Alpacas Vic West will meet at the Coonadoo Alpaca Stud on Sunday – 7 Feb 2010.  Apart from some general business which will be squeezed in somewhere, the meeting will have several speakers who will, we know, be of great interest to all alpaca breeders:

Belinda Appleton will discuss Suri fleece research being undertaken at the University of Melbourne:

This original project focused on searching for the gene(s) responsible for the suri fleece trait. Researchers have been successful in locating the region of the genome that contains the gene and now are continuing to narrow down to find the exact gene responsible.
They have further interests in fibre and have begun to investigate possibilities for extending that work.
They have also begun work to investigate genes responsible for undesirable traits such as those responsible for choanal atresia, ear defects, wry face, polydactyly etc. and are accumulating a large collection of samples and a PhD student has begun work in this area.

Bruce McGregor from Deakin University will discuss work in the area of fleece blow-out.

Bill Jacobs and Trudy Kuzmich from K&K Stock Feeds will introduce their new line in alpaca  blend.

Kerry Dwyer, member of the AAA Board, will bring us up to date with Board happenings and requirements and plans within the area of animal emergency diease response.

A BBQ lunch will be available at the meeting

The Queensland and SQNNSW regions of the Australian Alpaca Association have joined forces to host “Focus on the Future”, an educational conference.  This will  be held on Saturday & Sunday, 27/28 February 2010, at Riverglenn Conference Centre, at Indooroopilly, in Brisbane.  The purpose of the conference is to provide alpaca breeders with information on the latest in alpaca nutrition, reproduction, soil and pasture development, biosecurity, and other topics from nationally recognised speakers.  It will also provide those attending the opportunity to network with other breeders in more time-friendly surroundings other than a judging event or one-day educational workshop.

A conference dinner is to be held on the Saturday evening, allowing conference attendees to relax and engage with our speakers on an informal basis. 

On-site accommodation is available in single rooms, or there are a number of motel/all-suite accommodation venues nearby at Toowong & Milton.

Download the conference registration form here. 

 This is a good opportunity for alpaca breeders to benefit by taking take a late summer break in the Sunshine State which can be associated with their alpaca business interests.  We look forward to seeing you in late February!

A joint VicWest and South West Institute of TAFE working party has been established to assist in developing alpaca educational and training programs for alpaca breeders and others involved in agricultural pastural and related industries in Western Victoria. The need for the working party came out of discussions at the VicWest regional meeting held at the historic Eeyeuk alpaca stud, located near Terang in Western Victoria.

The working party will look at the need for, and appropriate programs for, issues such as owner classing for alpaca fibre / fleece, novice shearing for owners, speciality alpaca shearing training for interested existing shearers.

Rob Graham, SW TAFE team leader in agriculture, indicated that the Institute had a substanial number of shearers in training and interest had been expressed in adding skills in alpaca shearing – an area of skill development which alpaca breeder members of the region wholeheartedly supported.

The group will also look at relevant components of the speciality fibre programs planned by the institute and being developed by Stuart McPherson, and will review the wide range of programs already part of the “Rural Production Training Package” which incorporates over 100 “units of competency” directed towards a range of sectors including bee-keeping, deer production, emergency animal disease response, nutrient management, mushrooms, olives. and alpacas.

Breeder members of the working party include Sandy Dennis (Eeyeuk), Chris Bayley (Coonardoo), Robbie Cuthill (Blackgate Lodge) and Lauris Jephcott (Marengo).

For further information please contact either Rob Graham at SW TAFE or Chris Bayley, Secretary of the VicWest region of the Australian Alpaca Association.

The next regional meeting for the Victorian Western Region of the Australian Alpaca Association will be held on Sunday 29 November at Eeyeuk Alpaca Stud, 1344 Terang Darlington Rd., Terang.  The “meeting business” will particularly focus on prospective linkages with the South West TAFE College – through their agriculture focussed programs (including matters such as fleece classing), prospects for a major regional show at the Glenormiston facilities and possibilities for links with the fashion programs for use of alpaca yarns.

There will, of course, be a (short) report on the recent AAA Council meeting. Among the important outcomes from that meeting are implications for the Alpaca “Emergency Animal Disease Response” and the soon-to-arrive NLIS.  Alpacas, while no major disease outbreaks have occurred, are not imune from disease and the involvement of the alpaca industry in Australia’s emergency response approach could have major implications for breeders .

All Victorian owners of alpacas – whether breed animals included on the IAR, other breed register or unregistered – must now have a PIC – a Property Identification Code.  All movements of alpacas will shortly require recording in the Alpaca NLIS. What are the implications of the introduction of this system.  What will we have to do when we sell an animal (into a breed herd, as a herd guard, as a pet or for meat).

We’ll also have a discussion on what we can/should do in our region to make National Alpaca Week 2010 (early May 2010) a more effective promotional event.

This meeting will be the final meeting for the year – a BBQ (not alpaca) lunch to celebrate the coming festive season.  Members are invited to bring a guest – who have you sold alpaca to over the past year ?……  bring them along, get them more involved with our industry.  As the region will provide the  and salads, we’d appreciate advice of numbers of attendees.

Genes hold colour markers

Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Curtin University of Technology

Alpacas with white coats produce the most valuable fibre – but it’s difficult to breed them reliably without knowing what genetic marker causes darker pigments. 

Long prized for its fine quality and wide variety of naturally occurring colours and patterns, the genetic mystery behind alpaca fibre is the subject of new Curtin University of Technology research.

Dr Kylie Munyard from the University’s School of Biomedical Sciences is working with her PhD student Ms Natasha Feeley on the project to uncover the genetic causes of colour and pattern variation in alpacas.

“Alpacas come in more than 20 different colours and patterns and so far nothing is known for certain about the molecular mechanisms underlying the causes of these variations,” Dr Munyard said. “In fact, little is also known about how these colours and patterns are inherited and passed on in the alpacas.”

The research hopes to be able to shed light on the genetic mechanisms underlying the inheritance patterns of fibre colour in alpacas.

Currently at a halfway stage, the research has already revealed a potential marker for the absence of dark pigment in alpacas which could have positive benefits for the alpaca industry. “We are still in the process of validating these results but if successful this marker could be used in breeding selection as it appears to predict animals incapable of producing the darker pigment type,” Dr Munyard said.

“At the moment white fibre alpacas are the most valuable, and my discovery would be beneficial for breeders aiming to produce white fibre animals for fibre production. “Alpaca breeding is still a small industry so if we can provide useful information about how to effectively select for colour in the breeding stock there is great potential for the industry to expand.”

This research is funded through a Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation grant. Ms Feeley recently presented the current results at the 18th Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics conference.

Item distributed by Science Alert, 28 October 2009
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20092810-20099.html

The schedule for the Warrnambool Alpaca Show has now been released.  The show, part of the Warrnambool Show, will be held at the Warrnambool Showgrounds on Sunday 1 November 2009.  The show includes both animal and fleece classes.

The schedule can be downloaded from http://www.alpacasvicwest.com/shows/Schedule_Warrnambool _09v3.pdf

Entries close Friday 9 October.

The Victoria Western Region of the Australian Alpaca Association held its Regional Annual Meeting recently at Blackgate Lodge.

Along with the normal formal business of AGM’s, the meeting head a presentation by Peter Bailey on biosecurity, reviewed the AAA’s Farm Biosecurity plan (and those present received copies of the relevant documentation), and heard from Robert Gane about the measurement processes used by Canchones Alpaca Stud to manage – and improve – their herd. 

Further information about these presentations will be available from the region’s website in due course.

Insofar as the “AGM” was concerned, there being no prior nominations for positions on executive or committee, the meeting re-elected the outgoing committee.  Subsequently that committee has met and appointed members to the following roles.

President:  Russell Dawe
Vice President:  Andrew McCosh
Secretary:  Chris Bayley
Treasurer: Tracy Krupa
Committee:  Susan Denis, Reg Smythe, Paul Fulton & Alan Waterson.

Details of the discussion of the various issues also considered at the meeting will be posted here shortly.

Prize-winning  entries in the 2009 Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria and Victorian  Western Region of the Australian Alpaca Association alpaca competition were on display at the VWR Alpaca Show at Hamilton Sheepvention.

The items attracted a great deal of attention – and many requests to purchase them from the masses of visitors to the alpaca show.

The Victorian Western Region’s next meeting will include a focus on the very important issue of alpaca farm biosecurity.

Presentations will address the AAA’s alpaca farm biosafety plan and Mr Peter Bailey, Executive Director of Biosecurity Victoria will address the wider issues of biosecurity – Developments and Directions in Biosecurity (particularly as they affect Victoria and Victoria’s livestock industries).

The region’s quality enhancement program will also continue with a presentation by Robert Gane of Canchones Alpacas:  Information to impact your alpaca breeding. Canchones has been breeding alpacas for 10 years and key to its success has been its data recording and management. Robert will present details of the information they record and analysis used to impact the health, breeding and success of their alpaca business.

Oh, and the region’s AGM will be squeezed in there somewhere.

The meeting, (arrive around 10:30am for an 11:00 presentation start) will be hald at Blackate Lodge, Blackgate Road, Freshwater Creek (near Geelong).  A BBQ lunch will be provided – attendees are requested to bring a starter or sweet to share.

Anyone interested in alpacas and alpaca farming is welcome to attend – non VWR members please advice Chris Bayley [mrcbayley@gmail.com] to facilitate catering arrangements.

Congratulations to all alpaca exhibitors at Sheepvention 2009 at Hamilton in Victoria’s Western District.

This year’s event was the first time the show has included Suri’s as well as Huacayas – and both types were of great interest to the thousands of visitors at this excellent event.

Sheepvention is one of the largest agricultural and pastural events in Victoria, with more that 20,000 visitors – largely from Victoria’s Western District – the heart of the nation’s wool and sheepo production area – attending the two day event.

Following discussions with the Hamilton socienty executive, the accommodation for alpacas was substantially increased – and the number of alpacas doubled from the previous year.  Entries in the alpaca fleece competition were also double the previous year’s.

Judging for both halter and fleece classes was expertly undertaken by Ms Nerida Aldred – Congratulations on a long and difficult job given the very high quality of the entries in all classes.  Congratulations too to Andrew and Maree McCosh who convened the show – and to Safeway which was the show’s generous sponsor.

Results for the halter and fleece competitions will be posted on the website shortly.

Next year’s event is likely to be even bigger – alpaca breeders from Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmanis are urged to start planning to be part of this very important alpaca event.