Alpaca Advocate 2014 Summer

~ SUMMER Edition 2014~ Alpaca Advocate ~ SUMMER Edition 2014~

Newsletter of the AAA South Queensland and Northern NSW Region—Region of Many Colours

2014 SUMMER Edition

Lyn Barron’s Award Winning Entry

~ SUMMER Edition 2014~ Alpaca Advocate ~ SUMMER Edition 2014~ 2

South Queensland & Northern NSW AAA Ltd Region

Regional Calendar of Events 2014 16th February REGIONAL MEETING - McLaren Vale Alpaca Stud - Contact: Leanne Tunny Ph 0755438988

22nd February The Nutrition Workshop - Murwillumbah Showground

2nd March The Wonderful World of Alpacas Workshop Nattermeri Alpacas Contact: Bob Coxon 02 6645 9092

26th –29th March Toowoomba Royal Show Contact: Convenor Marg Hassall Fleece: Pauline Glasser (02) 66476454

29th March - 6th Apr AUSTRALIAN ALPACA WEEK Contact: Bob Coxon 02 6645 9092

10th - 23rd April Royal Sydney Show (Judging Animal/Fleece Show & Display) Contact: Paul Haslin 02 48789429

26th - 27th April Caves Show (Judging Animal/Fleece Show) Contact: Kelly Pfeiffer 0409129953

7th May Maclean Agricultural Show (Regional Display) Contact: Bob Coxon 02 6645 9092

9th & 10th May Grafton Colourbration Show (Judging Animal/Fleece Show & Display) Contact: Colin Glasser (02) 66476454

11th - 19th May AAA Ltd National Conference Adelaide Convention Centre

15th—17th May Gympie Show Contact: Robyn Harrison Ph 0418748585

16th –18th May Coffs Harbour Show (Regional Display) Contact: Bob Coxon 02 6645 9092

16th - 18th May Ipswich Show (Regional Display) Contact: Lynn Kincade Ph 0421093574

1st June REGIONAL MEETING NATTAMERI ALPACAS Contact: Bob Coxon 02 6645 9092

8th –9th June New England Show Contact: Cathy Reid Ph 02 67787449

19th—21st June Primex Agricultural Industries Expo Casino Contact: Bob Coxon 02 6645 9092

28th June Murwillumbah Inaugural Alpaca Show Contact: Rosemary Eva 02 6677 7500

28th - 29th June Mudgeeraba Agricultural Show (Display) Contact:Steve Rowley 07 55463971

12—13th July Queensland Colourbration—Alpacas on Show Contact Marc Mullette 0401071574

19th – 20th July Mid North Coast Show Contact: Lindy Brown Ph 02 65660439

20th July The Wonderful World of Alpacas (MCLAREN VALE ALPACAS QLD) Leanne Tunny Ph 0755438988

27th July ANNUAL REGIONAL MEETING – Longueville Park Alpacas

3rd August The Wonderful World of Alpacas (NATTAMERI ALPACAS) Bob Coxon 02 6645 9092

8th –17th August Royal Queensland Show ~ Ekka (Judging Animal/Fleece Show & Display) Contact: TBA Fleece: Pauline

Glasser (02) 66476454

31st August Gold Coast Show (Regional Display, Judging Animal) Contact: Leanne Tunny Ph 0755438988

18th—21st September NATIONAL SHOW - Judging & Fleece

20th & 21st September Nimbin Show (Regional Display) Contact: Bob Coxon 02 6645 9092

16th —18th October North Coast National LismoreShow - (Regional Display) Contact: Bob Coxon 026645 9092

14th —15th October Bangalow Show (Regional Display) Contact: Bob Coxon 02 6645 9092

23rd November REGIONAL MEETING - TBA - QLD


Advertisers:

Creekside Alpaca Stud

Grandeverge Alpacas

Hinchcliffe Alpacas

Kallaroo Alpaca Stud

Lakehaven Alpacas

McLaren Vale Alpacas

ARANAR Farm

Tumi Alpaca Transport

Wahgungurry Alpacas

Wyona Alpaca Stud

Contents

Dear Members,

Another year begins, trust you all had a great Christmas and New Year. Lets hope

we all see some rain on our properties, especially before we head into autumn. I

recently spent time in Canberra delivering the CS&E course to local breeders,

except for the 43 degree heat I had a most rewarding experience. Breeders in our

Southern NSW Region are also looking forward to some rain.

This edition is a little smaller than most due to the lack of articles sent in, however,

plenty of advertising from our members. I have sourced some articles of interest

from past editions. Thankyou to Elizabeth Paul for her permission to publish her

article on the popular interest in “Spots”.

The committee has a couple of vacancies, Fleece Liaison Officer and the Health &

Welfare Officer two very important roles for members. Please consider the

possibility of your contribution, the committee are very supportive and helpful.

Over the next few months the Alpaca Calendar starts to become very busy, check

out the Australian Alpaca Week changed dates, starting the weekend that

Toowoomba Royal finishes 29th-6th April. The Nationals have been set for the 18-

21th September at Bendigo this year.

President Leanne has been busy organising an educational experience for

members to attend; Dr Jane Vaughan's presentation of Alpaca Nutrition at

Murwillumbah Showgrounds ion 22nd February. We are fortunate to have Dr Jane

presenting in our Region.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the February registration discount on

unregistered females more information on the AAAwebsite.

A busy time for many; preparing fleeces for the show season, don’t forget

Toowoomba entries close on the 26th Feb and Grafton Colourbration Schedule

will be up on our web site shortly. Pick the fleece shows you want to enter for the

year, remember a fleece has a show life of 2 to 3 shows.

Look forwarded to seeing you at the next Regional Meeting.

“Happy Alpacaring!”

The Editor and South Queensland & Northern NSW Region Committee of the AAA accept no

responsibility for the opinions expressed, information supplied or advertisements published.

All submissions are subject to editing.

Copyright : The material published in this magazine is subject to copyright. And may not be

published in part or whole without written permission of the author.

Articles page

Presidents Report 5

Education 8

Its truly Amazing 12

Unusual Colour Patterns 16

Paralysis Tick 20

Safety on the Web 21

Herd Sires 24

Alpaca Mathletics 28

Craft 31

Front Page:

information about National

Conference on the AAA

website.


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Your 2013 –2014 Regional Committee

President: Leanne Tunny 0407748477 [email protected]

Vice President: Steve Rowley 07 5546 3971 [email protected]

Secretary: Karin Bondarenko 07 55470190 [email protected]

Treasurer: Christine Chidgey 0402234528 [email protected]

Past President: Sue Challacombe 02 6642 3336 [email protected]

Marketing: & Merchandise: Bob Coxon 02 66459092 [email protected]

Newsletter Editor: Pauline Glasser 02 66476454 [email protected] Webmaster: Steve Rowley 07 5546 3971 [email protected] Health & Safety Officer : VACANCY

Education Officer: Leanne Tunny 0407748477 [email protected]

Fleece Liaison Officer: VACANCY

AUTUMN deadline ~ MARCH 31ST 2014.

Next Regional Meeting

WHEN: 1st June 2014

TIME: 10.30am for 11am (QldTime)

WHERE: Nattameri Alpaca Stud - Goodwood Island Contact: Jackie & Bob Coxon 02 6645 9092 Please bring Lunch to Share

More information will be emailed shortly

mailto:[email protected]






From our President’s Desk

February 2014

Leanne Tunny

[email protected]

Phone 0407 748 477; Home: 07 5543 8988

Hello everyone,

Show Season is nearly upon us again with the Royal Toowoomba Show kicking it off on March 26th

– 29th at the Toowoomba Showgrounds. On behalf of the committee, we wish all members

participating in the show with either animals or fleece (or both), the best of luck. Supporting our

Alpaca shows is vital to ensuring their longevity.

The Executive Committee welcomes Karin Bondarenko as the Official ‘Secretary’ of the South

Queensland Northern NSW Region AAA Ltd. Karin was appointed as the ‘Assistant Secretary’ late

last year but has now moved into the role in an official capacity. Karin has already proven to be a

wonderful asset to our committee (and our region) we welcome her enthusiasm and knowledge to

our team.

As a member of the Reference Panel for the Australian Alpaca -An Introduction to Alpacas magazine, I was recently asked to nominate a suitable candidate for the Small Breeder Profile in the magazine. The magazine is supplied as a ‘free handout’ to all members that participate in Australian Alpaca Week throughout Australia. Our Committee got together and nominated Roland Schwertner of Erwin Alpacas of Alstonville as a suitable breeder for this publication. We are pleased to advise that the magazine has now been published and it showcases a two page editorial on Erwin Alpacas. The article about Roland’s life with his alpacas is very heartwarming - we are very pleased that Roland was chosen as the most suitable recipient for the editorial.

AAA Constitution - the AAA Board is currently considering the Draft of a new Constitution for the organization. The AAA Board's intention is to post the document on the AAA website as a "Green Paper", calling for member submissions, the Boards target is to have a finalized document for formal consideration by the AAA Membership by end May 2014.

Our Marketing/Merchandise Manager, Bob Coxon has spent many hours on the design of a trailer

that could be used for transporting animals and merchandise to shows and displays. The design has

now been finalized and the committee have committed funds to have the trailer manufactured. The

trailer will be fully galvanized, 1400mm long x 1525mm wide x 1500mm high, it can transport up to

three weanling alpacas and will have internal lockable gates with a large area for storage of alpaca

merchandise that we sell at shows and displays. This trailer will be housed at Goodwood Island but

will be available for any member to use as/when required.

We welcome all of our new members to the region and encourage you to come along to some of our

forthcoming events. We hope that by attending events you will enrich your knowledge and find new

friendships and acquaintances;

February 22nd

2014 (Saturday)

Nutrition Workshop & Forum – Function Room, Murwillumbah Showgrounds, Murwillumbah

9.30am (NSW time) until 3.00pm (NSW time) - $50.00 per person

Presenter: Doctor Jane Vaughan

We will have some places left for this workshop, please contact Leanne Tunny on 0407 748 477 or

[email protected] if you would like to book .




March 2nd

2014

Introduction to the Wonderful World of Alpacas Workshop, Goodwood Island NSW.

This full day workshop is a fabulous tool for all those people you have just sold alpacas to, they

will find out everything they need to know when starting out in the alpaca industry. For more

information please contact Bob Coxon on 02 6645 9092

March 29th – April 6

th 2014

Australian Alpaca Week – The dates for ‘Australian Alpaca Week’ have changed this year (and so has the name). As the nominated date is about 4 – 5 weeks earlier this year there has been a drop in the number of farms wanting to open to the public. If you would like to participate in Australian Alpaca Week, please contact Bob Coxon on 02 6645 9092 and register your interest as soon as possible. May 9

th – May 11

th 2014

Australia Alpaca Association 2014 National Conference, Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide

The conference offers you a valuable opportunity to share knowledge and network with others who

share your passion and goals. Session themes for the conference will cover a rich and diverse

range of topics to discuss a broad range of questions of common interest. It will also provide a

platform to establish new business relationships. More details are on www.alpaca.asn.au then go to

Australian Alpaca Conference for details (reduced fees can be obtained if registering before

February 28th 2014) Some of the topics to be covered at the conference are: Fibre, Rickets,

Coccidiosis, Artificial Breeding Technology, Neonatal Cria, Animal Nutrition, Dental, Reproduction,

Genetics and much more.

If you have any issues that you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact me. Regards, Leanne Tunny Regions website: www.qldnsw.alpaca.asn.au

http://www.alpaca.asn.au


POSITIONS VACANT Fleece Liaison Officer & Health & Welfare Officer SOUTH QUEENSLAND & NORTHERN NSW AAA LTD

Fleece Liaison Officer

The Fleece Liaison Officer (FLO) is responsible for co-ordinating the collection and forwarding of fleeces from the region to AAFL or other outlets, as well as ensuring information on fleece is distributed effectively to regional members.

Duties

Determine, and advise members of, those fleece collection points to be used within the region.

Set up and co-ordinate collection points within region. The number of which depends on geographic/grower spread Determine which collection point best suits each grower; produce and distribute a “Grower List” for each collection point. Ascertain the best method of transporting fleece from the collection points to the AAFL Fleece Handling Centre (FHC). (Note that national wool transport companies are usually the cheapest). Prepare articles for Newsletter on fleece matters. Ensure that all regional members are kept informed of the current regional fleece collection arrangements, using regional meetings, newsletters, emails and circulars. Advise on and organise pre-classing tuition for members. Maintain a supply of approved fleece bags for sale to members through the regional merchandising officer. Organise at least one fleece collection day annually at which fleece is collected and pressed, ready for dispatch.

Animal Health & Welfare

Regional Animal Health Representative – Roles and Responsibilities

Provide the Regional Newsletter Editor with articles on care and husbandry.

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-diseases-weeds/animal/notifiable Responsibility: The Regional

Representative must not be considered to be providing professional Veterinarian advice.

http://www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/pests-diseases-weeds/animal/notifiable


Deadlines for advocate

Autumn 31 March

Winter 30 June

Spring 30 Sept

New Year Message from Michelle Malt, AAA President

Welcome to a new year! 2014 will be a busy year for the AAA. In addition to the 'regular' lineup of regional events incorporating shows, educational days and promotional activities, we will have Australian Alpaca Week from 29 March - 6 April; our National Conference in Adelaide from 9 – 11 May; and our National Show & Sale returns to Bendigo 18 - 21 September. Our new General Manager has been appointed and will commence with AAAon Monday 3 February 2014. Craig Taberner joins us from Greyhounds Australasia and has been employed on a two-year contract. Craig will certainly hit the ground running, with the first face-to-face Board meeting being held in Melbourne 7 - 9 February, and several key initiatives proposed for implementation during 2014. Members will have the opportunity to find out more about Craig in the coming weeks as he steps into the role. A new year is often the time to review goals and make new plans, and whatever your goals for your alpaca enterprise, I trust the efforts you have put into your planning, and your hard work during the year will result in the outcomes you desire. The AAA office staff, AAA Board and your Regional Committee members will also be working hard on your behalf. Michelle Malt

AAA Ltd President

National Show & Sale 2014

As you will see from Michelle's message, the dates for the National Show & Sale have now been confirmed as 18-21 September 2014. We will need a team of volunteers to ensure this year's show is a great success. Anyone who is interested in joining the

convening team for NS&S 2014 should contact Trevor Parry (email [email protected]).

Turn Back Time Transfer Sale

It is not long now till the Turn Back Time Transfer Sale In February 2014. During this time AAA will offer members the opportunity to update their herd records to include anyUnregistered Female alpaca aged over 12 months for just $22 per animal. Registrations of females aged over 12 months done on-line or by post will all be charged at $22. To qualify for this price, registrations must be submitted online between 1-28 February, or received by post at the AAA office by last mail on Friday 28 February 2014.

Now is the time to start looking at your herd records so that you are ready to make the most of this sale in February.

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Hi Pauline, Article for the Advocate. I know people have asked this question many times, "How do you stop animals making their poo pile in a shed or on the paddock lanes or roads" WELL Greg tried pegging down shade cloth with wire pegs, over the original spot, and it has worked. Although they only moved a little away, but we have done 2 trails and both worked. May be a bigger piece of shade cloth for a bigger area. Our cloth is stripped, will green or black work the same way? Who will try and answer this question? Wire pegs are just plain wire, 12 " long and bent in half. Regards Judy Barlow Kallaroo Alpaca Stud


Ten tips for avoiding vaccination pitfalls.

1. Clean, new syringe - do not leave syringes lying around. Open them just before using and

be efficient.

2. Clean, new needle - and keep it that way. Needles can become quickly contaminated in the

hair, dirt and debris of the barn.

3. Clean new vaccine vial - vaccines from multi dose vials should be used or discarded. Many

adverse reactions I have seen are from large vials stored for prolonged periods. If you need

20 doses, buy TWO 10 dose vials rather than a 50 dose vial. That 50 dose vial that had 20

doses removed is unlikely to be sterile when you come back 6 months or a year later to do

"another round".

4. Accurate administration – inject under the skin preferably, not intra muscular (IM). IM

increases likelihood of adverse reaction because of accidental IV administration. (Most

vaccine reactions are sterile abscesses that break and drain. Although these are unsightly,

one that breaks and drains from just under the skin is far less likely to cause a problem than

one that has to break and drain from deep in a muscle.)

5. Pull back on plunger before administration - make sure you are not in a vein. (Even a small

amount of vaccine can cause reactions when given in a vein or artery. If the animal jumps

around, re-check your position.)

6. Administer in a clean site. ZEN of vaccination: Part the fibre - "see the site - be the site."

7. Avoid using multi dose syringes - These are far more likely to cause a problem because of

contamination.

8. Store vaccine correctly - usually in a refrigerator, at minimum cool dark place. Absolutely

follow label storage directions. Do you know your supplier - was the vaccine shipped correctly,

stored correctly, how close to the "out of date" date is the vial, etc. You get what you pay for.

9. Talk to your vet - have a plan to deal with vaccine reactions. Plans do no good when they

are made after the fact. Discuss risk assessments to decide what vaccines are "critical", which

ones are "optional", and which are "not needed".

10. There are no labelled vaccines for camelids, so ALL vaccines are used extra label. You

assume the risk in giving them. I feel comfortable in saying that far more camelids have been

helped by vaccines than have ever been hurt by them, but that does not mean that there are

any guarantees.

Article written by David E Anderson, Head & Associate Professor, Farm Animal Surgery,

Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. www.icinfo.org


Leanne Tunny & Bella Rose

Roland Schwertner

Basic Alpaca First Aid kit.

What should be in the first aid kit?

A basic kit should have the following:

vet wraps, gauze swaps, absorbent pads,

adhesive tape, betadine, saline solution,

scissors or a pocket knife, 5ml and 10 ml

syringes and 18, 19 and 21 needle tops. It is

best to store in large bucket with lid to keep dry

and clean. A torch and VET contact details

should be added.

Seek VETadvice for additional products.


It is truly amazing how much manure alpacas can

generate in a short period of time. Their faecal output is actually about

one to two percent of their body weight per day-and this is the dry

weight! In terms of fresh, wet weight, it is significantly more because of

all the water contained in alpaca dung. Those dung piles seem to have

a habit of doubling in size almost overnight! So after the compost bins

are full, the flower beds, vegetable garden and fruit trees are amply

fertilized and the pasture is getting a case of nitrogen overload, three

questions remain to be asked: 1.) How do you get the manure off the paddocks? 2.) How do

you get the manure out of the shed? and 3.) How do you get the manure off the farm?

We've managed to resolve these three tricky questions and at the same time save money and

effort in the bargain. These are clearly rewards worth striving for!

We take the opposite tack from most alpaca farmers who tear their hair out trying to figure

ways of preventing their animals from pooing in the shed. We encourage ours to poo in the

shed when stabled for the weather or showing-as they cant do their poo in the paddock

anyway. Any hay that is leftover in the paddock from the day before that the alpacas find

unpalatable or unpleasant smelling is strewn on top of that day's manure in the shed. (Manure

is actually dung plus urine and anything else, such as bedding, which is mixed with it.) When

the manure is removed from the shed floor (which is rough concrete with a centre gutter for

hosing down), a thin sprinkling of teatree oil and lime is spread to kill any escaping parasites

and the clean, replacement bedding is thrown down to be spread around on top of the lime.

Benefits of alpaca poo. Alpaca manure is lower in organic matter content than manures of

most other livestock (like cows, horses and sheep) but it still has plenty to improve soil texture

and water-holding capacity. This lower organic content allows alpaca manure to be spread

directly onto plants without fear of `burning' them. It is the decomposition of organic matter

which produces the heat that can damage plant roots. (Low organic matter content of the

manure also indicates efficient digestion--another plus when you're talking to people about the

benefits of alpaca ownership!)

Compared to the other animals, the nitrogen and potassium content of alpaca poo is

comparatively high--an indication of good fertilizer value. (Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

are the major plant nutrients; they are the familiar N-P-K on fertilizer bags.) Phosphorus is

relatively low--but it is low in most other livestock manure as well. Calcium and magnesium

content is about average. And salt content is not too high but it is high enough that one should

not apply alpaca poop directly onto seedlings or improperly mixed into the soil. Interestingly

enough, feed composition, with few exceptions, doesn't have much effect on manure

composition. (taken from www.alpacalibrary.com)

Overall, alpaca poo is a great organic fertilizer. Of course, organic fertilizers are

usually lower in nutrient content than synthetic fertilizers--so you must apply more to

get the same amount of nutrients. One would have to apply about 13 times as much

alpaca poo to get the same amount of nitrogen. After people have had the experience

of using alpaca poo, there is no problem to get them to come back for more. We find

that this method has worked really well for us, we are able to get rid of the manure

while exposing people to the captivating personality and characteristics of our animals.

It is a win-win situation that gives us positive exposure in our community.

Pauline ~ Wahgungurry Alpacas


Regional Shows and Regional Displays

Members you may or may not be aware of what is involved in running a

Show for the Region. It takes quite a bit of organising and many volunteer

working hours from those who assist.

As with many organisations it is a struggle at times to find help and for the

most part always ends up with the “same people” doing all the work !

So, please think about putting your hand up and helping out..........it would

be most appreciated!

Interesting Websites:

The listing of these websites is simply for interest and the information is not a

recommendation. e.g. on health matters, please consult with your Veterinarian.

www.owning-alpaca.com (Excellent site, has instructions for washing fleece, craft

projects, felting etc, packed with information.)

www.alpaca-uk.co.uk (Articles)

www.camelidsupplies.com.au (Supplier)

www.alpaca.org.nz (Info & Articles)

www.thinklivestock.com (Suppliers of Vaccination Equipment)

www.animalhealthaustralia.com.au (Info on animal health matters)

www.guineafowl.com (great info on guinea fowl—see the links for free on-line

info)

www.mallonmethod.com (John Mallon Animal Trainer, Gentling & Training


Some Unusual Colour Patterns in Alpacas Elizabeth Paul, 2/01/14

Over the 14 years in which I have researching colour genetics in alpacas, I have collected records of unusual colour patterns, sent to me by many breeders. I suspect there are many more out there, which are disguised by the somewhat restrictive descriptions available for registration. Indeed, some defy

description altogether!

In particular, I became interested in “appaloosa” patterns, that is, an alpaca with many spots on a different coloured background. (It’s not known if any of these are the same as the appaloosa patterns in horses, but the word immediately brings spots to mind!) Often these alpacas have mainly white fleece with coloured spots, but I have a record of a dark fawn alpaca with white spots on both sides, giving it a

distinct “Bambi” look.

One of my friends had a medium brown, apparently solid coloured female, which produced three “appaloosa” type crias from different males. None of the males had produced spotting in other matings, so they must have come from the female. She however did not appear to have much in her background that could be linked to these odd patterns. Her first cria, from a solid white sire, was born white with red spots all over his face and body. He looked as though he was born with measles! See Plate 1. Over several months, this cria began to darken to an ashy grey shade down the neck. Initially it was thought that he was rubbing himself against a burnt-out stump and getting dirty. By the time he was shorn, he

was no longer white and his fleece had separated into three distinct shades of dark fawn. See Plate 2.

This mating was repeated, and a female cria, also white, but with lighter fawn spots was born. Unfortunately, both youngsters were killed in a dog attack shortly afterwards. The next cria from this dam, by a solid medium fawn sire, was a golden shade of fawn with smoky dark points. By first shearing, she also had darkened to an ashy brown, with several darker spots revealed on her belly. The last cria, a full sister to that one, was born a light honey fawn with black spots all over her nose and legs. See Plate 3. At 6 months her fleece on the outside was still honey fawn, and when parted was a deep ashy grey at the skin. She still had the black spots on her face and legs, and looked very like her half brother in pattern, except that he had red spots on white. Later on she produced a white/fawn

appaloosa female and then a solid black male cria.

I also had two white “appaloosas”, which had extremely white fleece, and skin covered in black pigment spots, which grew black fibre. The young male was registered as white/black; his sire was solid white and his mother solid black. His spots were so small they did not show up just by looking at him, it was only when the fleece was parted that the black fibres could be seen. I re-registered him as a roan/rosegrey and took him to a show to see what the officials would make of him. He was passed to show in the grey class, (and won) but he generated a great deal of comment from other breeders and the stewards as to his exact colour. (The best comment was “Well I think he’s a bad white!”). I found out

later that his white sire had subsequently produced a number of white/fawn appaloosas.

The white female had larger, more visible black spots. She had five crias, two white “appaloosa” like herself but with fawn spots; one white appaloosa with black spots; one typical “multi” cria with black saddle and neck, white legs and throat, and one tuxedo black cria with a small white mark on the face. Note that white appaloosas are genetically coloured alpacas with very large amounts of white, not white

alpacas with coloured spots.

Another unusual colour pattern is the black headed roan (as described by Dr Sponenberg in the US.) These have a black head/neck, legs and underbelly, and grey saddle. I have photographic records of three individuals like this, and another verbal report of a group of three females, apparently mother, daughter and granddaughter with the same pattern. They are quite different from the pattern of a


A big thank you to members who have indicated their support of the inaugural Murwillumbah Show to be held on 28 thJune 2014. The

planning group consisting of Rosemary Eva, Liz Coles and Pauline Glasser have had a number of meetings over the past few months with

the Tweed River Agricultural Society President in order to get the event off the ground.

The regional committee approved holding of the show well before the cut-off date for registrations of interest (ie 14th February) due to over

100 Huacaya and 22 Suri “likely entries” being received. Expressions of interest continue to roll in with members of neighbouring regions

providing their support.

Rosemary will be the Convenor of the show ably supported by members of our region and is very pleased to announce that Lyn Dickson

will judge the first Murwillumbah Show.

The showground is a wonderful facility for a standalone Alpaca Show. Excellent camping facilities, at reasonable rates, are available so

members can stay on site with their animals and have meet and greet time (happy hour) on the Friday and Saturday nights.

Event sponsorship will of course be available to members and local business houses as will advertising in the program for the day.

Stay tuned to the region’s website and face book page. The Schedule will be available shortly.

classic grey, since they are usually born solid black, and only start greying out after first or second shearing. The owner will often notice the grey starting at the groin or shoulder, and it gradually spreads over the whole saddle. See Plate 4. Another friend had an 18year old female, all grey on her belly but the neck, head and legs were still very black. Note that the blackheaded roan pattern can only be seen on a

genetically black alpaca.

Breeders have also commented to me that they have mated the same pair of alpacas several times, and each time got a completely different cria. If you mate the same pair and get half a dozen full sibling crias, of two or three different colours, what you really have is a “litter” situation. It is just spread out, instead of getting six all at once like cats or dogs. A litter simply reflects more quickly the genetic make-up of the parents. It is worth remembering that each mating, even between the same pair of alpacas, is a completely separate event from the one before it, and the one that will come after it. Also recessive genes are more likely to give the same result time after time. In alpaca colours, the most reliable colour

mating is black x black.

If you think you have an unusual coloured alpaca, get the camera out. Successive photos from birth to first shearing, including before and after shots, are very important. (Make sure you get one before they

find something to roll in after shearing!) It is also helpful to record as many family members as possible.

The topic of colour inheritance in alpacas continues to be a fascinating one, and I am always interested

in odd or unusual patterns. I can be contacted as below.

For more information on colour inheritance in alpacas:

“The Alpaca Colour Key” Book is the notes of the seminar, including 10 pages of full colour

photographs. Cost: $30AUS plus $6AUDP&P Australia wide. Overseas please ask.

CONTACT: Elizabeth Paul

[email protected]

Phone/fax 03 9890-7741.


Shearers

Bob Dunn (02) 4930 3446

Chris Powers 0438653782

Drew Shearman (02) 49201507

Ted Winnell (Casino) (02) 66625379

Mob: 0427 343991

Bernie McInerney Mob: 0429 668240

Dusty the Aussie Shearer 0422 946697

Mike Snow via Kelli Pfeiffer [email protected]

Dennis & Sue Boyle

Humminghills (Carool) (07) 5590 7745

Mob: 0407 458107

Contacting fellow breeders in your Region for a

recommendation is probably the best way to locate a

shearer.

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. qldnsw.alpaca.asn.au

Fibre Testing Micron Man Pty Ltd

Email for more information

[email protected]

New England Fibre Testing Service

Walcha 02 6777 2122

Australian Wool Testing Authority (AWTA)

Geelong office 03 5277 9842

Melbourne office 03 9371 2100

Australian Alpaca Fleece Testing (AAFT) (AWEX

accredited)

Paul Vallely, PO Box 246, Crookwell, NSW

2583

Phone/Fax: 02 4834 2132

International Fibre Centre, Gordon Institute of

TAFE, Geelong

Geelong 03 5227 2358

Howe, Watts & Co

Mudgee 02 6373 3403

Riverina Wool Testers Pty Ltd

Wagga Wagga 02 6925 1407

Riverina Fleece Testing Services (RFTS)

Wodonga 02 6026 0551

Southern Tablelands Fibre Testing (STFT)

(AWEX Accredited)

Kim Cartwright, Thalaba Downs, Laggan 2583

Phone/Fax: 02 4837 3210 Mobile: 0427 373 211


Declaring 2015 the Australian Year of the Alpaca.

Syringe Care Syringes are handy when using for drenching with tubing attached. The rubbers in these often get stuck from washing and the rubber on the plunger drying out. To give the syringes more life, when dry after washing, dribble some rice bran oil or sunflower seed oil along one side of the inside, replace the plunger, twisting as you move it backwards and forwards. This will keep it moving and reusable for much longer. Store Syringe with the plunger halfway in the barrel also helps.


Paralysis tick – new breeder’s perspective.

Before you all go, “oh no, not another paralysis tick story”, just bear with me for a while.

Just recently we lost one of our lovely little cria – 2 month old “Estra” to a paralysis tick. Penny noticed

her sitting under the paddock shelter by herself during the day, but she wandered up to be with the

other girls after a while.

It wasn’t unusual for her to be by herself as she was orphaned at one month old and we had been hand raising her.

I had been out at our Regional alpaca meeting during the day and as I arrived home and drove down the drive I could see Estra with

the other alpacas.

Pen told me immediately that she had been acting a bit funny in the afternoon, so I went and had a look at her. Usually she bolts from

me when I come close, but this time she let me touch her. My immediate thought was that she had worms – having lost an animal

from barbers pole worm a while back I was determined that this would not happen again. I had held off drenching her as her weight

was still pretty low – she drank very little from the bottle, so was putting on weight slowly.

The girls were all in our big shed and it was raining pretty heavily. So I brought out some feed for them to fill their bellies. Estra was

actually first to the feed bins but almost immediately started to retch and vomit.

At that point I recalled her doing a similar thing the day before to a lesser degree but I dismissed it, as perhaps she was coughing on

some chaff . She pretty much immediately went down and sat. At this stage I was not sure what the problem was so I decided to bring

her up into the house to keep an eye on her.

I checked her all over for any sign of ticks or anything else but she appeared clean. She had developed a pretty thick soft coat so it

was hard to see anything on her – and I didn’t.

I carried her outside onto the lawn to see shat she would do – she sniffed at the grass and then flopped down. I kept an eye on her for

about an hour and during this time tried feeding her milk and water, she took a bit but threw it up.

I was suspecting that she had eaten something toxic – maybe something in the garage as she was very inquisitive and had to look

into everything, or a plant or weed or something but I couldn’t think what.

I went to pick her up off the ground and immediately felt some crusty deposit under her neck – felt and looked like a bit of dirt. I

scratched it away and there it was – a 3/4 size tick – how the hell could we have missed it !

We got onto the Vet immediately and she happened to be already out our way so she came around pretty quickly. Little Estra was so

dehydrated that a vein could not be found so the vet injected the tick serum straight into the gut – she did warn me that this was not

the preferred location as the take up was slower. But Estra looked pretty alert, although her breathing was starting to labor now.

For the next 4 hours Pen and I sat with this little thing as she quickly went down hill. It was seriously one of the most heartbreaking

things to watch as she took her last breath.

The point of this story is not so much about paralysis tick as it is about observing your animals and acting when their behavior is

different – particularly for new breeders. I made a number of mistakes in this case that cost the life of one of my favorite alpacas.

Observing and acting on different behavior is the key.

The mistakes included not having tick collars on the crias (at least) at this time of the year. I had some – but had not got around to

putting them on. Another mistake was not looking closely into why Estra was coughing the day before… well, they all do it at some

time, especially when they pig into chaff, but I observed a different behavior and didn’t act on it.

Another thing is the symptoms. I have not experienced the symptoms of paralysis tick before – coughing, change of voice (her

humming was more of a growl), vomiting and weakness in the hind legs.

Well, I know what the signs are and they were all there. One of the things that I get so angry about is that we learn from our mistakes

at the expense of our animals. I still refer to myself as a new breeder although I have had alpacas for a bit over 16 months. Everyday

I learn something new, but my biggest lesson is that alpaca behavior is pretty predictable, so if they change there behavior it is worth

checking it out. James Beeby (editor: reprint from 2009)


We increasingly hear in the news of hackers getting access to things they shouldn’t. Are you helping them? You might be! If you want to be warned when things go wrong in the world wide web you can subscribe to a newsletter from the Federal Government. It gives you a heads up on issues that might affect you. Subscribe at http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/ and click on the Alert Service button to Sign Up Now. You can choose what things you want to kept

informed about.

Passwords are there to keep your stuff private, but if you don’t manage them properly you could find yourself in a mess. With many websites requesting you sign up to access their content I’m sure you’re finding that you have too many passwords to remember. One way we solve that problem is to use the same password… Not a good idea!. If hackers get that password then they have

access to all your stuff.

So we need a different password for every site.

Adobe was recently hacked and registered user information was taken. When I was advised about the breach by StaySmartOnline, I thought, “ah, I don’t have an account with adobe” so nothing to do. However, after

I signed up to another website they sent me an email saying I had an account with adobe using the same email address and suggesting I change all my passwords, which of course I did. I had registered with Adobe many years ago and had forgotten

about it and I had used one of my regular passwords… Bad boy.

When reviewing my passwords I found I had hundreds and many were too simple. To be effective passwords should be at least 12 characters and it’s better if you have numbers and special

characters in them.

I now have many passwords that are too complicated to remember, so I went looking for a tool to make it easier. I wanted a tool that would work on my pc but had support for phones/tablets too as I like to access sites from those device too. I found

KeePass and have been using this successfully.

Every time I need a new login/password I add it to my KeePass database so whenever I want to login I just have to find the entry in the Keepass tool and login. For most sites it allows auto entry of the login/password so you don’t have to type them in. Keepass

can even generate a random password for you.

The program can be found at http://keepass.info/ You can get the phone version from the google play store or the apple app

Safety on the Web By Stephen Rowley

http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/

http://keepass.info/


Send in your favourite Alpaca photos


Sire Name Colour IAR Stud Stud Fee Photo

Alpha Centauri

Tahvo Huacaya,

Solid White

134917

Cobaki Creek Alpacas $450.00

Encantador Alonzo (ET)

Huacaya,

Light Fawn

118157

Cobaki Creek Alpacas $500.00

Grand Flowerdale

Traviator

Huacaya Medium

Fawn 130107 Creekside Alpacas $600.00

Erragolia Double

Ice Huacaya,

Solid White

129715 Erragolia Alpacas $ 600

Wilari Park

Ballantyne Huacaya,

Solid White

72710 Erragolia Alpacas $ 500.00

Erragolia Collaroy Huacaya,

Dark Fawn

114843 Erragolia Alpacas $ 500 .00

Longueville Park

Black Opal Huacaya Black 50527 Erragolia Alpacas Co

Owned with Misty

Mountain

$ 550 .00

+ Travel

Hinchcliffe

Alfonso

Huacaya,

Solid White

149935 Hinchcliffe Alpacas $600.00

Hinchcliffe

Olympus

Huacaya,

Medium Fawn

149931 Hinchcliffe Alpacas $600.00

Rathdowney Giacomo

Casanova

Solid White 10515 Hinchcliffe Alpacas $600.00

McLaren Morgan-Lilly, my first rose grey!


Rosemont CASTAWAY

HUACAYA

Solid Black

146614 Humminghills Alpacas $660.00

Humminghills OLIVER TWIST

SURI

Solid White


Bonny Belle DAN THE MAN

HUACAYA

Rose Grey


NIMBIN

Timbertop CT

WARLORD

HUACAYA

Solid White


Greenvale

GABBANA HUACAYA

Solid White

:97011 Humminghills Alpacas $440.00

Coricancha

BOLDAMERO HUACAYA

Solid White


Rosemount

LEWIS

HUACAYA

Solid Medium

Fawn


Janda

MONTE CARLO

HUACAYA

Solid White

72948 Jacaranda Alpacas $300.00

Wyona

CENOTAPH

Huacaya Solid

Black 115482 Longueville Park $660.00

Longueville

Park

RHYLEY

Huacaya Solid


Longueville

Park

PEGASUS

Huacaya Solid


Longueville

Park

PHOENIX

Huacaya Solid


Longueville

Park

BRIGANTINE

Huacaya Solid


Pacofino

RITZVILLE

Suri Solid

Dark Fawn 125158 Mangowood

Alpacas

$880.00


Lakehaven

Optimo

Huacaya,

Solid White

132003 Maple Park Alpacas Stud fee: $500 on farm, negotiable for

multiple matings.

Shogun Lord

Toranaga Huacaya Black 61055 MiaJai Alpacas Stud fee: $300 on

farm, negotiable for

multiple matings

Balfour Haven

Noble Monarch

Huacaya

Dark Fawn 125054 Misty Mountain Stud $500

+ Travel

Karawill Atom

Huacaya Black 104635 Kestral Place

Alpacas $400.00

Arcady Auberon

Kallarro Huacaya Grey Kallaroo Alpacas POA

Barkala Garcia Solid White 91399 Nattameri Alpacas $400.00

Arcady Hoax Huacaya

Rose Grey 15538 Stanmore Park

Alpacas $500.00

Criadero Fidel Huacaya Solid

Black 95506 Wahgungurry Alpacas $400.00

Ninbella Matt Huacaya

Medium Fawn 74124 Wahgungurry Alpacas $400.00

Ninbella Galaxy Huacaya

Medium Fawn 87337 Wahgungurry Alpacas $400.00

Value Add to your Business by advertising in the Advocate

The Advocate is sent to all Regional Members, All AAA Directors, AAA Regional

Presidents and Regional Newsletter Editors. We often have subscriptions from people

interested in our industry from Intro to alpaca workshops.

Our reasonable rates:

Full Page $ 85.00

Half Page $ 40.00

Quarter Page $ 25.00

Classified—Business Card size $ 10.00 (4 for $36)

Special Offer: 10% discount for 4 Adverts - discount applied on the 4th Advert.

Subscription— 4 copies $22.00


Ambrosia artemisiifolia (ASTERACEAE) Annual Ragweed

An annual herb to 2 m. Native to eastern North America. This weed has been sighted

spreading rapidly along along Bulimba Creek in Wishart and Sunnybank. Declared a

noxious weed in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Leaves are opposite at the base of the plant, becoming alternate further up the stem.

Leaf blades are deeply divided. The uppermost leaves usually smaller. All leaves are

covered in hairs.

Male flower heads (more numerous) droop from branching spike-like inflorescences

borne at the tips of the stems. Female flower-heads (fewer) consist of a single floret.

Very similar to parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) when in the vegetative

stage of growth. However, parthenium weed has ribbed stems and masses of small

white, bisexual flower-heads.

SOURCE: Suburban and Environmental Weeds.

Weeds Australia notes: "Major cause of allergy

with pollen causing flu-like symptoms; contact

with the plant can also cause skin allergies. The

stem-galling moth, Epiblema strenuana,

introduced for control of Parthenium Weed,

Parthenium hysterophorus, reduces Annual

Ragweed populations in warmer areas." –

www.weeds.org.au


ALPACA MATHLETICS! How much water do Alpacas drink?

Alpacas require around 3.5 to 5.6 litres per day. They will drink more when feeding cria.

What are the normal vital signs for alpacas?

Heart rate is 60 to 90 rates per minute, temperature is 37.5 to 38.3 and breathing rate is 10 to 30 breaths per minute.

How long do Alpacas live?

They generally live for 15-20 years although some can live as long as 25.

How long are they pregnant for?

Crias are carried between 11.5 to 12 months although sometimes they carry for a little longer.

Do alpacas have twins?

98% are single births although sometimes twins are born however they rarely survive.

When can the crias be weaned?

From 6 months old although if crias are well grown then weaning can occur earlier.

IMPORTANT

REMINDER

FROM BOB

Australian Alpaca Week (AAW) is fast approaching and to date we have only 5 studs registered to participate compared with 14 last

year which is somewhat disappointing. However, it is acknowledged that the change in timing has not suited some members.

AAW gives members a fantastic opportunity to promote their farms, sell alpacas and other products as well as promote the industry in

general and our region. Promotional items will once again be provided by AAA and localised/website advertising will again be

undertaken by your region to support your efforts.

It may well be that, given the festive season, you have simply forgotten to register your participation. Registrations were due by 1st

February. However, you can still do so by the middle of February.

You can register online by simply logging on to the Member Services section of AAA website or you can download this form and

submit by fax ( Vicky- 03 98737711), email or post.

Thanking you in advance for your participation and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Bob Coxon


A D H J I O P P E W Q K D B

T S U M M E R A S S C E J F

R L D D A F F R E O E T F D

U K F L Q Q G D D R G I W

E J S F E R R D K E T J B R

T H A F R R A T J F I H R Y

O F L D R P R G G G F G E U

T S E S R R R B S R Y F Y K

Y E S S R T C E R T Y D U N

P R R G G T K V R T A D B V

E G S R G G O E D S N C R B

H J K E Y S T V T Q I W I G

F W P W G C O V G G M J G D

S H O W A J G N K J I G H S

F W I R D F D C H K A F T F

S E A Y H S O N S K L D N W

W H I T R L S I E H Y S E Q

C R R R D E R J R T H G S A

S F E E C R I M P H J J S S

E A D V E R T I S I N G U F

ANIMAL

ADVERTISING

BRIGHTNESS

CHARACTER

CRIMP

CERTIFY

FIBRE

KEYS

LOCK

LUSTRE

MALE

PADDOCK

SALES

SUMMER

SHOW

TRUE TO TYPE


Keep it Simple Slippers

Size: Adjustable – pattern written for women’s shoe size 9 (medium-large)

Materials:

Two 50g balls alpaca yarn, Size 9 straight needles (for sole), 16” circular size 9 needle, or set of size 9 dpns (for slipper top), Tapestry needle

Gauge: 3.5 sts = 1” with doubled yarn in stockinette stitch on size 9 needles

Stitches/Terms: bind off (BO), cast on (CO), decrease (dec), knit (K), knit two together (K2tog), place marker (pm), purl (P), slip slip knit (ssk),

stitch (st), stockinette stitch (st st)

NOTE: Slipper is made with double strand of yarn. Sole is made first by knitting in garter stitch rows back and forth, then stitches are picked up

onto circular or double-pointed needles and worked in stockinette stitch rounds to form slipper top.

Sole

With double strand of yarn, cast on 9. Work in garter stitch (knit every row) until sole measures desired length of foot from heel to toe (62 rows for

woman’s shoe size 9). Do not fasten off. Mark center stitch at each end of sole. One end of sole is the heel end, other end is the toe end.

With circular needle or dpns, knit across 9, pick up one stitch between each ridge evenly along side of sole, knit 9 across other end of sole, then pick up one stitch between each ridge evenly along other side of sole, being sure to have same number of stitches on sides of sole. Join and

place marker to note beginning of round.

Slipper Top

Rnd 1 (decrease round): Knit to 2 sts before first marked center stitch (this will be the toe end), ssk, K1, K2tog (this begins toe shaping), knit along side of sole until you reach the 9 sts at heel end of sole, work heel decreases thus: ssk, K5, K2tog, knit along other side of sole to beginning of

round.

Rnd 2: Knit around.

Rnd 3: Repeat Rnd 1, except at heel end work ssk, K3, K2tog.

Rnd 4: Knit around.

Rnd 5: Rep Rnd 1, except at heel end work ssk, K1, K2tog.

Rnd 6: Knit around

Rnd 7: Repeat Rnd 1, omitting heel decreases only. Decreases are worked only at toe end from now on.

Rnd 8: Knit around.

Rnd 9: Rep Rnd 1, omitting heel decreases.

Rnd 10: Knit around, ending with an even number of stitches (decrease 1 st if necessary to arrive at an even number).

Begin ribbed edging:

Rnd 1: K1, P1 around.

Rnd 2: K1, P1 to 2 sts before center st of toe, ssk, K1, K2tog, then continue in K1, P1 around.

Rnds 3 & 4: Repeat Rnd 2.

Rnd 5: Bind off loosely in K1, P1 rib.

Please send in a

photo of your

slippers for next

edition!

Tex~Paca ~ all to do with the use of Alpaca fibre.

Alpaca Advocate 2014 Summer

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Transcript of Alpaca Advocate 2014 Summer