Rob, Raelene & Elyse Strong have now been farming alpacas since 1991. Now farming approx 400 alpacas,
Through 18 years of breeding and watching each generation ...our experience can show you how to meet your breeding goals, and produce super fine & Ultra Fine fleeces in fewer generations.
Elyse was priviledged to study wool classing under Australian Fibre experts, and gain the knowledge that has been used in other breeding systems, to select, and identify the key factors in genetic and fleece improvements.
Through our herd selection process and sire selection, we are advancing our progeny from advanced fleeces to elite fleeces.
We show you the conventional way of breeding selecting for the triggers that will improve your progeny.
We have been advancing our herd to consistantly producing super fine (averageing 16 micron, and as fine as 12 micron) fleeces. The highest price is always paid for the finest, and most consistant- in fleeces and Breeding stock.
Our males have been producing these fleeces for years, and we are still improving with each generation.
Softest of Handle........Highest Lustre.......great density.......our males, and our breeding program, can help you gain the same improvements over reach generation.
We have exported alpacas over to UK, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and New Zealand... and are now offering some of our elit stock to the Canadian Marketplace.
With famous sires- Jolimont Stefano, Jolimont Cristiano, Jolimont Patche', Jolimone Vallon De oro', Mariah Hill Olympic Dream, Mariah Hill Black Onyx, Mariah Hill Armador, Ep Conquistador. with outside genetics as Hemingway, Highlander, Luminosa, El Dorado, Inti, Ledgers Dream.
So you would like to Import Alpacas to Canada........How do you go about this?
All countries have high Biosecurity to protect their country, domestic stock, and wild life from diseases and virus they do not currently have.
This is protected for both Importing and Exporting, and so Protocols were devloped for this rason.
When alpacs are being quarantined in the country of Origin, they are tested against any of the undesired diseases the destination country do not want or are keeping control off at the time of export/Import.
One of the major diseases that is taking alot of attention worldwide is Blue TOngue Virus (BTV), which is rushing through Europe currently, causing deaths and fertility problems in many species.
ALthough Alpacas are very Low Risk, they can thow up antibodies when exposed to this virus. At this stage, with little studies being done on Alpacas, they are regarded as not carriers to the disease, and they do not get sick with the disease. More information can be found on
http://www.mariahhillalpaca.com/alpacaforcanada.html
The antibodies will throw this up if tested. The disease is spread by vecotrs called Culicoides midge, especilly 1 particular species of this midgee, and so it is hard to stop the spread, because the infected animal does not spread the disease but the vector.
The very top of Australia does have these vetors, and although we never have had an epidimic of BTV, and there has only ever been 1 case of BTV in a sheep near Dasrwin, since 1979, Australia is very aware, that viruses are always changing, and we are also very aware that we do not want an outbreak.
A lot of research has been done by Australia into BTV, and Australia has got some of the world BTV virus experts always working on the research and stuies into this disease.
There are a number of vector traps sprinkled around Australia, when they catch the vectors, and if when they check each bug, or midgee caught by the trap, the area that the midge is caught, then becomes a BTV zone. This si nto to be mistaken that there is animals with the virus in this zone, but it means that the midgees are in the area, and so the risk of an animal being bitten by the midgee and the virus is injected is higher. so 50 kms from this trap, is regarded as BTV Xone and then 50 km from the out point of the BTV ZOne, bevomes a survellience zone, the rest of the area around this two zones are then a BTV Free ZOne.
The BTV and Survellience ZOnes move constantly, and can be checked on the following website , which gives you the current situation for the BTV in Australia.
http://www.animalhealthaustralia.com.au/nahis/public.php?page=namp_public&aha_program=2
If importing alpacas into Canada, or any country, this map must be taken into account, as most protocols will not allow any animal from a BTV zone or a survellience zone to be imported into their country.
Our Contact details
Raelene Strong
Ph/Fax +61 3 59 425722 E:mariahhill@bigpond.com
