Date of Publication:
August 10, 2019

Publication:
The Better Breeding Blog

Excerpt:
The aim of selection is to increase the frequency of desired alleles and decrease the frequency of undesired genes in a population, ideally producing animals that breed true for the genotypes and phenotypes selected for.

One influence on the effectiveness of selection on gene frequency changes is the initial gene frequency in a population. Consider two alleles at locus A: A₁ is wanted and A₂ is not. This graph plots the frequency of A₂ in each successive generation, showing the effect of selection against that unwanted allele A₂ over many generations:

Read the rest of the article: https://betterbreeding.solutions/index.php/blog/effectiveness-of-selection-initial-gene-frequency-and-fitness-differences

Date of Publication:
December 2015

Publication:
Dissertation, Washington State University

Excerpt:
Camelids are economically important production animals in many areas of the world. Early pregnancy loss is a major cause of reproductive inefficiency. Pregnancy maintenance depends on a timely signaling mechanism called maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP). This mechanism is not well characterized in camelids. The work presented in this thesis is part of a larger research program to study early embryo development and MRP, as well as factors involved in early pregnancy loss.

Read the rest of the article: http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Thesis/Fall2015/A_Campbell_113015.pdf

Date of Publication:
April 2004

Publication:
unknown

Excerpt:
In this article, you are about to see that the South American Camelids appear to be a physiological and anatomical blend between cattle, horses, pigs and cats! I will point out these similarities as the article progresses.

Read the rest of the article: http://people.upei.ca/lofstedt/public/chromosome.puzzle/images%20for%20chromosomes/private/vhm321/vhm321.Books/new.world.camelids.pdf

Date of Publication:
December 2018

Publication:
Agriculture Victoria

Excerpt:
In July 2018, four alpacas on a property north-east of Melbourne presented with ill-thrift and anaemia. Samples sent for laboratory testing confirmed infection with Mycoplasma haemolamae (previously Eperythrozoon sp.).

Read the rest of the article: http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/pests-diseases-and-weeds/animal-diseases/vetsource/vetwatch/vetwatch-december-2018/mycoplasma-haemolamae-in-alpacas-with-ill-thrift-and-anaemia

Date of Publication:
August 02, 2019

Publication:
The Better Breeding Blog

Excerpt:
Below are some tables that summarise the levels of confidence and numbers of matings required to detect a completely recessive allele.
These assume that all the mates are of one group, such as all are known carriers, or all are daughters, or all are randomly picked from a population.

Read the rest of the article: https://betterbreeding.solutions/index.php/blog/summaries-of-levels-of-confidence-and-numbers-of-matings

Date of Publication:
2012

Publication:
NAVC Conference Proceedings 2012

Excerpt:
Birthing in llamas and alpacas is a rapid process. Studies in South America documented that >80% of crias (neonatal llama or alpaca) are born between 6 AM and 1 PM.¹ Stage II labor (expulsion of the cria) occurs over a period of 10 to 15 minutes (range, 6 to 47 minutes).¹ Dystocia is an uncommon event in llamas and alpacas. Studies in South America found that dystocia in alpacas (1660 birthings observed) occurred in 1.6% of birthings and that 25% of these occurred in primiparous females. Data in a smaller number of llamas (234 birthings observed) demonstrated dystocia in only 1 female (0.4 %).¹ Interestingly, causes of dystocia differ in South America and North America. Uterine torsion is rarely found in descriptions of dystocia in South America. Causes of dystocia in these populations include fetal malpositioning with 30% of those occurring with the fetus in a posterior presentation and 70% in anterior presentation.¹ Markedly less information is available documenting causes of dystocia in North American herds.^2,3 What data is available seems to indicate that uterine torsion is a common cause for veterinary intervention of dystocia.^2,4 The author‘s opinion is that fetal malpositioning is associated with the majority of dystocia in llamas and alpacas and that uterine torsion is over represented in the literature because these cases are more likely to be presented to teaching hospitals for treatment.³

Read the rest of the article: https://www.vetfolio.com/learn/article/cesarean-section-in-small-ruminants-part-2-uterine-torsion-and-cesarean-section-in-llamas-and-alpacas

Date of Publication:
March 27, 2017

Publication:
Veterian Key

Excerpt:
Poor reproductive efficiency has been described as one of the major problems in camelids. The mean annual fertility (birthing rate) in alpacas and llamas in South America can be as low as 45%. No studies exist on the actual annual pregnancy rates in alpacas on North American ranches. Informal surveys in our area of practice (Pacific Northwestern USA) show an annual birthing rate of 78%.

Various congenital as well as acquired disorders of the reproductive tract in camelids have been described and may play an important role in reduced fertility.1 In many cases, diagnosis of the cause of infertility may require monitoring the female over at least one reproductive cycle (from follicular growth to mating and pregnancy diagnosis). The objectives would be to answer the following questions: What is the expertise of the breeder? Is the male fertile? Does the female have normal genitalia? Is the female ovulating? Judicious choice of examination techniques and interpretation allow reaching a diagnosis in an accurate and timely manner. The objective of the present chapter is to discuss the major presenting complaints with regard to camelid infertility as seen in practice, as well as the main reproductive disorders in the female camelid and the approach to diagnosis and treatment.

Read the rest of the article: https://veteriankey.com/infertility-and-subfertility-in-the-female-camelid/

Date of Publication:
2017

Publication:
Microsc. Microanal. 23 (Suppl 1), 2017

Excerpt:
Waste management has been identified as an ongoing concern for livestock farms. For livestock farms/producers/stables waste management is an important part of the daily operation. Common practice for waste management is to remove and stockpile the waste away from the areas occupied by animals. These stockpiles are known to leach nitrogen (N) and other potentially harmful elements into the soil, and in the end, groundwater.[1] Innovative use of biochar has been proven to reduce N loss from animal waste, enhance the availability of N mineralization in soils, improve and sustain soil quality and fertility, and increase crop growth.[2] Biochar is the product of pyrolysis of a biomass feedstock at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen. The small livestock producer needs an alternative to the “stockpile” waste management which can be accomplished with minimal change to the daily farming tasks. Open air burning of the waste is a viable alternative to stockpile management but adds to the quantity of particulates in the air. Use of a biochar reactor to turn farm waste (manure/biomass) into biochar for the addition and enhancement of soil is a reasonable alternative to the stockpiling method.

Read the rest of the article: https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/9C7F8AA3B4F40851F374C53B6F277A75/S1431927617006353a.pdf/div-class-title-biochar-from-alpaca-manure-the-basics-div.pdf