Alpaca World Magazine Spring 2005 - Classical MileEnd Alpacas

News Marty McGee clinic dates / Wessex twins / Transporting camelids / Pacafi esta
Marty
McGee
Bennett
UK
Clinic
Dates
Marty McGee Bennett
will be holding a series
of clinics in the UK in
September 2005. Marty is
an inspirational teacher
and her clinics are great
fun for both human and
camelid participants. You
are welcome to bring your
own llamas and alpacas to
the clinics – we positively
welcome those with
challenging behaviours.
Marty will cover all aspects
of handling, including
haltering, leading,
showing, toenail trimming
and administering
injections. She will change
the way you and your
alpacas understand and
relate to each other. It is
a thoroughly rewarding
experience!
The dates and venues of
the clinics are as follows:
8–10 September: Basic
Clinic. Toft Alpacas,
Warwickshire. Contact:
Rob and Shirley Bettinson,
phone: 01788 810626,
admin@toft-alpacas.co.uk.
www.toftalpacas.co.uk
13–15 September:
Basic Plus Clinic.
Bozedown Alpacas, Nr
Reading. Contact Joy
Whitehead on 0118 984
3827 joy@bozedownalpacas.co.uk.
17–18 September: Basic
Clinic. Alpaca Training
Centre
19–20 September:
Advanced Clinic. Alpaca
Training Centre, North
Devon. Contact Ian and
Rachel Waldron: 01769
540202. info@langatonalp
acas.co.uk.
22–23 September: Basic
Clinic. Carthvean Alpacas,
Cornwall.
Contact Julie Taylor-Browne
on 01209 831672 or e-mail:
taylor.browne@clara.net.
For more details regarding
the workshops and about
Camelidynamics contact
Julie Taylor-Browne
or visit Marty McGee
Bennett’s website at
ww.camelidynamics.com.
Twins born at Wessex
I was driving up the M6 to Cumbria when
my phone rang. I answered it, using my
hands free device of course, to hear
that my newly acquired female had just
dropped a wonderful male cria and that
mother and offspring were both doing
well. For most of us this would not seem
particularly news worthy but this was
something of a surprise to me as, only
two days before, this female had been
consigned to an outlying paddock to join
all the other females that were either
empty or not expected to give birth for
many months. This was because she had,
fi ve days before, dropped a cria which
had unfortunately died just as I was
about to take him to the vets as we could
not work out why he was not thriving. He
had been born without any problems
although he was rather small; this we put
down to the fact that he was probably
a week or two earlier than we had
anticipated. However his mother showed
little interest in him, which surprised us as
this was not her fi rst calving and she had
been a perfectly good mother before.
The fi rst cria had thrived during day
one despite his mother not showing any
interest in him. He was bottle-fed and
attempts were made to persuade his
mother to take more interest. During
the second day he began rapidly to go
downhill, at one stage he was found in
a wet, cold heap and had to be revived
in a hot bath and put in front of the
Aga. He stayed curled up in the kitchen
throughout the Saturday night and on
Sunday still did not seem to have much
life about him. In desperation we decided
to take him into the vet but, having made
that decision, he died on us before
we could move him. The resultant post
mortem showed all his organs were fi ne
and that there seemed to be no logical
reason for him to have gone downhill so
rapidly.
The mother was then put in a trailer
and moved to an outlying fi eld. So it
was something of a surprise when three
days later, and fi ve days after the birth
of the fi rst cria, that a small bundle of
white fur was found in the middle of this
fi eld. In fact it was not really that small
and when brought in for weighing it was
discovered that this was a 9.8 kg cria and
full of energy and ready to live well off his
mother. Mother and cria were transported
back to the nursery fi eld to join the others
and the mother reverted to her normal
maternal self, caring for and nursing her
new offspring.
What is amazing is that this female
had been carrying over 15 kgs of cria
without showing any obvious signs that
she had this abnormal load inside her.
Her lack of maternal care for the fi rst
cria was now fully explained as she had
obviously decided that she could not
care for two offspring and was therefore
ready to ignore the weaker of the two for
the benefi t of the stronger. I am pleased
to report that both mother and baby are
both doing well and of course the cria
is defi nitely destined to be a prize stud
male! Certainly he has already made
history as the fi rst twin to be born at
Alpacas of Wessex.
John Gaye
ALPACA SHEARING
Telephone Colin for a friendly and
professional local service with
competitive rates.
01884 38782 or
07773 440354
Email: tango@aligoff.eurobell.co.uk
Recommended by Ian and Rachel
Waldron of Langaton Alpacas
Camelids: a
moving tale
Concerns have been expressed about llama and alpaca
owners turning up at agricultural shows with their animals
in the back of their vehicles rather than in a trailer.
Kevin Chesson, Section Leader of the Animal Health &
Welfare/Agriculture at Surrey Trading Standards writes.
The main requirement for all livestock owners is Article 4
(1) of The Welfare Of Animals (Transport) Order, 1997. This
applies to the movement of all ‘animals’ and states, ‘No
person shall transport any animal in a way which causes, or
is likely to cause injury or unnecessary suffering.’
My take on this is, if an animal is being transported
in the back of a car or one of the large off-road type
vehicles then there is a risk of injury being caused. I base
this judgement on the fact, that unless heavily modifi ed,
the vehicle would offer little protection to camelids in the
event of an accident, or the driver having to take evasive
action. The animals could be thrown through the windows
or they could be thrown across seats, and these are but
two examples. One also has to consider the welfare of the
human occupants as well.
There is an additional piece of legislation and this is
The Transport of Animals (Cleansing and Disinfection)
(England) (No. 3) Order, 2003. This requires that a means
of transport is cleansed and disinfected between uses. This
is for disease prevention and control purposes. It defi nes
when and how this must be done. It also requires the use
of ‘approved’ disinfectants. The transport of camelids is
caught by this legislation.
I would ask the question how many people would be
willing to soak their car or brand new Range Rover in
disinfectant. If such vehicles were to be used to transport
camelids then there is a question of how effectively
cleansing and disinfection could be carried out.
In conclusion my suggestion to readers is that they only
use vehicles or trailers that have been properly designed or
adapted for animal transport use. This will avoid possible
prosecution and a criminal record. Owners can obtain free
advice through their local Trading Standards Department.
Pacafi esta
The Atlantics International Quality Show and Sale, 9–11
September 2005. European Breeders are invited to take
a holiday and visit Nova Scotia, Canada in the beautiful
warm month of September.
Held in Nova Scotia, Canada Pacafi esta will be an
alpaca extravaganza – featuring halter and fl eece shows,
endless fi bre and yarn competitions, seminars and
clinics, gourmet food and wine and a private sale of a
limited number of carefully screened Huacaya and Suri
alpacas. Judges will be Julio Sumar of Peru and Cathy
Merkely of Canada.
Now the borders are open once more UK breeders
have the opportunity to purchase the creme de la creme
of Canadian alpaca stock. Catalogues will be posted on
request – overseas entries for the fi bre, yarn and fi nished
garment competitions welcome .
This could be a great shipping opportunity. Some
Canadian breeders are preparing importations to the
UK and are willing to ship sale animals at the same
time. Breeders interested in taking advantage of this
opportunity should contact Pacafi esta management
through the website www.pacafi esta.com.
6 | Alpaca World Magazine Spring 2005