Paca Platica Spring 2011

1

Perth Royal Show

This year’s Perth Royal Show started off with a significantly reduced number of entries

compared to the previous couple of years and so it was that the committee decided to

extend the entry deadline to encourage more entries. This proved fruitful as the number of

entries was boosted by 20, bringing the total of animals up to 217. We were rather grateful

to those people who managed to squeeze a few more animals into their floats and bring

them to the show. It should however be pointed out that, like the rest of the country, the

quality of the animals was not as good as they normally would be, purely due to the

climatic conditions that have affected us for the past year. Full story on page 3

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Page Contents

4

5

5

9

11

13

15

17

19

21

22

23

25

27

26

26

Website Design

Autumn Lane

Alpaca Assist

Eversprings Alpacas

Shearer - Gellatly

Brookwood Alpacas

Encantador Alpacas

Treechange Alpacas

1300 Alpaca

Fibre of the Gods

Gary Wooldridge

Wesuri Alpacas

Goldleaf Alpacas

Negrita Alpacas

Stewards Workshop

Shearer - Campbell

This issue

From the President

AAA Certificates

Fleece Processing

Perth Royal Show

Hyogo Banshu Textiles

Fire Management

Meet your ILO’s

Revegetation

Stud Male Spotlight

For Sale

Rickets

Craft Corner

Is there lots of feed in 2011

Competition

P.3

P.4

P.5

P.6

P.10

P.12

P.14

P.16

P.18

P.20

P.22

P.24

P.26

P.26

Paca Platica AAA Ltd. WA Region

VOLUME 14 -ISSUE 4 Spring 2011

2

Regional Committee

PRESIDENT Angela Bartels Stud: Treechange Address: PO Box 1391 Toodyay WA 6566 Phone: (08) 95744144 Mobile: 0413 538 285 Email: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT Greg Smith Stud: Futura Address: 819 Hunwick Road Albany WA 6330 Phone: (08) 9845 2456 Mobile: 0411 702 584 Email: [email protected]

SECRETARY Isi Cameron Stud: Keis Address: PO Box 686 York WA 6302 Phone: (08) 9641 2058 Mobile: 0403 129 866 Email: [email protected]

TREASURER Janine Bastick Stud: Vellum Farm Address: PO Box 3583 Adelaide Terrace, WA 6832 Phone: (08) 9574 4932 Mobile: 0413 033 574 Email: [email protected]

Natasha James Stud: Wesuri Address: 1681 Toodyay Road Gidgegannup WA 6083 Phone: (08) 9572 9972 Mobile: 0427 292 691 Email: [email protected]

Brett Fallon Stud: Goldleaf Address: PO Box 5230 Albany, WA, 6332 Phone: TBA Mobile: 0408 403 910 Email: [email protected]

Sophie Jackson Stud: Banksia Park Address: 192 Jarrah Road Serpentine WA 6125

Phone: (08) 9525 3532 Mobile: 0417 179 298 Email: [email protected]

Jackie Simpkin-Brown Stud: Carinoso Address: PO Box 524 Mundaring, WA 6073 Phone: (08) 95726003 Mobile: TBA Email: [email protected]

Jean Baxter Stud: Corbracagh Downs Address: 600 Berry Road Gidgegannup, WA, 6083 Phone: (08) 9574 7028 Mobile: 0439 922 321 Email: [email protected]

The Executive The Members

PUBLISHING

Paca Platica is published quarterly by the WA Central Region of the

Australian Alpaca Association for its members.

NEWSLETTER DEADLINES

All contributions and advertising must be in the hands of the editor

by the date notified in the previous edition.

FORMAT

Submissions can be sent by email in MsWORD, BMP or JPG files, NOT

MsPUBLISHER files, please. Or they can be provided on CDs.

Articles preferred to be emailed to [email protected] but

typewritten copy or clearly legible handwriting is accepted, by mail.

Digital photographs in BMP or JPG format. Originals of articles will be

returned on request.

If you have an article that you consider might be of general interest

to other alpaca breeders, please forward it for consideration.

Assistance can be provided for compilation if required.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Australia - $30.00 for 4 issues

Overseas - On Application

DISCLAIMER

The newsletter is produced for members of the WA Region of the Australian

Alpaca Association Ltd.

The editor and the committee of the WA Region take no responsibility for the

views and opinions, information submitted, or advertisements placed herein.

All submissions can be subject to editing.

3

Hi and welcome to the new look Paca Platica. The committee as a whole has sourced the articles and produced this newsletter so the pressure is taken from one person and the load is spread. We would love some feedback from you and if you have any articles that you would like to submit or any great ideas you would like to see included then please email us.

What a busy time we have had. The Perth Royal Show early in October, then many off to the Nationals and back just in time for the Albany Show. This newsletter features the Royal show report and photographs and hopefully we will be able to showcase the Albany show in the next Platica. Congratulations to those who secured ribbons, championships and the supreme title at these shows.

November was also my first trip to Melbourne for the Regional Presidents meeting. A whirl wind of a trip but I did get to meet some lovely people from around Australia and it was especially comforting that we really do share similar issues with other regions. A topic that we discussed at the meeting was how we can communicate better on a national and regional basis with our membership. Perhaps that is something you can ponder and provide some insights to your thoughts at our next meeting.

Our OGM on December 10th will be followed by our Christmas function. Lorraine James has kindly offered to host this function at her new home and Maja Shead has led the sub-committee organising catering, the evening’s events and fundraising opportunities. If you have never been to an iconic AAA fun auction then please come along this time I am sure it will be a fantastic evening. If you are a regular to the end of year fundraisers please remember to bring your

wallets as it is hoped that the funds raised will go towards the shows. If you have any items that you are able to donate to our fun auction they will also be gratefully received.

As we move into 2012 our calendar of events will be pretty full. The first OGM for the year is scheduled for February 18th where we hope to provide a show preparation workshop to assist you both in the ring and with fleece preparation. We hoped this is timely as our first show of the season is the eagerly anticipated Whiteman Park Autumn show to be held in April. This should provide plenty of time to get your alpacas and their fleeces in tip top condition and ready to wow the judges.

The region has not held a stewards workshop for a couple of years now and Jackie Simpkin Brown our Education and Training representative has been working with Chris Ravenhill to run the training in March. The event is advertised further into this newsletter.

A final update on the assistance WA is providing to the SA Nationals in 2012. Thanks to everyone who has offered to assist with Trophy Sponsorship role, we intend now to coordinate this role as a team, many hands make light work as they say. Thanks to Chris Pietraszek for agreeing to be the Chief fleece steward, an update with regards to the requirements for the assistance with the alpaca auction will be provided in the next newsletter.

Warm Regards

Angela Bartels

President WA Region

From the President

4

AAA Certificates of Appreciation

An AAA Certificate of Appreciation is awarded to a financial

member of the AAA who has made a significant contribution

to the Association at a Regional or National Level.

The following guidelines are to be used in the selection

process:

Length of service for the member is to be 10 years +.

The Member is to have held an Office or Leadership

position over a number of years at a National and /or

Regional level.

Made a significant contribution to a successful AAA

project.

Been actively involved in shows, regional activities

Volunteered their services to assist the industry via

working parties/ panels/ committees.

Has written documents to support the industry’s

progress.

Is committed to the long term viability and sustainability

of the industry.

Is a consistent supporter of AAA events and activities.

Each Regional Committee was asked by the AAA Board to

nominate a recipient for the award and to present it to the

selected member at a Regional event during 2011.

In addition to Regions nominating a person, the AAA Board

also nominated members throughout Australia who at the

National level, have also contributed significantly to the

advancement of our industry.

The Western Australian Region in

2011 has awarded its Certificate of

Appreciation to Margaret Laurie and

Binks. The award was presented at the Albany Show.

Margaret and Laurie are the pioneers of the alpaca industry

here in WA. Over the years, they have been great

ambassadors and their contribution to the development of

our industry has been unquestionably significant.

The AAA Board also recognised WA Members Jenny Jackson

and Ron Raynor and their awards were presented at the

recently held National Show Dinner.

Jenny, at the National Level has played a significant role in

the showing and judging area. Whilst Jenny was Chair of

that Panel several major tasks were achieved including a

highly successful National Judges’ Forum and a complete

upgrade of the AAA Fleece Score System.

Ron has attended AAA Council meetings for a number of

years. He has chaired the Regional Presidents meetings and

effectively reported their recommendations to the Board and

ensured action has been taken. Ron also played an integral

role in the purchase of the current AAA building which is now

one of its major assets.

Congratulations Laurie, Margaret, Jenny and Ron.

5

Processing Fleece at The Fibre of the Gods Toodyay Vegetable matter is our enemy. It clings to the fleece and the

only way to remove it is to pull each piece out by hand. The

machines DO NOT remove all the vegetable matter and as we

do charge on incoming weight, it also saves you paying for

your vegetable matter and dirt to be processed

YES!!! Rip the fleece apart. It is the total opposite to

preparing a fleece for a show.

You need to throw the fleece on a table, get rid of all the

short cuts, then hand full by hand full pull out the vegetable

matter. By doing this you will also drop out a lot of the dirt

and end up with a much cleaner yarn or felt and less slumps

in the yarn. Don’t worry about disturbing the bundles in your

fleece as the first machine we put it through will be ripping it

into shreds to get it ready to go through the carder and turn

it into rovings for spinning or bats for felting.

The vegetable matter is what causes the slumps in the yarn

as it gets caught in the spinner and stops it from running

smoothly to create nice smooth even yarn.

We specialize in processing alpaca at 100%. We even had

Queen size blankets made out of 100% West Australian

alpaca fleece even though some manufacturers said it could

not be done.

At the end of the day, the finished product is only going to

be the luxury item we are all after if we take some time to

clean our fleeces properly. So get your hands into that fleece

and get rid of anything that isn’t beautiful soft alpaca fibre.

Hazel and Michael

The Fibre of the Gods

6

Reports - Perth Royal

This year’s Perth Royal Show started off with a significantly

reduced number of entries compared to the previous

couple of years and so it was that the committee decided to

extend the entry deadline to encourage more entries. This

proved fruitful as the number of entries was boosted by 20,

bringing the total of animals up to 217. We were rather

grateful to those people who managed to squeeze a few

more animals into their floats and bring them to the show.

It should however be pointed out that, like the rest of the

country, the quality of the animals was not as good as they

normally would be, purely due to the climatic conditions

that have affected us for the past year.

Unfortunately the environmental conditions were not the

only problems facing our breeders, a number of studs were

forced to withdraw large numbers of animals and some

studs withdrew completely, this then reduced the overall

total of animals by about 30. Although initially disappointed

the committee considered the situation and came to the

conclusion that if there is going to be a problem it always

occurs when you have something else planned. With that

the show soldiered on. A number of animals were obviously

affected by the environmental conditions and this was

unfortunately reflected in the results. The judge, Natasha

Clarke, did a great job

discerning where the

quality lay in the animals

presented to her

especially considering the judging of animals was spread out

over two days, even though there was a marked reduction

in the number of exhibits. With all of this happening in the

alpacas it prompted us to consider what was happening

with other breeds of livestock, it was the same across all

breeds, seriously reduced numbers of entries and the

animals reflected the poor season that they had just

experienced. In 2010 the Governor’s Cup (a prestigious

award that is won by an exhibitor that has earned the most

points across all judged breeds at the show) was won by

Banksia Park Alpaca Stud, George, Jenny and Sophie Jackson

had made it their mission that year to win the cup outright

and they succeeded. This year they won the cup again and

have shown to the public and other livestock breeders that

the alpacas are a breed making their mark felt at the Perth

Royal Show.

Author: Natasha James – Convenor 2011 Perth Royal

Show.

7

Perth Royal Show Results 2011

HUACAYA

Junior Female Champion Futura Calamity Jane Futura Alpaca Stud

Junior Female Reserve Champion Banksia Park BMHH Mai Tai Banksia Park Alpaca Stud

Junior Male Champion Banksia Park GXRNQ Falcon Banksia Park Alpacas

Junior Male Reserve Champion Futura Intimidator Futura Alpaca Stud

Intermediate Female Champion Goldleaf Vintage Showpiece ET Goldleaf Alpacas

Intermediate Female Reserve Champion Sunline Jorja ET Sunline Alpacas

Intermediate Male Champion Swan Valley Anacheeva Swan Valley Alpaca Stud

Intermediate Male Reserve Champion Kallaroo Park Sylar ET Kallaroo Park

Adult Female Champion Swan Valley Silken Delight Swan Valley Alpaca Stud

Adult Female Reserve Champion Futura Dynasty Futura Alpaca Stud

Adult Male Champion Futura Humdinger Futura Alpaca Stud

Adult Male Reserve Champion Goldleaf Ulysses Goldleaf Alpacas

Senior Female Champion Futura Cameo Futura Alpaca Stud

Senior Female Champion Swan Valley Star Magic Swan Valley Alpaca Stud

Senior Male Champion Banksia Park MMCI Casino Banksia Park Alpaca Stud

Senior Male Reserve Champion Kallaroo Park Neo Kallaroo Park

Mature Female Champion Swan Valley Temptation Swan Valley Alpaca Stud

Mature Female Reserve Champion Banksia Park AVJK Peppin Parade ET Banksia Park Alpaca Stud

Mature Male Champion Banksia Park VCK Colorado ET Banksia Park Alpaca Stud

Mature Male Reserve Champion Canchones Sergio Bedrock Alpacas

Supreme Champion Huacaya Banksia Park VCK Colorado ET Banksia Park Alpaca Stud

Sire's Progeny

1 Peppermint Pool Chad Goldleaf & Bedrock Alpacas

2 Banksia Park Khan ET Khan Syndicate

3 Blue Grass Centurion Encantador Alpaca Stud

Fleece - Huacaya

Champion Fleece 6-12 months Futura Panache Futura Alpaca Stud

Champion Fleece 12-18 months Faversham Lord Lucas Faversham Alpacas

Champion Fleece 18-30 months Swan Valley Stanzout Swan Valley Alpaca Stud

Champion Fleece 30-48 months Querida Park Min Querida Park Alpacas

Champion Fleece 48-60 months Faversham Armani Faversham Alpacas

Champion Fleece 60+ months Suncloud Banderas Eskdale Poll Hereford Stud

Supreme Champion Huacaya Fleece Swan Valley Stanzout Swan Valley Alpacas

Most Valuable Huacaya Fleece Encantador Mikaela Encantador Alpaca Stud

8

Perth Royal Show Results 2011

Suri

Junior Female Champion Eversprings Bhutan Everspring Suri Stud

Junior Female Reserve Champion Margamon Mary Margamon Alpacas

Junior Male Champion Lawithick Sir Lancelot Lawithick Alpacas

Junior Male Reserve Champion Springwood Park Theodore Springwood Park Alpacas

Intermediate Female Champion Lawithick Madam Butterfly Lawithick Alpacas

Intermediate Female Reserve Champion No Entries

Intermediate Male Champion Taylor's Yen Sin Taylor's Alpacas

Intermediate Male Reserve Champion No Entries

Adult Female Champion Lawithick Lady Tito Rose Lawithick Alpacas

Adult Female Reserve Champion Pitwillow Syve Pitwillow Alpacas

Adult Male Champion No Entries

Adult Male Reserve Champion No Entries

Senior Female Champion Eversprings Sumatra Eversprings Suri Stud

Senior Female Champion Bedrock Certina Bedrock Alpacas

Senior Male Champion Surilana Tito Man Lawithick Alpacas

Senior Male Reserve Champion No Entries

Supreme Champion Suri Lawithick Lady Tito Rose Lawithick Alpacas

Sire's Progeny

1 Surilana Tito Man Lawithick Alpacas

2 Surilana Tito Man Lawithick Alpacas

3 Pinjarra Perfecto Eversprings Suri Alpacas

Fleece - Suri

Champion Fleece 6-12 months Margamon Monarch Margamon Alpacas

Champion Fleece 18-30 months Margamon Corriente Rosa Margamon Alpacas

Champion Fleece 30+ months Margamon Monarquica Margamon Alpacas

Supreme Champion Suri Fleece Margamon Monarch Margamon Alpacas

10

Hyogo Banshu Textiles

AAA facilitates the use of Australian alpaca in Japanese classical Banshu textiles

The AAA has established a small foothold for the use of Australian alpaca fibre in traditional Japanese fabric. The opportunity arose as a result of a sister State relationship between Western Australia and the Hyogo prefecture in southern Japan.

The supply of some sample alpaca (huacaya) tops allowed the Ozawa textile company to produce some beautiful silky scarves which feature a blend of cotton, silk and Australian alpaca and which has stimulated a further demand for Australian alpaca.

Banshu textile:

Incredibly expensive and difficult to produce, for years the grand couturiers have been binding, stitching, folding and twisting their own cloth in a bid to create unique, and elaborate patterns.

The highly specialised Japanese technique process is called 'Banshu' and it allows designers to dye yarns in advance and then weave patterns into them. In essence it is a very expensive and intricate method of tie-dye. Hyogo prefecture, located on Honshu Island in Japan’s south is the traditional home for the manufacture of this beautiful cloth.

Sister State relationships:

Since its establishment in 1981, there has been a Sister State Relationship between Hyogo Prefecture and the State of Western Australia and WA has maintained an office in Kobe, capital of Hyogo Prefecture since 1989. The Western Australian Government has maintained an office in Kobe, capital of Hyogo Prefecture since 1989 and as a part of the Sister state relationship. It has helped set up the Hyogo Banshu scholarship program to establish a link between the Western Australian and Japanese fashion industries. In Hyogo the young WA designers have their designs transformed into quality fabrics by the world-class Hyogo Banshu textile industry.

The programme is co-ordinated by the departments of State Development; and Culture and the Arts and the Western Australian Government Kobe Office in Japan. A scholarship programme in 2010-11 enabled six students to travel to Japan and work with world class textile manufacturers in the Hyogo Prefecture - this program is being repeated in 2011-12

Cooperation Opportunities:

When I learnt of the program I felt that there may be some opportunity to introduce Australian alpaca to this in initiative. With the support of the WA Department of State Development and Ms Horiko Hirata the Regional Director of the WA Governments Kobe office in Japan, contacts were established between the AAA and Mr Kunihide Ozawa, the President of Ozawa Textile.

Ozawa Textile;

Ozawa Textile are highly regarded in Japan, were established in 1918 and specialise in this traditional technique of weaving and dying, they do not spin the yarn themselves but this is carried out by another company in Japan.

Mr Ozawa visited Perth in 2010 when we had the opportunity to provide him with a gift of a beautiful knitted alpaca scarf produced by Chris Pietraszak. We also undertook to supply some coloured alpaca tops for them to trial in the Banshu product.

Supplying the alpaca Tops:

The fawn and grey tops were supplied by Alpaca Ultimate and produced by Cashmere Connections and turned into yarn in Japan.

Certificates of Origin showing the linkage to Western Australian growers is seen as an important part of the story to reinforce the mutual benefits of the Sister State relationship.

David and Frances Harding from Cinderella Alpacas are to be thanked for skirting coloured fleeces in the heat of the Australian summer and while not in the best of health, a thankless task.

Arranging the supply of the tops was not without some drama; however we managed to overcome each of them and delivered the test material for the initial trials early in 2011.

The Banshu product incorporating alpaca:

When Mr Ozawa returned to Perth for the Perth fashion festival in September 2011 he presented us with some scarves / wraps produced by them using the Banshu technique and these were made using the traditional techniques and from 10% alpaca, 25% silk and 65% cotton. These are delightful light and lustrous garments which may actually offer an opportunity for the use of Suri fibre.

We discussed various technical issues and their experience of alpaca and Mr Ozawa expressed a desire to place commercial orders and to trial Suri fibre.

Photo: The shawls presented to the Australian Alpaca Association

Samples of the scarves were presented to various dignitaries in both Western Australia and Japan, including to the Premier

11

of Western Australia, the Hon Colin Barnett, the Lord Mayor of Perth, the right Hon Lisa Scaffidi.

Photo: Mr Ozawa from Ozawa Textile / New Banshu Project discussing the shawls with a group of design students in Perth

Where to from here?

Mr Ozawa is intending to place commercial orders with Cashmere Connections to further build their experience with alpaca and he will also be requesting for some samples of Suri as I have suggested that this fibre may lend itself better to the type of garment which they are producing. The WA Government office in Kobe continues to offer professional

and helpful free information that we have been fortunate to be able to access and they willingly provide a liaison with the end user.

What we have learnt from this exercise is that by utilising the resources of the State Government we have been able to take some worthwhile steps in developing demand for our WA alpaca fibre at very little cost. Most of the other States in Australia have sister state (or city) arrangements and these relationships may offer regions the opportunity to develop business relationships utilising the resources and contacts which they offer.

The Hyogo Banshu project is very much seen as a model which may be replicated by other States to stimulate recognition overseas of Australian alpaca farming. The role of AAA in priming the pump and stimulating demand is now over and it will be in the hands of commercial interests to further this project.

AAA Acknowledgements:

Ozawa Textile & the New Banshu Project team

The Government of Western Australia (State Development / Commerce & Trade)

Cashmere Connections – de-hairing and Top making

Fibre of the Gods – Free Samples of various colours of alpaca

Cinderella Alpacas – Supply of coloured fleece

Alpaca Ultimate – Supply of Tops

Chris Pietraszak – Supply of knitted scarf

Author: John Bell – AAA Director Industry Development (2009-11)

12

Fire Management

The prevention of fires on farms is essential to reduce the

threat to life and property. Western Australia's climate

creates a very high risk of fire in most of the agricultural

region for several months of each year. Buildings, machinery,

crops, livestock and people's lives are at risk when a fire

burns uncontrolled across farms.

A common concern for farmers is the increase in fuel load

(mainly from weeds, but also from bark, leaves etc.) and fire

risk that occurs in revegetated areas. This can be a problem

in the first few years of establishment, before the trees and

shrubs develop a significant canopy and shade out the

weeds, or before stock can be introduced to graze the area.

Herbicide application to control the weeds without harming

the trees and shrubs may be possible in some cases.

Figure 1. The large volume of dry weeds evident in this photo

of a two year old revegetated area can pose a fire risk.

Planning and management can reduce the risk.

Fire behaviour

Fires are usually characterised by the type of fuel they are

burning, such as grass, scrub, forest, and so on. Most fires on

farms are usually grass fires, such as in pasture, weeds and

crops.

The major factors influencing grass fire behaviour are: fuel

moisture content, fuel type and arrangement, wind speed

and ground slope.

Fuel moisture content

The amount of moisture in fuel controls the rate at which it

will burn and therefore the amount of heat given off. Annual

weeds or pastures that are ungrazed but fully cured (usually

at the end of December and into January) pose the greatest

fire hazard. The fuel moisture content is also influenced by

the relative humidity of the air on a given day.

Fuel type

The total amount of dry grass present directly affects the

speed of the fire, the height of the flames and the fire

intensity. In areas of revegetation there may also be leaf litter

and twigs present that add to the fuel load, which while

slowing the speed of the fire, increase its intensity and make

it harder to control. The level of aeration is also a factor, with

compacted ground cover, such as pasture posing less of a risk

than well-aerated, upright material, such as crops or stubble.

Wind speed

Wind speed has a big effect on both fire speed and direction.

The rate of fire movement increases by a greater proportion

than the increase in wind speed.

Ground slope

With all other conditions being equal, fires travel faster up

slopes than on flat ground. The general rule is that the speed

of the fire doubles with every 10 degrees increase in slope.

Revegetation and fire management

When designing the layout of a revegetation project, it is

important to consider the possible fire implications. In

general, over the long term, trees and revegetated areas

create a barrier (or windbreak) that will slow down grass

fires. They can also potentially catch airborne embers or

sparks which will slow the speed of the fire.

The extent to which revegetated areas are barriers to fire

depends on a number of factors, including the spacing of the

trees and shrubs, the amount of fuel and leaf litter, the wind

direction during a fire and the position of the revegetated

area in the landscape. The position in the landscape can be

important. Vegetation in waterlogged and saline areas is at

low risk of fire, while vegetation higher in the landscape can

be at higher risk due to it being dry and the plants containing

less salt.

Surrounding land use can also be important in relation to the

fire risk, with dry pasture and cereal crops usually posing the

greatest risks.

Fire hazard

In revegetated areas, large weed burdens (which are often

well aerated) develop in the first few years. After about year

five, the canopies of the trees and shrubs will shade out

many of the weeds and they usually cease to be a significant

fire hazard after this time.

Depending on a number of factors such as landscape

location, proximity to buildings and surrounding land use,

weed control within the revegetated area may be wise in the

first few years. In other cases the elevated fire risk for these

few years may be acceptable.

For the full article visit agric.wa.gov.au

14

Meet Your Industry Liaison Officers

Industry Liaison Officers (ILO’s) work with Government

Officers and primary production groups in the event of an

animal disease outbreak. There are registered ILO’s for all

species of livestock. Currently the AAA has only 3 accredited

ILO’s and there is a need for the Alpaca industry to be

adequately represented, nationally, should there be any

disease outbreak. Their role with livestock producers and

government is both consultative and advisory.

Both Sue and Caroline have nominated to be our ILO’s. They

have previously completed training and have agreed to

complete other, required, training programs (offered by

Animal Health Australia) and work in this capacity for at

least 2 years.

What is their role?

In the event of a disease outbreak, ILO’s will assist with any

disease risk assessments, and the formulation and

implementation of disease eradication and control plans

implemented by Government.

ILO’s will advise alpaca breeders of the protocols to be

followed on farm and the control measures to be

implemented; and on any animal welfare issue relating to

the outbreak.

Given its size, it would be ideal for the Central Region to

have a number of ILO’s across the State. Greg Smith has

recently indicated his interest in this area and it is hoped

that he will complete the AHA training programme the next

time it is offered. Participation in the AHA training

programmes is dealt with at the National level.

Breeders, please note, that for general health issues (that is;

non-disease outbreaks that do not involve the Government)

your first point of contact would be your local Vet/animal

health advisor. Please notify the Animal Health

Representative on the Committee Natasha James if

required, The ILO’s should not be contacted in this

instance.

Author: Jackie Simpkin-Brown – Education 2011 Committee

Caroline Oddie

Windella Alpacas

Phone: 08 9296 6889

Mobile: 0417 920 044

Email: [email protected]

Sue Leitch

Brookwood Alpacas

Phone: 08 9571 1787

Mobile: 0427 196 179

Email: brookwoodalpacas

@activ8.net.au

Royal Show Photos

16

Revegetation… It’s not a dirty word!

Spring is in the air and it seemed an appropriate time to raise the idea of revegetating areas of our properties.

Revegetating areas of your block offers many advantages; it provides protection from the climate for both stock and pastures (particularly if you establish shelter belts). In turn, this gives you, happier healthier animal and reduced feed costs. Being visually appealing revegetated areas can add to a property’s value.

You can incorporate fodder shrubs into your planting programme, providing green pick for those drier times.

So if you are considering revegetating areas remember the 7 “P” rule…. Prior preparation and planning prevent p--- poor performance!

So……….. Why are you replanting?

Is it for aesthetic reasons? Are you establishing fodder lines or shelterbelts (for protection from climates for stock and pasture)? Is it for nature conservation or to assist in water or salinity control? You need to be sure why you are planting so as to select the species appropriate for the job.

So ……….Where will you plant?

Work out the area to be planted out in the following year. It’s not a good idea to plant on an adhoc basis. Remember, once trees are established they are costly and difficult to remove.

Aerial photographs are a great tool for any property planning and are available from the Department of Land and Administration in Midland.

Plants may not survive if the environment is not suited to their needs. Check out the environmental conditions and soil type you are planting into.

Take care and select appropriate species if planting near power or telephone lines. Check with your power supplier if you are planting near a power line or easement to ensure you work within existing regulations and safety guidelines.

So ………What should I plant?

If you are unsure what native seedlings to plant contact your Shire’s Environmental Officer or one of the many “Friends of…” groups. The Herbarium’s website (www.florabase.com.au) is also a good starting place. The site contains details such as where the plant is naturally found, its preferred environment, preferred rainfall, soil type, mature height, growth habit and a general description (including photos). You can search using common or scientific names.

Select species appropriate for the rainfall and soil type of your area. You can’t go too far wrong if you select local native species (as distinct from native species) as these are more suited to the conditions on your property.

Avoid planting highly invasive species – even native species (such as many wattles) are becoming pests.

Plant a variety of species; if establishing shelter belts, select upper, middle and lower story species – this avoids gaps and the creation of wind tunnels.

Getting Started;

i) Order your plants early – around Sept/Nov if using natives. Order from places such as Mundaring Garden Centre (Robyn; 92951282), the Australian Native Nursery Group (Nancy; 95251324) or Men of the Trees. Seedlings will establish quicker than larger pot plants and are cheaper too.

ii) Your Shire may also offer a “Tree Canopy Programme” - free seedlings for residents. It may be worth while checking with them.

iii) Fence off the area to be planted. Stock should be excluded from any replanted area for at least 3 years.

iv) Site preparations; Earthworks – do them well in advance. You may need to rip (dry areas) or mound (wet/salty) areas.

Ripping (December to March) - rip to a minimum depth of 0.5m to allow easier root penetration. Locate rip lines along the contour if ripping on slopes. If you have to rip downslope then lift the ripper briefly every 20m to minimise erosion. Rip lines should be 2- 3 meters apart. Allow a settling period of at least 1 month before planting

Mounding (March to May) is usually only necessary in waterlogged/saline areas.

Allow a settling period of at least 1 month before planting

Weeds Get rid of any weeds in this area. Weed control is essential in the establishment year as they compete with seedlings for valuable soil moisture. You many need follow up control later in the year. You will need to control the weeds in a 1m radius around all plantings (2m if planting in

17

dry sands). Allow a settling period of at least 2 weeks following any spraying before planting. (Weed control carried out for at least 2 years prior to planting will give best results and reduce time/cost for weed control between plantings later).

Initially use a knockdown herbicide (such as Glyphosate) to reduce seed set (Sept /Oct). Spray germinating weeds again in late autumn/early winter and again in early spring. Take care and get advice on the herbicide appropriate for your specific type of weeds ie do you need to control grass or broad leaved weeds?

Do get to know your weeds- books such as Southern Weeds and Western Weeds and the web site Florabase are great references for both weed identification and appropriate control methods. This will save you money and time in the long run and reduce your chemical use.

v) After the first rains (May – June) plant out summer dry areas. (Summer moist areas can be planted July – Aug). Take care though, as it can be tempting to plant out too early. Make sure there is enough moisture in the soil profile, that more rain is on its way and the soil is not too cold before starting.

Plant out any seedlings as soon as you can after collection. Keep them moist at all times as the small pots will dry out very quickly. Water them at planting if necessary.

If you are planting out large numbers of seedlings it may be worth thinking about using a tree planter. They are expensive to purchase but you may be able to borrow one from a local landcare group.

You may need tree guards around your seedlings to help them establish. But remember to remove them before conditions become too dry and hot. (Tree guards are also useful in reducing the impact of grazing if rabbits and kangaroos frequent your property, however, they do double the time it takes to plant).

vi) After planting keep an eye out for any pest species. Replace (as soon as possible) any lost plants (if losses are greater than 20% is a general rule). But don’t leave it too long as replacement plants will suffer from the competition from older, more established, neighbours.

While it may seem, initially, a daunting task there is a lot of help available; your local Shire or landcare group would be an ideal starting point. Funding is also available in some cases (particularly if you are working as part of a cooperative project), again, check with your Shire or local landcare group.

Thanks to Shenaye Mehment (Shire of Kalamunda) for her contributions to this article.

Good luck and happy planting!

Author: Jackie Simpkin-Brown – Education 2011 Committee

References;

Farmnote 10/2001 Selecting Tree Varieties for Small Landholdings, Department of Agriculure WA.

Greening the Catchment; field planting of trees and shrubs – a guide for landowners and developers in the Shire of Chittering and neighbouring Shires. Chittering Landcare Group (1995)

Property Planning Manual for the Swan-Canning Catchment. Department of Agriculture (2002)

18

Stud Male Spotlight

Advertise your stud male here for

just $35 for 4 issues

What a Bargain!!!

Submit your entries to the editor at

[email protected]

Check out the website for available

stud males near you

wa.alpaca.asn.au

Banksia Park SKJ Hot Chilli

2010 micron results 18 µm full results available.

Champion Adult Male Whiteman Park 2010, 1st place White Senior Male

Whiteman Park 2011 & WA Colourbration 2011. Chilli has an exquisite

fleece, displaying high frequency crimp and incredible fineness. His cria are

impressive and available on farm for viewing

Solid White Huacaya DoB: 19/12/2007

Sire: Banksia Park Kahn ET

Dam: Banksia Park Princess Pepper

Contact: Treechange Alpacas

PH - 08 9574 4144 Email - [email protected] 1

Mating Fee: $770 inc GST

Suncloud Houdini

Last shearing 2010 micron results 22 µm full results available on request.

Reserve Champion Mature Male Whiteman Park 2011. Houdini is a SRS

recommended male with a large frame and sound conformation. His fleece

characteristics display incredible length and softness. Supporting a deep

bold crimp, he is sure to impress.


Sire: Suncloud Talahasi

Dam: Suncloud Juanita



Mating Fee: $770 inc GST

Blaydon Stormcloud

Only recently available at Goldleaf Alpacas, Stormcloud is a very

upstanding male exhibiting a fleece with good style, a nice soft handle and

excellent length. Both Stormcloud and his progeny have been awarded at

numerous shows throughout the Eastern States.

2010 fleece midside (79 months) 22.2u, 4.8u SD, 21.5%CV

Rose Grey Huacaya DoB: 19/02/2004

Sire: Purrembete El Dorado

Dam: Willows Ro Cloud

Contact: Goldleaf Alpacas


Mating Fee: On Request

Faversham Armani

Armani demonstrates good follicular density of 54.2 per mm2, with small

primary and secondary fibres and low SD. Champion Senior Male

Whiteman Park 2009, Supreme Champion Junior Male Perth Royal 2007,

Champion Junior Male Nationals 2007. Armani's fleece has seven

Champion fleece awards, with two Supremes, all over five years.

Solid Light Fawn Huacaya DoB: 18/11/2005

Sire: Windsong Valley Iceman

Dam: Faversham Olivia

Contact: Faversham Alpacas


Mating Fee: On Request

20

For Sale

Check out the website for available

stud males near you

wa.alpaca.asn.au

Advertise on our NEW for sale page

Advertise you items here

for just $25 for 2 issues

What a Bargain!!!

Submit your entries to the editor at

[email protected]

Taylor’s Ninja

Taylor's Ninja was placed 2nd in the class - Junior Suri male all other

colours at Whitman Park Show 2011.

He has blue black lustrous pencils that start at his head and continue thru

to his tail.

Good conformation and personality.

Solid Black Suri Male DoB: 05/06/2010

Sire: Serena Lodge Prince Accord

Dam: Taylors Lottie

Contact: Taylor’s Alpacas


Cost: $1100

Taylor’s Yen Sin

Taylor's Yen Sin was placed 2nd in the class - Junior Suri male S/light fawn

at Whitman Park Show 2011. 1st in the class - Intermediate Suri male S/

light fawn at Perth Royal Show 2011. Champion Intermediate Suri Male at

Perth Royal Show 2011. He has a very rich fleece full of lustre and pencils

from head to toe. Excellent conformation and very easy to handle.

Light Fawn Suri Male DoB: 26/07/2010

Sire: Jolimont Cassidy

Dam: Taylor’s Katia



Cost: $2200

Taylor’s Seraphina

Taylor's Seraphina was placed 1st in the class - Junior Suri female S/white

at Perth Royal Show 2011. She has a very rich silky fleece with fine pencils

all over her body. Quiet and friendly in her nature, petite conformation

and overall a very nice female.

Light Fawn Suri Female DoB: 10/03/2011

Sire: Hunter Xtreme

Dam: Taylor’s Sprite



Cost: $880

Henty Farm Christofle

Consider adding some Iceman genetics to your herd. Micron results

available on request. Inspections welcome.


Sire: Windsong Valley Iceman

Dam: Faversham Christobelle



Cost: $3300 inc GST

Faversham De Bernales

Friendly wether would make excellent herd guard or pet.


Sire: Suricaya Ivory King

Dam: Somerset Peruvian Jasmine



Cost: $440 inc GST

Poo Vac

Excellent condition, Motor has undergone complete overhaul.

Cost: $1200



22

Rickets is a painful, arthritic condition caused by deficiencies in bone minerals, or in vitamin D, or occasionally by glandular dysfunction. It is most obvious as crooked legs or Angular Limb Deformity in crias, in which it is relatively easily corrected.

However, rickets in older animals is less obvious and therefore harder to correct. Often by the time it is noticed and recognised as such (if it is) the alpaca is already halfway down the slippery slope.

Causes:

Vitamin D production is initiated in the skin by UV light from the sun, so anything which inhibits this event is likely to cause a problem. Environmental events such as bad weather, dust storms, or bushfire smoke haze can affect vitamin D production some time after the event. Dark pigmented animals are likely to be more affected than lighter ones, as pigment protects the animal from too much UV exposure.

The serum calcium levels in the body are controlled by parathyroid hormone or PTH, produced by the parathyroid glands, in response to falling serum calcium concentrations.

PTH activates vitamin D3 to absorb larger amounts of calcium from the gut, but at the same time, it also blocks re-absorption of phosphate in the kidneys. This leads to a net loss of phosphate, which is required not only for bone growth but also red blood cell integrity. This in turn leads to a significant, non-iron deficient anaemia.

Signs:

Lameness, loss of condition, cessation of growth and mild to severe anaemia, are all associated with a rickets problem. As mentioned, crias almost always display bent legs, but sometimes they just stop growing, or just seem to be lethargic or sit down a lot more.

Adult females, are more likely to exhibit a worrying loss of

condition and the severe anaemia, which may cause a late abortion.

Treatment:

Treatment consists of replacing the required mineral phosphate as soon as possible, and supporting its utilisation with sufficient vitamin D3. By the time rickets is really noticed, there could be other issues such as a heavy worm burden, coccidia or other problems *ed – Elizabeth argues that an alpaca suffering from Vit D deficiency is much more likely to succumb to opportunistic problems like worms+.

Blood Sampling:

Vitamin D3 levels in blood can be tested, but it is cheaper and easier to test for serum phosphate levels, since the two are considered to mirror each other. This assumption is in fact not quite correct.

Blood samples taken for serum phosphate testing need to be tested within a very short space of time, since the red blood cells will start lysing (breaking down) the moment they leave the body. As they do so, they pour their own cellular phosphate into the serum, and this can give a false high positive result. Another problem with blood sample testing is that the lower reference levels are sometimes set too low.

Outcomes:

Crias usually present few problems of treatment, unless their rickets situation has gone unnoticed for a long time. Breeding age females are more likely to be more adversely affected, since they are often using minerals for two, whether late pregnant or nursing.

This is the group most likely to die, unless urgent measures

are taken to correct the problem.

Author: Elizabeth Paul – 28/09/09

Rickets

24

Craft - Garter Stitch Scarf Pattern

Measurements

This scarf is approximately 200cm long with the fringe and

22cm wide in its resting state. Normally a pattern would

specify the number of balls of a particular yarn you should

use to make the item. I used pure wool for my scarves and

took between two and four 100 gram balls of wool, but the

number of balls required will vary

depending on the final length of your scarf. Just keep

knitting until you are happy with your creation.

Needles and Extras

For this Garter Stitch Scarf you will need a pair of 6.00mm

knitting needles

Knitting Instructions

Cast on 34 stitches

1st Row: *Knit.

Repeat 1st row, until your work measures 180 cm (or

whatever length you like)

Cast off.

Finishing your Scarf

If you are happy with your scarf the way it is, you have

finished, but if you would like to add a special touch you can

add a fringe.

For a Plain Fringe:

To do this cut 48 pieces of yarn about 12cm long.

To form a piece of the fringe take three strands of yarn and

fold them in half to form a loop. Using a

crochet hook, draw the loop through the knitted fabric of

your scarf and then draw the ends through the loop.

Pull the fringe knot tight.

Space eight fringe knots evenly across both ends of your

scarf and you are done!

For a Knotted Fringe:

To do this cut pieces of yarn about 20cm long.

To form a piece of the

fringe take four

strands of yarn and

fold them in half to

form a loop.

Using a crochet hook, draw the loop through the knitted

fabric of your scarf and then draw the ends through the

loop.

Pull the fringe knot tight.

Space five fringe knots evenly across the end of your scarf

leaving space for a fringe knot at each end. At each end form

a fringe knot using two strands (instead of four).

Once you have all your fringe knots attached to the scarf you

can tie them

together. Divide each fringe knot (except the two end fringe

knots) into two, tie a knot about half way down the fringe

using four strands from one fringe knot and four strands

from the next fringe knot.

Continue to work in this manner until all of the center

fringes are joined.

Finally join the four strands of the end fringe knot to the

four

remaining strands of the next fringe knots to finish your

fringe.

This scarf was knitted on 6.00mm needles with 8 ply Alpaca

Yarn. The result is a beautifully soft but light weight scarf.

26

2011 - there’s lots of feed - or is there? Unfortunately while there will be heaps of feed around, a

year like this generally results in summer pastures and

stubbles with low nutritional values and low digestibilities. A

good growing season allows all of the goodies to be moved

into the grain and the rain will have washed most of the

remaining water soluble carbohydrates out of the cells,

leaving the dry plant material with less sugars but still with

the “cardboard like” plant cell walls. The result is poorer

animal performance from each kg of feed consumed.

However you will probably have an abundance of grain that

will “go feed” and have a low commercial value. This is a

chance to provide sheep with an appropriate level of

nutrition to optimize their productive and reproductive

outcomes. Ewes in better condition grow more wool and/or

meat, conceive more lambs and potentially wean more

lambs next year. Lambs fed a diet with a balance of energy

and protein will also grow more rapidly and have superior

survival outcomes.

So keep extra feed on hand, feed early before the sheep lose

condition and monitor the condition of your stock. The

sheep will tell you how they are travelling. In the absence of

a feeding plan, it has been suggested to plan to feed twice

as much as usual. This is certainly better than no plan, but

not as good as having a plan which is adjusted as the season

unfolds.

Author: Jonathan England, Sheep and Grazing Systems Development Officer, Narrogin

To view more information relating to this article visit

agric.wa.gov.au

Competition - Add the caption WIN a bag of alpaca muesli The AAA Ltd. WA Region is proud to hold an

“Add the caption” competition in this edition of the Paca

Platica. To enter simply look at the entries below and go to

wa.alpaca.asn.au/competition.html and submit your

captions online.

The winner of the competition will be announced in the next

edition of the Paca Platica with them receiving a bag of

alpaca muesli.

28

What you’ll need:

Yarn in two colours

2-3 cotton balls

Glue

2 medium wiggle eyes

Ruler

Scissors

White craft glue

How to make it:

1. Choose one of the wool colours and cut

into 24 pieces that are 12” long each.

2. Lay pieces of yarn on a flat surface in the shape of a

wheel so that each piece intersects with the others in

the center of the wheel.

3. Hold 2-3 cotton balls (2 if large, 3 if small) and roll them

in your hands to create a ball about the size of a ping

pong ball. Place the cotton in the center of the wheel.

4. Gather all the ends of the yarn wheel snugly up around

the cotton to form the head of your octopus.

5. Using a piece of the second color yarn, tie a knot around

the yarn gathered around the cotton ball. Tie in a knot

to secure and then tie a bow and trim the ends.

6. Turn the octopus right side up. Separate the yarn into

groups of six strands. Braid each group of six (in each

group of six you should be braiding three sets of two

strands)--you should have 8 braids when you are

finished. Tie each braid with a piece of the second color

yarn. Trim the edges of the tied yarn and the ends of

the braids.

7. Glue two wiggle eyes on to the head above the bow tie.

8. Glue a piece of second color yarn for the smile.

http://crafts.kaboose.com/yarn-octopus.html

Alpaca Word Search

For the Kids

Woolen Octopus

29

YOUR SHOW COMMITTEE NEEDS YOU!

Thanks to all those people who volunteer their time and act as

Stewards at all our Shows. What would we do without them?

Our Show Committee’s though, really need more members to

step up and help; IS THIS FOR YOU??

Why not give it a try? We train you and, at shows, we even feed

you! You have to admit…… it’s a tempting offer.

Register your interest in attending the Steward’s workshop by emailing

Jackie at [email protected] Please indicate the session/s you

would like to attend.

STEWARD’S WORKSHOP

A workshop for all current show stewards or those interested in becoming a steward.

Sunday 4th March 2012 at Swan Valley Alpacas OR Kallaroo Park on Sunday 18th March

Choose the session that most interests you. Come to one, or all.

Morning; Responsibilities of the Fleece Stewards

Afternoon; Responsibilities of the Ring Stewards/inspection stewards/ Marshaling stewards

30

Tell us what you think?

Let us know what you think of the

new look Paca Platica.

We would also love to hear your

thoughts on what kind of things you

would like to see in the next issue.

Complete our online survey @

wa.alpaca.asn.au/survey.html

OR email your thoughts to:

[email protected]

Paca Platica

VOLUME 14 - ISSUE 4

Spring 2011

10 - December - 2011

AAA Ltd. WA Region Ordinary General Meeting and Annual Christmas Function

18 - February - 2012

Show preparation workshop and Ordinary General Meeting

20 - February - 2012

Closing Date for Paca Platica Summer 2012

4- March - 2012

Stewards workshop - Swan Valley Alpacas

18 - March- 2012

Stewards workshop - Kallaroo Park

31 - March- 2012

Show preparation - Kallaroo Park

Upcoming Events

Australian Alpaca Association Ltd.

WA Region

PO Box 686

York, WA 6302

[email protected] - Region

[email protected] - Editor

[email protected] - Webmaster

wa.alpaca.asn.au

Facebook.com/waalpaca

Paca Platica Spring 2011

Documents

Transcript of Paca Platica Spring 2011