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bobvicki
1874 Posts |
 Posted - 10/28/2009 : 12:46:46 AM
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Here is why I reacted the way I did to Kim's posting of:
quote:
I stopped feeding the grain most of the summer... saw no bad side effects,
it was not to cause drama, but to find out the reasoning behind her decision.
I am kind of sensitive to this because a couple that lives not to far from me about 3 years ago bought 5 fiber males from a very large pretty well known farm. I know they found the package on AN. They usually brought the males here for shearing when we had ours sheared and I would do any toenails and teeth that needed it for them. This past early Spring the wife came over here and said 4 of them had died and the 5th was acting strange would I come see. I went out to their place and found what I believed to be a very anemic and weak alpaca. My first thought was parasites and we called my vet as they did not have one and my vet said to bring him down to the clinic even thought it was after hours and they were not his clients. We put the alpaca in the back of his SUV and he took him. Vet felt the same thing but did take a blood sample and said to treat for worms and he also gave vitamins and antibiotics just in case. He also said to start feeding them some feed with vitamins and minerals in it to help get weight back on.
I questioned them about feeding and examined the small barn he had built. The hay was low quality in appearance and he did say he changed because he got a "good deal" on it. The hay was just thrown on the floor so they were sleeping and eating the same stuff. No pellets, and the small pasture was eaten down close to the dirt.
When I questioned him about what he was told when he bought them he said he was told just put them in a fenced in area and give them some hay and that they would be fine. I am not sure that this is all that was said but it was what he had come away with.
After three years in the small pasture they had eaten it down and had never been wormed. They were also eating hay they were pooping in during the winter. I showed them a few things to improve on, he bought a hay feeder and good pellets and worming supplies and we discussed how to do everything.
A month after treatment the white suri male was looking healthy, had gained weight and his fleece was shining in the sunlight again.
I do check in on them every once in a while now.
I also had an older couple who have llamas that frequently stop on the road to watch my suri's come up to the house and ask for help. They had a female llama laying down and acting unusual. I found pretty much the same thing, same small pasture eaten down, most growth near poop areas and an anemic female. They also had never wormed and did not have a vet. Because they had described things we stopped on the way and got worming supplies, drugs, needles and stuff. We wormed, added in some pellets and recommended to them to get some hay since the small pasture was nubs. They did have some grassy very area's outside of the pens and I suggested they halter the llamas and take them over there to graze. A few days later they called to say the llamas were all back to normal.
Sometimes very experienced people make short statements that are not really the "whole story" and inexperienced people read them and run into problems.
Bob
Bob & Vicki Blodgett
Suri Land Alpaca Ranch
3288 Halter Avenue
Newton, Iowa 50208
641-831-3576
alpaca@iowatelecom.net
www.alpacanation.com/suriland.asp |
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vintagealpacas
389 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2009 : 08:12:11 AM
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No, Bob, you are right. I should not make such short statements without explanation because the last thing I want is for people to assume they have the same conditions on their farm as I have on mine! I am a highly unusual case of land that was under cover of a glass greenhouse for 100 years - then opened up into the sunlight and seeded with a beautiful pasture mix on virgin soils. Most farms acquire old cattle pastures that are pre-contaminated. Feeding the alpacas properly seems to be the problem I see most often with non-thift situations.
Kim
Kimberly Rassi
Vintage Alpacas
alpacanation.asp/vintage |
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Anyone had a choking alpaca?
