Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Wool prices double for ultrafine

SFE Quote Apr 11 1193
SFE Quote Apr 12 1090
AWEX Quote 21m MF5 Deliverable 1190 cents
Exchange Rate AUD/USD 1.0153 cents
Week End Sale Northern
Date Series 17 ųm 17.5 ųm 18 ųm 18.5 ųm 19 ųm 19.5 ųm 20 ųm 21 ųm 22 ųm 23 ųm 24 ųm 25 ųm 26 ųm 28 ųm 30 ųm 32 ųm Indicator
05/03/10 S36 1290 1226 1183 1150 1096 1021 971 955 939 925 835 680 579 446 395 349 944
12/03/10 S37 1273 1210 1176 1137 1090 1022 972 955 939 925 687 591 449 398 351 942
19/03/10 S38 1287 1222 1197 1159 1105 1034 983 967 949 937 863 700 599 457 403 353 953
26/03/10 S39 1285 1222 1188 1147 1108 1037 976 962 953 690 599 455 402 354 950
02/04/10 S40 1259 1192 1157 1109 1080 1007 952 933 925 911 587 444 391 350 930
16/04/10 S42 1247 1181 1140 1092 1069 997 938 918 904 880 580 436 382 349 909
23/04/10 S43 1248 1196 1157 1104 1071 999 943 923 907 880 580 445 388 349 912
30/04/10 S44 1247 1194 1157 1102 1067 991 935 916 898 882 585 447 389 350 905
07/05/10 S45 1251 1202 1162 1098 1059 977 932 912 894 878 593 451 398 352 902
14/05/10 S46 1255 1199 1154 1096 1057 972 924 913 896 881 694 597 451 397 352 898
21/05/10 S47 1266 1198 1160 1095 1040 967 919 902 892 878 830 698 601 451 402 355 894
28/05/10 S48 1266 1198 1172 1118 1070 988 930 917 902 883 834 613 464 412 356 905
04/06/10 S49 1278 1210 1180 1136 1078 993 941 927 904 886 614 468 424 356 913
11/06/10 S50 1281 1211 1183 1137 1091 1009 968 948 920 898 630 483 434 375 928
18/06/10 S51 1270 1197 1172 1137 1083 998 963 946 924 897 630 480 430 375 924
25/06/10 S52 1259 1196 1173 1129 1073 986 956 935 922 898 626 475 419 369 920
02/07/10 S53 1261 1202 1169 1131 1066 987 950 936 924 898 846 628 476 416 369 918
09/07/10 S01 1267 1202 1175 1135 1061 988 937 931 921 902 851 617 469 415 366 913
16/07/10 S02 1239 1184 1155 1128 1045 971 930 922 906 892 842 615 462 405 359 900
13/08/10 S06 1242 1190 1146 1111 1040 963 926 909 906 891 604 454 400 356 894
20/08/10 S07 1289 1229 1168 1125 1048 966 928 906 897 883 829 695 601 457 405 361 897
27/08/10 S08 1309 1243 1186 1140 1050 963 917 897 882 871 811 695 607 456 403 358 897
03/09/10 N09 1391 1294 1237 1166 1059 966 917 896 459 403 358 910
10/09/10 S10 1383 1293 1232 1165 1062 971 917 893 870 852 808 702 606 452 398 353 905
17/09/10 S11 1377 1288 1224 1152 1054 956 909 886 857 837 793 703 606 448 399 354 898
24/09/10 S12 1369 1277 1222 1154 1048 956 906 886 852 829 780 704 603 443 393 354 894
01/10/10 N13 1379 1298 1237 1157 1051 959 910 887 861 444 389 899
08/10/10 S14 1378 1299 1237 1168 1077 984 949 927 892 856 787 720 623 449 391 356 921
15/10/10 S15 1381 1309 1251 1181 1086 1003 963 943 905 873 803 754 653 450 399 356 936
22/10/10 S16 1403 1336 1279 1217 1114 1026 977 950 914 884 818 751 641 463 410 370 954
29/10/10 N17 1478 1412 1383 1304 1168 1067 989 950 913 981
05/11/10 S18 1643 1559 1466 1367 1233 1133 1043 996 962 909 839 765 672 478 423 388 1026
12/11/10 S19 1698 1609 1540 1431 1296 1168 1076 990 929 686 496 443 443 407 1071
19/11/10 S20 1795 1708 1632 1507 1306 1140 1039 1003 960 917 843 696 499 444 410 1077
26/11/10 N21 1813 1738 1620 1482 1275 1113 997 976 931 488 444 1059
03/12/10 S22 1698 1621 1481 1290 1121 1017 1002 944 902 671 487 444 414 1062
10/12/10 S23 1760 1679 1590 1454 1272 1105 1008 980 939 893 828 650 483 445 414 1053
17/12/10 S24 1790 1708 1631 1490 1306 1144 1034 1008 961 904 820 634 484 436 408 1073
14/01/11 S28 2042 1924 1857 1717 1555 1318 1153 1116 1069 1010 897 765 674 523 464 414 1208
21/01/11 S29 2182 2045 1953 1795 1544 1325 1145 1103 1058 1008 945 814 752 579 509 446 1251
28/01/11 S30 2186 2060 1958 1803 1560 1332 1147 1111 1060 1016 958 814 748 574 507 449 1255
04/02/11 S31 2332 2217 2077 1941 1638 1400 1203 1162 1110 845 748 567 503 448 1313
11/02/11 S32 2372 2261 2072 1896 1589 1371 1192 1137 1087 1038 760 558 500 445 1308
18/02/11 S33 2395 2240 2096 1882 1611 1388 1216 1155 1113 1055 773 580 517 458 1320
25/02/11 S34 2417 2288 2098 1865 1628 1432 1247 1188 1134 1081 899 790 617 543 479 1348
04/03/11 N35 2525 2369 2189 1949 1646 1444 1259 1188 653 579 521 1372
Average 1541 1466 1400 1314 1196 1080 1000 973 941 912 839 736 636 482 429 383 1005


Max 2525 2369 2189 1949 1646 1444 1259 1188 1134 1081 958 899 790 653 579 521 1372

Min 1239 1181 1140 1092 1040 956 906 886 852 829 780 680 496 436 382 349 894

Week End Sale Northern
Date Series 17 ųm 17.5 ųm 18 ųm 18.5 ųm 19 ųm 19.5 ųm 20 ųm 21 ųm 22 ųm 23 ųm 24 ųm 25 ųm 26 ųm 28 ųm 30 ųm 32 ųm Indicator
Micron Category
When no Northern sales are held Southern AWEX indicators are shown in italics.
Northern Region Auction Sales 04 Mar 2011
Micron Category

Sunday, March 13, 2011

New Website for TB in Alpacas

www.alpacatb.org
This is probably old news to some, but it is worthy a writing up this website, to let all know of the effects of TB.
I would like to congratulate Dianne Summers, for a great support and source of information for those that need it.
TB, is a shocking thing, and all must be aware of good biosecurity of their farms.

Wormer resistance in sheep.

As alpaca breeders, we must learn from other species, to reduce any losses, and years of problems that other breeders of others species have spent sorting these problems out.
 From time to time, I hear of alpacas becoming resistant to some wormers.
This is a serious problem if this happens, because then the wormers that are available are very harsh.
I hear all the time, we do not have worms on our property.
We test for worms, and they come zero.

Take this for a person who has to clear worms out of all breeding animals that are exported. You do have worms, and although they may be at a low level, they still need tobe treated.
Any time your animals come into stress....be it, sudden changes of weather, feed, or lack of, weaning, pregnancy, this is the trime, that worms do take over, and without a very keen sense of the body language of your alpacas, they can go downhill very quickly.
Here are a couple of very good articles on this problem



Wormer resistance in sheep
There are three different types of wormers available against gastro-intestinal
parasites in sheep.
These are:
Benzimidazoles (albendazole, fenbendazole, oxfendazole and mebendazole).
Levamisole/morantel.
Macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin, doramectin and moxidectin).
Resistance to all three types of wormers has been recorded in the UK. In a recent survey in Wales,
82% of farms that took part had benzimidazole or levamisole resistance or both.
Wormer resistance does not suddenly appear on a farm, but the wormer gradually becomes less
effective.
Continued
Contact details
VLA, Weybridge,
New Haw, Addlestone,
Surrey, KT15 3NB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01932 341111
Fax: 01932 347046
E mail: enquiries@vla.defra.gsi.gov.uk
Web: www.vla.gov.uk
Please contact your nearest VLA regional laboratory for advice on tests and services
available. Contact details can be found on the VLA website.
It would be wise to check, once a year, that the wormer you are using is
working well in your lambs. There are two tests for this.
The faecal egg count reduction test
Ten lambs are selected, weighed and marked. Faecal samples (a minimum of 10-15
pellets) are obtained and then the animals are treated for their weight with the wormer
(checking that the dosing equipment is accurate). Faecal worm egg counts from these
sheep are compared with those obtained from the same animals taken a set time after
treatment. The time between samples depends on the type of wormer used. Sufficient
numbers of worm eggs have to be present at the start of this test, for it to be accurate.
Resistance is suspected when the reduction in average egg counts is less than 90%.
For benzimidazoles, faecal samples should be taken 10-14 days after treatment.
For levamisole, faecal samples should be taken 5-6 days after treatment.
For macrocyclic lactones, faecal samples should be taken 14-16 days after treatment.
Doramectin or moxidectin, (the longer acting MLs) should not be used in this test.
Larval development test
VLA offers this test. It uses pooled faecal samples from a number of lambs. If sufficient
worm eggs are present then these are tested for benzimidazole and levamisole resistance.
Macrocyclic lactone resistance cannot be tested by this method at present.
Contact your veterinary practitioner for further advice.
May 2009
Worm Resistance and How To Avoid It Disclaimer

There are many worming pastes and drenches available in Australia to treat the common worms in horses. Most of the newer products on the market are highly effective and safe, however, some worms have the ability to become resistant to worming drugs. If this occurs horses can carry heavy infestations of worms in their gut even though they are wormed on a regular basis.

How does resistance develop?   Top
The horse parasite that is the most effective at generating resistance is the Redworm or Small Strongyle. If a worming product (or a range of worming products that belong to the same family of drug) is used continuously on a property for a long period of time, there is a high likelihood that the redworms on that property may develop resistance to that family of drug, making the products ineffective.

Redworms have developed resistance to the Benzimidazole or BZ group of wormers in many parts of the world. If a horse from a property that has resistant worms is moved to a new property it can carry the resistant worm species with it and infect its new environment.

The macrocyclic lactones or “mectin” family of worming product is the most common class of wormer used in Australia today, including Equimax (abamectin), Equimec (ivermectin) and Equest (moxidectin). These are very good worming agents however, one of the major fears in the horse industry is that resistance will develop to these products and they will lose their high level of efficacy. “Mectin” resistance has already developed in some strains of sheep, cattle and goat parasites and it is feared that horse parasites may eventually be affected.

How can resistance be avoided?   Top
In order to avoid or slow the development and spread of resistance particularly to the “mectin” products, a range of management and worming suggestions has been recommended by leading parasitologists:
  1. Use an effective worming product
  2. Give the correct dose
  3. Rotate worming drug classes on an annual basis
  4. Avoid introducing resistant worms
  5. Use the minimum number of treatments
  6. Maintain good pasture hygeine

Use an effective worming product   Top
Do not use products to which resistance has developed. Continuing to use a product known to have generated resistance will only make the problem worse. Equimax is recommended as the ideal ‘mectin’ product as it treats all equine worms, including tapeworms with no reported cases of resistance.

Using mixtures of drugs (from 2 different families of worming products) has also been recommended to slow the development of resistance. For example, Strategy-T Paste contains a combination of Oxfendazole and Pyrantel that work together synergistically, achieving a much higher efficacy against redworms than when either drug is used alone. Strategy-T is proven to be highly effective against BZ resistant redworms.

Give the correct dose   Top
Modern worming products are usually safe compounds – it is better to slightly overdose than to underdose. Underdosing increases the risk of selecting for resistant strains of worm. If possible horses should be weighed before worming or their weight estimated with a heart girth tape to ensure that their weight is not underestimated.

Be careful to avoid horses spitting out paste wormers and therefore only receiving a part of their dose. Deposit the paste over the back of the tongue, not between the cheeks and the teeth, which makes it easier for the horse to “slobber” the dose out. After dosing, hold the horse’s head up for 15-20 seconds and rub the throat latch area to stimulate the swallowing reflex.

Rotate worming drug classes on an annual basis   Top
A slow (yearly) rotation of worming drug classes has been suggested as a means of slowing the development of resistant worms in sheep, goats and horses. However, it is very important that you rotate to a different chemical family, not to another product within the same family e.g. there is no advantage in rotating from one “mectin” wormer to another “mectin”.

Strategy-T Paste being a combination wormer containing an active ingredient from two different classes of worming compound is an ideal worming product to use in an annual rotation program with the “mectins”.

Avoid introducing resistant worms   Top
New horses arriving on a property can carry worms that are resistant to certain worming products. It is therefore good policy to worm all new arrivals to a property with an effective all-wormer (e.g. Strategy-T Paste or a “Mectin” product) and to keep the new horses off pasture for 48 hours to reduce the risk of introducing resistant worms from another property.

Use the minimum number of treatments   Top
The more frequently horses are wormed the more likely it is that anthelmintic resistance will develop. However, if treatments are too infrequent pasture contamination with worm larvae and eggs will not be controlled. The ideal frequency of worming varies depending on the age of the horse, the housing conditions and the level of contamination of paddocks or yards where re-infection of the horse can occur.

As a rule of thumb stabled horses should be wormed out when they first come into work and again 3-4 weeks later to remove the redworms that have been released from the bowel wall after the first worming. Following these initial treatments a regular worming every 3 months should be sufficient. Horses housed in a paddock or large yard should be wormed every 6-8 weeks, as they are more likely to become re-infested with worms while grazing. It is important to remember that up to 99% of worm larvae exist on the pastures and only 1% are actually in a horse.

Ideally you should consult your own vet for advice to determine how frequently you need to worm on your individual property.

Maintain good pasture hygeine   Top
Pasture and yard hygiene is a very important part of worm control and can decrease the frequency at which you need to worm your horses. Manure should be collected at least once daily from stables and small yards, while in larger yards and small paddocks twice weekly manure collection is recommended.

Frequent manure removal will help to decrease the risk of feed contamination with worm eggs or larvae. Manure should be composted out of reach of horses and fresh, non-composted manure should not be spread onto paddocks grazed by horses. Alternate grazing of pastures with cattle or sheep or prolonged destocking of the pasture will also help to reduce reinfection rates and decrease the frequency of treatments needed.

By following these management practices, using effective wormers and rotating worming classes on an annual basis, we can hopefully slow the development and spread of resistance in redworms to worming compounds. This is particularly important as no new families of worming drug are thought to be close to commercialisation and we need to prolong the effective lifespan of the existing products for as long as possible.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Article courtesy of Dr John Kohnke from ‘Health Care and problems of Horses, 9th edition’ published by Virbac-Vetsearch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Little Penguin first time I saw snow is so excited


Just enjoy this beautiful bird...enjoy life.

The end of an era.........................

The weekend, we attended a Dispersal Auction of an Alpaca stud, that not only influenced the whole of the Australian Alpaca Industry, but the Alpaca Industry all over the world.
In Australia at least, and most likely unknowingly most studs around the world, almost every farmed alpaca in the western world, would have Jolimont somewhere in their alpacas Background.
Started in the Industry 1989, when he first saw his first alpaca on a TV Program, called Bourke's Backyard, Pat investigated into these animals. A Farmer at heart, he took the plunge extremely early in the peace, as far as the Australian Alpaca History goes. Importing also almost from Day 1.
 (Elyse at Sassywooman..(That is how you say the word at least), Cuzco, 2004) We met Pat on 21st Febuary 1991, although Pat insisted it was 1990, when a young couple with 4 children under 5, needed a break.
Through alot of Bad Luck, through a previous business- a Bakery, where we worked 7 days a week, and had gained a very good reputation and Business Melbourne wide, one night, a drunken driver drove his car through the front of our shop, although insured, the insurance company would not pay out because they had no hope of getting the monies back from the driver who was als a fugitive from the law.
...that is Our Luck.
For three years I fought the Insurance company, and the Insurance company made us an offer to settle, $120,000. Wow, although the accident put us $220,000 in debt, (previously owning our home),  we were advised to settle as the insurance company would just keep appealing until inflation would eat this money up, so we took the advice and accepted this deal, but we had to hire special accountants and lawyers that deal with insurance companies so we were told at the time, but we received a cheque for $10,000, and when i rang up to ask why the cheque was only $10,000, i was told, the rest went out in their fees.

I suppose Rob and I were as green as the grass, we only commented yesterday we probably still are in ways.
With that $10,000 I said to Rob, i am going to somehow make this $10,000 pay its way to make up for what we lost. It took a year to find the alpacas, because the first alpacas were only arriving in the country when the car smashed into our shop.
We had found out about alpacas, but they started at $20,000 plus, for pregnant females, we did not have enough, males, (any quality, there were so few it did not matter then ), were about $10,000 each then.
We went to Pat to buy a male, just a male, and we did say we would like a female, but he must have been feeling generous that day as he did say we could pay the two females off.
Rob worked 2 jobs non stop for 3 years to pay these females off.
Pat gave us our first chance...an opportunity that we cherished with both arms, and ran with it.
We then sold alot of alpacas from our little 1 1/2 acre property in Hastings, Victoria.
We were asked to sell some alpacas from a Chilean shipment he bought in, which we did, we sold approx 60 from this shipment.
In the following months we went to vist Pat at the farm mostly taking people there to view the alpacas for selections, he would tell us about some of the chellenges he was undertaking trying to open the protocol from peru to Australia.
This, most Alpaca breeders today have no idea, how important, this dedication to buying superior genetics would be to Alpacas in the Western World, Today.
You may be in Scotland, Uk, Germany, Belgium, France, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, too many places to mention, reading this BLog, not realising without this man pursueing these steps, and opening up other countries to the Peruvian genetics, we would not have the quality of depth of quality and genetics that we see in our alpacas today.
And in every corner of the alpaca world, Jolimont alpacas are in the background of some of the best genetics in the world today.
Through this we were also involved in the very first Peruvian Alpacas to come to Australia, some of these also were exported through to Canada, and over the years there have been a few more shipments, sometimes exported direct from Peru through to some European countries.
One thing mose people do not know, is that Pat studied very hard everything at the time there was to know about micron, and he also took the very best vets at the time over to Peru, and checked them out Physically, he sampled every alpaca, and also could work the microns out through a microscop, so no stone was unturned, he was going to bring the best group of alpacas out to Australia he could find.
AND HE DID
These alpacas, Stefano, Cristiano, being the two males we purchases, but many others that also made their mark were purchased in this group, but importantly, so were many absolutely beautiful females were bought out.
Even today, these genetics and improvement is seen in the standard and continual improvement seen in the Australian Alpaca herd today, and many other herds around the world also.
Pat and Rosa together, also did not find an easy road to take, they also took all the hard roads, Importing many herds, they made some money along the way, but they also spent a fortune and taking high risks to do so.
The Alpaca world is now what it is due to entreupeneurs like Pat and Rosa, there are also others...but Pat was the one that did pursue to open the peruvian market to Australia, through all odds.
We all have alot to thank Pat & Rosa from Jolimont Alpacas, Victoria, Australia, for their pursuit of alpaca perfection.
I am only writing this, not to praise anyone, or try to place anyone on a pedastal, but to let the new breeders of today, know that the alpacas they see today, have had years and years of breeding, struggles, and forsight to get the alpacas to where they are today.
Thanks Pat & Rosa, and Rob, Elyse and myself and our family wish you luck in your retirement!!!!! i do not think you will sit still for long.
Raelene Strong  




Thanks Pat and Rosa for taking us along this journey too....