What’s New!

EVERYTHING is new!! Our baby season is finally over and now into just keeping our Florida Alpacas cool!
In the mean time, Florida Alpaca Breeders Association (FABA) voted myself as the new President! With the help of a great board and great members, we are looking forward to an exciting year!

At the moment we are gearing up for a new event for FABA and will keep you all up to date on that but keeping me busy for now is the FABA halter show scheduled for February 11-13th, 2011! Look for more info on our events tab in the near future!

Looking forward to a busy year!

Newest Baby!

Our latest, Rimmel! She was VERY LATE but healthy and came into the world on Saturday, July 3, 2010 weighing in at 19.2 pounds! She was a bit slow to start and mom didn’t have the patience so we helped.
Milking mom through the night, Rimmel got over 16 ounces and by 8:30am Sunday, she finally latched on and hasn’t stopped since!
Our last baby of the season and a great one!

Keep cool all!

Baby Watch

October 2, 2009

As Northern farms are starting to buckle down for the winter, we start on baby watch!!! Being in Florida gives us an edge on birthing season and our moms love the cooler weather during their last trimester. Up first, Barbi Doll. We bought her open but soon realized she just didn’t like ANY of our boys. A phone call later, found out she could be pregnant and sure enough we get a great surprise and gift. Thanks to some quick breeding by our friends the Vining’s and their boy Shadow Dancer, we are looking for a cria within the next 2 weeks!! Soon to follow, Kathy Cramer from Meadow Pointe Alpacas has an amazing girl Gracie due with our newest herdsire Ruger, the first Ruger baby to hit the ground in Florida!!! On to our Nutmeg and then Spiced Cider owned by Kathy and Mark Weber of Wooly Weber’s Alpacas is due with our next Ruger baby! Watch for pictures and hopefully a birth live on our cam if I can catch it!!!

We take a break then 4 more due in the spring. The biggest anticipation will be in April when our Willie will go for her third birth. Why the anticipation you ask? Well, her first cria was born 3 1/2 weeks early (our blue eyed white Tutu) and she ran away never to return. We got her pregnant again and figured with maiden’s it can happen, mother nature didn’t kick in but next time she will. Well, she birthed Payton 5 days early and did like him a bit more but refused to feed him as well. We drugged her, milked her, tied her but nothing worked.
3 times a charm or 3 strikes your out!!!!! If you see our Willie go up for sale after April and really cheap, you will know what happened!!!! Keep your fingers crossed as we are, we may need any help we cn get. If I have to feed another bottle baby, i am going to scream!

New Blog

October 1, 2009

I haven’t blogged in so long, don’t know where to begin! It has been a crazy year with new babies this spring and last fall, 2 bottle babies, boys, boys, boys, inducing labor for the first time, maidens with a few rough births but all in all, it has been a great year!!!!!

The sad before the good. Rest in peace to one of the most amazing alpacas we have owned. Our Staz was coming up on 14 years. She seemed to drag just a bit last summer with her pregnancy and we had decided even before she gave birth to retire her and just live her life out on our farm. At birth, she didn’t have any milk and with a weak little boy by her side, she allowed us to bring in her little boy in the house every night to bottle feed all night over the first month. She always greeted us with kisses to us and her baby in the morning and just loved her little man. About a month after birthing she cushed and never got up. We had to euthanize her 2 days later.
To our Staz, a warm, loving, caring, easy handler and greatest mom we have ever owned. Thank you for giving us so much love in our lives and for giving us our greatest gift……you and now in our hearts forever, Nicholas. Now you all know why my Nicholas is so close to my heart.

Show, shows and more shows!!!!

So, when getting into the industry, showing can be a big part. We have gone to all our Florida shows every year, showed one of our herdsires for the first time in 2005 and then again in 2006 but have hit the show circuit running starting late last year and into this spring. One of our future herdsires, Vanguard started in the fall of last year winning a second place out of 13 at barely 6 months old. He then went on to Texas and took a very close third out of 15 with the judge remarking on his wonderful presence and how masculine he was. Then, we bought a girl in Jacksonville last month and showed her that Sun. and she took the 1st place spot and we came home with a blue ribbon. We are now on our way to Arizona with Vanguard and then to Kentucky for one of the most prominent shows in the country, Futurity! Not only is Vanguard going to be there but also our girl, Princess who took the first in Jacksonville.
Showing is a wonderful way to get your farm name out there, educate yourself on what to look for when buying animals, what the judges look for and really make your farm known with what you have, what others can produce with your animals and don’t forget rubbing elbows with some of the best farms in the industry! Showing your girls is a wonderful way to get your feet wet and then when you think your ready and you think you may have that “special” male, show him! It seems that most of the well known herdsires in the country come from well known offspring and have the ribbons to back it up. Bringing home those top awards just adds to the quality of your male and helps in advertising for future breedings. So, have those boys at home that look like they may be that “special” one, get them in the ring, show as much as you can and good luck bringing home those top awards!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of 2007 Continued

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The blue eyed whites. I did blog about it already but just to recap………….Blue eyed whites come from both parents having a “white spot” or blue eyed white gene. All male tuxedo greys have the “white spot” gene and there is a 25% chance of having a blue eyed white if mated with a female that has white on her because she may also have the gene as well. Blue eyed whites are usually deaf and if a blue eyed white male is born, love him and hug him and geld him for a wonderful pet quality or companion animal! In girls, just be sure to breed to an all one color and dark color to breed out the gene.

Deaths: It occurs on all farms but so many of us do not say anything. It happens and a lot of the time, there is nothing that could have been done. Alpacas are so new in the United States, even if a farm has been in the industry for years, so many new things are being learned about our wonderful creatures, even the best of us have deaths. In the past 4 years we have never had a death or anything even remotely wrong on the farm. This was our very first experience with new issues in alpacas. We had an 11 year old female that has been with us since the beginning. She had a text book birth late spring and no issues. 2 1/2 weeks after her birth, the vet was out doing our standard “health and welfare” check on momma and baby, and giving shots. The following day we found our momma dead at 7:30am. We had a full nurocropsy (sp) done and they found nothing. She had still been in the nursery with her cria getting the “spa” treatment” of extra hay, spraying down with the hose 4 times a day, fans and a kitty pool. We did have a bit of a warm spring and the fact she was just a bit older may have had something to do with it but we have decided that because she was late and we did have the warm spring that our breedings this year would all be in Nov. and Dec. which allows our girls to have births late in the year. The little cria was bottle fed and weened and is now a big, healthy boy that loves to roll in the hay and is now lovely called, “the little dirty boy.” I will blog about products and milk I have found that has worked for us soon!

We also had to “put down” our very first alpaca. Prissy was born in early spring of 2006 and when she was born she couldn’t get up. This was a perfect text book birth by a proven mom that has given us healthy cria’s in the past. Every time you tried to move this little cria you heard cracking noises in her leg joints. Over the first 4 days of life, I would put her on my lap every 2 hours and get up under her mother and help her feed. On the 5th day, she got up on her own. She was a beautiful jet black girl with remarkable fleece. Over the next month we watched her closely and noticed that her back legs would almost look boll-legged at times but not always. When she walked, the knee’s would pop out of joint which would cause her to walk funny. We had the vet come out and he determined that she had luxating patella’s or bad knee’s. We spoke to the University of Florida and they let us know that this is common in small dogs and they are now seeing it in alpacas. They can operate but like to do it, if possible, after weening so it is less stress on momma and baby. Because she was walking, eating and romping with our other babies we thought we would wait. In March she and her mom were brought up to a farm within 15 minutes of the University so they would be much closer when she was ready to be brought in. Within the next month or so, Prissy started having problems raising her neck. She was then brought in to the University for x-rays. Not only did this little girl have the worst bad knees they had ever seen but had scoliosis ( curving of the spine) as well. The curving of the spine was causing arthritis in the neck. There was nothing they could do. We could have had her put down at the University but after much discussion, we brought the two home. Both our momma and baby were so glad to be home, they got off the trailer and emmediatley rolled in the dirt. By advice from the vet, we kept our Prissy medicated to keep the pain away and decided that the day she couldn’t follow her mom around any longer, was the day we would put her down. The vet said it would be 1 to 3 months. Within the 3rd month we made the heartbreaking decision to put her down. She was a remarkable little girl and refused to let anything get in her way. She lived longer than anyone expected and lived to her fullest. This is something that happens and no owner can or could have done anything different. She was born this way and in the wild would have died. We helped to keep her alive and give her the fullest life she could have.

That was the bad and the Ugly of 2007 but the good always out weighs the bad and this is the reason we do what we do.

We did over 20 arts and craft shows all over Florida in 2007 and met some wonderful people, educated the public about alpacas, and have some wonderful new clients that have bought from us and board here learning everything alpaca.

We have bought new animals and a couple new studs that won us awards in the ring and hopefully more to come!

We had 6 new babies born healthy and beautiful that has given us great joy.

Every day is an adventure, an education, or just a wonderful day here on the farm and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

We hope that what we blog about helps others that may have issues like ours and please don’t ever hesitate to call or write!!!!!!!!!!

Our year In 2007, the Good, the Bad, the Ugly!

All I can say is, “GLAD IT’S OVER!” We did meet many wonderful people, the first National Alpaca Day in September, new clients, new alpacas but also new issues about alpacas!

Now stay with me, I am going to break it down:

#1. Coccidia

A wonderful little parasite that lives in the intestines of animals that causes diarrhea and sometimes blood in the stool. Most Northern farms need not worry but our Southern friends should really get to know all about this nasty microscopic parasite.

We had 3 cases of it this fall in our cria’s. Our first case was in a 9 day old cria, (yes, 9 days) then went to our other 9 day old (both in the same nursery) then a month later affecting a month and 1/2 old. This has nothing to do with bad husbandry or anything else, just chalk it up to living in Florida. Because of the warm weather, this parasite like most others, thrives and lives in the warm weather and in the ground. Most alpacas do get immune to it and really doesnt effect them but with cria’s the immune system may not be strong enough to ward it off.

Now, not all diarrhea in cria’s is caused by coccidia. Sometimes just mother’s milk may be too rich but if your home mix or mine of Pepto-Bismol, baby rice and Pedialyte 2 times a day with at least 60 cc’s of Pedialyte a day for a couple days doesn’t clear them up you may have coccidia. I now have Sulfadimethoxine or “Albon” in my medical stock. This medication can be given orally and can be drop shipped by your vet. First day, 5 cc’s twice, then 5 cc’s once a day for 15 days. Within a day or 2 your cria should be more active and by the 3rd or 4th day your cria should have regular stool. Now, to keep the herd healthy, many farms treat once every other month or once a month by putting Albon in the drinking water for 5 days, that’s it.

Bottom line, watch your cria’s. If you do see diarrhea, find out who has it and treat. IMPORTANT: The coccidia will not kill them first, the dehydration then on to not eating and death will occur so just keep a watchful eye on your herd.

Watch for more of our 2007 coming soon!

BEW’s or Blue Eyed Whites

So when our maiden Willy who is all dark brown with a black face birthed her first cria on October 7th we were shocked! She was bred to our Marlin (our tuxedo grey) and produced our not only first white on the farm but a BEW female to boot. With all the commotion of two births in one day and Willy not bonding and then on to other things (another blog) I really didn’t think it could happen again but hmm……on November 11th, Carletta who is a clients and is up for sale birthed our second BEW, a little boy. I hopped on the computer and dove in to find all there was to these BEW’s and what in the world was going on. I had read of breeding a white face to a white face and the possibilities of getting a BEW but not a multi and a brown. Now our Willy we have had for almost 4 years and only last year did a small dime size white spot appear on her outside hind quarter and we chalked it up to her having a shot or a bite that can take the color pigment out the the fleece (very normal) but never thought anything more of it. Thanks to all the info on BEW’s and the wonderful responses from alpacanation this is what I have learned………..

ALL tuxedo greys and or greys with any white extremities carry a BEW (blue eyed white) or a “white spot” gene. Pair them up with ANY alpaca with white on them or all white (which is a sign of a BEW or white spot gene) and 25% of the time you too will get a BEW cria. Both parents have to have the BEW gene. This is not to say that all animals with white on them have a BEW gene but the possibilities are there. From our pics our little BEW female, Tutu, she is the most beautiful thing we have ever seen but we were lucky to have her hear. Not only is the chance of a BEW possible but most BEW’s are deaf. I didn’t get a percentage on this but from the sounds of it we are very lucky. The little boy born in Nov. we still are not quite sure if he can hear but he is a wonderful, normal, bounding baby boy and very alert so I feel safe to say he can also hear as well. Now Carleeta was bred when she came to us to a tuxedo grey and produced little Izzy who is a spitting image of her mother but this year, bred to our Marlin we hit that 25% with her.

Also mentioned was that most BEW’s have remarkable fleece and Tutu is the perfect example but many people have reservations when showing BEW’s. The rule books say that judges are NOT supposed to take points off for blue eyes and a BEW took best in show in a very well known show just a couple of years ago but, others have said that they have heard of animals not placing or placing below what they should have because he judge didn’t like the blue eyes. I heard some great advice on both sides but as someone said…… keep your BEW deaf animals home to romp and play but if you have an exception BEW that is well adjusted, can hear, has great confirmation and the remarkable fleece as they are known for, go for it!

Bottom line……..Tutu is a registered female and will be with us always. If we ever breed her she will be bred to an all one color dark male. Now knowing of the BEW gene in our Marlin we will now change our breeding program with him and the girls we breed to him too. And, If our little girl keeps growing the way she is, look for the most beautiful blue eyed female in 2009 in the ring!

We love our new babies.

October 7th was the start of our baby season. Our little girl Tutu came first around 11:00am from our Maiden Willy then Staz thought it was such a nice day, she had her little boy, Dessy at 2:30pm. Then came Pilgram on the 6th of November and Casper on the 11th of November. We are now taking a break, breeding and enjoying 2 black and 2 white babies frolicking around the pasture.

New Product

Whenever I find something that is truly wonderful, I have to pass it along. This is one of those products. A wonderful farm in Ohio told me about this and so I had to give it a try and it really seems to me doing a nice job.
This product is called Nu-Stock. The brochure says it works on all kinds of skin conditions for all types of animals including dogs and horses. Well, if it works for mange, hot spots, loss of hair, burns and swelling, why not for hay mites and skin conditions on alpacas. I ordered it on line and waited by the mailbox. Shipping was quick and I couldn’t wait to try it. With a strong smell of sulfer I thought we might have a winner.  With 3 applications, once every 3 days covering the infected areas lightly, I started seeing a difference, yes a big difference!!!!!!!  I used it on the nose, around the eyes and on the feet (typical areas for hay mites on alpacas) on my light faced Staz, and now she has fleece growing back! This has also been the case in some spots in between the front legs of our Cinnamin.  I do have 2 imports that have scaring from years of infection  and really nothing will help that but with this Nu-Stock, I now have a product that seems to be working extremely well!!!!!!!

You can find this product on line at: www.nustock.com  and minimum order is 2 jars. It wasn’t that expensive and with these results, worth it!!!!!!!!!!

I am now going out to try it on our horse Pippin who just loves to scratch his face on the pine tree out back and for anyone with alpacas, dogs or horses with skin problems of all sorts, give it a try and let me know how well it works for you!

P.S. Rubber gloves good to have close by, pretty goopy stuff