IMPORTING ALPACAS.............ALWAYS TAKE THE EASY WAY

AS an exporter, i have many things to consider when planning a shipment.

I will only consider shipments that are totally risk free.

I have to have covered all conceivable risks and have plans in place to cover anything like plan transfers etc, how the alpacas are handled when these are scheduled, if you have handlers on the ground in these overseas countries, and if feed and water is offered.

A huge factor in planning a shipment is the length of time the alpacas are in the mode of transport whether it be land air or sea.

All factors are taken into consideration, and that is why i have set out to change the way alpacas are exported from Australia.

I see a short plane journey would have to be better than a plan journey in excess of 30 odd hours which others seem to be contiplating.

I also always have to have a constigency plan in place in case there is an unexpected drop off, or fuel stop.

Which country is the plane entering, as does this country have an existing protocol with the destination country.

currently, the planned stop offs of Madras and Sharjah, do not have current protocols of the Eu commission, be it, for the Netherlands, Germany, Uk.

As the plane lands, the alpacas then are considered to have travelled throuigh these countries.

and then their health status has changed.

Then what other cargo is loaded and offloaded onto the plane through the transit journey from the departing country to the destination country.

Are tou travelling through a Blue tongue zone.

lets look at the map of Blue Tongue Zones.

I personally would be looking at TB, as this is an air borne disease, is Tb previalent in these countries or zones that the animals are transiting through?

The midgee also sometimes will enter into timber and crates.

Fungus, and health status of countries through transit.

Remember, these when importing your alpaca.

as you import your alpaca not only to your country but to your farm.

RISK FREE in safetly, animal welfare, in transit, health issues, and disease status, having all plans in place incase of delayed planes, length of travel be it by land or air, or both in the same journey.

This is why I have now started to go through other channels, as the risks are so minimal.

Alpacas being Imported are usually of a high $ value, whether the alpaca is worth over $100,000 or be it worth $250 the welfare issues, and the managment of any shipment, is the same.

We are proud to have established now the direct route with the lowest risk to date, and currently and still meeting current Eu conditions, for not only mainland Europe, but also for Switzerland, and UK.Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6" Display, Graphite - Latest Generation

What is Lustre……….Alpaca Fibre

		what is Lustre? VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I am often asked what is Lustre?

Lustre is so sparkling, you will never need a flash on your camera, and sometimes, a photographer will say that the fleece is so lustrous, it flashes back at the camera, so it is hard to take a photo that can truly display the true lustre you see when you open up a fleece.

 

I do notice in my travels, that Australian fleeces are very dusty especially on the outside compared to other countries, as we have been experiencing droughts especially over the past decade.

And that is why when you often see alpaca fleece shots in Australia, they are darker on the outside.

But a dense fleece will not be dusty on the inside.

You are lucky in a way in other countries that do not experience the dust we experience. and your alpacas stay snow white.

i true lustrous fleece completely knocks you out when you open it up.

It is Dazzling, sparkling, and beautiful.

The lustre tells the observer a very important thing.

The more luscious the fleece the finer it it.

The first two fleeces was tested 12 mths old as 12 microns, the rest have tested between 13-15 microns.

Thailand here we come…. soon

		Some Alpacas in Quarantine for Thailand VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Disease- Risk, Knowledge, Education

BT (Blue tongue) or TB ( Tuberculosis).....................................Two letters, and yet. these two letters have serious effects on an animal, a farm, a country............
Let's deal with Bluetongue (BTV) first.
Why is BTV considered a notifiable disease worldwide? What is it?
How is it spread?
Should I be worried about it?
What can i do, to reduce the risks of BTV?
What makes it so serious?
What is the difference of the BTV that is seen in Europe and in Australia?
I will continue this in the next Blog.

A small voice is sometimes heard

Sometimes, you can stand there and shout and no-one takes any notice of you.
But if you know that by standing back, the wrong is being done.
You must stand up again, and shout.
Recently, the was some injustice starting to show it;s head.
Where do you go, to make people notice.
Money can pay anyone off....but that is not right. By standing alone, you do become a target. But if you know that the wrong is being done, then you must stand up for what is right, at any personal cost.
 Although most times, that personal cost is high. But i cannot let the wrong be done, and stand back and then say I told you so. I am not a person who stands up to others. I am not a person, who is outspoken, in fact the opposite, i am one that will stand back, and wait for people to say hello. I am one who people walk over.
But if there is injustice and the ones the wrong is being done to, cannot stand up and speak, then i will stand up, and let it be known. Especially when some government dicision is wrong.

Do you know how hard it is to stand up to a government and inform them that a dicision is wrong....it is the hardest thing, to voice your experience, knowledge, and facts, and to voice these in a way, that the dicision makers, will listen.
It is even harder to speak to the top, as this is the person that has to be spoken to. But if you are right, and you speak to the right people, it is amazing how quickly, the wheel is stopped, and rightened.
It showed me, that through respect to myself, and my experience, people will hear me, and taken notice of what i have to say. I know that my voice being heard, will benefit those who cannot speak. And many people, breeders around the world will benefit, without knowing, other than the correct thing was done for the safe passage of their animals.

What is the moral of this story?

Don't stand by and let the bullies manilipulate for their own benefit. The bullies do not care about if it is right or not, they have the money to talk, and get their own way...............but not all the time!

Australian Nationals

This is the first year in 18, i was unable to make the Australian Nationals, with a group of alpacas to go to Thailand, and a shipment to go to Malaysia, and three shipments of goats to through to Malaysia, in this week.
I was unable to attend the Nationals In Tamworth.
# days drive there and back, and 4 days at the nationals, our work committments meant we could not make it this year.
As it turns out, the weather we are having is very risky weather to leave the alpaca herd, although my daughter and my son and his girldfriend would be here.
The weather has already damaged some trees etc, and so it would be unfair to leave the responsibility to them.
The weather forecast also is bad for Tamworth.
although not as bad as down here.
I wish everyone good luck for the Nationals, and wish i was there

RECORD BREAKING RAINFALL SINCE 1884

• Degrees Celsius	Colour
  -68	Very pale orange (off-white)
  -61	Pale orange
  -55	Orange
  -47	BRIGHT BRICK-RED
  -40	Dull reddish-green
  -33	Dull green (red tinge)
  -27	Dull green (slightly reddish)
  -20	BRIGHT LIGHT GREEN
  -12	Medium green (bluish)
  -6	Dark Green (blue/green)
  +1	Light Blue
  +8	Medium Blue
  +15	Dark Blue
  +22	Dark grey/blue
  >22	Black

   
• WEATHER FROM ANTARCTIC, GOING TO BE FREEZING, CLOUDS COVERING ALL VICTORIA, NSW.
•  
•  
• Coastal Waters Wind Warning for Victorian waters between SA-VIC Border and 60nm east of Gabo Island,
• Local Waters Wind Warning for Gippsland Lakes, Western Port and Port Phillip,
• Severe Weather Warning for Alpine Areas, Western, North Central, Northern Country, Wimmera, Central, West and South Gippsland, East Gippsland and Northeast forecast districts,
• Warning to Sheep Graziers for Western, North Central, Wimmera, Central, West and South Gippsland, East Gippsland and Northeast forecast districts,
• Flood Watch for Greater Melbourne,
• Flood Watch for North East Victoria,
• Flood Watch for the Goulburn and Broken Basins,
• Flood Watch for the Campaspe, Loddon, Avoca and Wimmera Basins,
• Victoria Flood Warning Summary,
• Flood Warning - Kiewa River,
• Flood warning for Seven Creeks / Castle Creek,
• Flood Warning - Campaspe River,
• Flood Warning - Murray River upstream of Hume Weir,
• Ocean Wind Warning 1 - South Eastern area.

STORMS, SO BAD, WITH ALL WEATHER WARNINGS, GALE FORCE WINDS, SNOW TO 500MTS, VICTORIA AND NSW, SO BAD,
ALL ANIMALS ARE PLACED INTO PROTECTED AREAS,

I love Alpacas