cute alpacas

alpacas from the Easter show!!

Dogs Wants a kitty

http://youtu.be/kI4yoXyb1_M


This video is most likely be shown this dog really talk to his master. That is the reason why I am posting it. If you have interest and look though this video, the dog is amazing. It acted as he can even understand what the person who are talking about and do some kind of respond. Basically, it is more likely is the dog was given a person sound but it is truely need the dog's mouth looks like talking the exact word.
At the end of this video, the title thing just came out. Its clue is the dog has interest on kitty and wants to chase a kitty.

BTY, I love this dog cause it can talk, lol.

The world's most funny dog video

                                          http://youtu.be/Hb92wQpPG-s
This video was Uploaded on Oct 2, 2008

Its name is "The world's most funny dog video"

It is the other kind of funny because it includes many funny screens about fun dogs with human.
In this video, it has dogs plays with people which made fun,; a dog peed on a boy who is covered by leaves;  a flying dog, dog chasing a girl lead to her have a tumbling.

After watching this video, you will really think that people not really treat the dog as their pets but more likely to treat them as a family. I feel warm after watching and I hope to have a dog as my friend.

funny cat

Funny cat video with captions - In addition to intelligence, it turns out the cat is also one of the most frequent types of animal jokes, it soon is one reason why I really like animals.
If previously I often post to include one image only, from now on I will post a funny picture to include various types of images. Including post today about funny cat pictures with captions.
Most people think that cats are one of the animals that they steal, they think cats are animals that are very annoying. But for me the only animals cats are very intelligent and obedient. I have a lot of cats at home and they all looked very good.
Please see cute cat pictures dberikut this, and I am very sure you will be made by the laughing cat behavior.

Vincent( Yuheng)

Growing demand for alpaca wool

By FRANCES THOMPSON

FINE FLEECE: Narelle Tulip with some of her alpacas at East Maitland. Picture: Peter Stoop

NARELLE and Peter Tulip, of East Maitland, are pioneers of the alpaca fibre industry.
They’ve worked to produce quality animals and fleece since 1994 and are probably the sole producers of high-quality fibre in the Hunter Region.
Although they sold one animal with strong genetic lines in the recent past for $150,000, the Tulips still need another business to keep their balance sheet a healthy one.
That may change with prices for fine alpaca fibre and international appreciation of the natural beauty of the fleece achieving new, high levels.
A 151-kilogram bale of 17.4-micron alpaca fibre from all over Australia sold recently for $10,000, a new world record. (A micron is onemillionth of a metre.)
Mrs Tulip said the big challenge for the industry was to achieve higher yields of fibre off individual animals.
‘‘What we all should be breeding for is fineness, length and weight,’’ Mrs Tulip said. ‘‘I think prices will continue to increase because alpaca is such a luxury fibre.’’
Alpacas are originally from South America. They are a species of camelid, like the llamas they resemble.
The Tulips, whose fibre was not in the record-breaking bale, are said to be some of the best at breeding animals that produce high yields.
Premium Alpaca is a marketing program that has targeted ‘‘high end’’ markets in Europe and Japan for fine fleece.
Premium Alpaca executive director Paul Vallely, a fine wool producer based in southern NSW, said prospective customers like alpaca because it had better environmental credentials than wool.
‘‘The fine fibre doesn’t have to be dyed because it comes in different colours,’’ Mr Vallely said.
‘‘Harsh chemicals are used in the wool dyeing process.
‘‘Alpaca will never replace wool but there is some market potential for blending with superfine wool.’’
Australian Alpaca Association Central Coast and Hunter Region marketing manager Nigel Thompson, of Mount Vincent, said there were about 30breeders in the Hunter and about 500registered animals.
‘‘Narelle is one of the leaders in quality and volume per animal,’’ Mr Thompson said.
The Tulips may have the field to themselves in the future.
Mr Thompson said breeders were leaving the Hunter for the New England region, where conditions were better suited to the animals.
Mrs Tulip said the Japanese love alpaca fibre golf clothes.
Her favourite alpaca item is a blanket that keeps her comfy and warm at night.

Aussies hungry for alpaca meat

ABC Rural

By Kim Honan

Posted Fri Apr 5, 2013 1:43pm AEDT

Photo: A smoked alpaca leg produced in Berry in NSW. Some of the other alpaca cuts include strip loin, rump, shoulder roll, back straps and neck rosettes. (Kim Honan)

Map: Berry 2535

An alpaca meat producer says he can't export because the demand for the product in Australia is growing so quickly.

Ian Frith, from Berry in southern NSW, says he's already sold 10 tonnes of alpaca meat into the restaurant trade this year.
He's been producing alpaca meat for 18 months now, but his animals are also bred for genetics, fleece, hides and live export.
Mr Frith says alpacas are no longer an expensive animal to buy.
"Twenty years ago when the animals first came in, yes you were looking at $20,000, $25,000, $60,000," he said.
"My stud animals, yes I've got one there insured for $250,000 but they're breeding and my genetics.
"But these ones we buy, we breed; it's not expensive because they're not the creme de la creme, they're being bred for their confirmation and their meat."
For meat production, the Huacaya breed is preferable over the Suri alpaca.
"We find with Suris, while the meat is exactly the same, they don't carry the same amount of body of meat, because they've got a flimsier frame," he said.
"When we kill the animals, we look at dressing at 58 to 59 per cent, which gives us a 40-kilo carcass and that's the Huacaya."
Some of the alpaca cuts include strip loin, rump, shoulder roll, back straps and neck rosettes.
Mr Frith says at 94 to 95 per cent fat free, it's a very lean meat.
"It's very high in iron, very high in protein, very low in cholesterol, but it can also be very unforgiving when you're cooking, because it hasn't got that fat in it."
The alpaca breeder describes the meat as tasting somewhere between lamb and veal.

Alpaca a funny looking animal

Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of 3,500 m (11,500 ft) to 5,000 m (16,000 ft) above sea level, throughout the year.^[1] Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike llamas, they were not bred to be beasts of burden, but were bred specifically for their fiber. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, similar to wool. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America, and sweaters, socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia and 16 as classified in the United States.^[2]
In the textile industry, "alpaca" primarily refers to the hair of Peruvian alpacas, but more broadly it refers to a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair, but now often made from similar fibers, such as mohair, Icelandic sheep wool, or even high-quality English wool.^{[citation needed]} In trade, distinctions are made between alpacas and the several styles of mohair and luster.
An adult alpaca generally is between 81 and 99 cm in height at the withers. They usually weigh between 48 and 84 kg (106 and 185 lbs).^[3]
Alpacas have been domesticated for thousands of years. The Moche people of northern Peru often used alpaca images in their art.^[4] There are no known wild alpacas, though its closest living relative, the vicuña (also native to South America), are believed to be the wild ancestor of the alpaca.^[5] The alpaca is larger than the vicuña, but smaller than the other camelid species.
Along with camels and llamas, alpacas are classified as camelids. Of the various camelid species, the alpaca and vicuña are the most valuable fiber-bearing animals: the alpaca because of the quality and quantity of its fiber, and the vicuña because of the softness, fineness and quality of its coat.
Alpacas are too small to be used as pack animals. Instead, they are bred exclusively for their fiber and meat. Alpaca meat was once considered a delicacy by Andean inhabitants. Because of the high price commanded by alpaca on the growing North American alpaca market, illegal alpaca smuggling has become a growing problem.^[6]
Alpacas and llamas can successfully cross-breed. The resulting offspring are called huarizo, which are valued for their unique fleece and gentle dispositions.

Behavior

Closeup of an alpaca's face

Alpacas are social herd animals that live in family groups consisting of a territorial alpha male, females and their young. Alpacas warn the herd about intruders by making sharp, noisy inhalations that sound like a high-pitched bray. The herd may attack smaller predators with their front feet, and can spit and kick.

Spitting

Not all alpacas spit, but all are capable of doing so. "Spit" is somewhat euphemistic; occasionally the projectile contains only air and a little saliva, although alpacas commonly bring up acidic stomach contents (generally a green, grassy mix) and project it onto their chosen targets. Spitting is mostly reserved for other alpacas, but an alpaca will occasionally spit at a human.
For alpacas, spitting results in what is called "sour mouth". Sour mouth is characterized by a loose-hanging lower lip and a gaping mouth. This is caused by the stomach acids and unpleasant taste of the contents as they pass out of the mouth.

Physical contact

This section requires expansion. (April 2010)

Most alpacas do not like being grabbed. Some alpacas tolerate being stroked or petted anywhere on their bodies, although many do not like their feet, lower legs, and especially their abdomen touched or handled.

A Bolivian man and his alpaca

Hygiene

Alpacas use a communal dung pile, where they do not graze. This behaviour tends to limit the spread of internal parasites. Generally, males have much tidier, and fewer dung piles than females, which tend to stand in a line and all go at once. One female approaches the dung pile and begins to urinate and/or defecate, and the rest of the herd often follows.
Because of their preference for using a dung pile, some alpacas have been successfully house-trained.^{[citation needed]}

Sounds

Alpacas make a variety of sounds. When they are in danger, they make a high-pitched, shrieking whine. Some breeds are known to make a "wark" noise when excited. Strange dogs—and even cats—can trigger this reaction. To signal friendly or submissive behavior, alpacas "cluck," or "click" a sound possibly generated by suction on the soft palate, or possibly in the nasal cavity.
Individuals vary, but most alpacas generally make a humming sound. Hums are often comfort noises, letting the other alpacas know they are present and content. The humming can take on many inflections and meanings.
When males fight, they scream a warbling, bird-like cry, presumably intended to terrify the opponent.

Reproduction

Females are "induced ovulators"; the act of mating and the presence of semen causes them to ovulate. Females usually conceive after just one breeding, but occasionally do have troubles conceiving. Artificial insemination is technically difficult, but it can be accomplished. Alpacas conceived from artificial insemination are not registerable with the Alpaca Registry.^[7]
A male is usually ready to mate for the first time between one and three years of age. A female alpaca may fully mature (physically and mentally) between 12 and 24 months. It is not advisable to allow a young female to be bred until she is mature, as over-breeding a young female, before conception is possible, is a common cause of uterine infections. As the age of maturation varies greatly between individuals, it is usually recommended that novice breeders wait until females are 18 months of age or older before initiating breeding.
The gestation period is 345 ± 15 days, and usually results in a single offspring, or cria. Twins are rare, occurring about once per 1000 deliveries. After a female gives birth, she is generally receptive to breeding again after about two weeks. Crias may be weaned through human intervention at about six months old and 60 pounds, but many breeders prefer to allow the female to decide when to wean her offspring; they can be weaned earlier or later depending on their size and emotional maturity.
Alpacas can live for up to 20 years.

Diet

This section requires expansion. (April 2010)

Alpacas require much less food than most animals of their size. They generally eat hay or grasses, but can eat some other plants (e.g. some leaves), and will normally try to chew on almost anything (e.g. empty bottle). Most alpaca ranchers rotate their feeding grounds so the grass can regrow and fecal parasites may die before reusing the area.
Alpacas can eat natural unfertilized grass; however, ranchers can also supplement grass with low-protein grass hay. To provide selenium and other necessary vitamins, ranchers will feed their domestic alpacas a daily dose of grain.^[8] Free-range alpacas may obtain the necessary vitamins in their native grazing ranges.

Digestion

Alpacas have a three-chambered stomach; combined with chewing cud, this allows maximum extraction of nutrients from low-quality forages.^[9]
Alpacas will chew their food in a figure eight motion, swallow the food, and then pass it into one of the stomach's chambers. The first and second chambers are where the fermentation process begins digestion. The alpaca will further absorb nutrients and water in the first part of the third chamber. The end of the third chamber is where the stomach secretes acids to digest food, and is the likely place where an alpaca will have ulcers, if stressed. The alpaca digestive system is very sensitive and must be kept healthy and balanced. ^[10]

Poisonous plants

Many plants are poisonous to the alpaca, including the bracken fern, fireweed, oleander, and some azaleas. In common with similar livestock, others include: acorns, African rue, agave, amaryllis, autumn crocus, bear grass, broom snakeweed, buckwheat, ragweed, buttercups, calla lily, orange tree foliage, carnations, castor beans, and many others.^[11]

History of the scientific name

Shorn alpacas

Suri alpacas

The relationship between alpacas and vicuñas was disputed for many years. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the four South American lamoid species were assigned scientific names. At that time, the alpaca was assumed to be descended from the llama, ignoring similarities in size, fleece and dentition between the alpaca and the vicuña. Classification was complicated by the fact that all four species of South American camelid can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. The advent of DNA technology made a more accurate classification possible.
In 2001, the alpaca genus classification changed from Lama pacos to Vicugna pacos, following the presentation of a paper^[5] on work by Dr. Jane Wheeler et al. on alpaca DNA to the Royal Society showing the alpaca is descended from the vicuña, not the guanaco.

Fiber

A knitted scarf made from alpaca wool

Main article: Alpaca fiber

Alpaca fleece is a lustrous and silky natural fiber. While similar to sheep’s wool, it is warmer, not prickly, and bears no lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic.^[12][13] Without lanolin, it does not repel water. It is also soft and luxurious. In physical structure, alpaca fiber is somewhat akin to hair, being very glossy. The preparing, carding, spinning, weaving and finishing process of alpaca is very similar to the process used for wool. Alpaca fiber is also flame-resistant, and meets the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's standards.^[14]

Prices

The price for American alpacas can range from US$100 for a castrated male (gelding) to US$500,000 for the highest of champions in the world, depending on breeding history, sex, and color.^[15] According to an academic study,^[16] though, the higher prices sought for alpaca breeding stock are largely speculative and not supported by market fundamentals, given the low inherent returns per head from the main end product, alpaca fiber, and prices into the $100s per head rather than $10,000s would be required for a commercially viable fiber production herd.^[17] Breeding stock prices in Australia have fallen from A$10,000–30,000 head in 1997 to an average of A$3,000–4,000 today.
It is possible to raise up to 25 alpacas per hectare (10 alpacas per acre).^{[citation needed]} as they have a designated area for waste products and keep their eating area away from their waste area, but this ratio differs from country to country and is highly dependent on the quality of pasture available (in Australia it is generally only possible to run one to three animals per acre due to drought). Fiber quality is the primary variant in the price achieved for alpaca wool; in Australia, it is common to classify the fiber by the thickness of the individual hairs and by the amount of vegetable matter contained in the supplied shearings.

Livestock

Alpacas need to eat 1-2% of body weight per day, so about two 60 lb (27 kg) bales of grass hay per month per animal. When formulating a proper diet for alpacas, water and hay analysis should be performed to determine the proper vitamin and mineral supplementation program. Two options are to provide free choice salt/mineral powder, or feed a specially formulated ration. Indigenous to the highest regions of the Andes, this harsh environment has created an extremely hardy animal, so only minimal housing and predator fencing are needed.^[18] The alpaca’s three-chambered stomachs allow for extremely efficient digestion. There are no viable seeds in the manure, because alpacas prefer to only eat tender plant leaves, and will not consume thick plant stems; therefore, alpaca manure does not need composting to enrich pastures or ornamental landscaping. Nail and teeth trimming is needed every six to 12 months, along with annual shearing. Similar to ruminants, such as cattle and sheep, alpacas have only lower teeth at the front of their mouths; therefore, they do not pull grass up by the roots. Rotating pastures is still important, though, as alpacas have a tendency to regraze an area repeatedly. Alpacas are fiber-producing animals; they do not need to be slaughtered to reap their product, and their fiber is a renewable resource that grows yearly.

Denver Alpaca Shows to Feature Nation's Best Alpacas May 3-5, May 17-19

Denver Alpaca Shows to Feature Nation's Best Alpacas May 3-5, May 17-19
Denver Mayor, Michael Hancock has proclaimed May as National Alpaca Awareness Month in recognition of Denver hosting two major alpaca shows.Denver, CO, April 20, 2013 --(PR.com
)-- If you’re an aspiring fiber artist or you want to see the amazing products made by local artists, make plans to participate in two alpaca shows in Denver in May. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock recently issued a proclamation as for May as National Alpaca Awareness Month.

This year’s Denver Fiber Fiesta, hosted by the Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies (ABR), will be Friday through Sunday, May 3-5, and the National Alpaca Show, hosted by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA), will be May 17-19, both at the National Western Complex in Denver.

"This is the seventh year that we have held the Fiber Fiesta in conjunction with the Great Western Alpaca Show, one of the largest alpaca shows in the country," explains Sue Olson, an alpaca owner and coordinator for the Fiber Fiesta. "The show features free demonstrations on spinning, knitting and felting as well as a full line-up of half-day and full-day classes (fee required) conducted by an impressive line-up of instructors."

Denver Fiber Fiesta attendees are invited to visit the many vendor booths showcasing products such as alpaca yarns and fiber, rake looms, needle felting tools, spinning wheels, dyes and a wide variety of commercial and hand-crafted garments, including scarves, hats, ponchos, blankets, boots, vests and more.

Alpacas were first introduced into the U.S. in 1984, and are now successfully raised throughout North America and abroad. Alpacas produce one of the world’s finest and most luxurious natural fibers—soft as cashmere and warmer, lighter and stronger than wool. Colorado is home to more than 500 alpaca farms.

Fiber Fiesta Show attendees should also plan on visiting with the alpacas and their owners, and watching the alpaca competition (www.greatwesternalpacashow.com). On Saturday and Sunday (May 4-5), visitors will able to view the entries in the fiber arts/skeins and the photography/art competitions.

The Great Western Alpaca Show is an AOBA Level V Certified Halter Show, Performance and Obstacle Show, and Level II or III Fleece Show. Adults and youth will show their animals in the various competitions. Admission to the show is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 3-4, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 5. For more information, visit www.greatwesternalpacashow.com.

The AOBA National Alpaca Show will feature conformation and fleece judging; artisans will showcase alpaca fiber and examples of felting, fiber arts and spinning; vendors and farm displays will sell the latest alpaca fashions and hand-crafted items; and the National Alpaca Auction, the premiere event of the year for the North American alpaca industry, will take place Friday, May 19. Admission to the AOBA National Alpaca Show is also free and open to the public Friday, May 17 to Sunday, May 19. For more information, visit www.alpacainfo.com .

About AOBA
Headquartered in Nashville, TN, the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA) serves to facilitate the expansion of a strong and sustainable alpaca industry through the growth and development of the national herd and its products. Since AOBA’s formation in 1988, its membership has grown steadily to more than 3,500 members.

About ABR
ABR had its beginnings in Colorado in 1994 and in 1996, became a member of the national association, AOBA. The purpose of ABR is to support its members through education, marketing events and public awareness. For more information, visit www.alpacabreeders.org.