Charge To All Northeast Llama Packers et al!

By Viv Fulton
Reprinted from The GALA Newsletter, February 2010

"Falling for Camelids" was the theme of the November 2009 GALA Conference. Held in Ithaca, New York, it was the annual conference fulfilling the Greater Appalachian Llama & Alpaca Association bylaw's directive to educate members of the public. Charlie Hackbarth of Mt. Sopris Llamas (now Sopris Unlimited) in La Vela, CO was the keynote speaker sharing his views on where the llama industry has been and where he felt it was heading. This being Charlie's first ever keynote address, we were all just as excited as he was to hear what he had to say. We were not disappointed. Sure, it wasn't the smoothest talk or the most organized we'd ever heard (in spite of his wife Sandy's best efforts), but you couldn't deny the intensity and sheer joy that Charlie has when talking about llamas, llama packing, and for that matter, the whole entire camelid industry. Charlie's focus was really a wake-up call to everyone, and not just llama packers in the Northeast. In essence, the Nike® commercials shout it too -- Just get out and do it!

The whole point of having llamas and alpacas is to enjoy them. It doesn't matter if you're going packing, or going to shows, or going for a picnic with the neighborhood brownie troop. We got them to be with them, to just sit in a chair with our coffee by the campfire listening to them peacefully chew their cud and watch the sun go down. So many people get their first two llamas and do all this, add multiple babies, and suddenly wake up to realize they better hurry up and turn this into a business, as it's costing them money, they haven't sold anything, and they have no time to enjoy them as they had when they got their first. Life takes its toll and the next thing you hear is that there's another bunch going through the local cattle auction, the rescue organizations are getting calls about the animals that owners didn't have time for, and those beautiful bedroom eyes are no longer soft and stress-free.

GALA is made up of not just llama owners, but alpaca owners as well. Charlie's even made scaled-to-size pack systems that are perfect for lunch hikes for these smaller llama cousins. His keynote address, and his and other’s workshop sessions, were purposely targeted to both critters. And so too is the message: we ALL must get out and DO something with our camelids. To not means we will lose wonderful opportunities to connect to something that can only benefit our mental and spiritual outlook on life. As we wind down the calendar year, take the winter months to rejuvenate, and prepare for the next packing season / spring renewal / decade, we should take Charlie's advice and include llamas and alpacas in our plans. Those plans (and subsequently "we") can only be better with their involvement. And this involvement, this connection and joy of ownership, is what Charlie was saying will keep the llama industry strong. It's not the big breeders catering to individuals that expands the industry. It's all of us talking to others in the grocery line, at a parade, at the barbershop or beauty salon, showing by example, our joy in living with those animals that will expand and grow the llama industry. We need to Just get out and do it!

The GALA conference this year was relatively small -- over 125 but less than the 200+ we've seen in other years. However, it WAS one of the smoothest run, more intimate, certainly friendlier, and generally more relaxing than many others I've attended and that's not just my opinion, but a whole lot of other folks' who were there. I was pleased to give a couple talks at this conference, as well, and had the opportunity to speak with many of the attendees. And I was pleasantly surprised to see not only long-time llama owners in the audience, but to see and speak with many who had never swerved from their stay-at-home "business plan" of breeding llamas to sell or from their show schedule, to now hear they were interested in trying llama packing or some other activity with their llamas. Could Charlie's message have really gotten to them? Only time will tell of course. Sadly here in the Northeast, the llama-packing season tends to go dormant as the snow, bitter cold, and adverse weather conditions tend to discourage participation. Will these folks remember their renewed sense of anticipation when the spring weather returns? I certainly hope so.

As the country continues to market real estate in the rural areas to those in the cities, there are fewer and fewer areas open to llama packing, or for that matter, open to hiking with any large animal. Unless the llama hiker has purchased enough property himself to set up interesting trails, or adjoins a like-minded neighbor, those who want to hike with their animals are forced to either travel long distances or to give up the idea entirely. Many llama owners who purchased the animals initially as hiking companions, changed their direction to the show circuit and substituted the performance classes for the natural world. Now, the economy, the subsequent drop in the number of llama shows and other events, and the realization that camelids are not really a get-rich-quick road to financial security, has made many people reassess their reason for having the critters in the first place. Will Charlie's message of Just get out and do it! find a resonance with these people? Will those that bought the animals as hiking companions want to resume that intent? Are they even capable? Some of us still have our first llamas, but they, like us, are getting older too. The last few GALA conferences have had questions about arthritis; the first conferences did not. Is hiking with llamas (and alpacas) still an adequate or viable reason to have them? Can the walk around a farmette's five acres (as the realtors call them) provide enough justifiable joy?

This short commentary is intended for both the GALA and PLTA (National Pack Llama Trial Association, Inc.) newsletters, so my audience automatically includes both the "choir members" and the 'congregation." To those of you who don't know about PLTA, let me tell you a little of how that organization can help you Just get out and do it! with your camelid friends. The PLTA started out as an organization whose primary intent was to set up and document participation in events called pack trials that were tests of a member's llama's packing abilities. Starting in the West, the organizers looked at the typical llama packers out there to see what attributes needed measuring. The trials utilized pre-determined elevation gain, distance, weight to be carried, and a series of obstacles that could be standardized, theoretically at least, across the country. This was all fine for a number of years; if you didn't have the elevation gain in your part of the country and still wanted to evaluate your llama, you traveled the extra distance to where there was a trial with the requirements.

But times have changed, and so, too, has the PLTA. The organization is no longer made up of just "serious" llama packers, but others who want to hike with their llamas. PLTA has recognized that its membership needs to be made up of everyone who hikes with a llama, whether or not they do it over a mountain range or on the flat area around a lake or along the seashore. The organization is national in scope; so too must their membership be, and subsequently, the services provided to that membership. We need to address the feasibility of running pack trials in areas with minimal or severe elevation gain, with no water obstacles available, or other conditions not typically found across the country, but that are "typical" of a given region. Some adjustments have been made in the regulations; others need individual study.

And what about those that just want to hike with their llamas without the testing regulations of the formal pack trials? Well, PLTA has addressed that with their new Mileage Club. This new service was spurred on by the Southern States Llama Association who, in turn, were interested in setting up a camelid hiking club similar to the American Volkssport Association® walking clubs. Basically the Mileage Club recognizes the mileage that a member hikes with their llama, irrespective of elevation gain, weight carried, or obstacles negotiated. Here's a justifiable excuse to Just get out and do it! It's a great opportunity for those handlers and llamas who may not be the most physically fit, whether due to age or health conditions, and for those on the other end of the spectrum -- the younger and beginners. PLTA provides pins, certificates, and recognizes the successful completion of Pack Trial accomplishments. They do so also for Mileage Club achievements. Go to the website www.packllama.org for more information. And Charlie's message? Let it be your new mantra for the new year. It's not just a charge to the GALA community in the Northeast. But bring back the enjoyment and just plain fun reason for having your llamas, regardless of where you live. And if hiking with them is at least some part of that, then all the better. As Charlie would say -- Just gel out and do it!

Interview with Nancy Kish, Agape Hill Farm, Hardwick, VT

By Karen Nicholson

Nancy, tell me about your farm – what animals do you have?

While our primary animals are llamas (we currently have 20), we also have 7 Angora rabbits, 3 Icelandic and 1 Dorset sheep, 2 Angora and 2 Pygora goats, 3 horses, 2 cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs—and 3 dogs and 2 cats (and one fish!).

A successful business has a niche, what sets your farm and herd apart from others in the industry?

We run an interactive farm. Our primary focus is not on breeding or showing or even fiber. Our farm motto is "An Adventure for Everyone." We want to be a place where people can come and try something new. Visitors to the area can schedule a farm tour or llama walk on our trails. Several young adults with autism come regularly for llama walking. School children visit for field trips and also for behavioral interventions. We have an afterschool llama club where children work with their "own" llama, learn fiber art and other farm activities. We also do off-site visits such as to a local nursing home and libraries.

What is your greatest achievement or favorite memory since you started raising camelids?

It would have to be seeing individuals relax and grow while working with the llamas. One of our weekly walkers has an issue with keeping his hands tightly closed. He has learned over the past year to feed his llama which entails holding his hand open flat—and he loves it! We have also seen a young girl in the llama club who cried the first time she walked a llama. She has grown in confidence to the point where she has begun training one of the yearlings to go on trail walks.

What advice would you give to those just getting started with camelids?

Find what you love to do with your animals, get good at it, then find a way to make that a business.

Where do you see your farm and camelid business going over the next 5 to 10 years?

We would like to add a workshop room and farm store in the barn. Other than that, we would just be expanding the trail walks and workshops.

What has been your biggest lesson learned?

Take one step at a time and don't try to learn everything all at once. It can be very overwhelming when you feel like you need to learn to care for animals, train, shear, card, spin etc. all at once.

How do you see the industry developing in today's economy?

Local and natural products and services are in high demand—especially in our area. We need to capitalize on that! Look for new applications for fiber art (i.e. someone recently asked me if I could make a laptop cover for them!). Offer a local, reasonably priced activity like a farm tour or workshop.

What do you like best about your llamas?

I love their intuition and ability to connect. They just seem to know what a person needs. I'm amazed at how differently a llama can act in different settings and with different people. A llama who never seems to stand still will be like a statue when someone who is tentative is petting them. The most dramatic example I have of this comes from a recent nursing home visit. There was a lady who was unable to communicate or reach out at all. I went over to speak to her and hold her tightly fisted hand. As I approached, Whoopie Pie (my llama) walked up and gently "kissed" her forehead (llama style). He is not a "kissy" llama and hasn't responded that way to anyone else. I lifted her hand so she could touch him and she smiled. When I went back to the nursing home 2 weeks later, I looked for the woman again and was told she had passed away shortly after my last visit. I was so thankful that we had spent the time with her and that Whoopie somehow "knew" what was needed.

This interview was conducted by Karen Nicholson of Stepping Stone Farm Alpacas in Stowe, Vermont. Her family has a small, integrated farm raising broiler chickens and laying hens for food and pasture fertilization; Indian Runner ducks for Meningeal worm control; 2 French Alpine dairy goats for milk and brush clearing; and a herd of 8 colorful alpacas for fiber and their offspring for sale. Karen writes for VLAA, NEAOBA and other livestock publications. If you have comments about this interview contact: Karen@stowealpacas.com.

Reducing Animal Stress: Thinking the Way Animals Do

By Judith M. Powell, Farming, August 2006

The end of the growing season means that the time has arrived to move livestock from pasture to marketing. Animals that have enjoyed the freedom of self-sufficient grazing over a long, pleasant season are inclined to not respond easily to producers who face the task of moving them. Since they haven't been bothered by people much, livestock are not hep on the idea of getting pushed along into a corral or truck. Wanting as little stress as possible and a safe delivery to market destination, producers approach handling calmly and gently, yet the moving and loading often turns out to be not so fun for either party.

Dr. Temple Grandin, Colorado State Associate professor of animal science, specializes in animal thinking and in visualizing the way that animals do. Grandin suggests that there are simple things producers should do that will make a tremendous difference in the handling experience. Her insight comes from spending decades watching animal behavior and in dissecting the situations that humans put animals though. Her focus study over 30 years provides valuable payoff to producers interested in minimizing animal and human stress. She has achieved a true specialty in understanding how loading beef, pigs, sheep, goats, and horses respond to situations humans create.

Grandin urges producers to look for signals that their animals see by "taking an animal's view of the world." Take your blinders off, she challenges, and start to think sensory - based, like you're an animal. Start by paying careful attention to the little details that seem unimportant to the handler, but are so important to the animals.

"Vision is a dominant trait of all grazing animals," Grandin explains, and an important key to self-protection. Handlers should be watchful and be aware.

She advises producers to be thoughtful about when to work animals. Pick a day that is overcast and avoid the shadows caused by a sunny day, she says, and look for sharp differences in contrasting light and shadows. "Scan your setups. Don't expect animals to move into chutes or buildings with blasts of sunlight pouring into their eyes from gaps in sidewalls. If you have separations where sunlight gets in, cover them and get rid of them. Don't expect animals to walk from shadows into a doorway filled with bright sun. Don't load at sunset or early morning, and don't ask animals to look directly into the sun. Rather, work in the middle of the day. Position chutes so that cattle are headed toward a neutral light at the end - a door opened with quiet natural light the animals will head toward," she says. Working at night is also a good idea, Grandin suggests. When the lights are on, animals are attracted to the building when they see light at an end point, and they'll move in toward the light.

Grandin suggests that chutes be designed so that there is never a dead end. "An animal must be able to see a place ahead to go toward, and the handler needs to move them quietly through. Watch their eyes and ears. Calm animals point their eyes and ears at something that concerns them. You want ears pointed forward and not back and down. Flat-backed ears signal scared or aggressive animals," she warns. In explaining what she terms "the startle response," Grandin is clear in saying not to threaten or challenge. “Keep a safe distance and don't try to dominate by staring directly into their gaze. Turn your head away and give them a break."

"Horses and cattle have poor depth perception," Grandin explains. Give the leaders time to put their head down to examine what's in their path, like a puddle. "A reflection on the ground looks like a shadow, and a shadow looks like a hole in the ground, so let them take the time to look, especially the leader," she says.

Because cattle, pigs and sheep are herd animals, isolation of a single individual should be avoided, she suggests. "Allow the livestock to follow the leader and do not rush them. If they bunch up, handlers should concentrate on moving the leaders instead of pushing from the rear. Use animals’ natural behavior to exert influence over the group," she explains.

Pay attention to what is around your chutes and buildings when you work the animals, and don't load them on gusty days. "Stuff blowing around is the worst distraction. Look around for things that move in the wind," she advises, like flags and flapping coats, and remove them. Don't move cattle near a highway where cars and trucks are going by, and keep the area quiet. "No dogs. And no bikes," she points out. "No bikes when you're loading. Did you ever wonder why your animals seem calm and trained at home, and then you take them to the fair and you can't do anything with them? Get them used to things they'll be faced with beforehand. Decorate the pasture with the stuff they'll see at the fair - balloons, loud music, people passing by, kids on bikes. Let them sniff and walk past this stuff when they're not confined and can flee, and have the kids ride by them on bikes," she says.

Grandin has designed livestock handling facilities across the nation and in Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. Her work appears in over 300 scientific journals and livestock periodicals. Her published research examines cattle temperament, environmental enrichment for pigs, reducing dark cutters and bruises in cattle, bull fertility, animal training procedures and effective stunning methods for cattle and pigs in meat plants. Her books include "Livestock Handling and Transport," "Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals," and "Animals in Translation," a New York Times best seller. Grandin describes how she processes information and learns visually as a person with autism, in her book "Thinking in Pictures." "When I put myself in a cow's place, I really have to be that cow and not a person in a cow costume," she writes. "A great deal of my success in working with animals comes from the simple fact that I see all kinds of connections between their behaviors and certain autistic behaviors. Being autistic has helped me to understand how they feel."

Excerpts from her research, as well as handling tips and chute and facility designs, are available at her web site, http://www.grandin.com/.

Marketing on a Budget

By Terri Miller, Snoeshoe Farm Alpacas

Fall is a busy time of year for those of us who are in the alpaca business. It seems there are more events than there are weekends. The Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival, The Big E, and National Alpaca Farm Days are over and the NE Coastal Classic, Empire Alpaca Extravaganza and Green Mountain Alpaca Fall Spectacular are following right behind. With high gas prices, as well as entry fees and costs for travel papers, many people are being selective about which events they attend and are not trying to do them all. For many breeders, shows are as much about marketing as they are about competition and education, and it can be difficult to make the decision to skip a show.

In this uncertain economy, many people are trying to find ways to continue to run their lives and their businesses on tighter budgets. In the alpaca business, it is not easy to cut back on costs for feed or veterinary care, so the marketing budget is often the first to feel the pinch. But there are ways to continue to market your farm and spend less money.

The first thing to consider is whether you can afford to spend time instead of money. Volunteering at shows or other events is a great way to meet fellow breeders and gain a reputation for being knowledgeable and reliable. Isn't that the kind of person you'd like to do business with? Hosting tours, educational workshops, or other events at your farm can be another way to get both prospective alpaca owners, and established breeders to your farm. If you are into the fiber side of things, offering workshops, knit or spin-ins, or fiber product sales can bring in new retail customers.

The internet offers us many low and no-cost ways to market and advertise. E-mail advertising can be much less expensive than print advertising. There are many online business directories, some alpaca-related and some not, that offer free listings for your business. Participating in alpaca or fiber-related online forums can be a great way to gain exposure. And one of the best and least expensive things you can do is have a website and/or blog for your business. If you can do the design work yourself or can find an affordable designer, you have 24/7 marketing for very little cost.

So don't think that tightening up your budget means no marketing. Be creative with your dollars and your time and make your farm and your alpacas stand out from the crowd.

An Interview with Tina Shoup, Moondance Farm, Westford

By Karen Nicholson

Tina, please give us a little background on your farm.

We have 8 llamas (5 females, 3 geldings), one Angora goat, 3 horses, 4 dogs and 4 cats. The majority of our animal family are rescues. We bought our first llama as a guard llama for our handful of sheep and goats in 1998, two more within a year and then five more three years later.

Can I ask you right off the million-dollar question? How do you see the industry developing in today's economy?

In order for the industry to develop, we probably need to find our "niche," whether that is breeding, fiber, trekking, showing, agri-business, etc. Perhaps a lot of us don't know how to go about doing this. My sense is that, 13 years ago in the llama industry, there were a number of breeders in Vermont who regularly exhibited at shows, had periodic get-togethers with their llamas for obstacle courses or treks and who had generated an excitement for the growing industry. Over the years, this enthusiasm and involvement seems to have declined and I'm not savvy enough to know why that is. It may be as simple as some of the original breeders/industry leaders in Vermont moved on with no new folks joining the ranks to take their place.

I would have to agree with two points you made: that the industry as a whole and each individual farm needs to find their niche; and second, that when founders move on it is up to the next generation to be innovative and breathe new enthusiasm into an industry or business.

Perhaps learning more about your farm will help others contemplate their niche. How did you become interested in camelids?

Years ago, I was looking for something unusual to do for my husband's birthday and came across a farm that was offering llama treks. We hiked with our llamas through the woods and stopped by a quiet beaver pond. Our hostess then spread out an incredible gourmet lunch for us. The whole afternoon was so peaceful, serene and connected in the way that only our animal friends connect us to this earth and to each other. The whole time, I couldn't stop thinking, "I could do this....I could do the trekking and I could make the meals. I just need the llamas."

You've got the llamas now but share with us your background ...

My animal background… I've always had animals. In fact, the more room I've gotten over the years, the more animals I get. Now that we have a 170 acre farm, my husband would tell you that if he didn't stop me, I would take in everything furry that needs a home. In my professional life... I have a background as a registered nurse. My nursing skills have also proven useful with our critters.

So you have had a lot of experience with farm animals, what steps did you specifically take to prepare for getting camelids?

We joined GALA and VLAA about a year or so before we bought our first llama so we tried to educate ourselves about llamas and llama care through these organizations. We also went to a couple of shows where llamas were exhibited and we asked a myriad of questions from those who bred and raised llamas.

It's now 13 years later, what advice would you give to those just getting started?

Part of that would depend on their reasons for getting into the industry. If they are looking for pets, companions or guard llamas, I would advise them to do as we did by educating themselves first, then visit farms and talk to others who have llamas. You need to educate yourself first so that you can know enough to ask the appropriate questions of those who have the experience in this industry. If they are looking to breed llamas, I would probably advise them to talk to an experienced breeder who runs their farm as a business.

After 13 years, what would you say sets your farm and herd apart from others, what is your niche?

Right now, I don't think anything in particular distinguishes our farm from any other where the llamas are loved and give a sense of purpose to those who share their lives. This will change if we are able to realize my dream of running a small B&B and offering llama trekking on our farm.

I'd have to disagree. Something really important distinguishes your farm from others. All these years that you have had the llamas, learned about them and learned from them have prepared you to launch into a business related to them should you decide to do that. You won't have both learning curves at the same time — the llamas and the business! You'd be selling what you know and love.

With that said, where do you see your farm going over the next 5 to 10 years?

I would love to be able to breed a few of our girls and add some new babies to our herd. Unfortunately, two years ago we lost the only two babies we have had. That whole experience has been so painful for us that, so far, we have been unable to muster the courage to breed our girls again. So, I would hope that at some point we are able to try this once again. Also, I would still like to realize my dream from years ago to run a B&B and do llama treks on our property. I just have not yet figured out how to make this happen as long as we are both working full-time off the farm.

Again, you have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience with the llamas over the past 13 years, what has been your biggest lesson learned?

It is impossible to come up with one big lesson learned over the past 13 years, as there are many. However, the biggest lesson we learned this past winter concerns "negative energy balance.” I had never even heard of this condition before our favorite llama (please don't tell our other llamas that we have a favorite!) became ill and we came far too close to losing her. (Perhaps this topic should be an article for a future VLAA newsletter.) It is when a llama (or alpaca) can come into a state of negative energy balance when they become stressed by social, environmental or disease processes. As I understand it, the stress causes them to become anorexic (eating very little) and thus drop weight. If the negative energy balance is not recognized and aggressively treated in the early stages, the outcome may be fatal.

Many of us rely heavily on our veterinarian or other camelid owners for information and advice, what was the best advice you have received?

Again, I do not think I can narrow this down to THE most helpful advice over the 13 years we've had llamas. The advice we received this winter from both our vet and from Lindsay and Geoff Chandler concerning negative energy balance is what comes to mind right now, as it is the most recent issue we've had. We have to be very aware of our llamas’ body condition underneath all that wool - especially going into the winter months. In addition, we have to spend time observing our llamas - including the subtleties of their normal behavior. Because llamas are so very stoic and do not generally exhibit overt signs of illness until their situation is dire, we must know what their normal behavior is. If we think their behavior is abnormal for them, if we think they are not eating normally, if we think they are not as active as they normally would be or if they are not chewing their cud like they should, we must listen to our gut and act before things become critical. I've found that my gut is nearly always right when it comes to our animals.

We've all heard it over and over - take time to observe your camelids and listen to your gut instinct too so that you'll catch illness early on. Thanks for the reminder!

One last question, people take an interest in and buy camelids for many reasons and with many intentions. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

That folks would take care of the llamas they have and less rescue would be needed. I'm not talking about those who have devastating circumstances befall them and they must responsibly sell their herd. Rather, I mean those who either through ignorance or impulse acquire llamas without the commitment to care for these animals for life. As our vet says "we are their stewards while they are on this earth." I really take that to heart.

Tina, I do hope you are able to pursue your B & B/Llama Trek dream someday as I think that your passion for these creatures is infectious and to share that with your guests would be invaluable. Good luck and thank you for the interview!

This interview was conducted by Karen Nicholson of Stepping Stone Farm Alpacas in Stowe, Vermont. Her family has a herd of 9 colorful alpacas for fiber and sale of offspring. Karen writes for VLAA, NEAOBA and other livestock publications. If you have comments about this interview contact: stowealpacas@gmail.com