Boer Goats

Well i have had a fast learning curve in Boer Goats and some of the main players in the industry, as i quote out on some small shipments starting to flow through.
The Boer Goats seem to be a very flourishing Industry.
Every breeder i have called in to see have been extremely helpful, and informative.
looking forward to exporting these guys and assisting the boer goat industry also

An alternative for European Importers for alpacas

Beautiful floral gardens, carved totem poles, and huge jade carvings greet you on arrival at Vancouver airport.

There are two ways to Heathrow, Via Luxembourg, and the other option now available to us for the English clients is through Canada.

This gives you two options to choose from, which offers you a direct flight from Canada to Heathrow, no stopping elsewhere or unloading.

Same time through to UK, and a different approach to exporting to UK.

European Breeders that land in Luxembourg still need to go through NZ.

Over 1000 baby alpacas have been born at Mariah Hill Alpacas.

When Rob & I first got into alpacas, like any other young couple starting a new venture, we sat and wondered what the future would being.

Sitting on our 1 3/4 acre block in Hastings, we had just bought home our first 3 alpacas, 2 pregnant females and a young male, Ziggy. Like any other couple would sit there and wonder.

Wouldn't it be wonderful, to one day own 20 alpacas, or even 50.

Before long we owned 6 alpacas, well we thought we were wonderful, and we were at that stage considered a large herd in Australia, Alpacas had only been in the country 3 years, and there were only around 300 alpacas in australia, so 6 was a big herd, especially on our 1 3/4 acres.

19 years later, we have had 1050 babies born on our farm, we have moved 3 times, and now at our final location at Mt Ararat, Nar nar Goon.

Originally was the largest farm in Victoria in 1851 when Victoria was separated from NSW.

Mount Ararat Run No 1, was what it was then known as, over 2000 acres, from here to DErouin.

The stories this property can tell.

and the story is not over yet, we have many plans, and our daughter Elyse to take them on.

A Busy time

What a busy time, NZ alpacas in Quarantine, with testing full under way, renewing my Exporters Licence, which is always difficult, they are making it harder and harder, everyone says, but exporting livestock is so, so important. So everything is analysed and analysed, and analysed, but finally, my licences was renewed, and this time to include sheep.

In between time, i have been studying the Chinese protocol, and diseases that is involved in this protocol, for Sheep.

it has been 6 years since this type of sheep has been exported to China, and protocols change all the time. Speaking to experts in the field of these diseases being tested, talking to the chinese importer, and just updating paperwork, has taken a huge amount of my time.

Meanwhile the Canadian alpacas are doing really well, and we have in line another hipment to start going through to Canada, and will start their isolation in January.

The current NZ shipment is going really well, we have had to get some of the males in this shipment certified, as you can see above Bamdolero being checked for male certification. He is on his way the Belgium. Our summer has not really hit here, and so we are start to get days on mid 20's, but rain, so much rain, our driveway now is at the bottom of the hill, and there are big rutts in the driveway we have to be so careful driving up it. We had been waiting for our hay to be cut. The paddocks have been locked up, the grass is to the top of the fences, and we were already to cut the hay, but the rake broke on a previous property.

So dissappointment there, although they were coming today, the machines are here, but moe rain today, so it is put off until tomorrow.

Lady titicata

Lady titicara has now arrived in Uk.
After a long flight, she has settled in well, at her new home In south England, run by Dominic Lane. We visited Anzac alpacas when we were over there in Febuary, and we welcomed by Dominic, who originates from Tasmania.
At this stage she is destined for ALPACALANDGOED in Belgium.
Primera who currently resides in England, is due to deliver her cria to Cambridge Killawaski, on 9th october, 2008.
Whilst her previous cria, English ROse, is being tested to complete a health certificate so she can go to Belgium as well.
English rose will go over in the next 2 weeks, whilst Primera will go once she has her cria, and then she and cria will be tested for the english health movement tests, of TB, and Brucellosis.
Primera has had her two vaccinations for BT, and then she will go to Belgium as well.
The farm she is to go to, is ALPACALANDGOED approx. 1.5 hrs from Brusssels. Yvonne Steinlet & her husband has 13 alpacas, and looking to a very bright future of alpaca breeding.
We are very glad the alpacas are going to Yvonne's farm, as she is an experienced and established breeder.
Yvonne will start doing a judging course soon in the UK.
We hope one day to go back to Belgium, but this time spend more time and visit her farm.
Congratulations Yvonee and her husband, we look forward to a long and happy friendship.

Hamilton Sheep Show

We visited the sheep show in a country town called Hamilton about 6 hours drive west from where we live.

We left approx 10am Sunday morning to travel there, we had 6 alpacas on board, all bar 1 just off their mum, and quickly halter trained. I feel it is good to take some of your best alpacas to shows, in preparation for the major shows, of the Royals and Nationals.

The weanlings when they first go into the ring, do freeze when they have to walk through an area with strange people and animals, and of course line up in front of a crowd, large or small. It takes two or three shows before they will walk in the ring perfectly, and stand for a period of time, so that the alpaca can be judged properly.

By this stage hopefully, they arrive at the Nationals, (end of Aug), and our Royal Melbourne Show (Mid Sept), and are confident, and present themselves, which gives them presence, and that WOW factor.

Also the fleece which is the main part of Judging is just starting to display it's true characteristics by about 10 months old, when it is at it's best in presentation and length.

Showing is very hard, and timing as a huge part in gaining ribbons and not.

We have many alpacas we could be showing, some just too young, some, just coming off the mums, and already stressed, so to get one at the right time, for a right show, is sometimes, like juggling.

Hamilton Sheep Show is one of the largest Sheep shows in Australia with over 10,000 sheep.

It is such a huge event that all the accomadation is booked out a couple of years ahead.

This means there was not a lot of accomadation available.

We found accomadation 1 hour away, on a 12,000 acre sheep farm.

It was absolutely beautiful place, 4000 sheep, and when we arrived late at night , the hosts, were kind enough to have a beautiful fire going, to warm this cute little cottage.

Old shearing quarters i would say, and tastefully decorated, and extremely clean.

A warm bed, freezing in the morning, -2 degrees.

But when we woke up, we were in a valley in the middle of the Grampians, called Victoria Valley.

Absolutely magic, overlooking wetlands, or a gorgeous lake.

We did not have much time to enjoy the scenery, as we had to leave around 6 am, and as you can see from the photos the sun was only just getting up.

But as we drove back towards Hamilton, the landscape changed from one second to the next, and we were just amazed at this lush valley, which would be very protected in summer i would imagine.

We did well at the show, coming in 2 seconds and 3 thirds.

An extremely high quality show, and we were pleased, seeing ou guys were the youngest in the class.