Archive for August 2010
Questions and Answers About Llama IgG and Plasma Transfer
Question 1:
I’m not sure if my cria nursed much the first 24 hours, but she’s 4 days old and seems healthy. Is is necessary to get an IgG done? If so why?
Answer:
What kind of llama owner are you? Have you had enough crias to recognize abnormal activity levels? Is “worry” your middle name? Is the dam a first-time mom? All of these questions are relative to the answer. Poor passive transfer occurs in 5 to 10% of animals be they horse, sheep, alpacas, llamas or cows. The IgG test is like a weight measurement, it clues you in as to how much nursing has occurred, and whether or not your cria might require special attention in the future. Read the rest of this entry »
Training Llama Crias
We determined very early in our experience with llamas that we would train them to be handled by humans with the least amount of stress possible for both ourselves and the llama. We live in the southeastern part of the country amongst a heavy white-tail deer population, so it is imperative that we handle our llamas on a monthly basis to vaccinate with Ivomectin or Dectomax for protection against the meningeal worm. We also weigh and body score each animal once a month and trim toenails every other month, and give yearly vaccinations, so we must handle our llamas regularly and with a minimum of stress. Read the rest of this entry »
The Showing Llamas
This article will focus on 7 main areas to consider in developing a successful show strategy. Each topic covers basic tools and ideas that are working for us as we show our llamas in at least half a dozen or more shows across Western Canada.
Why Would You Want To Show Your Llama?
There are as many reasons for showing your llamas as there are shows in which to enter. Here are some of the reasons llama breeders show: Read the rest of this entry »
Scottish Highland Cattle
From the Northwest part of the Scottish Highlands comes one of the oldest and possibly purest breeds of cattle known today. Scottish Highlands were first brought to the USA in the second half of the 19th century and are the oldest registered breed in this country. Read the rest of this entry »
Raising Cats
Introduction:
The association of man and cat goes back approximately 5,000 years. Originally found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, the origin of the domesticated cat is controversial. Early associations of man and cat are cloaked in legend and myth. Every country has references to the cat in their literature, describing the qualities of the cat in several ways. Sayings, known as cat proverbs, are common. Read the rest of this entry »
The Cleaning Products
Cleaning Products – You can use any type of cleaning soap, avoid products containing ammonium chloride. We have been using the basic cleaning soap available at Farm Fleet or Fleet Farm with good success. Do NOT ever use scented detergents; usually, household detergents will be inappropriate because of added scents. Use an acid rinse. For sanitizer we use UNSCENTED bleach. Read the rest of this entry »
Dromedary and Bactrian Camel
The first U.S. camels were imported into Texas in 1856. It is not know if the scholars of that time knew that the oldest remains of camels have been found in North America. Camels are said to have originated in North America 45 million years ago. In the mid 1850′s the importation of camels to the United States was an experiment for the U.S. Army. Read the rest of this entry »
The Packgoats
“Is that a GOAT?” I hear this all the time when I’m out on the trails, as people are amazed by my method of backpacking. The truth is out; goats make great trail companions and relieve their owners of a lot of work. They enjoy the out of doors and hiking just as much as their owners do. And for those who have handicaps that make it difficult for us to enjoy the backcountry without some help, goats are able to completely remove the burden of the backpack. Read the rest of this entry »
Alpaca
The alpacas certainly do their share. They spend 365 days grazing on pasture, nibbling at grass hay, and munching on a dinner of rolled corn, just to grow fiber and relax in our sunshine. They are able to grow about 5-8 pounds of fiber, lanolin free, during the year between shearings. Breeding stock as well as pet quality fiber producers, yield fleeces of comparable quality. Hand spinners appreciate the ideal 3.5 inches for the best spinning results. That length, coincidentally, is about the average annual growth of an alpaca fleece! Read the rest of this entry »
Lambing Lore
You will have shorn or at least crutched your ewes, and vaccinated them with at least the minimum, the basic clostridial vaccines. We recommend Covexin 8, but in some regions of the country C, D & T may be sufficient protection. These vaccines should be given about 4 to 6 weeks pre-lambing to allow for the antibodies to build up in the ewes’ colostrum, to protect the lamb against these diseases, as they are born without any immunities. Read the rest of this entry »