Alpacas in the News for June 26, 2009 [7:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Camelids, Endophyte Toxicosis, and Ryegrass Staggers

Linda L. Blythe
A.Morrie Craig
Christopher Cebra
Charles Estill

A number of cases of suspected ryegrass staggers have been reported in
the Pacific Northwest.  In addition, there are reports on the internet
of llamas developing ryegrass staggers at a show when they were housed
on turf variety grass set up in paddock.  On the same source of
information, it was stated that llamas are three times more sensitive to
lolitrem B than are cattle or sheep. To date, no studies had been
conducted on the threshold levels of lolitrem B in llamas or alpacas.
With the current analytical ability to measure lolitrem levels in
pasture grass, straw, seed, and pellets at the Endophyte Laboratory at
Oregon State University, these threshold levels can now be ascertained.
The toxic threshold level for cattle is 1800 to 2000 ppb.  An experiment
was conducted using alpacas to determine the threshold of toxicity in
this species.

Nine alpacas were divided into groups of three and feed three different
doses of lolitrem B in pelleted endophyte positive perennial ryegrass
straw (Lolium perenne L).   In adjacent pens, two 9 month old heifers
were fed the same three diets to serve as controls.  The dosages of
lolitrem B averaged 900ppb, 1270ppb, and 2700ppb.  The quantities of
feed consumed and the food left over (orts) were measured.  Calves in
this experiment developed clinical signs of ryegrass staggers at the
2700ppb dose but not the other two doses.  Alpacas consumed feed with
the two lower doses, but refused the feed containing the 2700 ppb.  No
alpacas developed any clinical signs of ryegrass staggers in this study.
These results would at least indicate that alpaca are not three times
more susceptible than cattle.

June 16, 2009

AOBA Veterinaria Forum on the AOBA website.

AOBA Veterinarian Forum.doc

David Barboza, Secretary

Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association

AOBA has formed the Emergent Health Issues Task Force and instituted a web based Veterinarian Forum.  AOBA’s Vet’s Forum is now operational and is available to any licensed Veterinarian without cost.  The emergent health issues task force is composed of Veterinarians who are developing a comprehensive health issues system within AOBA to react when National health issues occur.   The initial major objectives of the group are as follows:

• This task force will recommend a structure for a panel of Veterinarians who will review major health issues as they emerge and make recommendations to AOBA for communication to the membership on the possible impact to the national herd and what, if any, course of action should be taken.
• Institute a peer review process composed of Veterinarians who will review articles and information on health/husbandry issues before they are posted on the AOBA website.  This process will help to assure AOBA members that the information being posted on the website is current and accurate.
• Create a Veterinarian forum on the AOBA website where information can be shared and discussed among Veterinarians committed to the industry as well as archived for future reference.

If you haven’t already please encourage your vet to sign up and participate in AOBA’s Vet Forum located on the web at www.alpacaowners.com.  Contact AOBA Executive Director Bill Edmunds at bill@aobamail.com for more information or if your vet would like to participate in either the Emergent Health Issues Task Force and/or the peer review panel.

Alpacas in Mainstream Media

June 22, 2009

UA students turn hobby into career
Akron Beacon Journal - Akron,OH,USA
Last year, Medina native Katie Simmons had one of the more exotic internships: the Misti International alpaca farm in Arequipa in southeastern Peru. …
See all stories on this topic

..Henry is among 11 students who are studying knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, needlepoint and embroidery at UA with an eye to jobs in those industries.

Students from [University of Akron]  UA and other universities spend three weeks on the Akron campus learning the needle arts. Then they intern for specialty yarn makers, shops, crafters and pattern makers for eight weeks in London, Montreal, rural Virginia and many points in between.

…Then they send the students out to internships, where they may be paid or may get free housing in exchange for their work.

Last year, Medina native Katie Simmons had one of the more exotic internships: the Misti International alpaca farm in Arequipa in southeastern Peru.

The trip refocused the interests of the UA graduate student from metalsmithing to alpacas. She’s doing her thesis in clothing, textiles and interiors on the Ohio alpaca industry, the largest in the United States, and plans to open a mill to process and clean alpaca fiber and spin it into yarn.

The internship ”completely changed the direction of my schooling,” she said.

Fungus sends alpacas blind
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200906/s2608228.htm

Thursday, 25/06/2009

Toxins from an unidentified fungus are causing blindness in alpacas on a farm in Western Victoria.

Marnoo alpaca farmer, Tracy Krupa, says four of her alpacas have gone blind after ingesting the toxin, with three of them having to be euthanised.

She says an investigation by the Department of Primary Industries wasn’t able to find the source of the fungus.

“We had plants taken away and the DPI came up and had a look at the plants around the yards in the paddock,” she says.

“There are gum trees in the yard; [we're unsure] whether or not a fungus grows around the base of the gum trees - we just can’t identify it.”

Things that Make You Go “Hmmmm?”

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