Soon after first buying alpacas, Steve was at an alpaca show where the invited speaker, flying in, was significantly weather delayed. Due to the substantial delay, the seminar would be cancelled. Did anyone know of a local vet who could give the hour-long talk on a very short notice?

Steve looked at the speaker’s seminar handout. After a few moments, he said yes, he did know of someone who could do it.

It turned out that the talk was about basic alpaca reproductive physiology - a subject Steve was very familiar with having done extensive research with sheep in that area. In addition, he had just finished lecturing on human reproduction to medical students. Yes, there were a “few” differences between alpacas and people, but these were relatively minor issues that he was familiar with from his degree in Veterinary and Animal Sciences.

So, with a few minutes of refreshing facts and concepts, the seminar was on and it went rather uneventfully. The comments afterwards were encouraging, “My, I didn’t know you knew that” and “Gee, you ought to do more of this.”

TimberLake Seminars was started . . . .

Now Steve is full time on the farm and giving seminars is not much different from teaching at the medical school. Steve, and now Tom, have now taught many seminars across the USA and increasingly internationally. The topics are varied, but below are just some of the topics that are covered. Note that six to perhaps seven topics can be done in one day - not all!

Steve does much of the nutrition, management and forage topics where Tom handles the clinical topics. Together, they tackle the large middle ground where veterinary medicine overlaps with management. One issue permeates almost every topic, be it reproduction, worming, vaccinations - nutrition.

Our most popular seminar, Alpacas - All Things Considered is a full day seminar that is a superb introduction for the newcomer, but many long time breeders appreciate the new material. This seminar contains six or seven of the topics below and can also include time for demonstrations on techniques. We also teach: Alpacas - Advanced Reproductive Techniques, Advanced Alpaca Nutrition, Alpaca Farm Infrastructure and Planning, and Advanced Pasture Management.

TimberLake Seminars Presentation Topics

• Important relevant alpaca nomenclature and physiology
• Essential alpaca nutrition
• Rational vaccinations and parasite control
• Forages and pastures
• Basic breeding, birthing and weaning
• Pasture fertilization and “nutrition”
• Summer crias and dehydration issues
• Dry lot considerations, measurements and supplements
• Farm safety - electrical, plumbing and power equipment
• Fencing issues - choices, installations, lifetime and costs
• Advanced alpaca female reproduction and physiology
• Advanced alpaca male reproduction and physiology
• Advanced breeding strategies - female
• Advanced breeding strategies - male
• The normal alpaca birth - timelines and when to call the vet
• Rebreeding issues & the dam during lactation
• Weaning strategies - minimizing stress for dam, cria and owner
• Farm infrastructure - barns/water/electricity
• Farm biosecurity - protection for your alpacas

The seminar materials are distributed in the form of a 200 plus page book. The last 100 pages contain notes posted by Steve to the discussion group “alpacasite". Many of these posts are requested to reprint repeatedly.

The seminar also relies on the superb Alpaca Field Guide by veterinarian and noted camelid expert, Dr. Norm Evans, DVM. This book, now in its 5′th printing, has gems that both Steve and Tom quote - for example “anyone can feed, it takes work for give good nutrition”. We encourage all to keep a copy of this alpaca “bible” on hand and have it as a ready resource for your vet. Better yet, buy on for your vet!

Yes, a book is in the works, TimberLake Farms Alpaca Management Book and a chapter is included in another section of this website.

You may find locations where seminars are going to be held on our Upcoming Seminar page.