Premium Alpaca Fleece Producers

Confirmation this week that the AAFL are publicly announcing the purchase of the Ultrafine Bale.
An agreement has been made, as AAFL continue to support the Australian Alpaca Industry, and those who support selective breeding.
The GIFT report is being the main contribution to alot of the Premium fleece producers in Alpaca.
A number of workshops are being delivered across the eastern states of Australia, with one being planned for 3rd October here at Mariah Hill Alpacas.
Paul Valleley will be talking on how to select your alpacas, how to read and use your GIFT report to maximise you $ returns on your alpaca fleece.
For more information, please contact myself or Paul contacts can be found on www.aaft.com.au

How can you increase Fibre Density-Alpaca Fleece

fibredensity
if you concentrate on the proper aspects of breeding you will gain this.
click on this link to read this explaination by Paul Vallely
Genetic Improvement Fibre Technology

Alpaca Farm Duties

There is a lot to do on an alpaca farm, we have over 400 alpacas on our farm, and winter is close by.

At the moment we are weaning babies off their mums, this happens when they are roughly 5 months old.

Some of the mums really put into the crias, and the crias are blooming, grown well, heaps of fleece, and very rounded.

These crias have drained a lot of goodness off the dams, as the dams have out all their energies into providing a great milk source for their offspring.

We need to seive through the herd, and identify these dams, so they can be put into a paddock with less competition, so they can put the weight on, so they are less affected if we get super cold weather.

With over 100 babies born so far, this job does take a few days to do, as the dams are weighed, innoculated with 5 in 1, wormed, etc.

Crias also identified, and body scored, also wormed, and given 5 in 1.

It is a very stressful time for these crias and dams, and the dams do not like to have their babies taken from them.

Babies cry for a few days, but it is easier to wean in large groups, as they do comfort each other.

We also assess the fleece qualities, and work out which ones we will show this year.

It is very hard, because there is so many we want to show.

But we have a van to transport them to the shows, and you only have a limit to how many you can take, and have time to halter train.

Babies are now all weaned, and dams are in a rested paddock, so they can put on weight very quickly. the end of another day, doing farm duties

Raelene still have many hours left tonight completing the book work.

new Quarantine starts

The next group of alpacas have entered quarantine. Some of these alpacas are national champions for Australia, many Suri's in this group.

ALthough it is officially winter, it has been so far very mild.

We have had some rain, but it is not too cold.

We start with the first procedures, and health check.

All alpacas are looking really good.

Although they have just been shorn, we place coats on them to make sure they stay wam.

A nice bunch, and all are getting on well.

Quarantine going well

What a busy week. Up at 5.30am, to check my emails, answer the important ones, down at quarantine between 6.30am and 7am, down cleaning quarantine, checking each alpaca, feeding. This can tke approx 3 hours ecery morning, and then the same in the late afternoon.
We did three procedures this week to meet the NZ protocol.
This is a lovely group of alpacas, foming from 8 farms cross Australia.
All the alpacas are getting on well.
We also completed some ultrasounds in our own herd, with Zena, who is 8 years old, due to giver first cria any day.
We were told by a vet when she was about 218 mths old, that it would be impossible for her to get pregnant. Being a full Accoyo female, this was disheartening at the time.
ELyse loves her so we gave her to ELyse.
She became the carer for the weanlings, with huge mothering capabilities, she really looked after many weanlings, over the past years. She also looked for matings so often we would let the new boy on the block to try and learn from her patience.
One new boy approx 12 months ago, his first mating, acheived a pregnancy with her on his first mate.
Spurprise, Spurprise, so we contacted the original vet who said she could not get pregnant, and reconfirmed an ultrasound through him.
He has since told us, that she obviously can get pregnant, (obviously), but we would have to be careful when she delivers.
Elyse is very anxious of her impending birth.
While Tim the vet was up, we re scanned her to confirm the pregnanct date, as if delivery proves to be difficult it is already arranged, with Tim, for a caesar to take place.
So we patiently wait and observe.
We had lots of rain last night.
All alpacas in quarantine was placed in the shedding area for protection from all weather eliments.
Looks like rain to day.
Speak soon