Autumn 2007
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Cover: Silverado, Hocus Pocus, Max and Lawson are as awed by the view at Bethells beach as the handlers Penny, Jenny, Geoff, Jane and Brian who took the photo. |
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Whilst exhibitor numbers were down a little on last year, nevertheless we had great support, with Lyn & Keith Payne, & Lisa & Annabelle Bennett joining us for the whole day, & we are very hopeful that they will join us next year as exhibitors.
Many thanks to judge
Matthew Benge & also to convenor Jane Buxton. Jane has announced her
intention to retire (temporarily, we hope) from the show ring, & we cannot
let her leave without saying a big thank you to her first, for all of her
hard work &
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Malvern Show Results 2007 Conformation Classes Class 56 Jun Male Llama 1st 84 Watford Grange “Clar Innis Cruz Del Sur” 2nd 86 R Robinson “Llama Lookout Earl Grey” 3rd 85 Watford Grange “CJ’s Brandy” Class 57 Senior Female Llama 1st 87 R Robinson “Llama Lookout Milky Way” 2nd 88 R Robinson “Llama Lookout Rosie” Class 58 Senior Male Llama 1st B and H Duxbury “Langcliffe Thunder” 2nd Watford Grange “Clar Innis Flash Gordon” 3rd B and H Duxbury “Ashby Manse The Cardinal” 4th CA and NR Woodham “Clar Innis Roundell” Class 59 Gelded Llama 1st B and H Duxbury “Langcliffe Rata” 2nd CA and NR Woodham “Langcliffe Lightning” 3rd Rhys Jones “Langcliffe Rimu” 4th Karla Allan “Bellbird Trinity” Champion Female Llama “Llama Lookout Milky Way” Reserve Champion Female Llama “Llama Lookout Rosie” Champion Male Llama Watford Grange “Clar Innis Cruz Del Sur” Reserve Champion Male Llama B and H Duxbury “Langcliffe Thunder” Supreme Champion Llama and Foxdale Farm Trophy Watford Grange “Clar Innis Cruz Del Sur” Performance Classes 61 Obstacle course Age 11-16 inclusive 1st 100 Elizabeth Duxbury “Langcliffe Thunder” 2nd Rhys Jones “Langcliffe Rimu” 3rd Karla Allen “Bellbird Trinity” 62 Obstacle Course Beginner Llama 1st R Robinson “Llama Lookout Black Beauty” 2nd R Robinson ”Llama Lookout Milky Way” 3rd CA and NR Woodham “Clar Innis Roundell” 63 Obstacle Course Novice Llama 1st Jill Allan “Waratah Fudge” 2nd CA and NR Woodham “Langcliffe Lightning” 64 Obstacle Course Open 1st B and H Duxbury “Langcliffe Rata” Champion Performance Llama and Tintero Memorial Trophy B and H Duxbury “Langcliffe Rata” Reserve Champion Performance Llama Jill Allan “Waratah Fudge”
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Looking to a Code of Welfare by Julie Insley A Google news alert on the neglect of a herd of llamas in America attracted my attention and when I made inquiries I soon found out some of my Internet friends were involved in the rescue... “The co-owner of a Ferndale-area llama herd seized in a neglect investigation was charged with eight felony counts of first-degree animal cruelty. Sheriff’s Office and animal control officers took 41 llamas from Smith’s field after a report of a dead llama being left in the field for five days. Seven of the seized llamas had to be euthanized due to poor health stemming from starvation, lice, parasites and other ailments. An eighth died shortly after being taken away. At least 30 of the llamas were suffering from starvation, and five of those were categorized as being “near death,”. The remains of several adult llamas were found on the property, and a dead baby llama was found in a nearby ditch. Niki Kuklenski, who helped organize the llamas’ rescue, doubted that the herd had been fed, sheared and vaccinated regularly, given their low body mass and high number of parasites when they were seized.” THE BELLINGHAM HERALD Niki wrote telling me of the amazing efforts of volunteers, neighbours and police officers. “No animal deserves what these animals have been put through and they really do show the neglect in their overall appearance. What is a Code of Welfare? The Animal Welfare Act provides for codes of welfare that: promote appropriate behaviour, establish minimum standards, promote best practice for people owning or looking after animals. The codes outline the basic level of animal management and care required, but are flexible enough to be modified and improved as community expectations, scientific knowledge and technical advances allow. There are a number of codes covering other species. These are available at http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/animal-welfare/codes/welfare Why do we need one? Presently there isn’t one specifically covering camelids. A code of welfare is the single most important tool used by the SPCA and MAF when investigating cases of abuse or neglect. Upon completion, codes are signed off by a Minister to become law, and helps define whether the authorities can prosecute. For example, it seems no coincidence that the new cat code of welfare became law on a Friday, and the very next Monday SPCA & MAF combined to raid a property in Woodville to rescue many, many cats, along with numerous dogs. Recommended best practices in the codes are not legally binding. But minimum standards are – failing to meet a minimum standard can support a prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 1999. Similarly, evidence of meeting or exceeding minimum standards can be used as a defence against prosecution. Creating Codes of Welfare. Anyone can draft a code of welfare. It must then be submitted to the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) for consideration and public consultation. NAWAC considers public submissions then decides whether to recommend the code to the Minister of Agriculture, to be issued. Creation of a NZ Camelid Code of Welfare. Back in February Penny King lodged an 11th hour application to the Sustainable Farming Fund on behalf of the NZ Llama Association, requesting $7,500 over two years, from a projected budget of $9,500, to help the development of a Llama code of conduct. What is the Sustainable Farming Fund? The purpose of the Sustainable Farming Fund is to support projects that will contribute to improving the financial and environmental performance of the land-based productive sectors. The Fund aims to help the land based sectors solve problems and take up opportunities to overcome barriers to economic, social and environmental viability. It will do this by bringing together “communities of interest”. These are groups of people drawn together by a shared problem and/or opportunity in the sustainable use of resources. 222 applications were received for funds of over $30 million. What will this involve? A team needs to be drawn together to work with MAF, SPCA and the Alpaca Assn., to draw up a draft code for submission. SPCA http://www.rspcanz.org.nz/ I attend the meetings of the Alpaca Health Subcommittee, and they have asked me to create a guide for the SPCA on how to recognize neglect in camelids, basic handling & care, and camelid contacts who would help. I’d appreciate any input on what you feel needs to be included in this. How would you recognize signs of a camelid in distress? Basic minimum standards of care? Something else for us to work towards is getting some information about camelids onto the SPCA Animal care page. http://www.rspcanz.org.nz/pet_care/goats/goats.html What can be done in the meantime? People can contact the MAF Hotline or their local SPCA about any species as they are all covered by the general Animal Welfare Act. You can come along to the AGM where Penny will bring you up to date, and can take questions.
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Discovering Llamas by Lisa and Annabel Bennett “Your llama is spitting at you? No problem” he said “just spray him really hard with a jet hose and he’ll soon learn who’s boss.” We were starting to feel slightly uncomfortable about the advice being given to us by the previous owners of our first two llamas. “Can’t get the halter on? Try tying his feet together and pulling his legs from under him – that should teach him.” We just couldn’t bring ourselves to do it. They seemed such timid creatures, surely there must be another way, we reasoned. Rather belatedly I began to scour the Internet for advice on training llamas. I discovered Marty McGee Bennett, the TTEAM technique and Cathy Spalding. Nowhere could I find anything about jet hoses or lassoos. Something was not quite right…………..enter the New Zealand Llama Association. Perfect timing! Via a circuitous route the NZLA had become aware of our rather hasty (not to mention naïve) purchase of two male llamas as family pets. Out of the blue we received two back copies of Como Se Lama, copies of several articles on llama handling and behaviour and a lovely handwritten card from Julie Insley urging me to get in touch if we wanted any advice or help with our new llamas. From that point on we were no longer alone in our plight………the ‘force’ of the NZLA was with us! What a wonderful network of llama-loving folk it is. What fantastic support we received and interesting new friends we have made. How can I have not discovered the NZLA before our impulse purchase? Worry not, the story has a happy ending. It was soon established that our unfortunate boys had been rather badly handled in the past and were to prove a bit of a challenge to even experienced handlers (which we definitely were not). A new home was quickly found for them and they now grace a far paddock in Orana Wildlife Park, looking gorgeous and having little interaction with humans. Thanks to the patience and enthusiasm of our local NZLA members we were not put off and a few months on (after much dithering and research and soul-searching and a trial period) we are now the proud and happy owners of two beautifully behaved boys – Big John and Badger. We would like to say a special thank you to Julie Insley, Anne Thompson and Ruth Hubber for all their help and support. Without them, I know there would not have been a happy ending after all.
Annabel and Lisa with Big John and Badger
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Ringo’s Story by Louisa Buchanan On
Friday the 5th Jan we got grandson Blair and friend Frankie to stay for a
few days, doing boys things! We were feeding Harley Quin 3 times a day and
on Sunday morning when it was pouring with rain (as normal:-) we fed
Harley and as we peered around our Parka hoods Murray said "Where's Rosie
and her wee man?" Rosita and Ringo were We carried him to the shelter shed with Rosita following on looking resigned to his fate. The herd had clearly said goodbye to him and left them. We cleared his mouth. He would stream clear liquid in gushes and his eyes were completely red and turned in. We thought of poisoning, Buttercup? no...Ragwort? Shouldn't be this quick... and he would have had to eat a lot to be this sick.... Rang the vet who was tied up and couldn't get here until later in the day but he did have an spare space at 12.30 if we could bring him in… It was 11 o'clock by then and he looked as if he wasn't going to last the day. We left Rosita in the mother and baby shed with Harley Quin for company as we thought they both needed the comfort. All we had was my little 3 door Rav4, so Murray and Blair in the front, Frankie and I in the back and 2 months old Ringo behind us. It was an hours drive to the Vets, all that time hoping he would last and watching him stream liquid and looking at his red turned in eyes. It was a long trip! Got there... We contemplated a 1080 pellet when he ejected another stream of clear liquid and Danni (the vet) said" There must be an obstruction somewhere as there is no stomach contents in what comes out. We then talked about inserting a tube down to his stomach but Danni felt that was very risky in case he bit it as it would then do damage when pulled because it would act as a suction through the hole. Anyway we did do that being extremely careful to keep his jaws apart while Danni fed this long calf feeding tube down which was quite thick. We got it all the way down, then pulled it out slowly and it was half filled with foam and then on the bottom there was a dark "something" which we presume was where whatever the blockage was had been pushed down into the stomach. He gave him some anti inflammatory in case we caused any damage on the way. He stopped streaming liquid, his eyes went normal and he looked like saying "well, where's my mum?” All back in the Rav, and he sang out for his mum all the way home and before he could see where he was, he knew he was home and let out a Whoopy!!! and Rosita answered from the shelter shed :-) He dived under his mum and stayed there for 5 minutes!!! and we were so thankful for the wonderful outcome! We ordered a calf feeding tube to have in case anything like this ever happened again :-) He has been absolutely fine since. We wondered if it could have been the pellets we feed them as we fed them nearly on dark the night before. The babies had started to eat them and could have eaten a couple greedily or perhaps mistaken something else for a pellet. We now make sure we only feed pellets during the day when we can see them finish them all.
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