Thursday, December 31, 2009

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas



Special greetings from Belgium


I received this beautiful Christmas greeting from Yvonne & olivier in Belgium it was so nice.
i wanted to share it all with you.
Have a very Merry Christmas

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

First delivery to Seychelles

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Finally the first delivery tomorrow of the goats to Seychelles.
this is the first export of any kind to Seychelles, and we are very proud of the stock going over.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Don't you just love it

 


A friend sent this over to cheer me up, it did put a smile on my face.
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Monday, November 9, 2009

Parasite Treatment whilst in Quarantine for Export

Parasite treatment whilst in quarantine
I thought i would update breeders of what happens in quarantine as procedures required to send alpacas through NZ.
All alpacas have been tested for all parasites including Coccidia, and all alpacas have to be Zero for all eggs, and oocysts.

Importantly, all Australian alpacas are clean, and disease free when they leave Australia.
for more information please go to http://mariahhillalpacaexport.homestead.com/testing.html

I feel privileged to have the honor to look and care for so many beautiful and often high valued alpacas.
I take my exporters license seriously, only three people in Australia is licensed to take the responsibility of exporting Alpacas.
I was the first Alpaca Breeder in Australia to be exporting alpacas overseas, and i have exported 95% of the alpacas from Australia in the last 6 years.
I take the responsibility seriously, that is why, we also purposely built a quarantine facility, which now has been extended approx 8 times, and now comprises of 3 separate quarantine facilities.
We have acheived alot over the years with the creation of not just one new protocol but three in total, with the process of another two.


When Alpacas go into Quarantine, we are preparing the alpacas for export.To do this we have to prepare them to the wishes and directions of the
Importing or Destination country.
Whilst the alpacas are in the quarantine facility...the Land is
under the Destination country's legislation, not Australia's,
AQIS overseas the quarantine to make sure that the protocols
for the destination country are met.

Nematodes
TREATMENT: SPECIAL REGIME HAS BEEN WORKED OUT BY AUSTRALIA'S LEADING PARASATOLOGISTS, TO ACHIEVE THE EXPORT AIM
T
ESTING 10-14 DAY [Photo] S
TESTING SAMPLES ARE TAKEN ON 2 OCCASSIONS TO CONFIRM NEGATIVE TO SALMONELLA. IF ANY POSITIVES DO OCCUR, THEN THE ALPACA CONCERNED WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE GROUP, BUT REMAINS IN QUARANTINE IN A SPECIAL ISOLATION AREA UNTIL THE SHIPMENT DEPARTS
.


A NOTE ON Q FEVER - ALPACA
ALPACAS UP TO DATE HAVE NEVER TESTED POSITIVE TO Q FEVER

Coxiella Burnetii IS THE ORGANISM RESPONSIBLE FOR Q fEVER, WHICH BELONGS TO THE RITICIA fAMILY, BUT IS VERY DIFFERENT TO ANY TYPE OF RITICIA...the treatment and Control for Q fever, (Coxiella burnetii), Tetracyclines and Chloramphenicol are the drugs of choice.
Cattle, sheep, and goats are the primary reservoirs of C. burnetii. Infection has been noted in a wide variety of other animals, including other species of livestock and in domesticated pets. Coxiella burnetii does not usually cause clinical disease in these animals, although abortion in goats and sheep has been linked to C. burnetii infection. Organisms are excreted in milk, urine, and feces of infected animals. Most importantly, during birthing the organisms are shed in high numbers within the amniotic fluids and the placenta. The organisms are resistant to heat, drying, and many common disinfectants. These features enable the bacteria to survive for long periods in the environment. Infection of humans usually occurs by inhalation of these organisms from air that contains airborne barnyard dust contaminated by dried placental material, birth fluids, and excreta of infected herd animals. Humans are often very susceptible to the disease, and very few organisms may be required to cause infection.
Method of diagnosis
Acute and some chronic manifestations of Q fever can be diagnosed by serology.

Acute Q fever can be diagnosed by a fourfold rise in specific complement fixation (CFT), the preferred testing methid for the above protocol.
Incubation period
The incubation period is typically 19–21 days although the range is from two weeks to two months.
Measrurements are in Titre, which starts off as 1 :4, 1:8, 1:16, 1:32 (normal cut off, four fold the norm, for sheep, cattle, goats, and humans), 1:64 1:128, (the level NZ require as the cut off value).
NZ MAF new clause in their import permit conditions relating to the Q fever test to not allow any camelid which had previously tested positive for export to NZ.
[Photo]Salmonella

Sun's Ora

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Potential SOlid Rose Grey Male for sale.
Son of Blue Grass Waterloo Sunset, a superb Rose Grey male displaying qulity for Greys

Monday, October 26, 2009

all alpacas have been checked

The alpacas are now on the road to go to catch the plane to canada.
All cleared the shipment, and are all going well.
Permission has been granted from AQIS.
A hectic time as we all had so much to do this morning before they load.
I will be back in a couple of days.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Back to NSW


We had to go down to Geelong on Sunday deliver some alpacas to a new breeder.
All enthusiastic with his new purchase, and he said he will be back for more.
Whilst on the road, we decided in stead of driving up tomorrow to NSW, we would start heading off on Sunday afternoon, seeing we were about 1 1/2 hours already on the way, it would save time in the morning, especially through peak hour traffic, as at the moment in the middle of the city, they have changed traffic conditions, due to a new bridge being opened to help filter traffic across Bolte and Westgate bridge.
The traffic jams have been horrendous, especially i had to go through them the last couple of days to pick up and drop Paul Valleley off at the airport, because of the fleece workshops.
So we made our way to Holbrooke, to meet a fellow alpaca breeder to pick up a male from them for a future quarantine.
It meant that for 36 hours i had no access to emails, computers, so it was very peaceful, to unwind, which is good for a break.
Sometimes you wish you do not have to come home.

GIFT Workshop

This weekend, we had a very successful GIFT workshop held here.
All Partisicpants walked away full of knowledge, and said it was well worth coming to listen.Listening to Paul, I always learn something more.
His knowledge of Ultrafine and Superfine wool production is endless.
As alpaca breeders we need to tap into these first hand experiences of sheep breeding and learn by their gains, and their mistakes.
As one lady said, well they have been breeding sheep for over 200 years (in Australia), but if you look at the mistakes that the sheep industry have made ovber the past century, it really has been only about the last 20 years, have they made significant advancement, and that has largely been due to research, data, and technology, and then taking these tools, and using them.
Trials have also been perfected, where by using data, and technology, on sample groups under the same conditions, and comparing to those that were unimproved by the latest technology, the gains have been significant, and fast.
Not all the sheep industry is breeding and using these latest technologies, and those are earning bottom dollars for their fleeces, where some figures that were given to us, March 2008, prior to the commodity collapse,
$982 a kilo was paid for fleece 13 micron (sheep), alpaca, this would eqate to approx 16-17 micron, which we area ll breeding. Currently ultrafine fleeces are not being sold, until the marketplace picks up, due to the world financial market place, as the people who buy this fleece, are the hardest hit by the world financial market, but already, the demand is starting, and then once the world economy is on full track, those prices will again reach these high points.
Why?
Because, with synthetics, which is wool's main competition, they cannot reproduce Ultrafine and superfine, it can only be supplied by natural fibres.
I pointed out that we at Mariah hill produced over 1000 kilos last year.
If for instance all the fleece wa ultrafine, the potential is $982,000 almost $1Million can be earnt by fleece alone.
Lets say that is so ambitious.
So maybe half of the 1000kilos was ultrafine, that is almost $1/5 million in fleece returns.
Lets be less ambitious, and say they were only paying half as much for my 500 kilos of ultrafine, that would still be $1/4 million.
the potential for ultrafine fleece, is where this industry must go.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

My garden


It is my paradise, i love the tropicla loocking garden, Finally after about 10 years, my parls are starting to get some height, and the garden is starting to look like a garden,
i do not have time to work in the garden any longer, so there are weeds through it, but the plants are now starting to really take off, and i think it is the most peaceful place in the world.
I love my back garden

White Stud Males For sale

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Australia's Top Ultrafine merino Genetics to go to Russia



Black Onyx



Black Onyx, is always going to be one opf our favourite alpacas.
Superb balance, proportions, density,m and lustre.
Black breeders In Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France, take time out to view this boy.
He has qualities that is sought after for the conscientious Black breeder.
Take a look at this GIFT report on his webpage.
He is now standing at ALpacalandgoed, with Yvonne Stienlet and Olivier (Belgium)

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3rd Canadian Shipmenr 45 days countdown

The group that are in Quaratine presently are now in the final 45 days of quarantine.
All are doing well.

Monday, September 21, 2009

OPEN DAY IN CANADA-HUMMZINGER

Tannis, Carla and Cornie, welcome eveyone to view the alpacas that have recently come out of Quarantine in canada.
There is a beautiful group of Females, and two Stud males.
Further information can be found on the website
www.hummzingeralpacas.com

goats for Seychelles

We are in the process of organizing goats for export for Seychelles.
these are the types of goats we hope to send to Seychelles.
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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Australia-Canada 3

This group is currently in quarantine to arrive in Canada on 27th October, 2009
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Friday, September 18, 2009

What is a laxating patella?

This alpaca here is being screened for acceptance on the British Alpaca Society (BAS) association. It is being screened by authorised screeners by BAS.
One of the genetic faults alpacas are tested for is Laxating patellas.
It may be disappointing for the purchaser who is looking forward to seeing their alpaca, but this particular fault is detrimental to the alpaca long term, and something you do not want to breed on.
The reason alpacas are screened for the UK, is to ensure that alpacas of high quarality and carrying no known genetic defects should be accepted by the British breeders.
If you look at the vet, who gently slides to one side, the Patella, (in front of the knee), Normal patellas will return back immediately, but you can see, that this patella does not return back unless returned manually.
There is no force used in this procedure, but please unless shown how to perform this procedure properly do not try it.
You need to know what you are doing before you try this.
Veterinarians are qualified to test for this fault, and if you are purchasing alpacas, and want to confirm that your alpaca does not have this fault, please pay the vet fee to screen the alpaca for your own safe of mind.
It is always a good idea anyway to have any alpaca purchased checked out by the vet, and of course it is advisable to insure your alpacas.
Alpacas can also be insured when they enter quarantine.

grey & some more black males

A place in the sun

This was taken just before the fires, the fires were as close as the hills you see in the backgroud.
It was pretty scarey the fires, and my heart goes out to those that were affected by the fires.
This is the spot that Elyse and Josh would like to build their dream house one day. It is one of our back paddocks.

Alpacas at Alpacalandgoed -Belgium

Cngratulations - A new cria

Our Quarantine facility for exporting alpacas, sheep, goats around the world