Alpaca basics

MANNA-GUM FARM ALPACAS www.mannagumalpacas.com.au Basic Information About Buying and Caring for
Shearing Alpacas
Most sheep shearers won’t shear alpacas, so make Alpacas are members of the Camelid family and come sure you have someone to shear your alpacas. from South America. They are modified ruminants and Finding time to shear small numbers of alpacas is chew their cud. The most important part of an alpacas often difficult, consider having the means to take your diet is fibre, which they get from a variety of sources, alpacas to the shearer, this cuts down on cost and ranging from grass & hay through to leaves and twigs. improves the chances of the alpacas being shorn They will eat a variety of weeds, some of which can when required. Alternately if there are other alpaca be toxic. Alpacas do not need high protein feeds and owners nearby have all the alpacas shorn together at will easily become obese if overfed, obesity can one location, this also cuts down on cost. Shearing is reduce the life expectancy of an alpaca. The best a two person job so you will be required to provide form of supplementary feed is pasture hay or cereal someone to help catch and tip the alpaca. If the shearer has to provide the handlers the costs of When buying alpacas it is important to select animals that suite your needs. If buying for fleece production, Lice and Alpacas
fleece should be the main focus for selection; herd As with most livestock, lice are host specific this guards should be selected on confidence, means that alpacas don’t get sheep lice and sheep manageability and conformation; pets should be don’t get alpaca lice, however this doesn't mean that they cannot act as a temporary host for sheep or cattle lice. Most lice have a period when they can Body scoring alpacas is the best way to assess its survive off their host so during this time they can general health. To score an alpaca feel across the cross contaminate other livestock. The most effective middle of the back, you should be able to fee a gentle measures to ensure that lice do not spread is to shear slope away from the spine, if slope is sharp, they are alpacas and sheep at different times. Sheep lice can too skinny and if the spine area is rounded they are live off their host for up to 10 days so ensure that you too fat. If there is plenty of feed and you alpaca is have at least a 10 day interval between shearing your skinny you may need to consider veterinary advice. Excessive sitting may also indicate a medical Ivomec injectible for cattle is the most effective means of treating alpaca lice and most other parasitic Routine care:
infestations. Generic ivermectin products are also o Annual shearing, feet and possibly teeth NLIS and Alpacas
o Annual 5in1 vaccination (2ml under skin) The DPI and the Australian Alpaca Association have o Annual drenching (2ml cattle Ivomec under agreed that alpacas will be included in the National skin) Ivomec will treat all parasites including Livestock Identification program. This will mean that once tagging trials conclude all alpacas that are sold, o Annual AD&E injection or Vitamin D3 in irrespective of the reason must carry an approved Autumn. Particularly important for growing electronic tag (specifically for alpacas). All owners of animals and females. Alpacas can suffer from alpaca will therefore require a PIC (Property a vitamin D deficiency and can suffer from a Identification Code) which can be obtained from the condition called rickets which effects the DPI. Most farmers will already have a PIC number, development of bones. Cria will require more however, pet owners and new breeders are also be Requirements;
Once the NLIS comes into force all alpaca movements, on and off farm and all sales will have to logged onto a central data base. This information will be logged against the electronic tag which can then o A yard for holding your alpaca for shearing, be scanned to check animals movements throughout the country. The purpose of having electronic tagging o A shed or yard with power for shearing. is to minimise biosecurity risks. The tagging system o Standard sheep fencing around the property also applies to cattle and in some cases sheep. o PIC (Property Identification Code) all alpaca Information is available from the DPI and the owners require a PIC number obtained from Phone: 03 53592388 Email: tracy@mannagumalpacas.com.au MANNA-GUM FARM ALPACAS www.mannagumalpacas.com.au Selecting your herd guards
Introducing new sheep into mobs during lambing sea- The first thing that prospective herd guard owners should understand is that not all alpacas are suited to being herd guards. As a general rule herd guards Some farmers have reported that they find it is bene- should be over 18 months of age, although younger ficial to have alpacas in with weaners, particularly animals, paired with older animals, have proven to those that have been with the lambs at birth, it ap- be very successful. There is always an exception to pears to reduce the amount of stress on the weaners every rule, but animals under 12 months are not ma- Numbers required per mob
Age is not the only factor to consider, often animals We recommend that if you have large open paddocks that have been raised as pets or have spent the ma- with minimal fox habitat single herd guards in each jority of their life on small acreage find it difficult to mob will suffice, however in areas with significant fox adapt to broad acre farms. Another consideration is; habitat or where you have young animals that you are the animals used to drinking from dams? Or, have two in each mob. The paddock and mob size have they only used troughs?, have they been heav- are largely irrelevant, it is the extent of the fox prob- ily supplementary fed?, they may not be used to for- lem and habitat that determines the number of guards aging for food. Although over time most animals will per mob. Never have more than 2 alpacas per mob adapt to the changed conditions, most farmers don’t and try to avoid having alpacas in adjoining pad- have the time required before lambing or kidding for docks, having too many alpacas will encourage them the alpacas to adjust to dramatic environmental to form their own groups rather than protect the other changes. Dramatic changes in feed can also lead to Using Herd Guards with Sheep Dogs
A herd guard should be a castrated male, some This is the issue that seems to worry most farmers, farmers have used infertile females, but I wouldn’t and it is true that an alpaca will take to a dog particu- recommend using breeding females as the females larly if it sees that dog as a threat. We encourage our are hormonally pre-programmed to protect their own clients to have their guards near to the main house young first. Entire males should not be used as where they can be introduced to the dogs. Alpacas guards, as they have been known to rape and injure and most working dogs are intelligent animals and will quickly learn how far to push things, however, alpacas will generally perceive an aggressive or ex- Alpacas are generally castrated later than most live- citable dog as a threat, if you know that your dog gets stock due to the fact that early castration can lead to overly excited or aggressive when working it is best problems in growth and development. Consequently that the alpacas are removed before you use the dog. most young alpacas sold as pets have not been cas- Alpacas drove well and will often lead the sheep with trated. If you decide to buy a young alpaca as a pet the dog coming up the rear to move the stragglers. check to see if the seller will include the subsequent castration in the sales price, if not, be aware that you Caring for and managing guards
will have to get a Vet to castrate the male before it is
18 months of age. Potential herd guard purchasers
Alpacas have great eyesight and can see an open should always check that the animal has in fact been gate from a few hundred meters away, so if you want castrated, many alpacas are sold as wether quality to ensure that you don’t spend a large part of your animals, the seller, is just indicating that the animal day chasing wayward alpacas, ensure that you close Bonding with Livestock
Alpacas displaying tightened or shortened gait and It takes most herd guards 2 weeks to a month to who spend a significant time sitting may be suffering bond with the livestock they are to protect. Alpacas a vitamin D deficiency. There are a number of Vita- are territorial animals and when they establish their min D supplements available and the dosage rate territory they will generally chase any animals that varies, so make sure you check with a Veterinarian or enters’ their territory . A well bonded alpaca will not an experienced alpaca breeder about the dosage. only chase out predators but have been known to act as baby sitters for lambs as well as ensuring that Alpacas quickly learn routines so once they learn ewes bond and feed their lambs, this is particularly farm layouts, and the locations of paddocks they are valuable with maiden ewes or when there are twins relatively easily moved. They will quickly learn to and triplets being born. Each time you introduce your jump into stock crates and trailers, however like most alpacas to a new mob they will need time to bond. animals they baulk at entering dark unfamiliar places. Phone: 03 53592388 Email: tracy@mannagumalpacas.com.au

Source: http://www.mannagumalpacas.com.au/alpaca_basics.pdf