Recommended Alpaca & Llama Information Sources
Over the years, we’ve compiled a list of great information sources for new alpaca and llama owners. Check it out!
(Click the “Back” button on your computer to return to Double 8 Alpaca & Llama Ranch after viewing the links below.)
Associations
Double 8 Alpaca & Llama Ranch registers its alpacas with the US Registry and is an active member of AOBA. Find everything you need to know about alpacas, fiber and fashion here.
Alpaca Research Foundation (ARF)
The Mission of the Alpaca Research Foundation is to encourage and support scientific research which benefits the North American alpaca industry, primarily in the areas of alpaca health, husbandry, genetics and fiber. Double 8 Alpaca & Llama Ranch donates to ARF.
Double 8 Alpaca & Llama Ranch is an advocate of Camelidynamics and uses the “respectful handling” techniques when training and working with their herd of alpacas and Llamas. Learn how to respectfully handle and manage your alpacas for show, herd health or day-to-day tasks.
GALA (Greater Appalachian Llama and Alpaca Association
Double 8 Alpaca & Llama Ranch is a member and encourages new, local alpaca and llama owners to join, as the association serves to educate its members and the public on the breeding, raising, and caring of llamas, alpacas, and related camelids, while also promoting and advancing the interests of the industry as a whole.
Mid Atlantic Alpaca Association (MAPACA)
The Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Association is a cooperative group of alpaca owners and breeders in the Mid-Atlantic states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Through the cooperative efforts of their members, they promote and support the alpaca community via networking, member meetings, seminars, surveys, newsletter, this web site, and various shows including the internationally acclaimed MAPACA Jubilee.
Learning Events
AOBA Calendar of Alpaca Events and Classes
Check out all of the exciting opportunities to learn more about alpacas! Are you asking yourself or others if the alpaca business is successful? Would you like to improve your “business” of alpacas? Take a weekend to put your business plan in place at the Alpaca Toolbox MBA Workshop offered at MillCreek Farms in Sandy Lake, PA.
Marty brings a variety of experience and qualifications to her work with camelids, including a B.S. degree in Animal Behavior. Marty’s combination of TTEAM, with the principals of balance and leverage and a second sense with both camelids and people make “Camelidynamics” the world’s most popular, and enduring training/handling system for camelids.
If you are looking to learn more about raising and breeding llamas and alpacas, Double 8 highly recommends it!! Select first time attendees for the discounted rate.
Reading
Education on various topics related to alpacas.
Before committing to raising alpacas or llamas, do read this brochure of basics of care.
The Camelid Companion – Handling and Training Your Alpacas and Llamas by Marty McGee Bennett
“Marty McGee Bennett is one of the most gifted animals trainers I have ever met. Her logical, intuitive and open-minded approach to bridging the gap between veterinary procedures and animal handling has impressed me every time we work together.” – David E. Anderson DVM MS, Associate Professor Ohio State University
The Camelid Medicine Cabinet is a “go to” source to help you make complicated decisions about which drug to use in certain situations with alpacas and llamas.
The Complete Alpaca Book by Eric Hoffman and contributing authors
Behavior, Diet, Fiber, Genetics, Husbandry, Medicine, & Reproduction
Llama and Alpaca Neonatal Care
Anatomy and Physiology of Pregnancy, Prep for birth, Birth, Dystocias, Care of Newborn, Problems of the newborn, Care of dam, and First Aid and Cria Kit Contents by Bradford B. Smith, DVM, PhD, Karen I. Timm, DVM, PhD, and Patrick O. Long, DVM
Lama*Alpaca Veterinary Field Manual – C. Norm Evans, DVM
An expanded collection of articles with tabs for quick reference. Contains information on lama basics, immunizations, drug dosages, parasites, nutrition and more! Quick reference and drug dosage charts, along with baseline blood profiles and lama chemistry charts are most helpful. An excellent reference manual.
Shearing your alpacas or llamas once yearly is vital to their health. An alpaca or llama can suffer from heat stress or stroke in the heat of the summer if left in heavy fleece. We hire a professional shearer and book an entire day devoted to safely taking off the fiber. Joel Mariacher is our current shearer. He is gentle and uses a safe method for the animals in his shearing process.
Supplies
Livestock Supply, Equipment and Fencing
Jeffers Livestock has very competitive prices for vaccines and dewormers. This is also where we get our syringes, needles, and A,D,E,B12 paste.
Useful Llama Items is the trusted name in the alpaca and llama industry. Alligator Straps are among the most popular fasteners available! We also get halters, lead ropes, and alpaca/llama coats here.
Good alpaca and llama maintenance means offering a mineral supplement throughout the year. We offer llama 102 in the summer and llama 104 in the winter. We have one or 2 dishes designated specifically for the minerals and put a cup or 2 in each dish and replenish when needed. Keep indoors and replace weekly during humid summer days when you notice it clumping.
In addition to offering 2nd or 3rd cutting soft grass hay (either straight orchard, or an 80/20 orchard/alfalfa, timothy hay) a supplement should also be given. Depending on your herd either a free choice mineral above (Stillwater minerals) or a pelleted feed can be offered to make sure your alpacas and llamas are getting the necessary vitamins and minerals for optimal body and fiber health. Here at Double 8 Alpaca Ranch we offer both free choice minerals and a pelleted feed. Currently we give our maintenance animals one cup per day, our lactating dams, cria, and weanlings, and elders get one cup twice daily of Blue Seal Home Fresh Fiber and Family. We have selected this feed based on the quality of minerals in it. The minerals must be chelated or in the organic form in order for optimal absorption for the alpaca or llama. Inorganic forms of minerals such as Zinc Oxide, zinc sulfate are not utilized by the alpaca and llama therefore causing deficiencies in growth. We always look for feeds with chelated or organic minerals.