AlpacaConnect

AS some of you are aware, there is currently a shipment of Alpacas in quarantine presently, at Mariah Hill Alpacas & Exports waiting to go to Canada.
Mid way through the shipment, it was discovered that Alpacas were classified in Canada as ALternative species, which triggered off an enviromental assessment. Although cFIA were very co-operative, it seemed like a long drawn out proicess, before we then had permission to re start the quarantine.
At the moment, the officials are looking to correct this, so that this complication does not happen every time there is a shipment.
Our weather now is warming up, today, i think it is 33 degrees, which is on the complete opposite end to your weather scale i hear. We were very careful, as we were very aware of the alpacas would be arriving in freezing cold weather,so at first we tried to hand trim the main body par of the body. That was ok for the younger alpacas, but the older pregnant femlaes they were not at all patient with this idea.
Our own shearing season arrived, so we were able to shear the alpcas main body area and neck, and leve legs and tails, and heads on them. so now they are adapted for our hot summer, and yet hopefully will have grown enough fibre around their middle to cope with your early spring weather.
So now it was back to the beginning again, it was a very frustrating time, as all excitment was squashed, as we had already started some testing, and there are dates we have to work around for any further testing.
This has all come together and now the alpacas have entered their final 30 days prior to departure.
ALot of negotiation went into the creation of the new protocol between Australia and Canada, and although alpacas have been exported to Canada many years ago, there were no current protocol between the two countries.
I have alot of contacts in Biosecurity Australia, and AQIS, who were behind me 100% to try and get this protocol happening, and at your end in Canada, Tannis Froese, from Hummzinger alpacas also had great co-operation with her contacts in the CFIA.
Tannis, has in between time, decked out a huge trailer which she will be able to pick the alpacas up in from Vancouver and still keep them in quarantine conditions. It absolutely sounds marvellous, as it has every mods and cons. She has also had a quarantine facility approved and it looks marvellous by the pictures. So now the count down begins, and this time in ernest, as we start testing again just after the new year, and all is in place from the australian end for the delivery dated 28th January 2009.
alredy plans are under way for the next shipment, with alpacas, already gathered for the shipment anticipated at this stage to arrive 1st Marh 2009.
Rob and i are just so excited about this shipment, we have arranged to meet Tannis at hummzinger to catch up with the alpacas once out of the quarantine period in Canada, and already Tnnais has plans for us to attend some of your gorgeous shows.
looking forward to meeting some Canadian breeders, and see your beautiful countryside, but please turn some heat on for us, MArch weather is usually high 30's so to go straight zero or under may be a bit of a shock.
Some pictures of the alpacas in quarantine can be viewed on You tube, my website, and my bog page