Work continues on the fence posts and is going very well. This machine does not mess about when it comes to knocking posts in and getting them vertical at the same time...very impressive. If you can't borrow one locally I recommend renting one.

Today the vet is coming to do a transfusion of goat plasma into our cria Evita to boost her immune system which isn't as strong as it might be.

Before we do the transfusion we check out Buttercup who is going to California on Thursday having been bought on Monday....



The transfusion goes like clockwork and pretty soon the line is in and the plasma slowly going into her bloodstream while she strolls around the holding pen. Parts of this might have been easier if we had a good solid table to work on. I must keep an eye out for a used table.



The transfer goes well and the cria is on fine form. A shot of Torb kept mum calm while we did the transfer and later that night we removed the bandage from her neck and she looks great. What price peace of mind?

Adrian Stewart

What is about Mondays around here?
As soon as the sun comes up.....and now that we have moved the clocks back thats a bit earlier than last week, the phone starts ringing.

Its good news and good news.
First the neighbour lending me his post bashing tractor is coming round to start work on my fence posts which is reallly good news as I would like to get the posts in and the wire up before the rain starts.

But the more exciting news is that a Californian breeder is very interested in two of our top quality females and within an hour she has purchased both of them....today I just love the alpaca business.



Adrian Stewart

Fully 25% of alpacas that become pregnant do not go full term. They either reabsorb the embryo or abort. The majority of these losses occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy as you might expect. I am not certain how this compares to 0ther breeds.

However, as an alpaca breeder its vital to stay on top of the situation..so to speak...by spit testing your females throughout their pregnancy and doing at least three ultrasound scans along the way.

This afternoon we put one of our junior herd-sires onto spit testing duty with the females. It can be a tough job chasing around females with good intentions only to get a face full of semi chewed grass spat in your face.

So the afternoon wasn't so good for Conman but we were pleased that everyone was spitting off.

Adrian Stewart

Today we managed to handle two farm visits simultaneously...which was an interesting experience. So while I was showing one couple around Jo was showing a family of four around slightly behind me.

Although being a bit dubious at first it actually turned out extremely well and was very relaxed and enjoyable.

Our couple are in the early stages of research so have gone off to do some more visits and decide if they just want fibre boys or if they want to breed alpacas as well...quite a big decision with fundamental impacts on both initial costs and ongoing effort.

I can't emphasise enough just how important it is to have finished fibre products on display. You can sell the products if you want to, but much more importantly to my mind is getting the idea fixed in buyers heads that this is all about the fibre and the products we can make from the fibre.

Adrian Stewart

Its been a long week and before the day really gets underway the vet has phoned to say that the IgG level on one of our cria is borderline. With a borderline IgG then if its a boy I will take my chances...if its a girl then why take the chance so I opt for a plasma transfer.

Yesterday when we were drawing blood one of the mothers Southern Cross was going berserk literally trying to break the pen down to get at her cria or if we put her outside standing on her hind legs and drumming on the wall of the barn with all her might...quite scary.......

Yes you have guessed it ...its her cria that needs the plasma transfusion. We discuss the pros and cons of doing the transfer at the vet clinic or on the farm. On balance we opt for a transfer on the farm.

The vet cannot schedule the next visit until Tuesday so we agree Tuesday at 11am.

Meanwhile the cria who we have named Evita is running around and looks full of beans.



Adrian Stewart

New crias mean fresh blood draws. We draw the blood to complete the FTA cards which go off to the alpaca registry where a small sample of the blood is used to confirm the DNA of the cria and therefore the parentage. Its a neat system whenever it goes well but if it goes wrong , and it does sometimes, then its a total pain in the .........

We also use the blood sample to confirm the IgG level of the cria. The IgG level is a crude measurement of the crias immune system.

Meanwhile we check on Bandeliers little hernia and it is repairing nicely all on its own so we leave it be for a while longer.

Wrapping hernia bandages around crias is quite tricky at the best of times but with males its even more important that you get the positioning correct or it becomes a a hernia bandage and urine soaked diaper within an hour of putting it on.

The weather is still dry and sunny but with no rain since April and no irrigation for three weeks everywhere is becoming very dry and dusty.

In the evenings when I drive out to feed the alpacas Gifford sees this as a personal challenge to his speed and who can get there first.....



Adrian Stewart

Yesterday we had a new arrival. A beautiful white boy with some fawn markings. His dam is Sopresa a white Hemingway daughter and his father Inti-Sapa a brown boy. Which explains the fawn markings.



So here is the little chap in his blue cria coat, he is about 3 hours old in this picture.



It has been a very mild October and although it is cold at night the sunshine is quite warm during the day.

The vet will come out on Thursday to draw blood for BVDV tests, IgG counts and FTA cards so we can register them with the ARI.

Looking back at the breeding dates both cria arrived almost smack on 335 days from the first breeding dates.

Adrian Stewart

For centuries, the alpaca has sustained the indigenous people of the Andean highlands in Peru, Bolivia and northern Chile.

The animal has become a symbol of this snow-capped region, but farmers in Peru are concerned that wool quality is declining and fear that the genetic pool of the world's largest alpaca industry may deteriorate dramatically.




They are also concerned about increasing competition from countries like Australia and New Zealand, which, thanks to more advanced technology and greater resources, have enjoyed great success in their alpaca breeding programmes.

But now, with funding from the French Embassy in Peru and the British charity Oxfam, a programme has begun to help the genetic improvement of alpacas in the southern region of Puno - one of the poorest parts of the country and home to 1.6 million alpacas.

Ideal habitat

The town of Macusani, in Puno, prides itself on being the alpaca capital of the world.

At 4,700 metres (15,400 feet) above sea level, the air is thin and freezing, the sun fierce and the earth supports little but sparse tufts of yellowing grass.

But while little flourishes in this harsh landscape, it is the ideal habitat for llamas, and their smaller, woollier cousins, the alpacas.




The people in Macusani seem to adore the creature.

Its ample, thick wool provides them with the warmth that's vital in the cold highlands of the Andean Carabaya Cordillera, where many people live in huts made out of adobe mud bricks or stones.

Its gamey meat is a valuable source of protein and its docile nature makes it easy to domesticate.

But there is also great international demand for alpaca wool as a luxury product - it's extremely warm, lighter than sheep's wool and softer to the touch.

National forum

Miles away from Macusani, a cluster of stone dwellings perch on the side of a valley. All around it a herd of placid llamas and alpacas graze on the thin grass.

We owe everything to the alpaca

Teodora Cano, Peruvian Society of Llama and Alpaca Breeders

Here Miguel Cano, 79, and his wife Micaela, have raised 14 children and thousands of alpacas in the last 50 years.

With no help from the state or local government until now, he put his children through school and university on the proceeds of alpaca farming.

His daughter, Teodora Cano, is president of the regional branch of the Peruvian Society of Llama and Alpaca Breeders (Spar).

"We owe everything to the alpaca. Now we have a national forum we can ensure that all alpaca farmers are paid a fair price for their wool," she says.

"Anything which improves the quality of the wool will help alpaca farmers."

Mountain laboratory

Zenon Choquehuanca, the director of the alpaca genetic improvement project, wants to redress what he sees as the unfair advantage more developed countries have in their breeding programmes.



"Australia and other countries which breed alpacas bought in Peru have used the highest technology for their genetic improvement", he said.

"It's our aim to do the same here in Peru."

Mr Choquehuanca explains that an alpaca's fleece is judged by two criteria - volume and fineness.

Now using the new technology they can measure the number of hair follicles per square centimetre as well as the diameter of the individual hairs - the finer the hairs, the better the wool.

Located in isolated mountain splendour is the Munay Paq'ocha laboratory - the name means "beautiful alpaca" in the indigenous Quechua language.

Alpaca wool is washed and heated in a stove before the fat in each hair is measured to assess the elasticity of the fibre. The fibres are then weighed.

Using a microscope the diameter of fibres is measured - the thinner the fibres the better the wool.

This information is cross-referenced with the birth date and birth weight of the alpacas and enables those with the optimum characteristics to be bred together.


I love the alpaca like a beautiful woman

Farmer Temistocles Riquelme Ardiles

"As they see their lives improve through the science applied to their farming practices the alpaca farmers will learn so they can effectively improve their breeding stock," he says.

Alpaca breeder Temistocles Riquelme Ardiles attests to the alpaca's greatness.

Wearing a woollen poncho he stands in the freezing winds among hundreds of Suris - a variety of alpaca - on the bare plains near his home.

"I love the Alpaca like a beautiful woman, she gives me warmth and comfort, food and a bed - she gives me everything," he says as he grabs one of the alpacas around the neck and kisses it firmly.



The mayor of Carabaya region, Michel Portier - a Frenchman who has lived in Peru for 18 years - has secured the financial backing to establish the programme.

"The genetic selection of alpacas directly affects the quality of life of the people who live here and helps the fight against poverty," he says.

"Agriculture is a risky business at this altitude - some years we have such a cold frost that it can kill a whole crop.

"The only reliable resource the people have here is the alpaca."

The science of genetic improvement could finally make Macusani not just the spiritual home of the alpaca but the commercial home too.

By Dan Collyns
BBC News, Macusani, Peru

Adrian Stewart

Today I am travelling back tomorrow.

Meanwhile we have been busy carving pumpkins.




Adrian Stewart

The weather is gorgeous for October and we are all enjoying this late summer sunshine.
I was planning to take some pictures of the alpacas so that I could replace those on our website. But somehow it never happened.

I took a sample from the 2nd cutting hay and sent it off for analysis so I will report back on the results.

After a great deal of thought and debate we eventually decided that today would be a great day to try out one of junior herdsires. If you have ever done this you will know what fun it can be !
Suffice to say the first girl we tried him with was not at all receptive and his ego took something of a beating.

The second girl was much more receptive and all went to plan.




Tomorrow I am going to Bend so will be back on Tuesday.

Adrian Stewart

The irrigation canal is turned off now but this picture clearly shows the dramatic difference between the land below the canal and the land above the canal.



Well our farm visit didn't show, hopefully we will hear from them eventually. It isn't often people call to arrange a farm visit and then don't show up.

Adrian Stewart

Well no sooner had we cleaned up the barn and pastures and had a cup of coffee than I got a feeling that something was happening in the birthing pasture.

A quick look showed that a couple of girls were sniffing at something shiny on the ground.

A reflection off the afterbirth told me that my instincts were correct and that there was a new born cria out there somewhere.

It didn't take long to find it hiding next to her mum.

The mother is particularly possessive and virtually attacks anyone who comes near, it took some careful maneuvering to get in there and discover it is a girl and get the iodine onto the remains of the umbilical cord. Then retreat to a safe distance.




Within an hour the baby was up and feeding and both look pretty settled. Its a clear sky today so my guess is that the temperature will fall tonight, so we will put a cria coat on her to help her stay warm.

A great end to the week and a lovely start to the weekend.

Tomorrow we have a farm visit so it will be good for them to see a newly born alpaca as part of their farm visit.

Adrian Stewart

Yesterday the photographer for Hobby Farms Magazine arrived with assistant to take some pictures of the farm and alpacas to support two articles which are coming up in future editions of the magazine.

I spent most of the day working with the alpacas while she snapped away so it was a variety of natural shots and some posed shots.



I was hoping to learn something about taking better photographs and I did learn a few tips but I guess more importantly I learned how much I don't know and that I need to go on a short course in order to get the most out of my camera.



This is just one of the pictures and by no means the best...you will have to wait to see those. But even this picture gives you some idea of what can be achieved with a decent camera and a couple of flash guns. Digital photography has done a great deal to level the playing field. But that facts remain that the pros consistently take better pictures than the amateurs.

It makes me realise how average the photographs are of the alpacas that we have for sale on our web site and I must take some better pictures this weekend to address that.


Adrian Stewart

I should make it clear that the hernia kit is for alpacas and has nothing to do with me getting a hernia as I dispose of the poop

The excellent news is that a farm less than 1/2 a mile away has started to create a large organic garden and so want all the alpaca poop we can spare, in return for fresh produce next year. Which is just pretty amazing is so many ways. I was starting to wonder what we were going to do with the ever growing pile and I had concluded that spreading it onto the hay field was my best option...but I hadn't quite worked out how I was going to do that.
This solution is truly heaven sent.

October is in theory burn season before the winter ban on burning to protect air quality. But the summer has been so long and hot that I can't see there being any burning until next spring now.

The official alpaca hernia repair kit has arrived and we will be putting it to good use over the weekend.



Essentially what you get is a roll of Vet Wrap and a roll of Elsatikon, and if you read the Blog entry for yesterday you will discover which to use. Together with two hernia supports.

These are hard to describe but this picture of a support in profile, next to a water bottle to give some idea of size will help explain.



Essentially you use the bump to hold in the bits that are coming out and tape it into place on the cria. The reason you have two is so that you can wash one while using the other. They can get a bit dirty especially on boys who sometimes urinate onto the bandage. But in any case as you are taping up near to the umbilical cord which is an open door for infection its good to be as clean as possible.

Adrian Stewart

Our vet Dr Richardson came over today and examined K2's Joni who is currently in the farm quarantine. Dr Richardson drew blood to run a BVDV test and to make sure our new arrival is totally healthy.
She isn't enjoying being in a "private room" as much as you might imagine and is clearly very keen to get back in with the herd. Who can blame her.

While Dr Richardson was here she and her assistant helped me wrap our latest cria as he has a very slight hernia. Its a small point but I had been using Vet Wrap around his abdomen . Vet Wrap sticks to itself very easily but not to fibre so slips around the animals waist in no time at all. What I have discovered is that Elastikon which is adhesive is the way to go as this sticks to the fibre and doesn't move around. The down side is that it will be a pain to remove and may well leave some slight traces of glue on the fibre.



Adrian Stewart