It has been noted that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have bought 4 alpacas after visiting an Alpaca Stud near their home in NSW.  Now celebrities are in on the act!

http://lovelynicolekidman.com/article.asp?articleid=49351

The attached picture/article was taken from the weekend paper.  At first glance it’s a funny photo.  After thinking about it, the effort that went into cutting the poodle like features would have been time consuming and possibly distress to the animal.  I am left pondering if there will be any lasting physical effects to the alpaca due to the fleece retained around the neck.

Last week I took my first drive down the end of my road that was devastated entirely by the bushfires.  It was in total contrast to my end of the road where only paddock fires and minimal tree fire damage occurred.  To see treed blocks totally void of life, destroyed out buildings and depending on people’s luck they may have still had a house.

Scorched paddocks and trees void of foliage were the landscape for as far as the eye could see, this landscape will be with me physically and mentally for many years.

After seeing the devastation first hand, I was again greeted at the front gate of KINGSVIEW ALPACAS with the sweet vision of a new cria in the paddock.  A lovely fawn boy with striking colour features and an extremely soft handling fleece.  The challenge is out to find a suitable name.  

What a month and a half leading up to “Black Saturday”…no rain…a full week of 40 degree plus days.  Our property at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS had some long and very dry grass around it, added to that six weeks of non-maintenance due to the extreme heat and other domestic factors.

You have heard it all before, all the factors were there and you know the devastating result.  Our property at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS was extremely lucky compared to others in the area.  We evacuated at the suggestion of the CFA, as we had no fire fighting equipment, and left our house, our alpacas and our property in their hands.

We were able back to look at the property approximately 36 hours after the tragedy to find our house, alpacas and property unburnt.  The CFA were able to stop a 750m grass fire front on our boundary fence after the heli-tanker stopped in from the air and dropped a load of water on our house for good measure.  Our property is now the border for the fire break that has subsequently been made by the CFA as a precautionary measure around the fires perimeter in our area.

It was six days before we received our electricity back (many still haven’t 2 weeks later) and as we drove down our charcoaled and baron road and pulled up to our gate, we noticed something new amongst the alpacas, with an instant smile we new things were about to start getting better as we had that glimmer of hope that you get from new life.  A male cria, with a beautiful dark fawn colouration, his name is Smokey.  He will make a great pet and be a reminder to us to keep our chins up as our community works its way through this tragedy.

In Melbourne this week the weather has been consistently in the 40 degree range, which got me thinking, earlier in the day, how do our alpacas withstand not only the heat but the hot wind that goes with it?

On our property at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS during the summer months we run three mobs of alpacas, the females, the males in two groups with the stud males split up. 

I considered the plight of the females especially, some have cria a foot from the spring season (rehydrating not only themselves but a cria) and the pregnant females that are due in Autumn (who are carrying around the extra weight).  I have visited them a number of times a day and observed that they cleverly (and upon observation seemed an obvious thing to do) sat amongst the mini pine plantation most of the day, staying out of direct sunlight and also out of the wind and only made their way to the dam when necessary.   It wasn’t until the evening that they went out in the paddock to graze and feed.

The key to this kind of weather is some form of natural shelter where possible and keep on eye out for some of the more vulnerable alpacas.

November is the month for shearing at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS and for the first time in 5 years the weather forecast was for possible showers.  Any other weekend and I would love showers, however when shearing that makes it very difficult for two reasons: firstly, takes longer to shear if damp (don’t bother if wet) and secondly, you need to shed your animals at least the day before if they are dry.

We were reasonably lucky that the day before was dry and that the alpacas were only surface damp from overnight.  They were all rounded up the day before into groups and the first group were in the holding yards drying a little from the wind.

Over the years we have not really modified the location or the procedure for our shearing, however with more and more alpacas every year we have progressed with the use of a rouse-a-bout to keep the whole process moving along.  That was a success this year and we were provided with further advice on modifications to the holding yard setup for next year.

Overall the shearing went well, expect for the out of the blue cold snap that hit the next weekend, barely over 8 degrees all day and that was out of the wind, who knows what the wind chill was.  In the shed they went again to dry off and keep warm, with no fleece on them it would have been cold.  It’s 5 days later and the air conditioner is in use, you have got to love Melbourne weather! 

The latest alpaca show results available are for the October shows of Bendigo Agricultural Show and Wangarratta Show.  The Bendigo Show has been off and on due to the AAA National Show being around the same time when in Victoria.  It was the first time showing of alpacas at the Wangarratta Show.  Obviously the largest studs were not there, however there was large show teams from a number of Central Victorian Studs with many receiving solid results.

See results in the public spaces folder here.

It's on...for the month of November you can buy an alpaca for $220...that's right an intact male alpaca in either white or light fawn and ranging in age from 12 to 36 months for just $220.  You could use them as pets, herd guards or to mate with your females...there are so many uses!

Check it our HERE.

It was with great sadness that I attended the dispersal sale of Running Creek Alpacas yesterday.  Andy and Julie (Running Creek Alpacas stud masters) had sold Kingsview Alpacas some of our first foundation stock, some four years ago.

Attending the dispersal auction brought back memories of how Andy provided help to us when we were starting out with Alpacas.  Andy found the time to teach us how to vaccinate with 5 in 1, something that we do for 30+ alpacas at a time now, however back then it was for only 4 alpacas.  Andy provided stud services when we needed matings, he came to our farm on a number of occasions to get one of our girls pregnant, he spent the time to teach what he had learnt over the years with matings, spit offs and the key signs of pregnancy.

In or time of need Julie was there to provide guidance in an experience that is very rare with alpacas.  A maiden had given birth at 323 days (on average that is 20 days earlier) and is what I would deem the limit of being able to keep the cria alive.  At the same time the dam had a uterine prolapse.  What a steep learning curve we were on.  Julie was able to assist with a cool head a guidance on how to successfully care for the cria, that was premature and the most valuable information was to keep the dam lactating while the cria was bottle feed to gain strength.  It is a long story on what happened, needless to say that advice insured that after 10 days of bottle feeding (at the start every 2 hours) we were able to get the cria feeding off the dam.  What a good news story the dam went on to give further births and the cria grew up strong with her own cria on the way.

Good luck to Andy and Julie on their future, no doubt our paths will cross at a future Alpaca Show!

FIRE WARRIOR has arrived at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS today.  He is an excellent looking animal and is currently relaxing in the lane way next to females as he soaks up his new environment and what should be a rewarding future.

He has some competition as he begins his stud learnings from the current master at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS, TRINITY.  The first test of his learnings is scheduled for Melbourne Cup Day.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome FIRE WARRIOR to KINGSVIEW ALPACAS.  He comes to us from the Shanbrooke Alpaca Stud, where the National Supreme Champion was bred.

Fire Warrior is an upstanding well conformed male that is full of presence. He has excellent coverage and is true to type.  He carries a dense fleece which is well aligned and uniform with the crimp running low into the chest area.  He is sired by the famous Accoyo Rasputin who has produced many Champions while his Dam was a specially selected female from Peru for Shanbrooke's breeding program.

Fire Warrior begins work this Spring 2008 and we expect to see the fruits of his labour starting Spring 2009.

Last Saturday was the day, a beautiful sunny day, a day alpacas at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS traditionally love to give birth.  We knew it was on based on the mothers antics the previous day.  She just would not sit still and by the end of the day looked very uncomfortable.  Being the first for the season we try for no complications and the mother was a Peruvian import (from Jolimont) and her age is just old (something over 15 years old).

It was 8am in the morning and I remembered that today could be the day and sure enough there she was totally exhausted lying on her side down hill.  I didn't like the downhill position and tried to move her to no avail.  I gave them another half an hour to see the head and front legs of a healthy white female cria.  10 mins later after observing there was no change.  So I gave the old girl a hand and gently pulled on the front legs to get the final part of the body out.  Done.

The cria (like the rest of her siblings) is above average in height and weight.  She has had a wild range of weather in the last week ranging from windy to calm, mild temps to icy hail and everything in between and she is still going strong...got to get back on the look out...that's just the first this season. 

The National Alpaca Show has been run and won.  Congratulations go out to Shanbrooke Alpaca Stud who had the Supreme Champion winner in Shanbrooke Accoyo Prodigy ET.

The full results can be accessed from the 2008 Alpaca Show Results at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS.  There were definetly some interesting results, the tussle of the big names was in the mature male class where Camelot Tor beat the famous Jolimont Warrior, however the tables were turned in the sires progeny class.

The National Alpaca Show & Auction will be held in Canberra this coming weekend, starting on Friday.  This is the largest and most prestigious event on the Alpaca calendar.  The Auction has been known to produce record breaking amounts for the Supreme Champions, most recently in 2005 an animal sold for $170k.  See the Australian Alpaca Association for more details.

At KINGSVIEW ALPACAS we regularly have a range of alpacas for sale as pets, herd protectors and for stud breeders.

We have white and light fawn Pregnant Females priced from $2,750.  All are registered with the AAA and have elite genetics.  Full details of all pregnant females are available HERE.  We also have a range of white wethers at $550 that would be suitable as pets or herd protectors.

It was well over four years ago that KINGSVIEW ALPACAS started at the very beginning of owning Alpacas.  The following is a list that we did to gather as much information about alpacas:

1.  The Internet.  Do the research, it pays off at the start and along the way.  In fact you never stop learning from alpaca stud websites, association websites, forums and more recently blogs.

2.   Attend as many alpaca shows and special events (such as the Alpaca Fiesta).  There you will have a chance to talk with alpaca breeders.  The majority of breeders will be keen to chat about alpacas and answer questions from first hand experience.  We found it most beneficial to pick up the show catalogue while watching the show and marking the alpacas that you liked and noting the judges comments.  This information will assist when you go to purchase your first alpacas (yes alpacas...you can't have just one!).

3.  Visit as many alpaca farms as practical.  There you can talk direct with the alpaca breeder not only about alpacas but farming in general, especially handy if you have recently moved onto land.  If you request, you may be able to participate in some of the alpaca activities (vaccinations, toe nail trimming, matings and if you have special timing a birth) to give you some hands on experience.

4.  If you plan to ultimately be an alpaca breeder, membership of the Australian Alpaca Association from the start will have you on the right track.  It provides excellent reading material and also includes a comprehensive information kit, 1/4ly magazines (national and local) and a copy of the alpaca trading post "Alpacas on the move".

The Werribee AlpacaFest 2008 was the first show of the season for us at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS and the first for a while.  I feel that alpaca shows provide a gauge for the quality of the alpacas that you are breeding, as there is an independent judge reviewing your alpacas against 10 to 15 others in the case of our specialty white and light fawn.

This year we took two animals to show and it was the first time for both of them, which we have found makes it just a little bit harder.  Our experience at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS is that once the alpacas have had two or three shows under their belt they seem to relax and present so much better while in the ring.

This year we took Kingsview Foxy Lady, a white female of 18 months of age, she is one of our best bred females and has the package - fineness, crimp definition, lustre and density.  Her class was made up of 9 alpacas, mainly from the big names of the alpaca industry (Nationally - Ambersun, Cambridge, Windsong Valley) (Locally - Almora, Coricancha, Malakai).  Foxy Lady was called up to the final four line up and was fighting it out for 3rd, the judge looked at the brisket, then the neck and finally the bonnet where the decision was made.  The judge looked over the animals at least four times, however we were placed 4th.  That was an excellent result given the caliber of the other alpacas and justifies the breeding strategy that we have in place at KINGSVIEW ALPACAS.

Our other entrant was Kingsview Birthday Girl, a light fawn female of 8 months of age, she is a soft fine fleeced alpaca like her mother (one of our other best bred females).  In a smaller field she was placed 3rd, again fighting for 2nd.  The judges comment was she had an extremely soft handle.

At Kingsview Alpacas we have found that alpacas are more likely to kick than bite.  We have heard of a couple of stories of alpacas biting, however have not witnessed it and do not believe it to be an issue when handling alpacas.  Kicking is certainly a reaction common in alpacas.  This can occur when you touch their back legs or invade their personal space from behind.  The alpacas foot is padded and when combined with the fact that they are not that tall compared to an adult, it is likely that if kicked there will not be any long term damage.  It may hurt at the moment of impact, however this is generally due to the surprise.

At Kingsview Alpacas we have found that some alpacas are more likely to kick than others.  We have tried to handle our alpacas as much as practical of which touching their legs to desensitise works wonders, especially when you need to trim toenails and eliminate the potential of kicking.  The more time you put into handling the better the results you will reap.

Yes they do spit.

It is used as a warning sign between Alpacas most of the time. It is especially prevalent around feeding time, as there is a pecking order for who eats first and if a young alpaca has jumped in before a senior member of the herd they will be spat at. At KINGSVIEW ALPACAS I have been spat on numerous occasions over the years because I got in between two alpacas determining who was the boss at feed time.

If an alpaca is threatened by a human, I have found they will spit only if they cannot get away (the flight or fight theory).  This is easily managed by you in understanding what is threatening to your alpacas.

Alpaca Spit generally is not pleasant, however once dry is easily brushed off. The more you are around your alpacas the better understanding of who is the boss, who is a spitter and most importantly you will identify a spitting incident before it happens.

Alpacas require the company of other alpacas, therefore you should buy a minimum of two alpacas. You may be buying a herd guard for sheep in which case the alpaca will bond with the sheep.

Alpacas require shade and a clean water supply in their paddock. If the pasture is inadequate you will need to supply additional feed such as hay and lucerne hay (for example) or other hard feeds.

Alpacas require shearing once a year, you will need to find a shearer that services your area, or find somewhere you can take them to be shorn. Ask the breeder about a shearing contact when you purchase the alpaca.

Maintenance of your alpacas will include trimming toenails, vaccinations throughout the year and other miscellaneous issues (health, accidents, birthing). Ask the breeder about any assistance or training that they can provide when you purchase the alpaca.

At KINGSVIEW ALPACAS we provide all new breeders who purchase an alpaca with the advice (and hands on training if required) on how to maintain your alpacas throughout the seasons of the year.