I have come across a few people who know about alpacas and animal behaviour and do not recommend food treats. I guess I should really check what they mean exactly because food is a great way to train an animal even an alpaca. Training alpacas is a huge subject and not one I can cover in a single blog entry. Here are a few basics just on the topic of positive reinforcement.

Positive Reinforcement is possibly the easiest, most effective consequence for an owner to control. Positive reinforcement means starting or adding Something Good, something the alpaca likes or enjoys. Because the alpaca wants to gain that Good Thing again, it will repeat the behavior that seems to cause that consequence.


You might not be able to herd cats but they are fast learners.....and happy followers.

Examples of Positive Reinforcement:

The dolphin gets a fish for doing a trick. The worker gets a paycheck for working. The dog gets a piece of liver for returning when called. The cat gets comfort from sleeping on the bed. The wolf gets a meal by hunting the deer. The child gets dessert for eating her vegetables. The dog gets attention from his owner when he barks. The elephant seal gets a chance to mate for fighting off rivals. I am sure you get the idea.

Secondary Positive Reinforcers and Bridges:

A primary positive reinforcer is something that the alpaca does not have to learn to like. It comes naturally, no experience needed. Primary R+s usually include food, water, often include sex (the chance to mate), the chance to engage in instinctive behaviors, and for social animals like alpacas, the opportunity to interact with other alpacas.

A secondary positive reinforcer is something that the alpaca has to learn to like. The learning can be accomplished through Classical Conditioning or through some other method. A paycheck is a secondary reinforcer - just try writing a check to reward a young child for potty training!

Animal trainers will often create a special secondary reinforcer they call a bridge. A bridge is a stimulus that has been associated with a primary reinforcer through classical conditioning. This process creates a conditioned positive reinforcer, often called a conditioned reinforcer or CR for short. Animals that have learned a bridge react to it almost as they would to the reward that follows.

If you are interested in reading about animal training then one of the easiest to follow web sites is the Sea World site. If you have ever been to Sea World then you will know that what they do with Dolphins and Killer Whales in nothing short of amazing.

If you want to learn more about alpaca specific training then there is none better than Marty McGee Bennett.

Shortly before Minne gave birth we sold her to a new alpaca breeder. Her new owner decided that Hope would be the perfect name for the new cria. First thing this morning i checked Hope's temperature and it was a very healthy 100.6 so knowing that she didn't have an infection and that she had good immunity it was time ti withdraw the catheter from her neck vein. We had left the catheter in just in case we needed to give antibiotics.

If you don't know this the catheter is totally plastic and once correctly inserted by the vet is attached to the alpacas skin with a small drop of glue. As I was on my own I could not hold the cria and get the catheter out......

Luckily for me although Dr Richardson was on her day off she jumped in the car and drove down to remove the catheter while I held the cria...lesson learnt on my part!

The weather was much colder today and before long it started to rain so I put the two new arrivals into coats just to keep off the worst of the weather.



At last I could relax....it had been a stressful 24 hours but all is well that ends well.

First thing in the morning I checked the new cria and she was looking weak and showed no signs of feeding. At 8 am prompt I called the vet and they told me to be there by 9.30 which is just about how long it takes to hitch up the trailer and drive there. Dr Richardson was on duty and would be waiting for us.

It didn't take long to reach the conclusion that we would need to do a plasma transfer.

Before doing the transfer we drew blood for BVD testing and ARI registration card. No point doing an IgG but we did draw some to do a chemical panel. this was just in case the inability to start nursing had some medical cause.

As Minne and her new cria were happy and calm in the trailer we decided to do the plasma transfer in the trailer. Everything went very well and it took about 30 minutes for the plasma to transfer.





Just as the transfer got underway the new cria leapt up and started drinking from her mother until it ran out of her mouth....typical! We ere delighted as that was going to be the next part of the challenge. She is a pretty large baby and weighed in at 17.5 lbs. when I weighed her the previous day.

The transfer was a great success and now we had a healthy baby who had discovered how to feed from her mother...happiness all round!

Perhaps she was inspired by Sorpressa who knows but Minne had her baby girl alpaca at 11am just as we were about to give up on birthing for the day.



We moved Minne and her new baby into the barn to help keep them cool and to give them a chance to bond with each other.



Very soon after arriving in the barn Minne passed the placenta and with alpacas this is a very neat operation.





The afternoon was spent in frustration as we watched hoping for the new arrival to feed. But try as she might she just couldn't latch on to the teats which by now were engorged with milk .
Eventually I milked some out of the mum and fed the cria using a syringe. Later that evening I thawed out the frozen colostrum and managed to bottle feed a small amount. Enough for me to sleep easy...and hope that in the morning she would be feeding on her own.......

Having checked through the alpaca medical records yesterday I can see that we are very close to giving the last 8 way boosters to some of the mothers before they deliver their 2008 cria.

All alpaca vaccinations are “off label” therefore effectiveness and safety are not guaranteed by the manufacturers.

generally speaking it is best to avoid modified-live vaccines in pregnant animals.
Vaccines may not completely prevent infections but often moderate the disease symptoms experienced by the alpaca.

Individual animal response to a vaccine is variable and can be affected by many factors such as stress, immune status at time of vaccination, and proper storage and administration of the vaccine. A sick animal will not respond as well as a healthy animal. Vaccinate a week or two prior to a stressful event such as shipping or weaning.

Initial vaccinations generally require boosters to generate adequate protection due to the need to prime the immune system and the potential for interference from waning maternal colostral antibodies.

Vaccinations Commonly Used in Alpacas

CD/T

Clostridium perfringens type C, D, and C. tetani
A commonly used vaccine. C. perfringens has been implicated in diarrhea and sudden deaths in crias and occasionally adults. All animals are at risk for tetanus following infection primarily through wounds, castrations and so forth.

Other Clostridial Vaccines

“7 way” and “8 way” clostridial vaccines available. The number refers to the number of diseases the vaccine prevents. Vaccinates against a broad spectrum of clostridial bacteria.
Some contain tetanus.

As always these are just my own protocols developed in conjunction with my local vet and you should do likewise and develop your own protocols that take into account the environmental factors on your farm.

Well as my old mum says you live and learn.
I was getting ready to start out on my usual Corid treatment for EMac which has shown up in my herd and then read an article by Dr Cebra from OSU (Oregon State University).

Well long story short his regime is now 5 straight days of Corid and no Thiamine.

If you want to read more about EMac and check out a what they look like then my previous blog entry can be found here.

If you are thinking of buying alpacas then you might want to dip into this article which is in the Mulberry Library.

Happy farming and remember to keep learning because things change around this industry.

E-Mac or to give it its full name - Eimeria macusaniensis.



Dr Leslie Richardson my veterinarian recommends using Corid at a dose of 10mg/kg for 15 consecutive days (OSU's recommendation).

Corid comes in a 9.6% solution (96mg/ml) and must be diluted to ~1.5% solution (15mg/ml) to prevent oral and esophageal erosion.

Corid can also cause a die-off of the thiamine producing bacteria in the C1 which in turn can cause a thiamine deficiency and result in polioencephalomalacia...to prevent this she also recommends administering injectible thiamine every 2-3 days during the treatment.

Corid dose:
Per 100# body weight administer 4.7ml corid and dilute with ~25ml of water to a total volume of ~30ml and a resulting concentration of ~1.5%.

Thiamine dose:
The dose is 3-5mg/kg, the thiamine we have is 200mg/ml so you could give ~1ml per 100# body weight every 2-3 days.

If you are thinking about buying alpacas then you need to do your homework before hand and we have a simple and easy to use buyers guide which you can read before going on a farm visit just to whet your appetite.

Following on from yesterdays entry on parasites. De worming can be performed on a seasonal basis depending on your geographical location, open or closed herd, pasture – dry or irrigated, travel to shows, stocking density and so forth.
Periodic fecal sampling (as described yesterday) including fecal egg counts will provide you with information as to the types and numbers of parasites present. You should review your particular loaction with your veterinarian and in combination with fecal egg counts determine the best deworming program for your alpaca herd.
A general program for the Pacific Northwest where we are based would include twice a year treatment of all alpacas over 2-3 months. In the fall after a killing frost, the herd would be treated with an ivermectin-type product for intestinal worms, external parasites, and nose bots. Alpacas should be treated in the spring prior to majority of births with a fenbendazole-type product. The periodic fecal exams will determine if additional dewormings would be needed.

Several ranches do their own fecal samples and this is a good first line of attack however you really do have to know what you are doing and exactly what you are looking for. My own opinion is that my time is more effectively spent on the marketing aspects of the farm rather than on testing for worms. I can pay the vet to do that and have confidence in the results.
But that's just my opinion it is equally valid to do all the fecal testing yourself and pay someone to do the marketing activity.....as I sometimes say to new alpaca breeders you can do absolutely anything you want...its your farm and you're the boss. But you can't do everything because there just isn't time. So concentrate on the tasks you enjoy and can do well....

If you are thinking about buying alpacas then you need to do your homework before hand and we have a simple and easy to use buyers guide which you can read before going on a farm visit just to whet your appetite.

I often get asked about parasites and parasite control and its not easy to answer as every worming program should be tailored specifically to the individual alpaca farm: There is no "one size fits all approach when it comes to parasite control in alpacas.

So next time your vet is coming by take 15 minutes to talk through what you want to achieve. In general though, breeders need to be concerned about the potential
for parasite drug resistance in our alpacas since indiscriminate use of anthelmintics (these are drugs to treat internal parasites, e.g. Panacur, Safeguard, Ivermectin, etc) can lead to "problem parasites" and we only have a limited number of drugs at our disposal. For this reason, periodic fecal exams and occasional use of anthelmintic drugs is the responsible way to ensure that your alpaca herd remains disease-free.

Some alpaca farms may only require dosing for gastro-intestinal parasites twice a year and others may need to worm every 2 months. The frequency of worming depends a lot on your stocking density and management practices such as pasture rotation.

Always dose alpacas individually based on weights: Purchase a set of scales for your barn and use them before administering any drugs. Under-dosing is the easiest way to induce drug resistant parasites.

Fecal samples should be taken from individual alpacas and not from a communal dung piles. This is important because it allows you to identify a particular animals with problems and may show up patterns if you have a herd parasite problem.

Ideally use a latex exam glove with a little lubrication and take the faeces directly from the rectum. Collect a good size sample - about half a cup is ideal though labs can work with
less. Put it in a clean pot or Ziploc bag and clearly label with the alpacas name and the date. Take samples fresh and send away or give to your veterinarian the same day as soon as possible to prevent deterioration of the sample.

Parasites cannot be eradicated but you can keep the burden in each animal at a tolerable level

As I start to prepare for my trip to Portland next week I thought it would be useful to run through the things you need to bear in mind if transporting alpacas over any distance.

Basically the key is preparation.

Firstly the trailer needs to be in good working order. Tires at the correct pressure, lights working, hitch and safety chains in good condition. Then think about punctures, you may want to carry an instant tire repair aerosol and or a spare wheel. Don't forget you will need some means of getting your trailer off the ground to repair the puncture. So either a jack or if you have a double axle trailer you can buy a small ramp that you drive onto and this leaves one wheel dangling in the air. Make sure you have the correct size of wheel wrench. The wheel nuts on your trailer may be a different size to those on your truck.

Have a dress rehearsal one sunny spring day much better to learn where everything is and how everything works when you aren't cowering in driving rain one dark night at the side of the interstate.

Essentially you need a system which will allow you to change a wheel without offloading all the alpacas...obvious really but think about it......

In the case that you do need to off load then you will need head collars, lead ropes and if you are well organised a portable pen so you can coral them up once they are off the trailer.

You may want to carry drinking water and food for the alpacas either for during the journey or in case you become stuck for any reason. Mechanical breakdown, weather or a road accident.

Keep a small alpaca first aid kit on board to cope with cuts and grazes and of course a thermometer and of course a fire extinguisher.

Always useful to pack a copy of the farm and ranch guide..then if you do need help you will be able to find a friendly alpaca farm somewhere nearby to give you a helping hand.

My trailer has powered fans and interior/exterior lights so I will also be making sure the battery trailer is fully charges before I leave.

As I said at the begining Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

Happy trailering

Last year our females were getting later and later in the year with their births and so thinking I was being responsible I held them open over the winter so we could get them pregnant this spring and have some nice spring babies next spring (2008).

Of course by the time we got them to the stud farm and the studs were available and the females were bred weeks had become months and just this week we are completing the 2007 breeding programme......talk about frustrating.....



When you discover that alpaca females carry their cria (babies) for 11 1/2 months its very tempting to think you will get them pregnant every year and all will be well..... the reality is that a typical female alpaca will have a cria about every 18 months and anyone who says otherwise is being well.....lets just say optimistic.

So my advice if you live in a temperate climate don't plan to hold females open just keep breeding and go with the flow. To do anything else is to imagine you have more control over this process than you really do. Now if you live in an area with extremes of temperature there will be certain windows when you do not want to be breeding and you need to decide when those are.

Happy farming.....

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Adrian Stewart - click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas.
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We heard from the vet today that our female who lost her baby is healthy and that the blood serum tests show no signs of infectious disease.

From examination of the cria and placenta the vets at Oregon State University have dettermined that the cause of death was umbilical torsion.

Basically the cria was healthy but the somewhat short umbilical cord had been wrapped and this had reduced blood flow leading to heamorage in the placenta all of which indicates torsion of the umbilical cord.

Sadly it doesn't change the outcome but at least it puts our mind to rest about anything nasty lurking in the herd.

Tomorrow is another day.......

Adrian Stewart - click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas.
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Today I found a dead alpaca fetus in the female pasture. I weighed the fetus and it was 6lbs 13 oz which is about 3 kilos so puts the age of development at about 8 months.

Only two females fit that bill but both look pregnant and have no obvious signs of having recently aborted.

The vet very kindly reschedules and arrives around noon. The ultra sound identifies which of the two females has lost her cria and which is still carrying a live cria.

We draw blood from the mother to send it for analysis together with the fetus so that we can hopefully eliminate any infectious diseases being the cause.

We did get the hay inside before the rain arrived so that's good news.

Adrian Stewart - click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas.
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Click here to find out about National Alpaca Farm Day 2007.

I always feel for the first time alpaca breeders when one of their females loses an unborn baby alpaca. It happens to all of us eventually and it happens much more than people realise.

This happened to one of our clients last week just a few days after doing an ultrasound so can't help but wonder if the stress triggered the abortion. Of course we will never know the answer to that question.

When I was at UC Davis listening to Walter Bravo, one of the world experts on the reproductive processes of alpacas he sated that:

"Embryonic mortality in alpacas occurs from the time of conception to day 60 and fetal mortality from the day 61 onwards.

Basically embryonic development of all alpaca organs takes place prior to 60 days of gestation. Walter said that in a a recent study of 158 pregnant alpacas between 30 days and parturition, fully 25.7% of pregnancies were lost.

After 120 days this percentage fell to between 9.6% and 16.7% of alpaca pregnancies."

Basically even after 4 months as many as 1 in 6 pregnancies in alpacas will be lost.

These are statistics that most people who are new to alpacas are not aware of until it affects them directly. I think its vital to talk with new owners right up front about this and help establish realistic expectations.



Evita made it all the way and was born normally but still needed a plasma transfusion to establish a strong IgG level, which is a measure of her immune response and ability to resist infection.

You can still see where we had to shave her neck in order to do the transfusion.

Adrian Stewart click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas

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Joy of joys the end of the week is here and the weekend now lies before me like an unblemished pasture....

In fact there is now only this Blog entry about my daily alpaca experience between me and a stiff drink so please don't expect anything too profound or meaningful.

I followed a fascinating e-mail conversation today between members of an AOBA alpaca affiliate of which I am a member.

The conversation started around what problems might exist if alpacas eat oak leaves and/or acorns. A few alpaca owners chipped in with anecdotal advice that their alpacas ate some acorns or oak leaves but without ill effect and that the oak trees provided excellent shade for the alpacas in the summer.



Someone added that oak trees do attract mistletoe and this is very toxic to alpacas and many other animals including humans so should be removed. Good advice I thought.

Next someone raised the issue of "birth rate % Male alpacas to Female alpacas on
farms with oak trees available to snack on since the acidity factor in water
and soil seem favor more female births and they wondered if the trees would also
then contribute to higher female birth rates"... don't you just love an optimist?

A farmer with oak trees replied to say they had 65% male alpacas overall so probably not.

Eventually someone came up with an official low down on oak trees toxicity:

Apparently the principal toxin is gallotannin, a polyhydroxyphenolic combination of tannic and gallic acid. The tannins found in the leaves, bark, and acorns of oaks produce poisoning through their effect on the intestinal tract and kidneys. Gallotannins are hydrolyzed in the rumen to smaller molecular weight compounds including gallic acid, pyrogallol, and resorcinol. These compounds react with cell proteins to denature them, with resulting cell death. Most severe lesions occur in the kidneys, liver, and digestive tract. In small quantities the rumen microflora detoxify the tannins, and only when large amounts of tannic acid are eaten and bypass the rumen does poisoning occur. Goats and wild ruminants are apparently better able to detoxify tannic acid than over livestock because they have a tannin-binding protein in their saliva that neutralizes tannic acid. Goats have been used effectively to browse on oaks thereby reducing the spread of the oak and increasing the grazing capacity of the range. Oaks at any stage of growth are poisonous, but they are particularly toxic when the leaf and flower buds are just opening in the spring. As the leaves mature they become less toxic. Ripe acorns are less toxic than when green. Cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs are susceptible to oak poisoning.

Bottom line:
I wouldn't let my alpaca herd chew on acorns.
Do I want to buy alpacas from farms that have oak trees and let their alpacas eat acorns? Having read the above I have to say that all things being equal I probably wouldn't. Who knows what internal problems might be slowly accumulating.

My simplistic view remains that alpacas and acorns do not mix.

Unlike say gin and tonic.
Which I find go together very well .
Enjoy your weekend.


Adrian Stewart click here for Mulberry Alpacas

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