Paca News

Archive 2005

Canterbury Show 2005
November 2005

Hot ... very, very hot! Lovely series of days to show alpacas at the Canterbury Show and, although we only took a few alpacas, both Trojan and Toledo did well. Even the alpacas went looking for shade and here's hoping all the other competitors got home safe ... and not too burn't!

Fleece Sampling
October 2005

A critical time of the year for understanding your alpaca we have just completed our fleece sampling (top picture) pre-shearing so we know how the herd fleece pedigree is running. As generally expected ... but a few pleasant surprises ... some highlights were:

Stud male Sea Stallion at below 20 micron - mean 19.0 and comfort factor 98%, Ben Elvis, our black stud male - mean 22.8 and comfort factor 92%, a brown girl called Fiona, aged 5, at 19.1 micron, Sea Change aged 5 at 23 micron, Cyprus II, our Upper Clutha Reserve Champ at 21.6 micron, SD 4.3. Most are updated though our site ... fascinating ... honest!

Australian National Alpaca Show 2005
October 2005

Andy attended the Australian Alpaca Association National Show in Bendigo in mid-October, and a few alpaca farms local to the Show afterwards. Very exciting event with plenty to learn (and feel hands-on!) about quality alpacas and the progress of the Australian national herd all under one roof! The Show also includes an auction of selected top alpaca through Australia - sixteen alpaca were offered and one, this year, sold for over NZ$180,000, and six females over NZ$20,000. The industry is in good health! If you wish to quickly build your alpaca knowledge base this is the perfect opportunity ... and perhaps join us for our visit next year!

Weaning time - no spots on us!
September 2005

Thanks to this wonderful spring weather we have weaned a number of our girls and boys ... all aged between 6 and 9 months. The top picture right shows some of the youngsters on our front-lawn for an afternoon snack, although they were more keen to play on the trampoline. Kids!

First Cria of the Season?
September 2005

Wow! So much for our girls delivering late in the spring - we have had two cria's born in late-August to New Zealand-origin girls and about 3-4 weeks early! No signs of clinically premature cria and both are well and charging around the hills full of life! Picture bottom; you can guess Ammers and Toledo were the dad's. Must be this balmy weather ... we love it .... and so do our alpacas.

National Expo and Show 2005
Pending - December 2005

Flagstaff Alpacas are proud sponsors of the AANZ National Show and Expo at Mystery Creek in December 2005. A great advert for the industry it is a excellent chance to meet lots of enthusiastic alpaca breeders like ourselves ... and lots of Wonderful Alpacas. For more details please make contact and see you there!

Alpaca Health
August 2005

A few alpaca health scares around this year, although this is a period of feed stress so some scouring and worm-burden issues are not surprising. The MAF letter most AANZ breeders received highlighted an exotic Coccidia (Eimeria Macusaniensis) affecting several farms. Alpacas naturally carry coccidia and have an established immunity to its presence in their digestion system. It does become 'hostile' if the alpacas are under stress, as applied to the burdened alpaca on an import and quarantine schedule. However, noting commentary on some breeder web sites this form of coccidia does NOT, I repeat NOT, necessarily cause scouring immediately or as the burden matures - this may occur in the final phase of an 'attack' as the alpaca is about to die.

If in doubt best to take a feces sample from the alpaca and have the sample tested - all pathologists should now be aware of this strain of parasite as the eggs are very slow to 'float' (we're told) - and much larger than normal coccidia. Baycox is the preferred treatment although it has NOT been formally registered as a treatment for alpaca. If in doubt please give us a call as we have treated for coccidia in the past. It was good to see MAF involved and some quality advice being provided from experts.

More on health as our own concern has been the poisoning of some of our girls from 'Ngiao' - a nasty NZ native plant that caused some very extreme symptoms for the girls. First treatment was charcoal in solution but that was not enough for one of our older girls - the others soon recovered but watch what is appearing around the farm and other places the alpacas ... love to wander around!

SURI's ... everywhere!
August 2005

Another ... WOW! Andy was in the UK in August and during the trip visited several alpaca herds, one of which had over 100 suri! Impressive in many respects but ... he did note a number of the suri had skin conditions caused, apparently, by the cold and wet along their spines. Some were badly affected and were treated for their skin conditions and for fly-strike. So best them Brit's send their wonderful alpaca ... to wonderful New Zealand!

Alpaca Therapy - Otago Southland Farmer
8 July 2005

"Alpaca therapy now in action " is the headline for an article on alpacas helping the recovery of Brian Thornton, of Crookston near Tapanui, from a stroke. As Rev'd Anne Thornton muses Brian has taken it upon himself to go outside to feed the 'girls' and that care and responsibility has encouraged a greater sense of well-being for Brian. The alpacas have gained as they have come to respond to Brian and Anne's attention; Brian has developed several techniques to enhance the alpaca relationship. Best wishes for a continued recovery, Brian.

"The Alpacamobile Mk 2"
July 2005

Our latest 'herd arrival' is "The Alpacamobile Mk 2 ". With its red fleece and white livery the new van has been kitted-out with all the alpaca mod-cons you might expect: 360` countryside views, soundproofing, swiveled seating positions, carpeted floors, hot and cold running lucerne hay ... no expense spared. This improvement to our nationwide reach means our alpacas can travel cria-apidly through the country in style. Pictures follow of the birth - click on the picture!.

Southern Rural Life ... "Hills alive with alpacas"
1 June 2005

"Hills alive with alpacas" reads the front page of the June 1st edition of the Southern Rural Life newsheet covering Otago and Southland. Our relationship and progress with Qualityarns New Zealand Ltd was the papers main feature, and reflected an interview with Mike Barra, the Managing Director of Qualityarns, and Andy, discussing the success in processing our finer white and light fawn alpaca fibre to a commercial 100% alpaca yarn. The message was clear; Mike and Qualityarns now offer the local and leading-edge capability to process our wonderful fleece...to wonderful yarn. Big thanks to Mike and his staff in making that effort, and in investing in the resources to deliver a commercially viable alpaca product.

AANZ Conference - Palmerston North
May 2005

Outstanding! Only word for it. And outstanding we mean Eric Hoffman the key note speaker and 'father' of the modern global alpaca standard. Primarily a scientist his ability to translate his observations and knowledge of these wonderful animals meant we all mingled amongst the alpaca and camelid herds wandering the South American Altoplano. And Eric was more than ably supported by George Jackson, a vet and alpaca owner of significance in West Australia. Great 'pearls of wisdom' and insights into successfully caring for alpaca. The Conference delivered exactly what any alpaca owner could benefit from - a number of tools to improve and care for their alpaca herds.

2005 Processed Fleece Arrives
April 2005

Our 2005 fleece 'crop' has just arrived from processing. For the first time our fleece has been of sufficient volume and quality to produce machine thread fine enough for machine knit, and is available on cones. Our usual balled and coloured fleece is available for hand knitting ... further details see our alpaca products listings. Picture top - the girls looking for some of their product!!!

Australian Arrivals
April 2005

Our herd has expanded with a number of females arriving from Australia. Primarily a mix of solid coloured girls including eight blacks and a number of fawns and browns, nearly all of the girls come pregnant. Our favorite is Chelamar, a black infant ... very inquisitive and wanting to meet all the alpacas, cats and ... humans ... in her new home...already with the Johnstone family.

Health Weekend
16/17 April 2005

Dunedin welcomed AANZ members from around the South Island to a Health Weekend with Jeannette Klomp .... thanks Jeannette! Coverage included the basics through advanced potential health issues in all aspects of alpaca farming ... and everyone came away content their knowledge had improved and their comfort farming their 'pacas further increased. Flagstaff Alpacas provided a number of alpacas to aid the practical clinics and hosted the Sunday advance clinic.

Cyprus comes to ... Wanaka!
11/12 March 2005

Another great Show, and Show organisation, at the Upper Clutha A&P Show in Wanaka. Snow the day before the Show did not prevent a great 2 days for traders, exhibitors and visitors. And the Alpaca Section was at its best. In the Show our little Cyprus ( picture left ...back home) emerged as Reserve Champion Huacaya .... you must come and see her fleece and it's bundling and defined crimp. Other successes included Escara, our chocolate brown girl - first in class, Sea Change was Dam of Show (Get of Dam exhibits being Phantom and Sea Stallion) and Laura leading the junior handlers competition. And good to meet so many people at our trade demonstration and shearing ... hope you can visit us in Dunedin!

Cria everywhere!
18 February 2005

Ten days to go and there are February cria everywhere. Amaretto is busy producing girls - five of five so far at Flagstaff or of Flagstaff friends. But Trojan continues to lead the youngsters during their work, rest and play sessions. Scoreboard for February - 7 births, 6 females. It must be the rain .... sun ... snow??!

Trojan ... and friends !
January 2005

Some very special little cria arrived at Flagstaff Alpacas in January .... and more are due through February and March. The first was Trojan, our first cria to Toledo, our dark fawn male. Just look at little Trojan on the top right picture ... genuinely one of the best cria born here and a solid deep brown stiffly-dense fleece to touch. A few days later he was joined by Judy (lower picture), a solid white bundle-of-fun female fathered by Amaretto. The looks of dad in that cria we can tell you! This is such a fun and exciting time with plenty of new births due through February!

News Archive 2004 - click this link!