Analysis of the 2005-2006 Llama Survey and Census

         Thank you all very much for your participation in this survey. A total of 27 people responded, a near 50% participation rate which is actually quite good for this sort of survey.

         The participants were well spread around the country, from Northland the Southland. A total of 325 llamas were covered.

It should be noted that with “only” 325 animals the statistical variability of many of the numbers is quite high. When dealing with small populations like this luck can play a very large role in the results. For example if there are two reported birth dystocias next year we cannot say that the rate has doubled from the one reported this year. With small reporting sizes such statistical noise in the results is inevitable.

Part 1-- General Farm information:

Of the 325 llamas reported there were 54 males, 156 females and 76 geldings. This year 28 male and 11 female cria were born and survived. The largest farm had 50 llamas, while the smallest had only 1 (in one case the animal was agisted with other llamas, in the other case the llama lived with alpaca). About two thirds of the farms cross grazed their llamas with other animals. About 25% of the llamas lived with alpacas, while the others shared the paddocks with a wide variety of stock including horses, sheep, donkeys, cattle, pigs and chickens.

The experience of the llama owners varied from 16 years to less than a year, with a mean of 4.9 years.

Part 2-- Health and Maintenance:

Health Problems: On the whole there were few health problems.
1 eye infection (unknown cause)- Treated with aptrex and cold tea, it cleared it in a week.
1 foot/toe infection- Washed with iodine and zinc, no result
3 cases of Rye Grass Stagger- One llama fed yeast, others on hay nuts only, all cases cleared
2 cases of FE- The animals were isolated off paddock, both recovered several cases of internal parasites- Cleared with drench
6 cases of ringworm- Treated variously with koppertox, fungal cream, bactroban, and iodine spray, all cleared.
1 case of  mange- Cleared after ivomec treatment
4 cases of Tooth Root Abscess- 2 had surgical treatment, 1 had the abscess washed and cleaned, 1 received no treatment. 3 cases cleared, one or the surgical treatments still ongoing.
2 herds had lice problems- Both cleared after shearing and spraying animals.
3 animals in one herd had ticks on their ears- Treated with permoxin and cleared in 7 weeks.
2 animals died after getting caught in a fence (strangulation).
1 case of hypothermia- Treatment with antibiotics and warming brought a full recovery.

Feed:
Grass Always provided by  everyone
Meadow hay 35% Always, 42% Sometimes (often in winter)
Lucerne hay 15% Always, 50% Sometimes (often in winter)
Lucerne chaff 8% Always, 31% Sometimes, 8% Rarely
Lactating chaff 4% Always, 8% Sometimes, 4% Rarely
Nuts 19% Always, 46% Sometimes, 18% Never
Salts 65% Always, 8% Sometimes, 8% Rarely
Other 38% Sometimes to Rarely provided carrots, apples, parsnips, bailage, season fruit, garlic, cool/sweet feed, or grain.

Some of these were provided as winter energy supplements (grain), some were seasonal based on fruit availability.

Preventative Maintenance:

These procedures tended to be either all DIY or all Vet, with the exception of AD&E injections which were most often done by a vet. This may be because some owners do not have a supply of AD&E on hand, as it can be uneconomical to buy a whole bottle for a small herd.

The percentages do not add up to 100% because not all people answered all questions.

Drench  19 % 1 per year, 42% 2 per year, 4% 2-4 per year, 8% as required based on FEC
Vaccinate 29% 1 per year, 62% 2 per year
AD&E Most owners supplement with AD&E, most do so twice per year
FEC 3 people (11%) did fecal egg counts, only one was 1 DIY
Delousing 30% did this,  most either 2 per year or as required
Toenails Almost everyone trimmed from 1 to 6 time year. Most were twice year or as required
Weight Only one person regularly weighed their llamas, though one weighed cria regularly
Body Score   60% “regularly” scored their llamas.
Shearing Most sheared their animals once a  year, some animals every other year. 25% used contractors, rest DIY
Selenium 38%  supplemented from 2 per year to weekly. Some farms put selenium directly onto the paddock periodically.
Copper   15% supplemented
50% of all farms Tb test their herd.
46% use pasture rotation with some combination of sheep, cattle, donkeys, alpaca to try and control parasites.

There was little interest in plasma infusions or Ig testing. Only one person had used plasma to save an at-risk cria.

Reproduction and Birthing:

4 cases of not sitting- 3 did not become pregnant, 1 eventually pregnant as they “kept trying.”

Conception- One person reported reduced conception rates due to feeding red clover, another used homeopathy to get success. One who “kept trying” had no success.

1 absorption of fetus

1 dystocia due to cria too large- Cria died

only one stillborn full term (plus 3 historic reports going back 17 years from one breeder)

2 stillborn premature

3 problems with no/inadequate milk. one was healthy, one was a cull

1 rejected cria- bottle fed, cria survived

1 case of deformity- animal had no anus, surgery to create anus.    Animal fine.

1 4-week premature- cria lived

3 2-week premature- all survived

1 umbilical infection- cria died

Part 4, Deaths

A total of 13 llama deaths were reported in this period. Two reports were historic involving animals that had died years before.
8 year old female, initial signs were staggering and disorientation. Vet intervened, but treatment ineffective. Post Mortem  uninformative
7year old female, had difficulty breathing, pneumonia
14 year old female, trapped in river, hypothermia
14 year old female, fell, had been frail since arrival. No Post Mortem old male, natural causes
6 year old male, no symptoms, Post Mortem revealed an impacted intestine.
3 month old female, found dead, no Post Mortem
5 year old male, found lying down, vet came, animal had a twisted stomach, no Post Mortem
4 year old female, trouble breathing,  vet came, ephysiama diagnosed by Post Mortem.
3 year old female, animal was lackluster, vet came, parasite infection determined by Post Mortem.
11 year old female, animal was bloated, vet called, Post Mortem uninformative
3 day old female, no milk from mum. no vet, Post Mortem done.
2 day old male, umbilical too short, animal bleeding, called vet, cria died from blood loss, Post Mortem done.

Most people were happy with the knowledge and expertise of the vets in their area. Three people in the Canterbury region were not happy with the standard of knowledge displayed by their vet, and one person in the Gisborne region had a similar complaint. General standard of knowledge need improvement in their opinion. One person commented that while their local vet was very good, all the serious cases involved getting critical advice from people in the USA.

Association Survey

Also included with the health census was a survey about what activities people like to do with their llamas, and what they would like to see the association doing. The 26 people who replied had a very wide range of opinions! Nearly every possibility would be rated by one person as 1 (most important) and by another as 10 (least important).

By taking the averages of the responses some trends are apparent.

A  low score represents a higher level of importance to the responder.

Llama Ownership

“Which aspects of Llama ownership interest you?”

Most highly rated were:
Training 3.55 (lowest score 9)
Companion Llamas 3.9  (lowest score 9)
Contact with other Llama enthusiasts 4.43
Herd Management 4.62
Breeding 4.8

Lowest were:
Marketing 7.31  (highest score 3)
Driving 8.58 (highest score 6)

NZLA Activities

“Which activities would you like to see promoted by the NZLA?”

Most highly rated were:
Llama & owners get together fun days 3.78 (lowest 10)
Health/vet days 3.95 (lowest 9)
Library Resources, Books, Videos 4.08 (Lowest 10)
General Education (Public Awareness) 4.15 (lowest 10)
Handling Clinics 4.95 (lowest 10)

Lowest were:
Pack Trials 8.29 (highest 4)
Trekking Clinics 7.36 (highest 2)
Conformation Shows 7.36 (highest 2)
Other suggestions as reported on the forms:
more activities in the SI, most advertised stuff on the NI
Nelson writers commented how location limits their participation
More llama stuff at A&P shows
Association to help when dealing with councils, like with Tb testing.
Are you planning to attend a NZLA event this year?
15 of 26 said yes.
5 of 26 said no
4 of 26 said “depends” on location and timing (such a school holidays)

Thank you to Stephen Mulholland for compiling and analysing the 05/06 NZLA surveys.

NZRegistry statistics

         As at 1st October, 2006 the NZRegistry holds the information of 1225 llamas. Of that 858 are Registered, this means the information has been given to us by an owner or the breeder, and of that 38 are now deceased. There are 49 Foundation llamas, this means they are imports, mostly deceased & of unknown parentage. The remaining 318 are Listed, this means all or some details are listed such as a number or name only, and has come 'second-hand.' There are another 300 mainly historical animals that I intend to list eg Zoo stock and PGG. There are 165 Owner Codes allocated, although some of these do not now have llamas.

All lamas are assigned a unique number. If the birthdate is known, the last 2 digits of the year are the first 2 digits of a five digit number. For example, NZR00012 means born yr 2000. There are 325 with unknown birthdates which have a 3 digit number. The year with most recorded llama births is 2004, at 105, followed by 2005, at 87. In 2006 so far is 43, with approaching Spring the busy birthing time.

The most animals registered with the same Breeder Prefix is 270 for Bencarri with Thickthorne 88 and Clar Innis 86. Most prolific studs so far: Homestead Andy 39 offspring, Chilean Mr Chile 37. As these are both deceased, Ardcree Parade 35 & Bencarri Moccachino 33 are in the position to supercede them!

If you know of any unregistered llamas, please let their owners know that the NZRegistry is still free to join, and open to all llamas in New Zealand. Contact info@llamas.org.nz    JI

A review of the Paddock Vac

By Anne Thompson

The recent purchase of a Greystone Paddock Vac has been a real bonus for me in terms of time, and effort, when dealing with the not so attractive by-product of the llama. Having grazed over 20 animals on my block during the winter months it was proving to be a backbreaking job to keep up with, even with my long handled ‘Pooper scooper’! The Paddock Vac was purchased after such a backbreaking session, and arrived within days. Easily assembled, complete with a 10L petrol container, and an idiots guide to assembly and getting the mix right, how could I go wrong?

So, how does the Paddock Vac measure up to the job? The machine is light enough that one person can pull it around the paddock, although it has been designed to be pulled behind a farm bike or ride on mower. With a capacity equal to four wheelbarrows, and an average fill time of an hour, this machine has drastically cut down the time needed on paddock maintenance. It swallows up llama beans with ease, as well as small patches of left over hay, pinecones, and small twigs. I am told that it can also be used for cleaning out the sludge in water troughs, and is best cleaned by passing a bucket of water through the vacuum hose. Emptying the machine is a doddle, as the catcher tips up to drop its booty in the designated area. I have found the best accessory for this machine to be a rake – helpful for loosening old dung piles, and in reaching the last few beans that refuse to leave the catcher.

On the downside, at the time of purchasing my Paddock Vac, it was not available with a jockey wheel. I found the machine great for taking around the paddock by hand, but was concerned about the long-term impact on the drawbar of being constantly raised and lowered onto the ground, especially with a full load on board. The weight of a full load was also heavy to pull by hand, but it wasn’t always convenient to get out the mower to tow it back. However a word with Brian Cooper, the distributor, soon sorted that one out, and a jockey wheel was made available. I strongly recommend that purchasers consider adding this as an optional extra when purchasing one of the larger two machines available from Greystone.

The Paddock Vac has revolutionized my cleaning regime. No longer do I have to look for excuses to not go out today – looks like rain, my back hurts, the oven needs cleaning, you know how it goes. Instead I look at the clock, think ‘I’ve got a free hour’, and off I go. Without doubt picking up llama beans rates up there (along with clipping toenails and doing the accounts) in the top three jobs to put off. In fact it is one of the most important jobs to be done around the farm. It is imperative that good housekeeping is maintained when caring for llamas, as they are vulnerable to a range of parasites, many of which are spread through feces, and a regular commitment to clearing llama dung is paramount to the health of your herd. Internal parasites, mostly of the worm variety, inhabit the stomach or/and intestine of the llama. These may be relatively harmless in the early stages, but persistent re-infestation may lead to serious illness or death, depending upon

the parasite. Common parasites, such as the stomach worm and the thread necked strongyle, are passed in the dung in egg form, and pupate into larvae in the soil, to be re-ingested through grazing of infected areas. With the absence of any really cold weather this year vets are reporting an increased wormload in livestock, and it is vital that you include regular worming in your vaccination
cycle, as well as keeping paddocks clear of dung.

Your health care programme should include:

· Maintaining a clean area for feeding out: feed should be placed in bins, mangers, or any other means that prevents direct contact with the ground.

· Drinking water should be fresh, cleaning of water troughs should occur regularly, and more frequently during summer months when algae growth can be prolific.

· Paddock rotation will allow time for some (but not all) parasite life-cycles to die out.

· A regular vaccination programme; this should be devised with your vet to take into account regional variations in parasitic strains.

· Quarantining of new animals until they have been vaccinated and/or vet checked.

· Regular clearing of dung piles from the paddock.

If you have concerns about the health of your herd, or a particular animal, a fecal egg count may be appropriate. You may also wish to build this into your health programme. Your vet can assist with this.

Now ladies, a little tale just for your eyes. One of my very good friends had an absolute brainwave, and borrowed said machine for a weekend. Hubby could not resist having a go, and spent over 6 happy hours demonstrating how good he was at handling this awesome piece of machinery. 6 hours = 6 x 4 wheelbarrow loads = 24 wheelbarrows of dung that she did not have to collect. Get the picture. If you are looking for Xmas pressie ideas this is up there with the deep fat fryer and iron that he has brought you in past years.

If you are considering buying a Paddock Vac why not contact one of the members listed below, who would be more then happy to demonstrate their machine.

South Island: Anne Thompson, Fred and Emma Schwithal or Jane Buxton

North Island: Judy Chan