WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed Plus much more ……….. WINTER 2013 EDITION ISSUE NO: 71 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL MAGAZINE READ ‘n’ BREED INSIDE THIS EDITION A look into Suri Alpacas—Part 1 Preparing an alpaca for showing—What to do and What not to do Mount Pleasant Show Results 2013 A Members Profile From a Vets Perspective Plus much more………………………….
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WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed
Plus much more ………..
WINTER 2013 EDITION
ISSUE NO: 71
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL MAGAZINE
READ ‘n’ BREED
INSIDE THIS EDITION
A look into Suri Alpacas—Part 1
Preparing an alpaca for showing—What to do and What
(Please don’t look at our website as it’s way out of date!)
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 13
From a Vets perspective...............
Skin Disease in Alpacas
Skin disease in alpacas is to say the least, ‘a bit of a minefield’, largely because very little derma-
tology research of investigations has been done.
Before I go further, let me try and clear some muddy water by noting alpaca skin (including their
fleece) is very different from sheep. For a start, the fibre is hollow and secondly the fleece does
not contain yolk (i.e. lanolin) and therefore the micro environment that is the skin of these alpac-
as is remarkably different to sheep. Having said that, it needs to be understood that skin can and
does react to insults (infectious, toxic, nutritional and environmental) in a limited number of
ways. Fibre loss, redness and heat, exudation of serum, production of blisters that develop to ul-
cers, abscesses in follicles, and in chronic (long term) cases gross thickening (hyperkeratosis).
We see all of the above with or without behavioural change such as pruritus (itching). However,
it is my opinion that it is not possible just to eyeball most of these cases and make a diagnosis,
although for various reasons (usually financial restriction from owners) we have to.
In my experience a couple of commonly talked about causes are much rarer than thought. Zinc
deficiency is one. I also commonly hear about mites. How people diagnose these without deep
skin scraping eludes me. The mites are not visible to the naked eye. Lice however are seen from
time to time but are relatively easy to treat.
Contact allergy in hairy areas occurs more commonly than we think and is confirmed by skin bi-
opsy. Fungal infections seem to be able to take hold in skin damaged by other causes (which also
need to be treated). Anyway, the take home message is to allow your clinic to spend some of
your money or funds provided for alpaca research on deeper investigations that involve laborato-
ry work to get an accurate answer (which is still not always possible) and then publish results
through the Australian Vet Association special interest group for camelids.
by Dr Andrew Loose, Windarra Park Veterinary Clinic
14 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
HFS takes pride in manufacturing and supplying quality feeds, minerals and concentrates throughout SA.
Whether a commercial operation or a small block we offer a wide range of products, competitive pricing and
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From feed manufactured on site, blocks and minerals to Pasture Seed, Animal Health & Vet Supplies, Ag
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12 Light Crescent Mount Barker SA 5251 – Office 08 8391 4629
Anthony Pearce 0467 600 061 Michael Bowden 0467 600 06
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 15
OBITUARY
Parnabrae Brutus
Born in March 1995, Brutus was one of the first cria bred by the late Jane Wray with the Par-
nabrae prefix, Jane’s first stud. Sired by the renowned peruvian male Purrumbete Highlander,
and out of the elite grey female Purrumbete Christine, Brutus has created an immense legacy
of quality stock. He himself won countless broad ribbons in both led and fleece classes, and
his descendents have won hundreds as well.
Jane credited Brutus and his younger half-brother Zeus with putting her on the map in the al-
paca industry and she built her business on these two males. At Yaringa Alpacas we have not
shown direct Brutus progeny in the last few years, but almost every animal in our show teams
has had either Brutus or Zeus in their pedigree.
Although Brutus never reproduced himself in a male, he produced dozens of elite females who
went on to produce elite progeny including some top males. Probably the most influential of
these females was Leajay Teah who with the help of ET has produced approximately 20 cria
including the certified males Alpacaspecialist Reckless Lord ET, Alpacaspecialist Warlord ET,
Classic Count Dracula ET and Classic Conquistador.
16 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
Animal health & husbandry
The Australian Story
Australia is well positioned to become the leading producer of suri alpacas in the world. Our benign climate enables them to flourish in a way not possible in the harsh climate of the Andean mountains of Peru, where they make up just 5% of the total alpaca population. There are a number of ways that people can commence their suri breeding programme. Some choose to breed coloured suris, others white. Coloured suris, with full suri parentage are quite rare and command higher prices. Others produced through the crossing of suri and huacayas sell for less, but can be progressively bred up to the quality of the pure bred animals. Huacayas have been in Australia for some years longer than suris and arrived in much larger numbers. Because of the comparative rarity of the suri, Peru only allows an exporter to make up 20% of their shipment with suris. Therefore for every ten animals exported from Peru, only two can be suri. In the first years of the industry, when many animals were being imported, no suris arrived in the country at all - the first suri importation was in 1991.
Peruvian animals arriving at Tullamarine Airport, Victoria in March 2005
Demand has always exceeded supply with the suri. Because of the inability to import large numbers and the long gesta-tion period, there is little chance of this changing in the medium term. Good quality suris are very easy to sell, but often more difficult to source. Many people choose to breed suris because of the rarity factor. If a new person entering the industry wants to stand out from the crowd, then breeding suris is an excellent way to start. By starting out with suris, you have as much chance as the next person of breeding top quality animals and gaining recognition in the show ring. While the suri alpaca is a fleece animal, the industry in Australia is still too small to support commercial fleece herds. Their current value is as stud animals to breed up the numbers required for commercial production. Although there has been some suspicion of the alpaca, with some sceptics waiting for them to go the way of other 'sunrise livestock indus-tries', the industry is strong and continues to grow. Good quality alpacas continue to hold their value and suris command premium prices. There are thought to be no more than 120,000 suris worldwide and only 1-2 % of these are coloured. The Australian industry has made great inroads into improving the quality of animals over successive generations and is becoming a significant market for other countries seeking elite breeding stock. There has never been a better time to be part of this exciting industry. Lifestyle and Investment The desire to be part of the wonderful, rare and beautiful world of the suri alpaca can lead to a great lifestyle and a very rewarding business. With less than 5% of the world population of alpacas being suri, the potential is unlimited for the relatively small number of dedicated suri breeders in Australia.
Did someone say lunch?
A look into Suri Alpaca’s
Continued Overleaf
Part 1
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 17
Animal health & husbandry
Continued Overleaf
Statistical snapshot of Suris in Australia
Australian suris and their owners are spread across the country (and New Zealand) in broadly the same proportion as all
alpacas. It is still relatively early days in the adoption of suris with most (53%) owners only having one or two suris.
This is similar to the early stages of the growth of alpaca ownership in prior decades in this country; however it is noted
that the one in four alpaca owners who own the suri type also tend to be the owners of larger herds. Given that it is the
larger breeders of alpaca (huacaya and suri types) who are also breeding suris this may be explained:
as a natural evolution of their stud's growth,
their ability to commit funds (to the generally more valuable suri type) or,
having wider networks giving them better access to relatively scarce suri genetics.
Statistics quoted below are of alpacas registered to financial AAA members as at 17 June 2005.
There are some 559 financial members of the AAA who are suri breeders and these have some 5,287 suris throughout
Australia and, increasingly, New Zealand. There are a further 382 suris registered to 156 other owners; which includes
non financial (retiring) members, newcomers to the industry who have not yet joined the Association and herd codes
which are no longer used, although some of these animals may no longer be with us.
Of the total of all 715 suri breeders with 5,669 suris, only 214 of these own more suris than huacayas, which is not sur-
prising given the relative rarity of the suri both globally (believed to be about 5%) and to a lesser extent in Australia
(believed to be about 8%).
The Australian (and New Zealand's) alpaca herd contains both a higher proportion of suris than is the case in South
America, as well as a higher proportion of coloured suris. A substantial but unknown proportion of Australia's suris,
(especially coloured suris) have some huacaya in their background. The incidence of coloured suris is fairly rare in Latin
America and some Australian breeders have accessed colour genetics (from coloured huacayas) in crossbreeding pro-
grams to achieve coloured suri crosses which are then bred back to suris.
Approximately one in four financial AAA members owns suris. The suri owners generally have larger than average alpaca
herds (average herd size for suri owners is 36 alpacas with only 8 of these being suri, while the average herd size for
non suri owners is about half this size). The following profile includes all registered suris. It is noteworthy that many su-
ris are in small groups within much larger alpaca herds.
Profile of Suri Breeders
37% own one with a further 16% owning two.
75% of suri owners have 6 or fewer suris with their average herd being 2 suris and 20 huacayas.
A further 10% (76% to 85% percentiles) of suri owners own 7 to 11 suris with their average being 9 suris and
41 huacayas.
A further 10% (86% to 95% percentiles) of suri owners have12 to 40 suris with an average herd of 20 suris and
35 huacayas.
5% of suri owners have more than 40 suris with an average herd of 71 suris and 101 huacayas.
The 10 largest suri herds contain 20% of Australia's suri herd (the 16 largest contain 25% of the national suri
herd).
The suri herd distribution by herd size
20% in small herds (6 or less)
11% in herds of 7 to 11 suris
25% in herds of 12 to 40 suris
44% in herds of more than 40 suris with 20% in the ten largest herds
18 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
Animal health & husbandry The suri herd distribution by Region
The suri herd is concentrated in the south-east of mainland Australia with the southernmost NSW Regions (south of Syd-
ney) plus Victoria having some 61% of the national herd. These same Regions have some 56% of the total alpaca herd.
It should be noted that a further 10% of both suris and alpacas generally registered to AAA financial members are based
in New Zealand. Therefore only 29% of the registered suri herd is based in Australia outside of the south-eastern main-
land regions.
Location of su-
ris and their
owners by AAA
Region
Suri owners
Suris
%Suri herds
Alpaca owners
All alpacas
%Alpaca herds
Queensland 42 343 6.00% 107 1894 4.00%
South Queens-
land & Northern
NSW
9
10
0.00%
59
890
2.00%
Central Western
NSW
15 112
2.00% 60
1341 3.00%
Sydney, Coast &
Highlands NSW
16
143
3.00%
72
2231
4.00%
Central Coast &
Hunter NSW
33 309
6.00% 115
2585 5.00%
Hawkesbury /
Blue Mountains
NSW
26
159
3.00%
138
3210
6.00%
Southern NSW 69 825 16.00% 227 7267 14.00%
Central Victoria 61 825 16.00% 251 5732 11.00%
Eastern Victoria 87 813 15.00% 323 7220 14.00%
Western Victoria 21
311 6.00%
86 2486
5.00%
Tasmania 13 198 4.00% 60 1020 2.00%
South Australia 34 220 4.00% 187 5675 11.00%
WA Southern 13 46 1.00% 37 497 1.00%
WA Central 44 439 8.00% 170 3828 8.00%
Other (primarily
New Zealand)
76 534
10.00% 306
5097 10.00%
Total with Fi-
nancial Mem-
bers
559
5287
2198
50973
This article was sourced from the AAA website
“What the superior man seeks is in himself, what the small man seeks is in others”.
Confucius
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 19
MEMBERS PROFILE
CHAURGOOLYN ALPACAS
Carolyn and Hugo van der Moer
Carolyn and Hugo van der Moer with two of our "Shepherds" stud males
The name of our stud, CHAURGOOLYN ALPACAS is derived by combining all the letters of our names Hugo and Carolyn.
There is no strict rule on how to pronounce it but we find that (shore-goo-
lyn) seems to work best.
Our Alpaca story began soon after we started going out together, we had
decided to go on a tropical island holiday to the Cocos Islands in the mid-
dle of the Indian Ocean. While there, we heard about some strange animals
being held at the other end of the island and went to have a look. They
were very weird looking animals but we could not get real close as they
were in quarantine en-route to Australia as one of the early major imports
from Peru. Little did we know the important role these animals would play
in our future, we had a wonderful holiday but gave no further thought
about alpacas for another 10 years.
Flash forward 10 years, we found ourselves married and living on an 8 acre
block in the Barossa Hills at Mt. McKenzie with the North Para River passing
through one corner of the block, it was a beautiful spot and we loved it dearly. We were fortunate enough to obtain some
financial assistance to fence off the river and at the same time upgraded some of the other fences, only to find that we now
needed to do something with the paddocks we created. We researched several options but soon realized that a limited water
supply meant that growing plants or crop of any sort was not feasible, so it was a matter of working out the right animals for
us to keep. Council restrictions made us reject horses whilst there were extra fencing requirements for cattle and goats and
sheep just seemed noisy and smelly.
Then we rediscovered those weird alpacas we had first seen so many years ago in the middle Continued Overleaf
Alpacas in quarantine on Cocos Islands 1996
20 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
of the Indian Ocean. Hardy and resistant to most health issues, quiet and
gentle to handle, no special fencing needs, they do well on fairly ordinary
pasture and with soft pads are gentle on the land. We had found the per-
fect animals for us.
A friend and work colleague of ours, Dave Hubbard as part of his role in
PIRSA was involved with alternative livestock was able to give us some
more advice and pointed us in the direction of Lea Ritchens from Collea
Springs. Time to jump in and buy our first alpaca and it was through Lea’s
network and with her guidance we acquired our first two pregnant girls in
2005, from Chris and Pam Matters –Maaninta alpacas. This very quickly
grew to 8 animals and of course by then we had fallen completely in love
with these wonderful, intelligent, intriguing animals and could not stop.
Clearly we had to sell our beautiful home and find a larger property.
So now 8 years after our first alpacas, about 10 km away from where it began at Mt McKenzie (we couldn’t bear to leave
the district and all our friends and neighbours), we have built a new home on our 121 acre - blank canvas property at Flax-
man Valley.
We could not believe our luck when we discovered that we had bought the
property opposite to Jo O’Connor – Lyneden alpacas, she was a fountain of
information and we grew very close to Jo, spending many happy hours
swapping stories over a cup of tea in her shed, it was with great sadness
that we said farewell to her early last year.
Up until now, most of our stud requirements have been provided by Lyn
and Robert Shepherd, they have been good friends over the years and con-
tinue to be a great source of advice. They recently left the industry, and we
consider ourselves fortunate to be offered the chance to buy their last 18
animals (including 4 certified stud males and some of the best female
progeny resulting from their many years of breeding), boosting our num-
bers to a total of about 60+ animals. With this recent acquisition and by
promoting one or two of our own boys, we will now be conducting most of
our own mating and we are growing rapidly toward our target of about 150.
Our experience within the industry has been a positive one, with other breeders friendly, helpful with advice and always
ready to swap a funny or touching story, sometimes it can be hard to remind yourself that with so many animals they are
not really pets and this lovely lifestyle really is an industry. Working harder than ever our goal now is to immerse ourselves
into every aspect of these amazing animals, offering stud services and animals for sale, we are breeding for quality of
fleece and conformation, and plan to venture into the show ring very soon.
This is of course just a short description of how we came to be where we are today, we are always happy to talk about the
countless triumphs as well as a few sad stories along the way, and we cannot wait to see where they take us next as long
In this Read n Breed I have included the ‘Stewards’ inspection checklist—What the stewards look for when they inspect your animals at
a show. This exert can be found in the Convenors section of the AAA Showing Rules Manual, March 2012 (posted to AAA website 27 April 2012)
27. Stewards’ inspection checklist
The Stewards’ checklist for the inspection of entire animals shall include:
(a) general health and visible physical soundness
(b) correct alpaca in allocated pen
(c) correct colour, according to the Association’s official colour chart, sex and age for class entered
If the colour of an alpaca is in doubt stewards are to assign the animal to the lighter class of its colour
which will enable the Judge to decide in which class the animal should be allocated.
(d) correct IAR tag number, matching that shown in the animal’s registration certificate and the Show
Catalogue.
(e) disqualifying faults
. jaw abnormalities: wry, not properly aligned, lower jaw overshot in excess of 3mm or undershot in
excess of 5mm
. polydactylism (more or fewer than two toes)
.syndactylism (fusion of toes)
. for males, lack of one or both normal testicles in scrotum
. fused ears (short, stubby ears or ears fused at the tips)
. banana ears
. no tail, short tail or abnormally bent or kinked tail which cannot be manually manipulated
. fleece less than 50mm in length for huacaya and 75mm for suri.
. lice infestation
. visible physical disfigurement which deems the alpaca unsuitable for showing
The Stewards’ checklist for the inspection of wethers shall include:
(a) general health and soundness
(b) correct alpaca in allocated pen
(c) correct colour, according to the Association’s official colour chart, sex and age for class entered
If the colour of an alpaca is in doubt stewards are to assign the animal to the lighter class of its colour
which will enable the Judge to decide in which class the animal should be allocated.
(d) correct IAR tag number, matching that shown in the animal’s registration certificate and the Show
Catalogue.
(e) disqualifying faults
. lice/mite infestation
. visible physical disfigurement which deems the alpaca unsuitable for showing
. fleece less than 50mm in length for huacaya and 75mm for suri
. one or more testes
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 23
S PA
CE A
VA
ILAB
LE
“Ashmani Archimedes”
1/4 1/4 1/4
2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4
“Schutara Park Apollo”
IAR 120281
D.O.B.: 12/11/2005 Solid White Latest Fleece Stats 2012
7th Fleece
Mic: 23.7 SD: 4.2 CF: 93.8
Apollo is a fine upstanding macho. He has enjoyed success in both the
ring and fleece shows. He has excellent conformation and great temperament . His fleece is very bright and stylish with good crimp definition. These traits have been
Royal Challenge was by far the standout male when we visited Shanbrooke in
2012, and we have since purchased him to introduce new genetics to our herd.
He has outstanding density, coverage and evenness across his body, and very little
variation between the primary and secondary fibres
Service Fee: Strictly Limited to selected clients
www.softfoot.com.au
2/4
“Shanbrooke Accoyo
Royal Challenge ET”
“Whyte Park Timothy”
D.O.B.: 31/08/10 Solid White
IAR 132307
Latest Fleece Stats 2012
Midside (3rd Fleece)
Mic: 15.6 SD: 3.1 CV:19.6
CF: 100 SF: 15.0
Timothy has an amazingly fine fleece into maturity, with very little variation
between primary and secondary fibres. He has outstanding evenness across his body, is well grown and is very confor-mationally correct. With density and
style that extends to his extremities, he is a real commercial option. Timothy will commence stud duties in Autumn 2013 Service Fee: $770 inc. Agist-
ment (conditions apply) www.softfoot.com.au
“Alpacaspecialist
Sharman”
Latest Fleece Stats 2012
Midside (4th Fleece)
Mic: 19.7 SD: 3.9 CV:19.6
D.O.B.: 26/04/09 Solid White IAR 154051
Sharman has had an outstanding 2012 show year, taking out numerous
supreme fleeces including at Colour-bration. His first cria are looking very impressive. With outstanding ampli-tude, length and staple definition on a
very healthy frame, he has a lot to offer.
Service Fee: $770 inc. Agist-ment (conditions apply)
www.softfoot.com.au 2/4 2/4
“Yaringa Czar”
IAR 117735
D.O.B.: 30/01/08 Solid Medium Fawn D.O.B.: 26/04/09 Solid Light Fawn IAR 147651
“Alpacaspeacialist
Legend”
Latest Fleece Stats 2012
4th Fleece
Mic: 17.2 SD: 3.5 CF: 99.8 CV: 45.9
Latest Fleece Stats 2012
5th Fleece
Mic: 20.8 SD: 4.5 CF: 95.8 CV: 47.9
Czar is a compact male with exquisite high amplitude and high frequency crimp in his fleece. His dense fleece exhibits excellent brightness and lustre. The
fleece he presents with, is consistent over his frame and in the last few years he has
racked up an excellent show record at the best shows in one of the most
This Warrior son has impeccable genet-ics that are reflected in his phenotype. As he has a crimp structure that exhibits high
amplitude and frequency, outstanding density and lustre. His dam is possibly our
most elite donor in our embryo transfer program. In 2011 Legend’s fleece was
awarded Supreme at both the SA Colour Classic and the Victorian Colourbration
2/4
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 25
2012
STATS ARE NOT AVAILABLE
S PA
CE A
VA
ILAB
LE
S PA
CE A
VA
ILAB
LE
S PA
CE A
VA
ILAB
LE
S PA
CE A
VA
ILAB
LE
1/4
“Coonawarra Gladiator” “Yaringa Prophecy”
IAR 73015
D.O.B.: 13/12/03 Solid Black IAR 147690
D.O.B.: 27/1/10 Light Grey
2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4
Latest Fleece Stats 2012
9th Fleece
Mic: 20.6 SD: 4.6 CF: 95.4
Down from the Julius/Dorchester line, this male hardly needs an introduction. A multiple champion himself, including Supreme Black at
the huge Victorian Colourbration show, his progeny are consistently performing both in the
show ring and in quality assessment, with many championships themselves. He passes on his fine, dense fleece, as well as crimp, lustre and good frame. Year after year he
produces the finest alpaca in our herd and is a must have to add his qualities to your herd.
Propaganda is probably the most well known grey alpaca in the world,
producing outstanding quality col-oured alpacas. His progeny consist-
ently win broad ribbons at major shows, and he has numerous work-
ing sons making their mark both domestically and abroad.
Service Fee: $1100 inc.
Agistment (conditions apply) www.softfoot.com.au
IAR 174962
D.O.B.: 21/02/11 Solid Black Latest Fleece Stats 2012
Midside (2nd Fleece)
Mic: 18.4 SD: 4.4 CV:23.8
Crackerjack has an outstanding soft, lustrous and dense black fleece, 3 traits so hard to achieve in a blue black alpaca. His show achieve-
ments include Champion Black Royal Adelaide 2012. Very true to type,
Crackerjack will commence work in Autumn 2013.
Service Fee: $770 inc. Agistment (conditions apply)
www.softfoot.com.au
1/4 1/4 1/4
26 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
This section is for those of us who are thinking about or would like to show their alpacas but aren’t quite sure how to identify the best animal or how to prepare for the best possi-
ble result in the show ring.
PREPARING AN ALPACA FOR SHOWING
Preparation is an important part of showing your animal. To present to the Show Judge a clean, well prepared
animal requires planning and often, many hours of painstaking work.
Most alpacas in paddocks will have vegetable matter contamination in their fleece. It is necessary to remove this
to achieve an adequately prepared alpaca.
The Judge will use his/her knowledge, experience and discretion in assessing the quality of all alpacas in the
Show ring, but must judge the animals as they are paraded before him/her on the day of a Show.
Methods of removing excessive vegetable matter
The most efficient way to remove excessive vegetable matter is by hand-picking.
For most animals, blowing the fleece with a small animal blower will often be all that is necessary to remove
dust and smaller debris. Be careful not to over blow, as this may open up the fleece and give it a fluffy appear-
ance, destroying the staple and crimp.
Brushing not recommended
Brushing is not recommended, especially in the blanket area, as excessive brushing or flicking will destroy the
staple definition.
Washing
If it is necessary to wash a white or light-coloured alpaca to clean it for showing, this should be done several
weeks prior to a Show so that the fleece has time to settle back to its natural appearance.
Never blow dry a wet alpaca. Let it dry naturally. Avoid detergents, conditioners and softeners. They will damage
the fleece and destroy its natural sheen and handle.
Any urine stains should be washed out and “dags” removed by subtle trimming.
Keeping animals clean
After animals are prepared, keep them on clean pasture. If wet weather prevails, stabling or shedding is
recommended.
Show Preparation
Most stud animals undergo some form of cleaning and preparation for the show ring so that they are shown to
Continued Overleaf
SHOWING
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 27
SHOWING their best advantage. Not all alpacas will be advantaged by clipping and the preparation of an alpaca for the
show ring must be left entirely up to the individual alpaca owner, bearing in mind that presentation accounts for
only 5 per cent of the total show ring assessment.
If it is considered necessary to lightly clip or trim an animal, it should be done sufficiently in advance to ensure
the fleece tips and staple formation have time to settle back to their natural state.
It is not possible to change the character of fleece of a lesser quality alpaca to that of a top quality alpaca simply
by trimming its fleece. Medullated fibres will remain visible to the Judge even if the ends are trimmed.
However, it is possible to change the fleece of a top quality alpaca into that of lesser quality by over preparation
which may destroy the architecture of the fleece. This may downgrade an animal whose fleece structure has
been damaged by over-preparation.
Note that an animal with overlong fleece may also be downgraded. It is recommended that timing of annual
shearing be adjusted to fit in with an animal’s Show agenda, rather than using clipping as a means to control
fleece length.
Halter training and feet attendance
Correct halter training will help ensure that an alpaca will stand quietly for the Judge in the show ring. If neces-
sary, also attend to feet.
JUDGING CRITERIA
Alpaca classes -in the show arena, alpaca judging is scored as follows:
fleece 60%
conformation 35%
presentation 5%
As the alpacas enter the Show ring, the Judge will look for the following points:
• Correct conformation. Does the animal walk freely? Are there any visible leg problems?
• Presence, Overall impression. Is the animal true to type?
After the alpacas are lined up, the Judge will carefully examine the fleeces and look again at conformation and
presentation.
Continued Overleaf
“The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live”
Elbert Hubbard
28 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
Fleece Classes
Only one fleece that has been shorn in the 18 months prior to the Show may be shown from any one animal.
Fleece for showing will be judged according to the criteria shown on the fleece score card for huacaya and suri:
The Judge will score the fleece, taking all the above categories into consideration. He/she will be looking for a
well-presented, properly skirted fleece with lustre and the fine/soft handle of uniform micron. The staple should
have clear-cut formation throughout. The fleece is weighed by the Stewards prior to judging. All fleece weights
shall take into account the age of the fleece and for the purpose of allocating points the weights shall be
annualised. In skirting, there is a balance between discarding too much fibre adversely affecting the fleece
weight and keeping the clean fleece weight up, but leaving in lesser quality, uneven fibres which may detract
from the overall fleece.
Where appropriate the fleece fineness shall be determined by testing.
Reproduced from AAA LTD. SHOWING RULES MANUAL MARCH 2012 (posted to AAA website 27 April 2012)
Fleece Conformation /Structure Presentation
Fineness Correct bone structure Clean, natural, Show presenta-
tion
Density Balance and proportion
Handle Growth for age and condition
Lustre Head, legs and topline
Uniformity of micron Reproductive capabilities
Uniformity of Length
Character (crimp and staple formation
Style (lock formation)
Lack of medullation
Uniformity of colour
Fleece coverage
Fineness and handle Lustre (suri)
Uniformity of micron/length/colour Lack of guard hair
Character and style (crimp in huacaya; lock style in suri) Impurities/stain/tip damage
Density of staple (huacaya) Clean fleece weight
Density of lock (suri) Age of fleece (time in months between shear-
ing and previous shearing, if any)
Brightness (huacaya)
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest”.
Mark Twain
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 29
SHOWING
Intermediate Female Champion
Shanbrooke Society ET
Junior Female Champion
Softfoot Tirari
Shanbrooke Accoyo Ruling eyes ET
Senior Female Champion &
Grand Champion Huacaya
Softfoot Kerang
Junior Male Champion
Softfoot Paso Doble
Adult Male Champion
Whyte Park Timothy
Senior Male Champion
Hi Everyone
This is just a short thankyou to all the helpers at this year's Mt Pleas-
ant Show, without you all these shows just would not happen. A full
show report will be available on the region website.
Our sincere thanks go to all those that volunteered time over the
course of the weekend in stewarding roles. These include Andrew
Chapman, Sandy Evans, Tracey Earl, Celia Smith, Jim and Margaret
Thompson, Dave Mace, Jacinta Hartill, Denise Moysey, Jen Duggin,
Anita Judd, Sue Croese, Honey Lindner, Robyn Schutte, Derrick Hall,
Rosalie Brinkworth, Sarah Wheeler and Steve Goodfellow. Apologies
to anyone that I have missed - thankyou for your time.
Acknowledgment to all exhibitors for the great way in which the show
was packed up, it is such a terrific help at the end of a long two days,
but I cannot finish the report without special mention of the following
people for their amazing efforts in getting the stillages loaded. Shane
Buckley, Nick De Bruyn and Steve Goodfellow - your help didn't go
unnoticed - a sincere thankyou.
On a final note, we still would like for someone to come forward to
assume this convening role. It is rewarding in many ways and we
would be there to help at all stages of your training and whenever
necessary thereafter. We both feel like we were never away from the
convenors role - a years break just wasn't quite enough!
Trust you can support the show in 2014 - see you there!!
Jolyon and Kerry Porter
Adaminca Ruski
Junior Champion Suri
Cambridge Authorised
Intermediate Male Champion
MOUNT PLEASANT SHOW
Congratulations to Ambersun Alpacas for winning Champion Huacaya Fleece from
Am- bersun Lord Chan- cellor
Congratulations to Adaminca Alpacas for winning Champion Suri Fleece from
Adaminca Amadore
Marquez Gracino
Grand Champion Suri
Fleur De Lys Arcapella
Adult Female Champion
30 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
showing Mt Pleasant Show 2013
Judge: Karen Caldwell
Date: 16-3-13
HUACAYA CLASSES
SECTION 1
Age Sex Colour Placing Animal Name Exhibitor
6-12 Months Female White Class 101
1 Softfoot Tirari Softfoot
2 Riverport Royale Highness Riverport
3 N/E
6-12 Months Female Fawn - Light Class 102
1 Yaringa Hope ET Yaringa
2 Softfoot Turoa Softfoot
3 EP Cambridge Fire Opal EP Cambridge
6-12 Months Female Fawn - Medium/Dark Class 103
1 Softfoot Tayna MD ET Softfoot
2 Glenovis Kobler Belalie ET Glenovis/Kobler
3 Classic Princess Mackenzie Yaringa
6-12 Months Female Brown Class 104
1 Ambersun Tambien Mist Ambersun
2 Haylilla True Haylilla
3 Classic Lady Koffee Glenovis
6-12 Months Female Grey/Roan Class 105
1 Yacka Ridge Hazel Yacka Ridge
2 Arcady Umbrette Arcadian
3 Arcady Electric Blue Schutara Park
6-12 Months Female Black Class 106
1 Waradene Lawrence Mystical Waradene
2 N/E
Junior Female Champion Softfoot Tirari Softfoot
Junior Female Reserve Champion Softfoot Tayna MD ET Softfoot
SECTION 2
6-12 Months Male White Class 201
1 Waradene Investigator Waradene
2 Fleur De Lys Nirvana Fleur De Lys
3 Rockery Felix Rockery
4 Ambersun Acapulco Ambersun
6-12 months Male Fawn - Light Class 202
1 Softfoot Kerang Softfoot
2 Lomavista Venus Shadow Glenovis
3 Waradene Daremus Waradene
Continued Overleaf
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 31
6-12 Months Male Fawn - Medium/Dark Class 203
1 Fleur De Lys Meridian Fleur De Lys
2 Adaminca Roanan Adaminca
3 Waradene Ulysses Waradene
6-12 Months Male Brown Class 204
1 Arcady Rum Punch Arcadian
2 N/E
3
6-12 Months Male Grey/Roan Class 205
1 Waradene Renegade Waradene
2 Arcady Pele Arcadian
3 Eringa Park Dark Knight Eringa Park
6-12 Months Male Black Class 206
1 Yaringa Count Romanov Yaringa
2 Haylilla Steamranger Haylilla
3 N/E
Junior Male Champion Softfoot Kerang Softfoot
Junior Male Reserve Champion Waradene Investigator Waradene
SECTION 3
12-18 Months Female White Class 301
1 Fleur De Lys Diamantina Fleur De Lys
2 Riverport Senorita Ginessa Riverport
3 Softfoot Selena Softfoot
4 Ambersun White Ferrari Ambersun
12-18 Months Female Fawn - Light Class 302
1 Softfoot Prima Donna Softfoot
2 Riverport Hyacinth Riverport
3 Softfoot Pimba Glenovis
12-18 Months Female Fawn - Medium/Dark Class 303
1 Shanbrooke Society Elite ET Softfoot
2 Riverport Fairy Grettle ET Riverport
3 EP Cambridge Fire Bird EP Cambridge
12-18 Months Female Brown Class 304
1 Classic Yaringa Maharani Yaringa
2 Haylilla Bliss Haylilla
3 Flying Colours Miss Ninja Carlisle
12-18 Months Female Grey/Roan Class 305
1 Classic Twilight Lady ET Yaringa
2 Nangkita Francine Nangkita
3 Meridian Eilish Meridian
12-18 Months Female Black Class 306
1 N/E
2
3
Intermediate Female Champion Shanbrooke Society Elite ET Softfoot
Intermediate Female Reserve Champion Softfoot Prima Donna Softfoot
SECTION 4
12-18 Months Male White Class 401
Continued Overleaf
32 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
SECTION 4
12-18 Months Male White Class 401
1 Cambridge Authorized Cambridge
2 Softfoot Aragorn Softfoot
3 Anookaninna Aladdin Anookaninna
4 Softfoot Sarin MD ET Softfoot
5 Fleur De Lys Royal Acclaim Fleur De Lys
12-18 Months Male Fawn - Light Class 402
1 Adaminca Firestorm Adaminca
2 Yaringa Don Ottavio Yaringa 3 N/E
12-18 Months Male Fawn - Medium/Dark Class 403
1 Anookaninna Antonio Anookaninna
2 Classic Rogan Josh Yaringa
3 Haylilla Audacity Haylilla 2-18 Months Male Brown Class 404
1 N/A
2 Prados Claudius Prados
3 Riverport Gangster Riverport
12-18 Months Male Grey/Roan Class 405
1 Classic Yaringa Lord Montgomery ET Yaringa
2 Freelander Prometheus Freelander
3 Yaringa Hurricane Yaringa
12-18 Months Male Black Class 406
1 N/A
2 Classic Black Sambucca Black Jack
3 Haylilla Muzerabasra Haylilla
SECTION 5
18-30 Months Female White Class 501
1 Fleur De Lys Arcapella Fleur De Lys
2 Ambersun Sweet Sista Ambersun
3 Shandara Juliana Shandara
18-30 Months Female Fawn - Light Class 502
1 Adaminca Strawberries and Cream Adaminca
2 Carlisle Rose Carlisle
3 Yacka Ridge Galina Yacka Ridge
18-30 Months Female Fawn - Medium/Dark Class 503
1 Shanbrooke Predictable Infusion ET Softfoot
2 Ambersun Fire Light Shandara
3 N/E
18-30 Months Female Brown Class 504
1 Kobler Auriel Kobler
2 Softfoot Brio Carlisle
18-30 Months Female Grey/Roan Class 505
1 Anfield Park AEC Quintessa Anfield Park
2 N/E
Continued Overleaf
Intermediate Male Champion Cambridge Authorized Cambridge
Intermediate Male Reserve Champion Anookaninna Antonio Anookaninna
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 33
18-30 Months Female Black Class 506
1 Anfield Park AEC Quadira Anfield Park
2 Lewiston Black Velvet Lewiston
3 Sunrise Park Brandi Sunrise Park
SECTION 6
18-30 Months Male White Class 601
1 Softfoot Paso Doble Softfoot/Annkea
2 Adaminca Mobi Adaminca
3 Fleu De Lys Chevalier Fleur De Lys
4 Dama Storm Dama
18-30 Months Male Fawn - Light Class 602
1 Alpacapartners Eau Sauvage Kobler
2 N/E
18-30 Months Male Fawn - Medium/Dark Class 603
1 EP Cambridge Firecraft EP Cambridge
2 Haylilla Leo Haylilla
3 Ambersun Fireball Ambersun
18-30 Months Male Brown Class 604
1 N/E
2 Alpacaspartners Crane Glenovis
3 Marquez Geraldo Lewiston
18-30 Months Male Grey/Roan Class 605
1 N/E
18-30 Months Male Black Class 606
1 Classic Darkness Before Dawn Yaringa
2 Anfield Park AEC Dalglish Anfield Park
3 Anfield Park AEC Suarez Anfield Park
Adult Male Champion Softfoot Paso Doble Softfoot/Annkea
Adult Male Reserve Champion EP Cambridge Firecraft EP Cambridge
SECTION 7
30 Months + Female White Class 701
1 Shanbrooke Accoyo Ruling Eyes ET Softfoot
2 Buckley Estate Amelia Buckley Estate
3 Samarjim Marille Samarjim
30 Months + Female Fawn - Light Class 702
1 N/E
30 Months + Female Fawn - Medium/Dark Class 703
1 Ninbella Goldie Kobler
2 Marquez Felipa Marquez
3 N/E
30 Months + Female Brown Class 704
1 N/E
30 Months + Female Grey/Roan Class 705
1 N/A
2 Samarjim Bellos Samarjim
Continued Overleaf
Adult Female Champion Fleur De Lys Arcapella Fleur De Lys
Adult Female Reserve Champion Shanbrooke Predictable Infusion ET Softfoot
34 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
3 N/E
30 Months + Female Black Class 706
1 Alpacaspecialist Shilo Marquez
2 N/E
Senior Female Champion Shanbrooke Accoyo Ruling Eyes ET Softfoot
NEW “Alpaca Agskills” - a primary industry publication $30.00
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 39
CLASSIFIEDS This Section is for advertising any unwanted or looking for items. So, if you have
any items that you wish to sell or find, why not advertise here so that all mem-
bers have an opportunity to browse. For advertising costs, please refer to page
45 of the magazine for the listing.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
WANT TO BUY OR SELL…….
THEN WHY NOT
ADVERTISE HERE
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Jodie Christian Memorial Challenge Trophy
The SA Regional Committee would like to thank Celia Smith from Kiaka Alpacas, who has decided after
8 years of keeping the records, to step down. Your dedication to looking after the JCMCT for the region has
been very much appreciated.
Thankyou to Angela & David Cheney from Andache Alpacas who have volunteered to take over the role from Celia.
40 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
2013 Royal Adelaide Show – May Update
Lea Richens Councillor, Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA Inc
The Alpaca Schedule and Entry Forms have been printed and will be available from the Society early May.
A copy of the Schedule together with entry forms will be sent to 2012 exhibitors. Others can obtain a copy from the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA Inc,
PO Box 108, GOODWOOD 5034, telephone 08 8210 5211, or by downloading from
www.adelaideshowground.com.au Exhibitors and potential exhibitors should study the terms and
conditions presented in the Schedule before proceeding to enter animals and/or fleeces.
Our Judge for this year’s Show will be Peter Kennedy.
Junior Handler and the new Junior Judge Sections will feature on Sunday 8 September.
Changes: As notified previously, light fawn classes have been included. Additions have been made in the
Fancy Section. Suri classes have been reduced.
Urgent Reminder
Exhibitors considering meeting health requirements through faecal testing must include final test
results with entry forms. (Twelve weeks should be allowed for pooled faecal testing plus time for
results to be generated and for veterinarians to prepare reports.)
New Notices
Fleece Bags
A number of exhibitors have written their stud name and contact details on the outside of their fleece bags. No
identification details are permitted on the bags – only the RAS issued exhibitor ticket should be visible. Please sew
a patch over contact details and/or make up new bags for the 2013 Show.
Electrical
Exhibitors are advised as per Conditions of Entry in the Alpaca Schedule, that all electrical appliances must be
tested and tagged as per Australian Standards 3760. For alpacas, this includes fans, blowers, dryers. Only fans
which have been tagged as tested will be permitted. These must be safely installed and secured (including
cords) and may be inspected under Work Health and Safety provisions. Appliances not meeting approved stand-
ards will be removed.
Poor Mouths
Following last year’s Show, Dr Colin Trengrove, highly respected veterinarian with extensive experience among
livestock industries, again commented on the poor mouths of several alpaca exhibits and asked that this matter
be drawn to the attention of all exhibitors. For the second year in a row, several exhibits displayed bad mouths
and were border line on disqualification. According to Dr Trengrove, it is very easy to breed poor mouths into
herd/s. It then takes generations to correct the fault/s. A male with a bad mouth, has the potential to pass on
this trait to dozens, even hundreds, of progeny and should not be considered in a breeding program – there-
fore it should not be in a judging line up at any Show. Similarly females with bad mouths should be removed
from the breeding lines and should not be shown. Much more stringent culling is needed to maintain industry
standards and the integrity expected by the Society. Exhibitors are advised that alpacas with poor mouths, in-
cluding those considered borderline, face disqualification upon inspection.
Continued Overleaf
WINTER EDITION Read ‘n’ Breed 41 Lice
All alpaca owners are encouraged to carefully check their animals for lice. Under normal circumstances, lice in-
crease in numbers during winter and into spring. Lice checks will be undertaken at this year’s Royal Adelaide
Show both prior to entering the Pavilion and again during normal inspections. Any evidence of lice (lice, eggs,
scurf) will disqualify that exhibit and all entries by that exhibitor will be required to be removed immediately from
the Show grounds. Entry fees will not be refunded.
In addition to the SA Alpaca Health and Movement Declaration, under Work Health and Safety provisions, all exhibitors (alpacas and fleeces) will be required to complete a Declaration relating to the use of Pesti-cides and/or Chemicals. This Declaration must be returned with entry forms.
For further information or queries please do not hesitate to call Lea Richens on 08 8842 2344. The next Diverse Farming Committee Meeting is scheduled for 16th May 2013.
2013 Royal Adelaide Show
South Australian Alpaca Breed and Fleece Championships 6 to 15
September 2013
Entries Close 5.00 pm Friday 12 July
Delivery of Fleeces 4.00 pm Friday 23 July to the Royal Adelaide Showground,
Goodwood Road, Wayville or to the Fleece Steward Vaughan Wilson phone 08 8391 0633.
NB Exhibitors of fleeces only do not have to be members of the RA&HS.
Alpaca Arrival 12 noon to 2.00 pm Thursday 5 September Inspection 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm Thursday 5 September
Departure 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm Monday 9 September
NB Interstate exhibitors may depart 24 hours earlier by negotiation with the Supervisor.
Judging Alpacas – 9.30 am Friday 6 September (Suris first)
Production Classes 9.00 am Saturday 7 September
Fleeces 10.00 am Saturday 7 September
Junior Handlers and Junior Judging Sunday 8 September
Thank you to all stewards and officials who have volunteered to help at the 2013 Royal Adelaide
Show.
Special thanks to all our 2013 Sponsors
Adaminca Alpacas Marquez Alpacas
Alpaca Sales and Information Centre Prados Alpacas
Alpacas Chaparral Samarjim Alpacas
Ambersun Alpacas Softfoot Alpacas
Australian Alpaca Association - SA Region Veleiris
Barachel Alpacas Waradene Alpacas
Collea Springs Yacka Ridge Alpacas
Creswick Woollen Mills Yaringa Alpacas
Jut Jura Alpacas
42 Read ‘n’ Breed WINTER EDITION
Position 1: MT Pleasant Show Convenor/s
Looking for enthusiastic, members who are looking for a rewarding challenge in con-
vening the Mount Pleasant show. If interested please contact either the Regional
This is a new section to the Read n Breed and I would like to encourage all of you who have a desire, and/or passion for craft to contribute. Please if you have any photo’s or craft ideas etc., using alpaca f leece that you would like to share, I would love to include them on the page..
Crafters Profile
These are a few teddies & a frog that I have made using alpaca fleece using the needle felting technique.
Calling for Expressions of Interest.
Are you interested in doing craft but not quite sure how to
go about it? Are you skilled at doing crafts and would like
to share with others that would like to learn? If so….then
we need you! Please contact Cynthia Hall at Somadale