South Central Llama Association
Fall 2015 • Number 100
Find courage through their strength, peace in their presence, and sanctuary in their world. ~ Unknown
Photo by Katrina Capasso of Dakota Ridge Farms in Ballston Spa, NY
FALL 2015 Contents General Interest A quarterly publication of the South Central Llama Association.
DARBY SHAE JONES.......................................................................................... 8 TEXTILE TEXAS................................................................................................... 10
President: Sean Price • 281-830-2368 • figranch@flash.net Vice President: Bill Simpson •(409) 625-0309 OR (972) 978-6229 • N5YA@N5YA.com Secretary: Adryce Mathisen, •682) 551-7799 (cell); (817) 866-4368 • adryce@att.net Treasurer: Bob Lyons • 210-497-3151 • boblyons1@satx.rr.com
FELT THAT FIBER.....................................................................................................13 PARKER COUNTY LLAMA MAMMA..................................................................15 SUMMER FUN..........................................................................................................21 MARTY’S CORNER MAKING A CHOICE............................................................22 XENA PROJECT........................................................................................................26 AVOIDING RESCUES..............................................................................................30 HEPATIC LIPIDOSIS IN LLAMAS AND ALPACAS................................................36 ASK THE CSU VET TEAM.......................................................................................40
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
Always Inside
www.scla.us/scla.html
SCLA OFFICERS (Term 09/2011- 09/2014)
Region One: (Area codes: 210-361-512-737-830-956) Susan Leslie (09/2011-09/2014) (830)401-0819 leslielanellamas@gmail.com Region Two: (Area cades: 214-405-430-469-479-501-580903-918-972) Bob Carroll (903) 229-8029(Term: 9/2013-9/2016) rcranch1@yahoo.com Region Three: (Area codes:254-325-432-682-817 806-940-915-505) Deborah Ignacio (09/2012- 09/2015) 817-454-8882 deborah.ignacio@yahoo.com
President’s Statement............................................................................................4 . Editor’s Note..............................................................................................................4 New Members........................................................................................................... 6 Dates Ahead.............................................................................................................. 6 SCLA Library............................................................................................................45 SCLA Membership Form.....................................................................................48
Region Four: (Area codes: 281-318-346-409-504-713832-936-979-985) Trisha McKaskle (281) 414-3584 (Term: 9/2013 - 9/2016) hitekllama@aol.com Director-At-Large: Jim Doyle (Term: 9/2011 - 9/2014) 940-482-3192: cell 940-391-1862 JDoyle@marikollamas.com
SCLA COMMITTEES
Activities.................................................... No chair at this time Membership..............................................................Karen Conyngham Nomination . ............................Marcie Saska-Agnew-chairperson Property.....................................................................Sean Price Fund Raising..................................................................... Open Youth................................................................ Christie Stewart Finance - Budget..............................Bob Lyons • Dan Johnson Librarian.............................................................Barbara Welch Conference................................................ No chair at this time National Lama Intervention & Rescue Coordination Council Scholarship........................................ .........Mary Nell Doyle - Chair .............................Susan Boblyanski, Adryce Mathisen, Brenda Gilmore SCLA Booth............................................... No chair at this time Web site......................................................... Sharon Bramblett By-Laws.............................................................Jim Doyle, Bev Johnson
SHOWS - Thanks For Volunteering Your Time!
Teresa Brruening..........................................State Fair of Texas-Dallas Jim Doyle............................Southwestern Livestock and Rodeo-Fort Worth Stephanie Clark.........................................West Texas Fair & Rodeo-Abilene Di Collins..........................................................San Angelo Livestock Show- San Angelo Trisha McKaskle...........................................Houston Livestock Show
EDITOR/DESIGN/LAYOUT
Ruby Herron 17102 Mueschke Rd., Cypress, TX 77433 713-249-8523 • HummingHerald@FigmentRanch.com
Photo taken by Katrina Capasso Dakota Ridge Farm, Ballston Spa, New York
The views expressed herein are those of the authors. Before undertaking any new regime with your llamas, you should always consult with your veterinarian. Only they can tell you what is best for your situation. We invite submission for unpaid articles and photographs. Email to HummingHerald@FigmentRanch.com or mail to: Ruby Herron, c/o Humming Herald,17102 Mueschke Rd., Cypress,Tx., 77433
President’s Statement
Sean Price, President
I wanted to start my letter to you by asking each of you for some help. Our South Central Llama Association, SCLA, is not getting the membership renewals like we need. In order to keep our local SCLA going, we need your support! Please reach out to all of your llama friends even if they are no longer involved with showing, or their kids are grown and out of the house. Remember, membership is only $40.00 which will go a long way to help educate the public and keeps our llama industry thriving. Unless we get this support,
our organization will not be here. One of the benefits of joining the SCLA is helping the llama industry and the llamas! Llamas don’t have a voice for themselves, but they give so much pleasure to people. Please help! Other benefits of membership in SCLA includes the right to run for office, the right to vote, a copy of the Humming Herald, (the SCLA newsletter), the right to use the SCLA obstacle trailer, being updated by email on many of the current events in the llama industry, youth eligibility for the Jim Graham Memorial Scholarship, and access to the SCLA library. I also wanted to make sure that each of you is aware that I am here for you. If you have any concerns or suggestions for SCLA, feel free to contact me. I hope you see you soon. Sean 281-830-2368 sean@figmentranch.com
Editor’s Note Hello everyone. Well once again it is starting to cool off. I hope you had a good summer. Everyone over at Figment Ranch did great because it did not seem to be as hot. Maybe it was cooler because we got so much rain. We are looking forward to the show season and being able to visit with all of our llama friends. I was so happy to see all the different things that are going on with the llama community. It looks like there are a lot of the breeders getting involved in fiber. We are very happy with the response we have gotten with our llama rugs and saddle blankets. I have seen several articles about what the youth are doing with their llamas. Cody Carroll was a big hit when he took his llama to school. Susan Leslie and her llama kids were a big help when they took their llamas to help the Hill Country flood victims. One of our SCLA members (Darby Shae Jones) was in a terrible car accident. I have put information about her gofundme account if you can help with her medical expenses. Blessings, Ruby Editor 713-249-8523
hummingherald@figmentranch.com
4
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Home of: Indian Outlaw Cappuchina Patriot
5
New Members May 18, 2015 - August 17, 2015 Compiled by Karen Conyngham, Membership Secretary. Current member information is always available on the SCLA web site: http://www.scla.us SCLA Address: PO Box 163654, Austin, TX 78716
New Members: Terri L. Watts Baby Llama Furniture, Inc. PO Box 272931 Houston, TX 77277-2931 (713) 878-9755 teri@babyllamafurniture.com
Dates Ahead October 3-4, 2015 State Fair of Texas Llama Show Fair Park Dallas, TX Superintendent: Terri Bruening Entry deadline: September 1, 2015 SCLA Annual Business Meeting - Sunday Oct. 4th (tentative) Livestock exhibitor information: http://bigtex.com/livestock/livestockshow/ Premium book: http://bigtex.com/wp-content/ uploads/2015/07/15_livestock_ premiumbook1.3.pdf
6
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
October 22-24, 2015
2015 ALSA Grand National Show of Champions 1279 E 85th St. N, Kansas Pavilions Park City, KS 67147 Judge: Bill Feick,Margaret Henry,Hank Kauffman Other Judges: Deb Yeagle-Fleece/Alpaca Halter Glenna Overmiller, Superintendent twincreekllamas@yahoo.com 785-346-4365 Show Contact: ALSA Office Show Info: http://www.alsashow.org
7
Darby Shae Jones is an 18 year old graduate of Stockdale High
School. She has been a volunteer at the San Antonio Zoo for over a year, and just recently completed her first paid position there as a Summer Naturalist Intern. Darby was excited to be starting classes this fall at Palo Alto College to pursue a degree in Biology. Darby is also a big part of the lama community. She is member of The Freedom Riders 4-H Club, South Central Llama Association and Alpaca & Llama Show Association. She also was the receiptant of the SCLA and ALSA youth scholarships. Unfortunately, on August 10, 2015, Darby was in a horrific car accident that took the life of her best friend and left her in critical condition. That day Darby was transported by helicopter to SAMMC due to the nature of her injuries. She suffered a severely broken jaw in two places, broken and crushed ribs on her right side, a fractured spine, a large gash requiring staples in the back of her head, and numerous lacerations and bruises. Darby spent 6 days in a level 1 trauma ICU room, 1 day in a step-down ICU Room, and 2 days in a regular hospital room. She also underwent a nearly 6 hour surgery to repair her jaw. Darby is now home and recovering with the help of friends and family. However, the astronomical cost of her medical care (which is expected to be well over 6 figures) is becoming a huge reality as the bills have started pouring in. Just the cost of the helicopter ride alone was $33,430.14. Darby has a gofundme account if you would like to help one of our lama youth get back in the showring.
8
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
https://www.gofundme.com/donations4darby
9
10
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
A small bell tinkles as I push open the door and enter the store, worn wooden floorboards creaking beneath my feet. A tall ceiling soars overhead, and dust motes dance in the light streaming through large windows as I walk between stacks of rugs. I flip through the variety of patterns and muted shades, then run my fingers across several thick, colorful saddle blankets draped across a rack. On a shelf nearby, a pile of brightly striped placemats ($15-$30) catches my eye, and I know I’ve found my Paint Rock souvenir. Ingrid’s Custom Hand-Woven Rugs is at 141 S. Roberts (US 83) in Paint Rock. With advance notice, you can tour the factory and watch employees spin, weave, and finish items. Call 325/732-4370. To arrange to see the rock art, call 325/732-4376. This tiny town, about 30 miles due east of San Angelo, owes its name to an impressive collection of rock pictographs on a bluff near the Concho River. Early artists created pictographs by applying minerals and dyes to rock, most commonly with their fingers but sometimes with brushes made of animal or plant fiber. Tours of these paintings, located on the private Campbell Ranch, are one of the area’s main tourist attractions and the reason for my visit. At my appointed time (reservations are a must), Kay Campbell meets me in the visitor center, where stacks of photos and drawings and chunks of rock cover several tables. Campbell grew up on this land, which her grandfather D.E. Sims purchased in 1870, primarily because he wanted to preserve the rock art. She explains that the paintings span thousands of years and multiple native peoples. While we can (and do) speculate what they mean, no one knows for sure. Then we hop in her car and drive down to the bluff. About 70 feet high and several hundred yards long, this bluff of limestone boulders and cacti contains more than 1,000 images. I easily pick out geometric designs, along with images that look like canoes, stick figures, and hands, some of the latter reminding me of the palm outlines my children once brought home from school. With Campbell’s guidance, I also see an hourglass, what looks like an old Spanish-style church, a stalk of corn, a bison, a roadrunner, and a bird that could be a turkey. Tally marks line one surface, as if ancient visitors kept track of time spent here. Some paintings have faded, but others, protected by overhangs of rock, remain clear. I want to hug Campbell and thank her and her family for keeping them safe. Back at the visitor center, I admire a rug on the floor and am thrilled when Campbell says it was made right here in Paint Rock. The shop, she tells me, is catty-corner from Paint Rock’s circa1886 courthouse, a two-story stone structure topped with a red roof. Sure enough, when I drive back to the town, I notice the sign: “Ingrid’s Hand-Woven Rugs.” Native Austrian Reinhard Schoffthaler bought this shop in 1981 from his cousins Ingrid and Leo Haas, who started the operation in 1979. Schooled in Austria as a chef, Schoffthaler came to the United States in 1969 to learn English. He opened a restaurant in New York, but quickly discovered that that career wasn’t compatible with raising his daughter. So, when the shop became available, he decided to move to Texas. Ingrid and Leo stayed on for two years, teaching their cousin the business. At the time, the shop ran five looms; since then, a local craftsman has built eight more. 11
At first, weavers worked exclusive-ly with sheep wool and goat mohair, most of it from nearby ranches. Concho County once ranked as the nation’s leading sheep-producing county, and many people in the area still raise sheep for wool and Angora goats for hair. But, Schoffthaler says, those fibers have a soft texture, and coarse fiber makes better rugs. He began ordering coarse fiber from New Zealand, and then about 10 years ago, he received a call from Dan and Dale Goodyear, who raise alpacas in Pennsylvania. “They heard about us from the Texas Tech University International Textile Center, where we used to have our fiber dyed,” Schoffthaler recalls. The Goodyears sent a few pounds of their alpaca fiber to the Paint Rock shop, and the weavers succeeded in working with it and sent the resulting textiles back to the Goodyears to sell. “Then it snowballed, because people raising alpacas all know each other and they spread the word,” says Schoffthaler. As a result, the shop now works with fiber from across the country and Canada, including about 30 suppliers in Texas, creating rugs and other items from goat, alpaca, llama, yak, and even bison hair. Concho County once ranked as the nation’s leading sheep-producing county, and many people in the area still raise sheep for wool and Angora goats for hair. Alpaca remains Schoffthaler’s favorite. “It’s a great fiber,” he says. “A pair of alpaca socks is very warm and causes no allergies because there is no lanolin. For rugs, we use a coarser grade that is very sturdy.” For saddle blankets, the weavers use slightly thicker wool, which makes the pads very durable, and very popular. “People always reorder our horse blankets,” he says. Fiber arrives at the shop in raw form—looking as if it just came off of its original owner, albeit perhaps a bit cleaner—and is corded and spun around a jute core. That makes it durable and reversible. It takes roughly 20 pounds of fiber to produce a six-by-nine-foot rug. These days, the shop makes the rugs, and its 1,600 or so fiber suppliers sell them. (Schoffthaler is happy to share contact numbers.) Current orders will keep the Paint Rock looms busy for the next three to four months. As a result, Schoffthaler does no marketing and keeps only a small inventory at the store, which opens Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While you can still walk in and order a custom rug, he says, you’ll have to wait awhile to receive it. The looms can produce a rug up to 12 feet wide and any length. Saddle blankets and placemats are created in the same manner as the rugs and on the same looms, only on a smaller scale, of course. Back home, my colorful striped placemats brighten my table, reminding me at every meal of a quiet Texas town, a cliff covered in mysterious images, and a family dedicated to preserving them.
12
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Felt That Fiber! Felting is one of the simplest ways to make something out of fiber, and it also one of the most open-ended. With either type of felting (needle or wet), your imagination is all that limits what you can do! There are two types of felting methods: wet and needle. They are both fairly self-explanatory; wet felting involves water and agitation, while needle felting uses a special felting needle.
By Emily Leak
but it can be done. Wet felting is perfect for young children, especially if they can work outside when the weather is nice! We used to run a felting day with our 4-H club every year... by the end we had 50+ kids wet felting. Needle felting uses a special barbed felting needle to interlock the fibers. It has scales on the bottom half that push the fiber through the material and then leave it on the other side. Needle felting is fairly simple. You lay a piece of material (cotton fabric, commercial felt, etc.) on a piece of foam or pillow (the pillow protects you from the sharp needles). Put the fiber on top of the material in the design that you want. Punch the needle though the fiber and material into the pillow and carefully pull it back out. Keep sticking the needles into the material and fiber until the fiber stays on the material by itself. Needle felting is very good for decoration because you can do very small and intricate work.
Wet felting works because wool (and llama/ alpaca fiber) has scales. When you wet felt, you submerge carded fiber in hot, soapy water and agitate it to interlock the fibers.
The important thing to keep in mind with needle felting is the dangerous nature of the needles.
Once the fiber has been sufficiently agitated, you rinse the soap out with cold water and "shock" the felted piece. The hot water opens the scales on the fibers, and the cold water closes them, locking the fibers together. If done correctly (with enough agitation), wet felting can produce a very strong material.
It is harder to do detailed work with wet felting, 13
They are extremely sharp and you need to pay attention at all times when using them. Needle felting is usually reserved for older children (over 12) and adults; younger children should only be allowed to use felting needles when under constant supervision. Both wet and needle felting can be used to make a variety of items. Flat pieces (wall hangings, pillow covers, etc.), hats, scarves, mittens,
shoes/slippers - the list goes on. Needle felting is the more common method for making 3D items such as animals. Whether you are new to fiber crafts or an experienced artist, give felting a try! It is a great way to make something beautiful with your llama fiber. Emaly Leak has been raising and breeding llamas for show and fiber since 1999. Her farm, Autumn Hill Llamas & Fiber, is located in Norwich, NY She blogs about the llamas and fiber-related topics (http://www. autumnhillllamas.blogspot.com/), and sells handmade fiber items on Etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/autumnhillllamas).
Reprinted from The GALA Newsletter, newsletter of the Greater Appalachian Llama and Alpaca Assoc., Vol. 30, #3, August 2015.
14
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Community
September - October 2015
LIFE PARKER COUNTY AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Parker County
Llama Mamma PLUS Wright Stuff Fighting Men of Proved Metal: Part One
Saving Their Lives A story of love & learning
Master Gardeners
Compliments of
Challenges of Extreme Weather
and your local businesses
Shooting Like A Girl
15
Parker County
Llama Mamma By JUDY SHERIDAN
It’s Saturday morning and I show up at Triple V Ranch in Poolville right on time, eager to visit with Sharon VanHooser and learn some things about llamas from one of the state’s leading producers.
Two large livestock guardian dogs, one that VanHooser is calling Bear, are warning me off as I cautiously crack my car door open, and I hesitate to unchain the gate as instructed.
As I pull up to the 200-acre property on Red Top Road, I admire the tiny pinto-colored miniature donkey foals in the front paddock and can’t help smiling as a determined pony trudges fearlessly past my car when Rick VanHooser, Sharon’s husband, waves me through the gate.
There’s no sneaking up on this bunch.
These folks are animal lovers, that’s clear. As I approach the barn I notice something about llamas: they’re super curious. Every head swivels as my car advances and an assortment of Texas longnecks — alpacas, too — crowd the inner gate like paparazzi chasing down a celebrity. 8
16
Community Life
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
“They know everything that’s supposed to be here, and they stop like a statue when something’s different,” Sharon said. “One day I saw them chasing ducks across the pasture. When they flew away, they all looked up and watched them go.” VanHooser comes to my rescue, allowing me safe passage to a large barn, where I quickly come face to muzzle with a furry fellow that lost his natural shyness around people when VanHooser had to bottle feed him. After she corners the alpaca, we talk about a big problem that
llamas and alpacas, both camelids native to the Andes mountains, face during the long, hot Texas summers: heat stress that can be lethal. Multiple fans are running in the large barn to keep the air moving, and the floor is sprayed with water daily to keep it cool. Two alpacas and their day-old babies, called crias, are sheltered there, as well as an older llama that’s earned her retirement. Misters and kiddie pools are part of the chill out strategy, VanHooser said. The animals also get plenty of electrolytes to drink, and no “hot feeds” like alfalfa, corn or sweet feed, which generate internal heat. Llama owners who don’t shear their animals raise VanHooser’s blood pressure.
“That person needs to be wrapped in a wool blanket and wear it 24/7,” she said. A 30-year rodeo performer who once supported herself on her weekend earnings, Sharon is a bona fide animal lover, at home on a horse from the age of two. She hurt her back in 2001, ending her rodeo career. Two years later, while working in Aledo, an animal with more exotic allure got her attention. “I went around a curve and there was a house with llamas,” she said. “I walked up to the door and met Cheryl Cave, who had been in the show industry for years. I wanted one llama, but I bought three!” September-October 2015
17
Cave, who has since moved to Springtown, served as her mentor, a match that has resulted in VanHooser managing 130 llamas — the largest herd in the state, she said — though she plans to downsize to focus on quality.
“We do sell to spinners,” she said, “and there is someone in Houston who wants the scrap to make ‘paca paper’ for scrap bookers.” Triple V Ranch sold 25-30 llamas this year, Sharon said. Show quality llamas cost upwards of $1,000, she said, while lower end alpacas fetch two or three times more. “The upper end alpacas go for $40,000 to $100,000,” she said. “In the 80s, llamas were higher, $50,000 to $70,000 for lower end show quality llamas.” Training is key to managing any animal, including llamas, VanHooser said, which “have the mindset of a two-year-old” and need lots of repetition. True to their reputation, the animals spit on her every day, she said, but they respond to discipline. “They have feelings,” she said. “When I raise my voice at my show geldings they stand at attention.” Camelids, unlike horses, relate to smell rather than touch, VanHooser said, so it’s important to desensitize them to having their heads handled and their feet picked up. She teaches them to stand tied for hours. Llamas are sure-footed and work well for elk hunters, Van Hooser said, who pursue their quarry over rough terrain. She has trained the animals to work alongside horses and pack elk carcasses out of the wilderness while wading through creeks and navigating bridges. “Llamas are less dangerous than horses because they have a padded foot with toenails instead of a hoof,” she said.
VanHooser also keeps track of 30 or so alpacas, as well as some miniature donkeys and miniature goats — even a zebra — while working full time in outside sales. Triple V Ranch has established solid llama genetics through the years and competes in nine to 10 shows annually, VanHooser said. She and Rick took home Best in Show in both Fort Worth and San Angelo in 2015, she said, as well as Judge’s Choice for Walking Fiber in Houston. In the last three years, her interest in the fiber that llamas and alpacas produce has grown, she said, showing off a new building that’s been designed to harvest, prepare and evaluate the soft, colorful fleeces that are bagged up and piled on the floor. Alpacas have always been bred for their luxurious coats, she said, while the larger, stronger llamas — which have a soft inner coat covered by a coarse outer one — have served as pack animals. Today, however, llamas are producing high-quality fiber, she said, thanks to selective breeding industry-wide. 10
Community Life
18
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
VanHooser is happy to share her knowledge of the unusual animals with others and often helps mentor youth on their show performance skills. She can be reached by Googling Triple V Ranch — LlamaNation.
19
White Rose Ranch Llamas
Grandview, TX bbbs@swbell.net (817)343-7072
Jan and Rebekah White
20
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Nylon Fixed Ring and X-Style Halters............8.00 Flat Leads........4.00 Round Leads...6.00 Hanging Hay Bags......$15.00 Leather Halters with Silver Trim....20.00 Leather leads ..........10.00 Gifts....(call for prices) Brushes ......5.00 Books 1/2 price Visit www.llamathings.com to see items for sale
Please do not order on the Website.......call 806-867-3423 to place your order or email me at cmyers@lyntegar.com with your phone number 21
Summer Fun Cody Carroll took his llama Whitey Locks to school this summer. Whitey Locks and all the kids had a great time
22
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Marty's Corner Making A Choice By Marty McGee Bennett
It seems as if every llama/alpaca owner you meet has a different opinion about how to manage their animals and how to train them. Some of the opinions are quite contradictory. Some people are horrified at methods other people endorse. Your animals have barely settled into their new home and you hear about four different ways of trimming toenails. Each proponent swears his method of trimming is the best. How do you know which one to pick? Some methods are very similar to each other; other techniques are fundamentally different. Imprinting, Clicker training, TTEAM, Dominance Training... Is it okay to mix and match? If YOU are confused, how will your llama or alpaca feel? If a method doesn't feel right, should you still use it because someone with a book or video tells you to? Just because a method works, should you do it? How do you handle the llama or alpaca that presents behavior that isn't in the book or wasn't covered at the clinic? Can you be creative in your approach? How can you learn to
brainstorm new problems and figure out your own techniques?
CREATING A "COLANDER"
These are common questions and problems handlers and owners pose when it comes to training and handling issues. The answers to these questions lie in your ability to create and articulate a philosophy. There are many ways to get from point A to point B. It isn't a matter of right or wrong. There are lots of ways to work with an animal.
Most people who practice and become proficient at a method - regardless of what it is - can make it work to one degree or another.
Whether or not you are evaluating the latest method for trimming fighting teeth in your local club newsletter or you are deciding whether or not the program 23
for starting babies presented in a book is right for you, you must evaluate the methods based on your own ideas of how things should be done. I suggest using the following set of questions to help you decide whether you will adopt a particular method: 1 - Are you personally comfortable with the program? 2 - Can you physically implement the program? 3 - Is this technique going to enhance or damage the kind of relationship you want with your animal? 4 - Do you feel satisfied and proud of how you train your animals? 5 - Is it a method you would use or demonstrate in public? I continue to add, subtract and refine, and invent techniques all the time. Like you, when I see a new technique or think of a new idea, I must also decide whether or not to incorporate the method into my training toolbox. Try thinking of it this way: your philosophy is a metaphorical colander just like the one you use for pasta. Any technique I consider using is put into my colander. As long as the technique is supported by my colander/philosophy, then I add it to my training toolbox. I will incorporate this new technique into what I use to handle and train llamas and what I teach to my students. Any technique that isn't in keeping with my philosophy will drain out of the colander like the water off the pasta noodles. You may not know much about llamas or alpacas. Perhaps you haven't even brought them home. Yet, you already have a philosophy. Think about the relationship you want with your animals. Are words like trust, companionship, fun, respect, obedience, safety, friendship, and confidence important to you? If so, those are the words that shape the way you will do things with your animals. These words form your colander. Once you decide what you want and make a commitment to it, you need not 24
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
worry about conflicting advice. You have lots of choices. You can decide for yourself how things will be on your ranch. Very often the tried and true techniques owners use are not compatible with the results they hope to get. NOT SO COMMONSENSE: What your animals thinks of you or whether they decide to trust you is not dependent on how many hours you can spend in your barn, but rather how you behave while you are there.
HANDLING VERSUS TRAINING It is very important to understand and distinguish between handling and training. These two words are frequently used interchangeably, but are in fact totally different from one another. Training: Teaching an animal to understand and respond in a consistent manner to a visual, verbal, or physical signals. Examples of training would be teaching your llama or alpaca to lay down on command, fetch, respond to verbal commands, respond to reins or signals on a lead. Handling: Working with an animal in a way that allows you to accomplish tasks. Examples of handling would be putting on a halter, giving a shot, picking up feet and trimming toenails, or shearing. Training is about the animal learning new skills - handling is about the human learning new skills. I don't mean to imply that the animal is not learning while you are doing your handling. Every time you are in the presence of an animal - regardless of what you are doing - they are learning very important things. For instance, as you catch them and put the halter on, you would like your
animal to learn that you: 1 - Are safe to be around. 2 - Know how a halter goes on. 3 - Know how to fit one safely. 4 - Are competent and reasonable. The animal does not learn how to put the halter on himself- you accomplish that job. There are things we definitely DO NOT want alpacas and llamas to learn as we handle them. We don't want them to learn that they are stronger, more agile, or that they can out run or out wrestle us. Young llamas and alpacas figure out pretty quickly that humans are very important and have capabilities that they do not. We enter their world as a very powerful presence. Most of the time we do good stuff. We clean up the poop and give out food and water. Until you demonstrate otherwise, your llamas and alpacas will assume that you are the "Great and Powerful Oz"...until you inadvertently let them peek behind the curtain. When I work with or handle an animal I want to create the impression that I am the Goddess. The all-powerful, but understanding being that takes care of everything. I want to use techniques and tools that help to preserve that impression. I refuse to chase or try to outrun a llama or alpaca and I refuse to wrestle or otherwise try to physically best them. The great and powerful Goddess would never deign to engage in those types of activities. The real truth is that I won't resort to those tactics because I am inferior in these ways. My animal charges, however, don't need to know this reality of my limitations. I get many calls and e-mail from people with the same sad story. They tell me, "My llama or alpaca was so easy and cooperative until he turned two years old". It is true that adolescent animals behave like adolescents, however, this period of time coincides with the attainment of new physical prowess. If you have been "having your way" with your young animals simply because you could make them do your bidding
physically, don't be surprised if they change their minds when they get big enough to beat you at your own game. I focus primarily on handling (i.e. teaching you, the human) for three very important reasons. 1. - Being a good handler makes you a better trainer. 2 - In the case of camelids, you are more than likely out numbered by your animals. It is more sensible and attainable to teach yourself handling skills rather than training each one. 3 - There is very little we actually want our llamas or alpacas to do. Essentially, we want our llamas or alpacas to do one of two things: stand still or move. We want them to stand quietly while we do the things that need doing and we want them to walk politely on a lead going where we go. None of this requires any self-directed or self-motivated behavior on the part of the animal. In the beginning of this article I said it is important to understand the difference between handling and training. Now that you do, let me explain why it is so crucial to differentiate between the two. CAUTION: Using these type of training techniques for handling issues will get you into big trouble.
PRACTICE MAKES?
How would you complete this phrase? I would be willing to bet that the first thing that popped into your mind is, "Practice makes perfect". Many traditional animal training philosophies begin with the premise that animals are creatures of instinct and learn only by repetition. Your animal must have practice. You are instructed to repeat a lesson over and over consistently until your animal student 25
"get" it. In this way you will eventually condition the animals and he/she will behave correctly. Let us apply this logic to the task of palterÂŹing. Remember, as you read this haltering is a handling issue! You trap your alpaca/llama in the corner and hold her around the neck. The animal throws her weight into your arm so you brace yourself and hold on. Next she throws her head around wildly. The tall llama sticks her head as far away and as high in the air as possible. The crazy alpaca dives low and leaps up very suddenly, catching you in the chin. You have been told that you must not let the llama/ alpaca win. Show her who is boss and finish what you start! So you keep chasing that elusive head around until you snare the nose and clip the quick release buckle before your animal student can break away. Since you didn't have time to check it, the halter may or may not be comfortable or even safe. The process took five minutes. You got whacked in the chin, you are madder than a hornet, but you'd better take that halter off and put it on again three more times like you see in that other book. WAIT .... STOP .... CONSIDER. What are you practicing? What skill are you perfecting? It appears as if you will become an expert at holding a llama or alpaca, chasing a head around with a halter, getting hit on the chin, and snapping a halter really fast. More to the point: what is your alpaca or a llama going to master? What has your llama or alpaca learned about you? Based on my years of camelid observation, animals become better skilled at fighting and avoiding the human. I have met llamas and alpacas that were so effective at escape and evasion they could join the Marines. NOT SO COMMONSENSE: Animals are halter trained. Humans learn how to put on halters. This explains why so many new buyers think the seller has misrepresented 26
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
an animal's training because they can't halter the llama or alpaca as easily as the seller You and your animal student will only perfect a skill if you are practicing what you want to do - not what you don't want to do. So does practice make perfect? Not necessarily.
REMEMBER: Practice make permanent. Be careful what you practice. I suggest that what you really want to practice is putting a halter on a relaxed animal that is standing quietly. You want to practice teaching an animal to stand in balance with his head still while you buckle and properly adjust the halter. Specifically, how this is accomplished is addressed in detail through my book. The key point is that your alpaca or llama already knows how to stand still. It is your job to get him to do it. Haltering is a handling issue. If you're having trouble accomplishing a handling task, YOU are the one that must learn the new skills. You can learn more about Marty's lama information in her books or on her web site: www.camelidynamics.com.
Reprinted from Llama Living, newsletter of the Michigan Lama Assoc., Vol 20, #2, June 2015.
Like many ranches in the llama/alpaca community, we try to use our llamas in a
way that the public can see what a versatile animal a llama is. We also have been looking for an organization that truly helped the Veterans of the U.S. Military. There are lots of organizations out there that take your money, but very little of it actually gets to the Vets.
At the 2015 Houston Llama Show we talked to a young Veteran and her Father that was also a Veteran. They started an organization called the Xena Project that used animal therapy to help Vets. This really interested us because it was local and all of the donations go to this special project and the veterans. They had a llama and he was doing a great job with the vets but he did not do well when taken off the ranch. They needed a young llama that they could train and take to homebound vets. We wanted to see their layout in person and set up a time that we could visit the facility. When we got to the Xena Project, (which is in Beasley, Texas), it was all we wanted and more. We talked it over and decided that one of the ways we could help was to donate one of our llama crias. Jan Shultis, the Executive Director of the Xena Project could train this llama to be able to take him out to the homebound vets. Jan was so excited to get our little “Guy� and has big plans for his future with the Xena Project. We are very happy with the Xena Project and feel good about what they do and plan to do more with them. Figment Ranch 27
It’s Llama Time ! BREAKING NEWS! The Xena Project has been approved as the new happy home for one very special llama. "Guy" is an extremely generous donation from Figment Ranch, established breeders with an esteemed history in the Houston community. We met the Figment Team at the Houston Rodeo, and have been humbled by their immediate and unceasing support. Guy was born on March 2nd, and will join the herd here later this summer as part of the Family Reunification and Animal Encounter Therapy programs. More information to follow, but in the meantime, let's give him a warm welcome! Thank you, Figment Ranch! (www.figmentranch.com)
28
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
The Xena Project
A veteran-operated 501(c)3 that facilitates healing of veterans and their families through equine and animal therapy 3942 Beasley West End Rd, Beasley, Texas 77417 Phone: (619) 415-1440 ride@xenahorse.com xenahorse.com
Dear Veteran and Family, Welcome to The Xena Project. We are a veteran-operated 501(c)3 that facilitates healing of veterans and their families through equine and animal therapy. Located near Houston, we are the only initiative of our kind in the country and attract a broad spectrum of needs, including veterans struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, individuals with traumatic physical or brain injury, and those in emotional upheaval. The Xena Project is currently focused on five fundamental programs: Veterans Group Days - Groups from fellow veteran-focused organizations experience a day of multi-faceted healing that includes the riding simulator, animals, food, fellowship, and special offerings. Veterans Private Sessions - Those with a more concentrated interest in riding or horsemanship, or with physical therapy needs, participate in private lessons on the simulator or with horses. Counseling Ð Peer coaching and support is available in both group and one-on-one formats to help combat veterans find healing, balance and positive re-integration with their families and in society. Pastoral care is also available through our chaplain. Family Reunification - Provides a neutral, peaceful location for veterans in family turmoil to bond with their children; we work with law enforcement officials and mental health experts to facilitate families with court restrictions. Animal Encounter Therapy - Interaction with horses, dogs, cats, goats, llamas, and others promotes relaxation, eases anxiety, and stimulates healing. Art therapy is incorporated into each of these fundamental programs. All services are provided free of charge to veterans and their families. We regularly welcome those who served in Vietnam, Korea, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as veterans and families simply moving through life in ways uniquely impacted by military service. The Xena Project is a peaceful place to relax, explore healing options, and experience joy. Please call (619) 415-1440 or write to ride@xenahorse.com to schedule your visit. See photos and news at xenahorse.com. We look forward to welcoming you. The Xena Project www.xenahorse.com
29
30
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Avoiding Rescues... So How Did They End Up With No Home?
by Niki Kuklenski
31
When people e-mail or call and show interest in learning about llamas, they always say, "You mean there are llamas people don't want?" Usually the next statement is, "I would love to have a free llama." Most of us that have had llamas for any amount of time know about the unfortunate state of rescues in the llama community. It is a natural consequence of any animal breeding industry. I believe most people try to do what is right by their animals but situations change and owners find themselves in various hardship situations. With some careful consideration and well laid plans, I do think it is possible to help cut down on the number of rescues. After all, isn't it sad to think that the largest herd of llamas exist in a sanctuary? Why or how did they get there? Were they loved or useful to someone at one time? Here are some thoughts for helping to elevate having your animals end up as rescues. 1. Only breed as many as you can train and follow-up on with the new owners. 2. Carefully screen potential owners. What is their motivation for owning llamas and what do they want to do with them? Encourage them to spend as much time as they want observing, learning and helping you or other local farms with routine care. Send them to lots of farms and discourage them from buying until they have figured out what they want to do. I always say it would be better for them not to get them than to buy them and then two years later dump them or not take care of them. I truly believe that many rescues would be prevented if people knew what was really required for the care and everyday needs of llamas. Llamas are not for everyone! 3. Spend time helping people figure out if their property is properly set-up prior to bringing home or buying any llamas. The best llama owners I run across are the ones that made the decision that they wanted llamas but didn't get them until they were completely set-up for them. A visit to the potential buyer's house to help them figure out how to set-up their fencing, barn, feeding arrangements, etc. is very helpful and helps to ensure that your llama will have good care. 4. Give out basic care sheets for your area to potential and new owners. List vets that work on llamas in their area, feed stores, people that shear, people that do toenails, local llama organizations, places to order llama supplies, where to get llama minerals and things like this. Many people just need a basic sheet of who, what, when and where to help them stay on track with their llama's care. 5. Mentor someone that got llamas and needs help. Some people will keep their existing llamas if they just know how to work with them. Find other people that will mentor llama owners in other areas. A good mentor is priceless for a new llama owner that has simple questions to be answered or needs to know basics, such as how to hold a foot to trim toenails. Make sure too that your vet and feed store know that you are available to mentor new owners that may come in. 32
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
6. Host a training clinic at your farm or local fairgrounds. These types of clinics can be VERY valuable to someone that needs to know the basics of working with their llama. There are many good trainers that travel and work with new llama owners. John Mallon, Cathy Spalding, Marty Bennett, Jim Krowka and Gwen Ingram are just a few! 7. Sell people trained llamas. Most people that do rescue will tell you, they usually do NOT get trained packers or trained performance llamas in rescue. They get the llamas that nobody wants to keep because they are not trained or have behavior problems. A llama that can be haltered and can easily have its toenails trimmed is generally adopted with little to no effort. 8. DO NOT sell breeding starter packages to new llama owners. New llama owners need to learn to care for their llamas and develop relationships with them. If they are trying to learn and have babies at the same, time, it can be overwhelming and this is when llamas either don't get handled or get over handled. New llama owners breeding is the single biggest factor that creates rescues, in my opinion. People learn so much their first year of ownership trying to take care of the adult llamas. Having to learn how to care for babies is really too much for the average new owner. 9. Sell llamas with very strict and specific contracts on gelding and/or non-breeding. The ILR has a nonÂŹbreeder designation so you can register young animals as non-breeders prior to them leaving your farm. Make sure you are very clear to the new owner why the animal should not be bred and what will happen if they do breed it after it leaves your farm. The best solution of course is to geld or spay any non-breeding animals prior to them leaving your possession. You can hold back the llama's papers but that doesn't always keep people from breeding them anyway. Good contracts are important! 10. Make sure you check in on people that have bought animals from you and make it clear to them that you are available for help. This helps to increase the chances that they will call you if their situation changes. You can also write a "First Right of Refusal" clause into your contracts.
Niki Kuklenski and her husband Jeff are involved with all aspects of owning llamas. She is a 4-H leader, high school Ag Science teacher and is involved with llama rescue as a VP for LRN. Niki and Jeff drive, show, pack and educate with their llamas. Niki's passion is llama history and memorabilia. She spends most of her free time tracking down old pictures and llama owners to help preserve our industry's history. Reprinted from the GALA Newsletter (Greater Appalachian Llama & Alpaca Assoc.), Vol. 30, #2, May 2015
33
Creating Champions Leslie Lane Llamas
Susan Leslie and Ana Reese LaVernia, Tx 830-401-0819 www.leslielanellamas.com leslielanellamas@gmail.com
34
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
35
36
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Hepatic Lipidosis in Llamas and Alpacas
Recognizing the Disease 37
Excessive accumulation of fat in liver cells (i.e., hepatocytes) is a disease process termed hepatic lipidosis, fatty infiltration, or fatty liver. Although there are differences in conditions that initiate hepatic lipidosis between various species, a common theme is a period of inadequate energy intake (i.e., negative energy balance [NEB]) initiating body fat mobilization. Unfortunately for llamas and alpacas, the disease outcome is nearly fatal in all cases if not recognized and aggressively treated early in disease development. Hepatic lipidosis in llamas and alpacas has not been frequently reported in the veterinary literature, but is increasingly recognized in cases of camelid illness and death. A large majority of cases submitted to veterinary diagnostic laboratories report some degree of fatty liver infiltration in llamas and alpacas submitted for necropsy. Whether hepatic lipidosis was the primary lesion causing the death of the animal, or a secondary lesion to some other disease process is not always clear. Veterinarians and owners are becoming aware of the serious nature of this problem and seeking ways to treat when recognized or prevent it entirely. Many owners have a horror story to tell about the loss of one or more females to this disease. In this column I will review the current state of knowledge about hepatic lipidosis in camelids and provide some background to its cause and early recognition. Characterizing Hepatic Lipidosis Using liver biopsy specimens, a retrospective study identified 31 confirmed cases of hepatic lipidosis in llamas and alpacas submitted to Oregon State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. This study revealed a predominately middle aged, pregnant or lactating female population to be affected. In contrast to other species, males accounted for 22.6% of the cases and age ranged from 5 months to 18 years. This is very different demographics of affected animals compared to the disease process seen in cattle, sheep and goats. In these cases there were no significant associations with any infectious, parasitic, or toxic causative agent. A number of case reports on hepatic lipidosis in camelids were in association with tick paralysis. The most common factor documented in histories from these affected camelids was recent significant loss of appetite or severe weight loss. This period of not eating or weight loss varied from a couple of days to several weeks. The whole spectrum of body condition scores (thin to obese) were represented in the affected group of animals. In some cases, there were other medical problems, such as diarrhea, evident around the time the condition developed. In other cases, there were changes in social or environmental conditions such as uncharacteristic hot weather or movement of animals in or out of certain pastures or pens. Some llamas were reported to be clinically normal less than 24 hours before being found ill or dead. Examination of blood values for the affected animals showed that most had elevations in enzymes that indicate liver disease. These are not, however, specific for hepatic lipidosis and may be increased with any cause of liver disease. 38
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Biochemical measures associated with negative energy balance (nonesterified fatty acids [NEFA]), liver dysfunction (bile acids, sorbitol dehydrogenase [SDH], gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT]), and muscle damage (creatine kinase [CK], aspartate transaminase [AST]) were consistently elevated. Elevated concentrations of blood lipids (lipemia) and ketones (ketonemia, measured as beta-hydroxybutyrate [BHB]) were not consistently associated with hepatic lipidosis in this retrospective study population compared to other literature reports. Low total protein, but not low blood urea nitrogen, was also a common clinical finding in affected' animals. These data suggest similarities in the pathogenesis of hepatic lipidosis in camelids to other species and not just ruminants. Examination of blood values for the affected animals showed that most had elevations in' enzymes that indicate liver disease. These are not, however, specific for hepatic lipidosis and may be increased with any cause of liver disease. Biochemical measures associated with negative energy balance (nonesterified fatty acids [NEFA]), liver dysfunction (bile acids, sorbitol dehydrogenase [SDH], gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT]), and muscle damage (creatine kinase [CK], aspartate transaminase [AST]) were consistently elevated. Elevated concentrations of blood lipids (lipemia) and ketones (ketonemia, measured as beta-hydroxybutyrate [BHB]) were not consistently associated with hepatic lipidosis in this retrospective study population compared to other literature reports. Low total protein, but not low blood urea nitrogen, was also a common clinical finding in affected animals. These data suggest similarities in the pathogenesis of hepatic lipidosis in camelids to other species and not just ruminants. Diagnostic Indicators Since a history of recent anorexia or weight loss was the most common factor in the naturally-occurring cases of camelid hepatic lipidosis, a feed-restriction model was used in an attempt to mimic this condition. Blood samples and liver biopsies were obtained regularly throughout the study to determine physiologic response and potential onset of disease. Feed restriction ended when there was any indication in blood work, biopsy, or clinical signs of the onset of hepatic lipidosis. To induce metabolic changes consistent with hepatic lipidosis, mature grass forage (< 8% crude protein) was fed at a rate of 0.25% of body weight. Most camelids will eat between 1.2 and 1.5% of body weight at maintenance. Fifty percent (5 of 10) of the llamas developed hepatic lipidosis to some degree based on histologic (liver biopsy) evaluation. No animals became depressed or recumbent. All llamas in the study on average lost over 15% of body weight. Llamas that developed hepatic lipidosis tended to have greater body weight loss in the first week and younger crias (less than 7 weeks) if they were lactating. Blood tests showed expected increases in liver enzymes in those that developed hepatic lipidosis, but not in those that simply lost weight. This is important in telling us that our blood indicators of liver disease (bile acids,
39
AST, GGT, and SDH) are relatively specific in llamas. All llamas had elevated concentrations of NEFA indicating negative energy balance and fat mobilization. There was no significant difference in NEFA concentration between affected and unaffected animals; however, mean NEFA concentration was maintained above 1 mEq/L in affected animals. Llamas with hepatic lipidosis had significantly higher mean BHB concentrations (10.24 mg/dl) than did nonÂŹaffected llamas (0.92 mg/dl), indicating abnormal liver fat metabolism. This is a curious finding as camelids are not particularly ketogenic given their naturally high blood glucose concentration. Case reports are mixed as to whether or not ketosis was present in affected animals. Even with elevated ketones, the concentration in affected llamas is not nearly as high as commonly observed in ketotic cows, sheep, and goats. This is an important point as most veterinarians working with farm animals would not consider the BHB concentrations in the affected animals to be of concern and might miss the diagnosis. Definitive diagnosis of hepatic lipidosis is only accomplished by microscopic or analytical measurement of fat content of liver biopsy specimens, though some key diagnostic blood parameters are useful supportive findings. Disease Mechanisms Further research at Oregon State University on the unique aspects of glucose metabolism in llamas and alpacas might help explain their propensity for this disease. Unlike other ruminant animals, llamas and alpacas maintain higher blood glucose concentration (85-100 mg/dl), similar to that of nonruminant animals. Given the type of diet consumed by llamas and alpacas, this ability to maintain and greatly increase blood glucose concentrations when stressed was a puzzle. Research suggests llamas and alpacas become "insulin resistant" as they age, somewhat similar to becoming a diabetic. Insulin is a key metabolic regulator not only for blood glucose, but also fat mobilization. With insulin resistance, body cells will not utilize glucose efficiently while fat cells can more readily mobilize stored fat for use as an alternative energy source. This metabolic scenario would result in more rapid fat mobilization during periods of negative energy balance. Further research is needed to better understand underlying metabolic issues in normal and hepatic lipidosis affected animals and the potential role of insulin. To summarize, camelids of a variety of ages, gender, body condition, and reproductive status are susceptible to development of hepatic lipidosis. Conditions that place increased energy demands, such as pregnancy and lactation, increase potential risk for hepatic lipidosis. Factors such as social and environmental stressors and other disease conditions appear to also predispose camelids to loss of appetite and weight thus potentially predisposing them to accumulation of fat in the liver. Blood metabolites can be used to identify risk (NEFA for fat mobilization) and potential disease presence (elevated liver enzymes).
Reprinted from an article written by Robert J. Van Saun Penn State Extension Veterinarian
Reprinted from The GALA Newsletter, newsletter of the Greater Appalachian Llama and Alpaca Assoc., Vol. 30, #3, August 2015 40
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
41
42
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
43
44
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
SCLA Regional Directors Region 1: (Area codes: 210-361-512-737-830-956) Susan Leslie 4317 FM 539, LaVernia, TX 78121-4455 (830) 401-0819 (Term:9/2014 - 9/2017) leslielanellamas@gmail.com Region 2: (Area codes: 214-405-430-469-479-501-580-903-918-972) Bob Carroll 3006 NW CR 1030, Corsicana, TX 75110-6040 (903) 229-8029 (Term: 9/2013-9/2016) rcranch1@yahoo.com Region 3: (Area codes: 254-325-432-682-817-806-940-915-505) Deborah Ignacio 3141 FM 2256 Mineral Wells, TX 76067-1011 (817) 454-8882 (Term: 9/2012-9/2015) deborah.ignacio@yahoo.com Region 4: (Area codes: 281-318-346-409-504-713-832-936-979-985) Trisha McKaskle 2871 River Rd., Sealy, TX 77474-7757 (281) 414-3584 (Term: 9/2013 - 9/2016) hitekllama@aol.com At Large: Jim Doyle, 8165 Jackson Rd., Krum, TX 76249 (940) 488-3163; Cell: (940) 391-1862 jim@marikollamas.com (Term: 9/2014 - 9/2017)
45
SCLA Library
Barbara Welch, Librarian
(830) 885-2388 • dbldare@gvtc.com
Books A Guide to Raising Llamas – Gale Birutta (10132) A Well Trained Llama – By Paul & Betty Barkman (10167) Along Came a Llama -- Welsh farmer adds a llama to her farm (10041) ALSA Llama Judging Clinic (10098) Aunt Millie’s Guide to Llama Fiber - By Mike Brown (10166) Body Scoring Llamas & Alpacas, by Bob Beede, DVM (10128) Before and After Llamas -- humor (10086) Building Small Barns, Sheds and Shelters -- Monte Burche (10116) Camel's Zoo Book 2 -- children (10023) Caring for Llamas, A Health and Management Guide (10043) Caring for Llamas and Alpacas - 2nd. ed. (10043) Evaluating a Llama Pack for Comfort and Function (10122) Fifty Things to Do With a Llama by B. James (10147) Felt making Techniques & Projects by I. Evers (10149) Handbook for Llamas -- first aid (10017) Hands On Spinning -- Lee Raven (10107) Harley – by Star Livingston Illustrated by Molly Bang (10173) Heat Stress; Prevention & Management, by Myra Freeman -- (10130) I Care About My Animals – animal rights guide (10124) If I was a Llama -- children (10112) Llamas & Alpacas as a Metaphor for Life - by Marty McGee – (10148) Llama&AlpacaNeonatalCare,byB.Smith,DVM;K.Timm,DVM;P.Long,DVM.--(10131) Llama Babies -- Up, Dry & Nursing -- Anderson (10133) Llama Driving – By Ron Shinnick (10169) Llama Nutrition Clinic Notes -- LaRue Johnson, DVM (10138) Llama Packing for Youth, by the ILA Youth Committee -- (10129) Llama Training on Your Own – Helen Bodington (10168) Living with Llamas -- Rosana Hart (10020) Llamas Can Beat the Heat -- Texas cooling techniques (10035) Llama Medicine and Surgery -- Texas A&M (10022) Llama Medicine, Veterinary Clinics of North America -- (10082) Llama Training, Who's in Charge -- (10027) Llamas: Their Personality and Expressions -- (10114) Llama Tricks -- Step by Step Method -- by Linda Hayes -- 10142 Leaders Manual for 4-H Llama Activities (10156) Love a Llama -- children (10097) Making the Most of Your Llama – By Linda Beattie (10165) 46
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Medicine & Surgery of South American Camelids -Fowler (10135) Medicine & Surgery of South American Camelids – 2nd ed., (10153) Packing with Llamas -- (10048) Raising Llamas in Alberta, Why Are They So Popular? -- (10123) Roberts Rules of Order (10152) Ruminations from the Back Forty - by John Mallon (10178) SCLA 1992 Conference -- ring binder (10104) SCLA 1993 Conference -- ring binder (10079) SCLA 1994 Conference -- ring binder (10100) SCLA 1995 Conference – ring binder (10080) SCLA 1996 Conference – ring binder (10130) SCLA 1998 Conference – ring binder (10150) SCLA 2000 Conference – ring binder, (10163) Scraping Heaven - by Cindy Ross, donated by Teresa King (10179) Secrets of the Andes (10040) So You Share Your Life with a Llama - by Susan Peterson (10177) Speechless Brothers (10106) Spinning Llama & Alpaca -- by Chris Switzer (10134) Spinning Llama & Alpaca 2nd Edition – By Chris Switzer (10171) The Camelid Companion (Handling and Training your Alpacas and Llamas) – by Marty McGee Bennett (10172) The Field Guide ... In Search of the Ideal Llama – conformation info (10113) The TTEAM Approach -- McGee (10117) The (Mis)adventures of the Llamas at Hunter Hill – Hubbard, Ryberg (10174) Today and Tomorrow Llama Investment Analysis --1990 (10047) Turning Wool into a Cottage Industry -- (10042) The Waldo Chronicles -- a training log -- (10129) Veterinary Llama Field Manual - By Norman Evans (10145) Youth Llama Project -- 4H guidebooks (10045) 4H Instructions -- SCLA (10118) Packing with Llamas 4th edition - Stanlynn Daugherty (10161) Notes from Dr. Norman Evans' llama conference on 4/1/2000 (10164) 3rd Annual Camelid Health Program - Ohio State University (10170)
Newsletters and Magazines SCLA Humming Herald Red Hot Llamas -- Smithsonian 8/94 (10101) Newsletters from other llama associations
Video Tapes All About Llamas I -- Llama Basics (10007) All About Llamas II, Breeding, Birthing and Newborns -- (10008) Animals on the Farm -- Video aimed at children/4-H clubs - (10134) Basic T.T. E.A.M. with Llamas - by Marty McGee (10005) Camelid Handling Secrets Volume 1 Medical Management - (10025) Click & Reward -- Training Video -- (10141) Click and Reward – Vol. II –(10159) The Competitive Edge in the Showring -- ALSA guidelines (10073) Felt Making by Hand -- Basic Process -- Vickrey (10143) Fences, Barns and Feeders (10085) Five Star Llama Packing (10001) Grooming and Basic Training -- SCLA (10063) How to Use the Kwick and Slick Grooming Tool – (10160) ILA Marketing Video (10111) In Search of the Ideal Llama -- conformation (10095) Inside 4-H Llamas – By ILA (10155) Llama Reproduction -- Part I & II (10009/10) Llama Training with Bobra Goldsmith -- (10003) Mallon Method, The - Difficult to Halter (10180) Mallon Method, The -- The First 24 Hours (10125) Mallon Method, The -- Halter Training Basics (10140) Rolfing a Llama -- (10103) SCLA 1995 Ft Worth Sale -- (10108/09) SCLA 1994 Conference Awards -- (10102) SCLA 1998 Conference Videos (two) – (10151) SCLA Seminar -- (Jensen) heat stress, nail trimming (10011) Spinning Wool, Basics and Beyond -- by P Zawistoski (10139) Step by Step Shearing -- for alpacas and llamas (10126) Texas A & M Seminar -- (Fowler) infectious disease & heat stress (10013) Teaching Your Llama to Pack – Marty McGee with Stanley Daugherty –video – TWO COPIES: --(10158) Texas Country Reporter – featuring John & Linda Keltgen (10157) Training Llamas to Drive -- (10044) Treasures of the Andes -- PBS (10090) "Treating" your Llama Kindly -- handling techniques with Dr. LaRue Johnson and Marty Mcgee (10128) TTEAM Approach to Herd Management -- McGee (10070) Vermonters Just Like to Felt Hats – video (10154) What Do You Do with a Llama? -- photography, Ley (10119) Why llamas? -- (10014)
Wonderful World of Llama Wool, The -- McGee (10121) Working In the Round Pen (3 tapes) John Mallon - 10124 Working with Difficult Llamas....by Ken Ploeser, (10162)
DVDs Llama Talk -- Cathy Spalding, Gentle Spirit Llama Training with Bobra Goldsmith Running of the Llamas: a documentary by Heidi Freier c. 2008 (10200) Spinning Luxury Fibers (3 DVD set) Judith MacKenzie Spinning Wool, Basics and Beyond -- by P Zawistoski Mallon Method, The -- Difficult to Halter Mallon Method, The -- The First 24 Hours Mallon Method, The -- Halter Training Basics Vermonters Just Like to Felt Hats -- The Herd of Northern Vermonters Wonderful World of Llama Wool, The -- McGee Working In the Round Pen (3 DVD set) John Mallon
Equipment Tooth-A-Matic rental $20 plus deposit SCLA members can check out items by emailing or calling Barbara Welch, Books may be kept for one month and video tapes for two weeks. Items are mailed at SCLA's expense. You pay the return postage. Please return to: Barbara Welch 12830 Rebecca Creek Rd. Spring Branch TX 78070 Email Barbara at dbldare@gvtc.com or phone: 830-885-2388. Updated June 2011
47
Advertising Rates Payment will reserve your placement and will be accepted for up to four consecutive issues. Please include $7.00 for each “loose” photo accompanying your ad. Please do not submit ink jet printouts of photos as the quality is sub-standard.
Member Rates:
Front Cover...................... $125.00 Inside Covers.......................$80.00 Back Cover..........................$90.00 Full Page..............................$65.00 Half Page.............................$55.00 Quarter Page........................$45.00 Business Card......................$30.00 Insert Your Flyer.................$75.00 Classifieds.................25¢ per word ($ 3.50 minimum)
Non-Member Rates:
Front Cover...................... $175.00 Inside Covers.......................$95.00 Back Cover....................... $105.00 Full Page..............................$75.00 Half Page.............................$65.00 Quarter Page........................$55.00 Business Card......................$35.00 Insert Your Flyer.................$85.00 Classifieds.................40¢ per word ($ 5.00 minimum)
Humming Herald Deadlines
Specifications Print Ready Ads: Acceptable print ready ad formats are files at 300 dpi as a Press Quality PDF, TIF, EPS or PSD file. Please zip or stuff your file for faster email transmission. Digital Photo Submission: When taking digital photos, it is always best to set your camera to its highest settings, which will give you the least amount of pictures on your memory card. Email the photo - in its original condition - to hummingherald@figmentranch.com for review. If your photo is not of the proper resolution, you will be notified. Full Page Ad: Half Page Ad: Quarter Page Ad: Business Card Ad:
48
7.5” x 10” 7.5” x 4.725” 3.62” x 4.725” 3.62” x 2.25”
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Spring...........................February 1 Summer............................... May 1 Fall...................................August 1 Winter........................ November 1 Mail Print-Ready Copy to: Ruby Herron 17102 Mueschke RD Cypress, TX 77433
Contact her with questions at 713-249-8523 or figranch@flash.net Additional copies of the Humming Herald are available at a cost of $5.00 each plus $2.25 per copy for shipping. Copies must be ordered by deadline date. Send check, made payable to SCLA at the address above.
Membership Application Form
South Central Llama Association (www.scla.us) Name:____________________________________________________________________________________ Ranch Name:______________________________________________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________________________________________________ City:_________________________________________ State:____________ Zip___________________________ Phone : ( ______) _____________________ Email:_____________________________________________ _____Please DO NOT print my name in the Membership Directory (handed out to the public) Annual Membership Fee: $40.00 per household. All memberships expire January 31st of each year. $20.00 for first-time members who join after July 1. Please mail a copy of this membership form with your check (payable to SCLA) to: SCLA MEMBERSHIP P.O. Box 163654 Austin, TX 78716
Associate Youth Membership Application Form South Central Llama Association (www.scla.us)
Youth Name:_______________________________________________________________________ Ranch Name:_______________________________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________________ City:__________________________________ State:________________ Zip___________________ Phone : ( ______)_______________________
Email:_____________________________________
Date of Birth______________________________ Name & Address of Adult Sponsor: ____________________________________________________________________________________ _____Please DO NOT print my name in the Membership Directory (handed out to the public) Youth Associate Memberships are non-voting and expire December 31st of each year. Annual Membership Fee: $10.00 per youth, ages 5-19. $5.00 for first-time members who join after July 1. Please mail a copy of this membership form with your check (payable to SCLA) to: SCLA Membership P.O. Box 163654 Austin, TX 78716
49 49
Only if we can learn to work together will we realize our strength in numbers. Free your mind and think. 50
Humming Herald Newsletter Fall 2015
Figment Ranch