THE highest-selling alpaca at the British Alpaca Futurity 2008 elite auction held at Newbury Racecourse on February 16-17 changed hands for 15,000 guineas. He was Wellground Killawasi's Keepsake, a solid white, 22-month-old unproven stud male, sired by Accoyo Killawasi. He was supreme champion at the South of England Show in 2007.
UNTIL only a few years ago, most people in the UK were not aware of alpacas or llamas although they may have seen them in the zoo. Now, with a UK alpaca herd of well over 15,000 and a strong presence at agricultural shows from Devon to Edinburgh, these animals are much better known.
FIRSTLY, it is good to remember that the vast majority of alpaca births occur easily and normally. However, things can go wrong and it is helpful to have an idea of these problems so that you know if you should be able to deal with them or whether you need to call the vet.
FEMALE alpacas should not be used for breeding until they are 16-18 months old or have attained a bodyweight of at least 40 kg. Gestation takes 335-355 days, which gives quite a wide window for the expected birth date.
THE alpaca's main food is grass but in order to keep your herd healthy you will need to supplement this, particularly for your pregnant and lactating females.
CAMELIDS, which include alpacas and llamas, are known as induced ovulators. This means that they do not come into season and ovulate at a regular point in their breeding cycle, regardless of whether or not they have mated. They only actually ovulate as a response to mating.
WHEN Mike Coghlan retired, he found he had time on his hands. As he was cutting the grass on a six-acre paddock, he remembered a small photo he has seen in a magazine.
