Alpacas in quarantine are going well

The group for New Zealand which leaves next Sunday night, are just completing all their tests, we have a couple more procedures to complete, and then they are on their way, once all the documentation is completed. We completed ultrasounds on all alpacas that are of a mateable age. The above you can see the ribs around the chest of approx 17 week baby alpaca. It has been an extremely busy time, we have had to take x rays, ultrasounds, shearing, and babies being born. The last week of the quarantine is always hectic.

Sunrise at Mariah Hill Alpacas

With this unpredictable weather we are having, it is bringing the most startling beautiful sunrises. I hope you think these are as stunning as i do, although there is nothing like the ral thing

Beaware for lighting

Since we have started to shear, we have had very threatning weather. So we have had to move the alpacas to protective paddocks, where they have shelter from rain and wind. Whilst doing this last Thursday night, in the middle of a huge rain storm, hailstonesthe size of cricket balls, soi was moving all the alpacas, each group had to be moved to a different part of the farm. The alpacas did not want to move. I was moving the alpacas in my car, when all of a sudden, it sounded as though a omb went off, and i was the centre of the bomb. A huge golden flash before my eyes, and all around the car.Yes, the car had been struck by lightening, i was just so scared, i thought i had died and had gone to heaven, i could not believe it. Elyse came running over to see if i was alright, Rob heard it as far away as in the house.

Lauren loves Jhett

Lauren has always loved birds, butterflies, and perfume, flowers, trees, and cactii.

We bought her a hand reared Lorikeet, and she just loves, him, he is a charachter, and loves just rest on your chest, as you can, see, but he is so funny, as he lies on his side, and then goes to sleep.

He is just so active, and very intelligent. Lauren does get hours of enjoyment from him, and he loves her. He even comes to his name when called.

it is snowing in Belgium-Alpacas

Yvonne tells me they are receiving their first snow for the season.

Primera and Dakota look s though they have settled in, and enjoying the life in Laakdat, Belgium

But who wouldn't enjoy the fabulous facilities at ALpacalandgoed, in Belgium.

It certainly looks like a winter wonderland.

Yvonne and Olivier, are proud of their alpaca stud, in Belgium,

A haircut for the Canadian alpacas

Well, the alpacas destined for Canada, have had to have a delay in their delivery date, due to most of them putting on too much weight. No-one expected the group weight to increase by 55 kg, in less than 2 months. We are starting our summer on Monday, and already we have had a few days up around 36 degrees F, which is very unusual for this time of the year. I think this indicates we are going to have a very hot summer. These guys have been feeling it, and even though we hand trimmed an average of 2 kgs off each alpaca (they were weighed after we took the 2kgs of fleece off ewach alpaca, hping to reduce their weight). ALthough we still have to remember these alpacas will be arriving in the middle of winter in Canada, and there will most likly be snow there, but we have not have them overheating as well in our hot summer. So we decided to take their fleeces back even more, as they have a bit of time to grow it back. they were so glad of having theie fleeces shorn, they all just layed on the table, and did not complain one bit, and as you can see, as they are placed back into their paddock, they are as happy as can be with their new haircut.

A Xmas Present for Nicole

Ed was playing with one of our newest addition to our herd, Miss Cheeta. He thought it would be so nice to buy Nicole this cria for Xmas. He did not need to think twice, and now Nicole has a new baby for Xmas.

Of course Miss Cheeta has to stay with her mum until she is 5 months old, but Nicole and ed visit often, so i am sure, Nicole will enjoy watching her grow up. I also know how happy Sam will be for her mum to have an alpaca of her very own, just like Sam has.

Happy Xmas Ed, Nicole, Sam and all the Hunt family.

Ultra fine fleece Bale-Alpaca

The main reason we farm alpacas is for their fleece, with most alpaca breeders aim is to breed as fine and consistant throughout the body of the alpaca. The above fleece shot, is our finest tested to date, atr 12.6 micron. We are very proud of our boy, and we have a few morewith absolutely beautiful fine fleeces, but consistant throughout the body of the alpaca.

Mariah Hill Alpacas have always bred fine, without sacrificing the style, handle, density, coverage, but with increased Lustre, increasing the frequency of crimp, and heavy staples, preferring the matchstick style staples.

With Australia's Ultra Fine fleece bale in Mind, a great detail has been taken this year to prepare all the fleeces, and although the alpacas had previouslt been sorted out in the colours and microns prior to shearing.

The rain, gale and storms we had this weekend, proved that all the alpacas had to put together as a herd for protection from the winds and rain.

Elyse though had made detailed planning on how she was going to manage the shearing shed.

She had studied shearing shed managment at her wool classing courses at Deakin University in Geelong. Elyse has also assisted in fleece sorting at AAFl, which has given her a great understanding of fleeces, and how it is expected the fleeces to be handed in.

We are also very lucky at this farm, that are fleeces keep considerably clean from debris. they can be dusty though, especially over the past couple of years, after almost 10 years of drought, our land like others is drying out.

and although we do get good rainfall, this year is the first time, i have seen dust come off our alpacas, even just after a rain storm.

this video is of Adele', who is on her way to Canada, although the pictrure may not be overly clear, as i took this with my mobile phone, you can still identify the high lustre her fleece holds.

super soft handle, and superb high frequency, even crimp style. I hope you enjoy the video.

The shearer is Mike Snow, my husband ROb, and a friend and fellow alpaca breeder Ed, also assisted in handling the alpacas, placing on tables, and feeding the alpacas to the shearer.

You can see here, that Mike is shearing with two tables, so as one is being shorn, the other table, the shorn alpacas is unloaded off the table, and the the next one is placed on the table.

We were lucky today to Have also a fellow alpaca breeder Rose Thorougood helping us, that was fantastic, as it was her birthday. Sam was not feeling well, but she was really wanting to come and help, thanks Sam, we really appreciate that you have a great heart, and wanted to help us.

And of course, if it was not for elyse, what can i say, she is the heart beat of our alpaca ranch, both Rob and I are so grateful to have such a gorgeous daughter that is always there for us both.

Alpaca shearing 2008, Mariah Hill Alpacas & Exports

The past few days, we have been shearing most of the herd. With heaps of thanks to Ed Hunt, and of Course Rose Thorougood, and of course my husband ROb, and ELyse as shed manager, sorting fleees, taking fleece samples, organisation of the shearing shed, and alpacas to be shorn.

The alpacas were really looking to be shorn, they just laid on the table and just were almost begging for the shearing. Monday was cold, and still drizzling, yesterday it got up into the 20's and today we were up to 25 degrees, but then they are predicting really bad thunder, lightenng, halstones, rain, and gale force winds for 3-4 days. We really do not know how the weather is going to pan out, so all alpacas bhave been moved to safe protected areas of the farm. Thanks Mike Snow also, he has been fantastic, and made sure that our main herd, especially our super and ultra fine alpacas were shorn before the really hot weather comes. We really appreciate him, and would recommend him as an alpaca shearer to anyone looking for a reliable shearer. Already, some of the alpacas have been sweating and their fleeces were really ready to be shorn.

BUsy time with quarantines

With Christmas looming, we have been busy.

trying to make sure all the alpacas that are meant to go overseas are all booked in. Sometimes this is a bit hard to organise, and try and pick up all the alpacas around the countryside. We do our best to please. But most of all, to try and make it as easy as possible for the importer overseas.

i know how difficult it is to organise pick ups, but from overseas, it is harder for the people to get onto the right people.

Elyse has been to South Australia last week, and did not get home until 4am in the morning, to pick up a group of alpacas,.

Rob & i were suppose to go to NSw this weekend, to pick up some alpacas, but this trip has been canceled, as there are weather alerts everywhere.

pparantly the storms were extremely bad interstate.Next week, elyse is back to SDouth Australia, to pick up more alpacas.

It is a busy time, as today she is sorting out fleeces, and sorting alpacas into their colours and microns, for when we start shearing next week.

Money Angel

I hope to all

who read this blog, is touched by the Money Angel, at the moment i think we all need some good luck.

so i hope this spreads into your household.

best wishes

Rumors

It seems that people like to spread rumors.
i have heard along a grape vine of some rumors spread about myself and our farm.
Please anyone who does hear these unfounded rumors, ignore them.
All industries seem to have the ones that will spread and enjoy listening to rumors.
usually like in this case they are all unfounded, and usually set to upset business for others.
My husband, daughter and i work on the principle, to do the right thing by others, and that is all we try to do.
we do not spread rumors, and sick of those who do.
Hopefully, these will go full circle to the one who has started these rumors.
thanks

Alpakalandgoed

Dakota

Primera

Daakota (Primera's Cria sired by EP Killawaski), and Primera, have just arrived in Belgium at Alpakalandgoed Alpaca Stud in Laakdal, Belgium. They now join English Rose, Primera's last cria, sired By Bozedown Celebrity.

Black Onyx has now entered quarantine on his way to Alpakalandgoed, Belgium, and he will be at Stud in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, as Yvonne and her husband Olivier also do Mobile matings with their stud males across most of the surrounding countries to Belgium.

Black Onyx, Champion winning alpaca

Yvonne and Olivier has also purchased Sundance Kid, as their future Solid white Stud male. He has a superb fleece and extremely fine.
Micron 17
SD 3.3
CV 19.5
Conf F 100
Spin F 16.3
Date tested 29/10/08

Sundance kid

These two photos were taken at sunset, and so there is a different hue on the alpacas.

We look forward to working with Yvonne & Olivier, as we have sent a few alpacas over in this shipment.

Snow Drifter, Solid white stud male, stunning in every aspect. Solid Bone, broad chest, magnificant head, crimp, coverage, and extremely dense. Remember we have red soil here, and so on the outside the alpacas may not look white, but when you open their fleece, they are stunning. now Drifter is sired By the famous Cristiano, (allianza Old, from Peru).

Cristiano has sired Mariah Hill Khan, who was for many years, ( i have not heard as yet if his record has been beaten ), the highest tested S/P ratio in the world 16:1, if you are into SRS. Many of his female progeny also have been used around the world for donor animals for the ET programs.

Kasarni, (Dk Fawn female Sired by Olympic Dream (full Accoyo), son of Stefano (full Accoyo)), Austar Solid Black future Stud male, and Aailyah (solid white, super fine female), Absolutely stunning fleece.

When the fleece tester (who tests for th Ultra fine Bale), tested Kasarni's, and Aailyah's fleece, his comments were about their SD.

Aailyah's SD being 3.2, when it is so low, he said these are the SD that are the improvers, to get a SD low on a female over 12 months of age on her second fleece, still carrying a 17 micron fleece, means that these traits will be passed on.

These are the type of alpacas we should be breeding.

If you would like to see more on these alpacas, go to
www.Alpakalandgoed.homestead.com

or ask Yvonne and Olivier they can be contacted at

Strasse Steenbergenveld 6
2430 Laakdal
Belgien
Telefon 014750420
Telefax 014750420
Email stienlet@telenet.be

Snow Drifter

Black Onyx, is such a georgeous male, although he now knows how to work, he is starting to be a bit of a macho.

One of the finest Black working males icurrently in Australia, Black onyx is now on his way to being another top stud male for the Alpacalandoged in Belgium.

One of the leading Alpaca studs in Belgium, run by Yvonne and Olivier .

Just before he was shorn and has gone into Quarantine for New Zealand first, we took him down to a lake just near our home. He really loves posing for photos, and has the most georgeous personality. He has started working young, and we do have a number of females now pregnant to him, so although he is on his way to Europe, we hope that we will be able to still have a part of him in his future offspring. as i am writing this blog, i have the rainbow lorikeet dancing on my arm, tickling my finger, and smooching up to me, it is a bit difficult to type and have a loriket balanced on your hand.

You can see him in a previous post

SUNDANCE KID

SUNDANCE kID HAS ENTERED QUARANTINE. HE IS NOW ON HIS WAY TO BELGIUM, AS ONE OF THE FUTURE STUD MALES OF ALPAKAGOED.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

OLIVIER AND YVONNE WHO ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO RECEIVING THIS BOY APPROX JUNE 2009.

YVONNE HAS BEEN BREEDING ALPACAS NOW FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND NOW FARMS APPROX 20 ALPACAS. SHE IS ALSO AN APPRENTICE JUDGE.

New Zealand Group have settled in.

We entered the new group for New Zealand. This group i

s due to be delivered to Auckland on 7/12/08.

A good size group, and as usual, it seems always the day we shear, and then enter the group into quarantine, it rains.

We have heaters in quarantine, and it seems always the first day those heaters are on.

The weather is rediculous at the moment, 1 week ago the alpacas went in at 15 degrees, then it immediately went to a couple of beautiful days of 22 and 24 degrees.

Before we knew it we had 2 days of 36 degrees, and today it is going to be 18, at the moment it is 13 degrees.

The alpacas seem to be coping well.

we have more males in this shipment, than females, and as tou can see the males and females are kept separated.

We have received the first results, all negative, which is good.

Canadian Alpaca Export update

This week has been a huge week with establishing the protocols for this shipment, some unavoidable delays, but will progress the shipment for the delivery now in January.

It is upsetting that we have had to deal with some legalities of the protocols. bUt long term, it will path the way for smoother shipments.

Tannis has been working frantically at her end, and her trailer, looks magnificant.

We have had to try and trim the fleeces as best we can. We are working with some pregnant females, and the weather has been hot, so we do not want to stress any of the females out.

SO we are just trimming and touching up as much as we can, and if the female starts getting figity then we leave the rest for another day.

We are needing to trim the fleeces back, because, these alpacas had too much fleece, especially to travel on a plane with.

But because the alpacas will be arriving in the Canadian winter, we must leave some on, which has been hard ti juggle around.

Some look a bit neater than others, well the neater ones were more placid, and easier to trim up.

Like a bad haircut, in a couple of weeks it will even out.