Regular readers of this Blog will recall that in a previous posting I reported a news story from the UK where two baby alpacas stolen from an alpaca farm in Hampshire, Enland.The stolen cria have now been recovered unharmed by police.
The seven-month-old alpacas were taken from Tunworth farm, in Tunworth, near Basingstoke, sometime between 10 and 11 January.

Officers found the pair on Thursday morning at a farm in Guildford Road, in Pirbright, Surrey.
A police spokesman said the owner of the farm had bought them in good faith and will not be prosecuted.

Police Constable, Lee Coleshill, a wildlife liaison officer at Hampshire police, said: "The alpacas are now being returned to their owners and will be reunited with their mother. Although the alpacas have been found unharmed, we are still determined to find those responsible for their theft and ensure they are dealt with robustly."

Its good to know that this particular story of alpaca theft has now reached a happy conclusion.

Adrian Stewart click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

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If you aren't familiar with what this case is all about there follows a brief history.

On a Tuesday morning, March 18th 2003, Magical Farms were confronted with tragedy. In the early hours of the morning they found 12 of their male alpacas dead with no apparent outward signs of trauma or obvious cause of death.
Many others were extremely lethargic, refusing to eat, drink, or stand, and displaying some shaking primarily in their front legs and their heads.
The problem was linked directly to a batch of feed mixed by Land O' Lakes that was heavily tainted with a substance poisonous to alpacas.
This somehow slipped through their quality control measures, and the tainted alpaca feed was distributed widely across northern Ohio. Many farms were affected.
The total number of alpacas killed at Magical Farms due to this poisonous feed is now over 100, with over an additional 250 alpacas affected.

The case has now gone to Federal Court on Monday the jury will be be given their instructions by the judge and sent to reach a verdict.

Whatever the jury decide in this case we all need to ask the question;
What will be the impact on the alpaca industry as a whole?

What I am wondering is how will other producers of alpaca feed stuff respond to this case and the verdict?

In business it is prudent to have product liability insurance and to do something called risk assessment. Which is basically asking the question What if? and then calculating the consequences whether they be financial, environmental or human.

The what if question here is clearly; What if we mix the alpaca feed badly and accidentally poison 300 alpacas? What will that costs to us? In compensation and in damage to our brand name?

Having made the assessment as an alpaca feed producer you have some choices:

You can implement further safeguards and checks while mixing the alpaca feed or institute post mix testing of the alpaca feed. Now all this will obviously add to the costs of production so its only fair the price of the alpaca feed should be increased.

Once you tell your insurers about the risk assessment they may well increase the premiums, even though you have put in place additional safeguards to prevent the alpaca feed becoming contaminated. Yet more costs to be passed on to the buyer of the alpaca feed.



As an alpaca feed producer you may even decide that the risks do not justify the rewards and so you stop manufacturing alpaca feed altogether.

Of course this then makes the nations alpaca breeders dependent on an even smaller pool of alpaca feed suppliers and now their risk has just increased because they have more customers with yet more expensive alpacas.

I don't know what the answer will be. Maybe some alpaca feed producers will ask us to sign a legal waiver, limiting the amount of damages we can claim should an accident happen.

There are a number of people interested in the outcome of this trial other than those who were in Federal Court for the last two weeks. The alpaca feed stuff suppliers and their insurers, the alpaca insurers such as Wilkins and of course the alpaca farmers of North America.

Well lets hope its all just a storm in a tea cup........

Adrian Stewart click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

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Well not quite home alone.
Today I am down in San Jose all day back tomorrow.
Meanwhile the children and our Australian shepherd dog Gifford are in control of the alpaca farm.

Basically, The children watch the alpacas and Gifford's job is to bite the children if they go anywhere near the alpacas. A farm in perfect harmony!

Back tomorrow when Dr Leslie Richardson will be on the farm.

Adrian Stewart - click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

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Today has been hectic from the moment I awoke until...well lets see its 6pm and I am about to drive 6 hours to San Jose...so it will be busy, busy all day...literally!

I did get some help feeding the alpacas today from some of the younger members of the community. Which was great fun for them and the alpacas.



After yesterdays snow shower, today the sun is shining once again, there isn't a cloud in the sky and its a very pleasant 60 degrees. It would have been nice to be doing more outside with the alpacas, but for some reason I ended up spending most of the day either on the PC updating alpaca medical records or on the phone talking alpacas with various parties.

Still I can't complain it was my idea to become an alpaca farmer in the first place.

That's all for today folks, the road is calling and Irene Fuller an alpaca breeder in California tells me the journey will be beautiful so I better take the camera..

Have fun out there, thanks for stopping by.

Adrian Stewart click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

The weather is totally haywire this spring and the last few days have seen temperatures creeping into the 70’s and have lured me and the alpacas into a false sense of security. Today the temperature is down to 35 degrees and its snowing…..great! thank goodness that at this time of year the alpacas have a good amount of fleece growth to protect them.

Apparently the United States Postal Service has no official creed or motto. Often falsely cited as such, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" is merely an inscription on the James Farley Post Office, so I think that we alpaca breeders should make it our creed it would be an inspiration on days like today.



Our alpaca veterinarian Dr. Leslie Richardson of Crater Animal Clinic is booked to come out to the farm on Friday and conduct ultrasound exams on three of our pregnant alpacas. While she is here she will also check out the three alpacas that were born last autumn and trim the teeth on Lucky Luciano. Lucky is one of those alpaca fibre boys that you just know will be around for many a long year!

Leslie has also been busy writing a pre-purchase vet exam check list for alpacas, the check list will be available on the Hobby Farms web site once they publish my alpacas livestock profile in the summer issue. Once the article is out there, I will post a link from the Blog and the main web site to the alpaca pre-purchase check list.

The Empire Alpaca Association sent out an e-mail earlier this week about a DVD they had produced on the subject of preparing for an alpaca show. I don’t know if you saw the e-mail but the DVD sounded pretty useful so I have ordered a copy and I will be reviewing it here in the Blog. If it proves as useful as I suspect then I will run one of my small alpaca competitions where by answering a simple alpaca question correctly you will go into a draw where you could just win a copy of the DVD.

Meanwhile some interesting alpaca news from back in the United Kingdom. Eliza Manningham-Buller, head of the Security Service better known as MI5, (the equivalent of the FBI) which is responsible for protecting the UK against threats to national security. Eliza has stepped down stating that she wants to spend more time with her husband and alpacas at their 70-acre farm. A very sensible decision don't you agree?

Adrian Stewart click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

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On Saturday SOJAA (State of Jefferson Alpaca Association) sponsored an alpaca fiber seminar for SOJAA members (yet another good reason to join an AOBA affiliate). The feedback has all been very positive with even the most experienced members telling me they learnt something new and useful.

I couldn't be at the seminar myself as it was Angus's 14th birthday. However I did donate the 12 fleeces they needed for the delegates to play with.



The hands on seminar/workshop was presented by Robyn Kuhl. Here are just some of the topics which are covered in the one day event:

What is alpaca fiber sorting. What are the alpaca fiber grades.
Textile benefits of sorted alpaca fiber. The role uniformity plays
Basic color groups for sorting. Suggested uses for each grade of alpaca fiber.
How sorting information can aid in breeding decisions. Sorting can pay for itself.
A look at the alpaca fiber market. Alpaca fiber attributes.
One Alpaca, a look at what one alpaca can produce.



If you are interested in organising a similar event then here are the contact details for Robyn and Carrie
Carrie Hull 208-290-1383 info@timberbasin.com
Robyn Kuhl 208-610-5969 alpaca@fromtheheartranch.com



Thanks to SOJAA member Larry Vellozzi
ADORABELLA ALPACAS for the photographs.

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For those who may be interested my thumb is on the mend... see yesterdays blog for details.

The AOBA (Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association) annual ballot forms arrived. So now we have to elect two new directors for the board, vote on the budget and the decision about alpaca breed standards.
As I predicted some weeks ago the vote isn't a start "yes or no" on the breed standard but a vote about whether to continue the the process we set in motion some months ago or to halt that process. I can't for the life in me see why we would halt that process now that we have all invested hundreds of hours and thousands and thousands of dollars into regional type conferences for the purpose of developing a breed standard. Upon which we were all then meant to vote.... oh well time will tell the ballots are out and the members will now have their say.

Back on the farm the weather has changed and it is raining. This is good news as the ground was getting very dry and starting to crack. Cracks in alpaca pastures are bad news because when it comes to irrigation time the water runs into the ground and does not nourish the root system of the various grasses.

At the start of the irrigation season I like to have about three inches of good grass growth to protect the ground and prevent the formation of cracks. I have to confess that allowing certain areas to become over grazed has made this problem worse this year.

But our dry spring is as nothing compared to the harsh winter in Peru.
Peru's National Agricultural Service says that over 80,000 alpacas are affected by colder then normal conditions in the Andean region of Apurimac, Peru.

Jose Pereira Batallanos, stated that 34% of the region's quarter of a million alpaca population has come down with either bronchitis, pneumonia, or malnutrition due to the bitterly cold weather which has devastated alpaca grazing areas and a series of other crops.

Alpaca farmers in the region are desperate for antibiotics and vitamins to ensure the the region's alpaca population survive this catastrophe.

Adrain Stewart - clcik here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

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I know what you are all thinking. What a berk ,he went and cut the alpacas toenails so short he made them bleed...well if you think that, then you are mistaken! But you will have to read on to discover the truth behind the headlines.

The Magical Farms v Land O'Lakes alpaca trial was not in session on Friday the 23rd so nothing to report.

Today our youngest son Angus is 14 so we will be celebrating.

Now what were we talking about? Oh yes cutting the alpaca's toenails.



Apart from Santo one of our big studs who cries like a new born cria at toenail cutting time the other boys don't appear to bat an eyelid.

So we were almost finished cutting when iIwent to do the back right leg on one particular boy. He has pretty thick nails and you need to apply pressure to cut through even with sharp clippers..and they were sharp!

All was going well, then in a split second three things happened at once.
As the clippers when through his nail with a sudden click he decided to kick and as the clippers completed their journey through his toenail they now also collected the thumb of my left hand, which had been holding his foot.

The blades went straight through my nail and the tip of my finger. "Ouch my thumb" I cried or words to that effect!!!



It was just like when you slice the top of a boiled egg.... except it would not stop bleeding.

Whenever I cut alpaca toenails I am always cautious about accidentally clipping an alpaca but I never imagined I could cut myself. You have been warned..clip with care and keep a first aid kit in the barn...I was very glad of mine today.

Adrian Stewart click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

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The highlight of New York Fashion Week for sustainable style aficionados was the SANS show, which took place at the Daryl Roth theatre in Union Square.
Critics loved SANS’ Fall Collection of eco-friendly fashion, which utilizes all organic and sustainable materials such as bamboo, tussah silk, and organic cotton, wool and alpaca, in innovative, deconstructed shapes.



Its quite interesting how these alpaca fashion articles are cropping up more and more frequently in the news. This week is China Fashion week in Beijing and I am expecting there to be several Chinese designers working with alpaca.

Meanwhile back to reality on the alpaca farm and today I will be getting some of the male alpacas into the barn to take weights, trim toenails and check out their body scores. What is body scoring I hear someone ask.....

Body scoring by hand involves feeling along the spine of the alpaca towards the shoulders and determining how much fat lies on either side of the spine. If on either side it feels severely hollow then that animal is too thin. At the other extreme if the back is almost flat due to the build up of fat between the spine and ribs then the animal is too fat. A very thin alpaca is given a body score of 1 and a very fat alpaca a score of 5. The ideal score depends on age and sex but should be in the range 2.5 to 3.5. This skill is easily acquired and to become proficient all you will need to do is feel a good many alpacas and compare your scores with an experienced farmer to makes sure you are on target.

Adrian Stewart - clcik here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

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In contrast to their owners alpacas enjoy a very laid back life. Maybe its the case of opposites attracting and busy type A people are just drawn to the chilled approach of your average alpaca. Who knows.

The court case between Magical Alpaca Farms and Land O'Lakes is rolling on and you can get daily updates from the Magical Farms website.

Mike Safely is one of the expert witnesses and has just completed an explanation of his valuation going through each alpaca one by one. Over 100 alpacas died and many more ate the tainted feed. The long term effects of which are unknown.
A real tragedy for all concerned.

Meanwhile I have received two interesting phone calls . The first was from a gentleman down in Los Angeles looking to move to this area and start raising alpacas. Having bought a farm in these parts while living on the other side of the world I know just how difficult it can be to find somewhere that satisfies all your needs. So then you compromise if possible and of course its never easy to decide what to compromise on....the schools, the town, the quality of the land or the size of property and so on... Hopefully I can direct information their way and offer advice and guidance as and when appropriate.

The second call was from a lady who is selling her small herd of alpacas and her alpaca ranch...I know what you are thinking....and you would be wrong. Her property is way too far north to interest the gentlemen I just mentioned. However, once I get details I will put them onto the Blog and the web site for all to see. You never know who might call by and see them. She has 6 female alpacas and 4 male alpacas for sale.

AlpacaMania our annual alpaca show is now starting to take shape and once again I have volunteered to organise the vet check. This year I am hoping to really streamline the process. It was better last year but this year it is going to be so much better. My first challenge is to recruit some volunteers to help take temperatures and check microchip numbers before the alpacas have a final exam by the attending veterinary surgeon. (As we call them in the UK).

The day is young (well middle aged to be honest) and I am now going to pull together another edition of the Ideal Alpaca Community Newsletter. So wish me luck!

Adrian Stewart - click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

Click here to sign up for the Mulberry Alpacas Newsletter.

What a great day the sun shone all day and not a cloud in the sky.

This morning I prepared a strip of field next to the road where the alpacas are not allowed and sowed a host of wild flowers. Namely poppies, wild flowers of the Pacific North West and wild flowers of Northern California. You could say I was hedging my bets as we are somewhat between both areas. Which I guess is why they tried to create the State of Jefferson back in 1941 because we are somewhat unique.

The alpaca barn roof has been flapping about in the wind for the last two winters and this spring I was determined to get it fixed. My friend Craig said he would lend me his 40 foot ladder. So he arrived with the ladder today and it was just way too high for me tackle. So I held the bottom of the ladder while Craig went up and screwed down the loose parts of the alpaca barn roof.



I will be getting Craig a case of beer for all his trouble and its probably the best value I will get from a case of beer all year.

My fellow alpaca farmers in California are all very busy lobbying the state legislature to get the tax on alpacas removed and reclassify the alpacas as livestock. Lets hope they are successful.

There is such great demand for alpaca manure at this time of year I just can't make enough of the stuff.....well you know full well what I mean...!!

Time for some alpaca herd health work tomorrow. So until then goodnight my dear readers.

Adrian Stewart - click here for Mulberry Alpacas

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As spring is in the air it was time to clean out the alpaca barn for summer.
Macario and I took out all the old straw and hay then swept and power washed the floor and walls. Finally we sprayed disinfectant onto the floor then left all the doors open so that it would be dry before the female alpacas came back in the afternoon.



The barn was designed to suit our unique needs and is totally flexible so every panel in the barn is hinged giving an almost endless variety of combinations. My advice is always to ignore published barn layouts and to do your own thing. No one knows better than you what will work for you and your alpacas. If you are totally new to alpacas then be guided by Marty McGee of Camelid Dynamics fame who is very knowledgeable on alpaca behaviour.

The irrigation pond which is normally only full in the summer when we are irrigating is now full all year round as I have diverted the rain from the barn roof into the pond. This is mainly for aesthetic purposes as an empty pond just looks plain ugly. What I hadn't reckoned on was the massive proliferation of frogs which has now been joined by mosquitoes. So I will have ti install some type of aeration system to break the mosquito life cycle. Or I will be eaten to death ...........

Adrian Stewart click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas


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Now wouldn't it be good if those nice people at Monsanto could invent something so that only one paddock grew at once...you know a sort of rotation growing fertilizer. But instead the whole farm starts to grow at once and we appear to have emerged from the tunnel of winter going at full steam ahead. So not only is the hay field growing which is great news but garden, paddocks weeds and every other living piece of green appears to be shooting up as you watch.

So today we had some intensive mowing and liberal use of the strimmer (weed whacker) to try and get on top of the situation.

Then we were distracted by my eldest son and his friend who arrived to build two horse shoe pits at the bottom of the garden.......totally unproductive but good fun.



I have never played horse shoes but it looks like I will be this summer. If anyone has any tips let me have them send them.........



Meanwhile the alpacas are enjoying the warmer weather (Did I tell you that I can read their minds?) well they look like they are enjoying the warmer weather to me.

My article for Hobby Farms magazine is complete and I now just have to select the pictures and the captions for some of the images. Oh yes and get my local vet to write the vet check section....which had slipped my mind. So I better go send her an e-mail and get her on the case.

I haven't heard any updates from the trial in Ohio which I mentioned yesterday.

Adrian Stewart - click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

Land O'Lakes a producer of animal feed and Magical Farms one of North America's biggest alpaca breeders are heading to federal court over claims that contaminated feed killed and injured hundreds of animals.

Magical Farms in Litchfield, Ohio, and a smaller alpaca operation in Medina, Ohio, Majestic Meadows Alpacas, together will be seeking $15 million in damages in Federal Court tomorrow..

They claim an antibiotic that can be lethal to alpacas, or cause severe heart, liver and kidney damage, was somehow added to feed they bought in early 2003 from a Massillon mill owned by defendant Land O'Lakes Farmland Feed. They are suing Farmland Feed and its parent company, Land O'Lakes Inc. in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.

Jerry Forstner and his wife, Libby, became prolific buyers of alpacas beginning in 1993, building a herd at Magical Farms that now totals more than 1,600. The Euclid native made his fortune with a chain of Self Service Mini Storage units and quick oil change Lube Stops across Northeast Ohio.

The trial will no doubt run for a few days and you just can't help being interested in the outcome.

Adrian Stewart click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

Today is a milestone on the Blog as I am loading the 600th alpaca image.



This morning was all pretty hectic making sure the alpacas were all in the correct pastures before heading off to Medford to chair the board meeting of the local alpaca association. The general meeting which followed was really very good and we had some interesting conversations.

We are trying to find ways to support our local vets and encourage them to work with alpacas. We are also looking for ways to enhance the alpaca marketing skills of our membership especially in the area of Internet marketing.

Our next association meeting towards the end of May will be a dedicated marketing seminar designed specifically for alpaca owners and breeders.

This afternoon the weather was just too good to be inside and I spent the afternoon lying in the sun....underneath the John Deere garden tractor and the Gator both of which needed oil changes, air filters and spark plugs before the hard work of the summer gets underway.

All in all it was a pretty amazing day and when the sun is shining what better lifestyle can there be than that of an alpaca farmer... I ask you ?

Adrian Stewart click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas