Suggested Questions for Purchasers of Alpaca Pets to Ask the Breeder
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| The price you are paying for your pet alpacas should be clearly understood. Does it include GST? Does it include delivery? If delivery is not included, how will the alpacas be delivered and how much are you going to pay? Does the price include a halter and/or lead? Does the price include registration and transfer to the purchaser? If the price doesn't include registration and transfer, can the pets be registered and transferred to you and, if so, at what cost. Does the price include halter training? If not, where can you go to get your pets trained? What will it cost? Has each pet male being purchased been castrated. If males being purchased have not been castrated, at what age does the breeder recommend castration be performed? Who will perform the surgery and who is going to pay for it? What is the breeder's recommended protocol for vaccination. Some breeders will advise you to vaccinate once a year. Others suggest twice a year. The AANZ paddock card lists UltraVac 5 and Covexin 10 as recommended products and provides a schedule of when to vaccinate. You should discuss this with the breeder. You should ask the breeder for his or her recommended protocol for worming, including product names and dose rates. Once again, a copy of the paddock card may be the best source of information regarding worming. If you are buying pets from another part of the country, it is possible that they will be subjected to internal parasites not familiar to the breeder. If this is the case, you should discuss worming with your local vet. If you intend to do your own injections or administer oral medications, ask the breeder to demonstrate how this is done. Some breeders are happy to make regular visits to pet owner's farms to do these things. You should ask the breeder of your pets if he or she is willing to do that for you and, if so, at what cost. Alpaca toenails need to be frequently trimmed. The lighter coloured animals require trimming more often. You can learn to do this routine maintenance yourself. Other possibilities include the breeder, a neighbour, or your vet. If the breeder is going to do it for you, ask about the cost. If you want to do this yourself, ask the breeder to show you how it's done. It is fairly easy, but it is best if you see it done first. You should discuss shearing with the breeder and have a good idea how you are going to get your alpacas shorn before you buy them. There are shearers who travel around the country shearing alpacas. Another option is for you to take your pet alpacas to the breeder's farm and have them shorn there. If you only have a few, the breeder might shear them for little or no cost if you help with the handling of his or her alpacas while they are being shorn. Ask the breeder if your pets are going to be living in an area where facial eczema (FE) might be a problem. This is particularly important if you live in an area that has FE issues and the breeder does not. If you don't have scales suitable for weighing your pets, ask the breeder how to body score your alpacas. Also ask how to determine if your pets are anaemic and what to do about it, should it happen. If you intend to halter your pets, ask the breeder to show you how to properly place the halter on the head of your alpacas. Ideally, you should also be supplied with drawings or photos of correctly fitted halters to use as a guide. Ask the breeder about fighting teeth. Have your pets already had their fighting teeth trimmed? If not, at what age should they be done? What is the Tb status of the breeder's herd? This could be particularly important if you or your neighbours have other livestock. Especially if your neighbour is has a Tb-free dairy herd. |
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