a hurry, blow dry the fleece.
Use a drum carder to card fibre. Now you are all ready to use your clean carded fleece.
BACK POST, BEANIES, BLANKETS, BOBBLE, BOOTIES, CHAIN STITCH, CLUSTER, CROCHET, DECREASE, D O LL, DOUBLE, HALF DOUBLE, HEADBNDS, HOOKS, KERFUFFLE, LOOP, PATTERN, SCARVES, SHAWLS, SHELL, SINGLE, SLIP, STARS, SQUARES, TREBLE, WRAPS, YARN
