Understanding the role of stress in alpaca health
Good biosecurity is about far more than preventing disease from entering a farm. It also means creating an environment in which alpacas experience as little unnecessary stress as possible, supporting their health, welfare and supporting normal immune function.
Every aspect of our herd management is planned with this in mind. By understanding alpaca behaviour and social structure, we aim to minimise unnecessary stress while meeting the physical and behavioural needs of each animal throughout its life.
- Maintaining stable family and compatible social groups
- Managing alpacas according to age, breeding status and individual needs
- Providing shelter in every field, allowing alpacas to choose protection without unnecessary movement between fields and buildings.
- Moving alpacas calmly through purpose-built handling systems rather than catching them in open fields
- Using respectful, Camelidynamics-based handling methods
- Avoiding unnecessary handling of heavily pregnant females
- Ensuring every alpaca remains with compatible alpaca companions of the same sex
- Allowing birthing females to remain with their established social group
- Providing dedicated quarantine facilities for incoming and departing alpacas
- Not buying or selling lone alpacas
Farm infrastructure and biosecurity
Our farm has been designed and developed to minimise the risk of infectious disease entering or spreading within the herd. Alongside our daily management practices, the following measures form an important part of our overall biosecurity strategy:
- Buried vector-proof perimeter fencing to prevent wildlife and pet dogs from accessing the farm
- Minimum 5-metre fenced and hedged boundary buffers to neighbouring holdings
- Heightened boundary hedging to discourage wild deer from entering the farm
- Strict biosecurity protocols for visitors, vehicles, equipment and animal movements
- Dedicated quarantine facilities for incoming alpacas and alpacas leaving for new homes
- Routine cleaning and disinfection of housing, handling facilities and transport where appropriate
- Individual health records and ongoing herd health monitoring
As a result of our evidenced infrastructure, working practices and protocols, our biosecurity is described and recognised as exemplary.
About our farm
In addition:
- Our farm is not affected by liver fluke
- We have never had any suspicion of Johne’s disease or BVD within the herd
- We routinely monitor our herd for internal parasites, resistant parasites, and skin mites
- We source new alpacas very carefully and ensure any new arrivals are quarantined before introduction to the main herd
- Movements of alpacas, people and vehicles on and off the farm are carefully controlled
- Our entire herd was voluntarily tested negative for bTB in 2016 - Camelid Enferplex test
These preventative and management measures ensure our herd remains stable, relaxed, happy and healthy.
Our Priorities
Our priorities are to our animals and our clients.
Our Animals
Our alpacas are individuals in our care, and their health, safety and wellbeing are always our first priority. We take our responsibility to them seriously, ensuring they are carefully managed, well understood, and placed only into homes where they will continue to be safe, healthy and well cared for.
Our Clients
We want our buyers to feel confident in both their alpacas and in us. Through careful herd management, transparency, and ongoing support, we aim to ensure that every alpaca placed into a new home is healthy and well-prepared, and that new owners feel informed and equipped to keep their animals safe and thriving.
We will always answer your questions with transparency. We are also happy for you to speak with our Farm Veterinary Practice about the health status of our herd.
You can find the biosecurity products and equipment we use on our own farm on our Recommended Alpaca Equipment page, together with information about how and why we use them.
Biosecurity Masterclass Online Training
Biosecurity simply means safeguarding your animals from disease. There are many simple, cost effective ways to protect your animals.
You either have biosecurity and practice it through simple habits or you don't.
We offer qualified, dedicated biosecurity masterclass training.
Our online, comprehensive, modular course provides evidence-based, best practice guidance on how to achieve effective biosecurity via infrastructure and farm protocols. This course is ideal for those wishing to learn more about effective biosecurity measures or achieve high standards of biosecurity on their own holdings.