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�A Full Service Alpaca Farm Including Seminars and Consulting�

TimberLake Seminars

Soon after first buying alpacas, Steve was at an alpaca show where the invited speaker, Steve doing a demonstration at a seminar. 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 Tom at one of their seminars. 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: Advanced Alpaca 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.

Our Upcoming Seminar page lists sites where seminars are going to be held.

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.

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Alpacas - All Things Considered

Abstract

Steve Hull, Ph.D. & Tom Cameron, Ph.D. present a day packed with vital information and presented with their unique brand of humor. The seminar covers a large variety of issues such as: pasture management/fertilization, ruminant nutrition, parasite prevention/control, cria/adult vaccinations breeding/birthing/weaning issues, and many other subjects relating to the latest alpaca husbandry and veterinary medicine perspectives. This day long seminar is for both the new and established breeder. This is your chance to tap the brains of an animal scientist and a veterinarian at the lecture and during the "stump the chump" session! They will also have a demonstration class of restraint techniques, blood drawing, injections, toenail/tooth trimming, microchip insertion, etc.

Course Outline
Following is a preliminary outline of what we will be covering at the workshop.

Important camelid physiology and nomenclature

Digestive system
Conformation and bone structure
Fleece
Reproductive system

Camelid nutrition
Basic food groups (protein, carbohydrates, fats)
Rumen and the camelid stomachs
Critical role of forages
Vitamins and minerals
The dangers of overfeeding
The importance of keeping records

Rational Vaccination and Worming issues
Vaccination quality and dangers
Adult vaccinations
Cria Vaccination schedules
Parasites
Non-pharmacological control of parasites (biological and management)

Field work - discussing these topics with alpacas as "visual aids"
Teeth and trimming
Toenails
Worming techniques
Restraint
Blood collection
Body scoring
Microchip injections
Tubing crias

Basic breeding birthing and weaning issues
Long-term herd planning
Care of the breeding male
Female issues - when to breed or re-breed
Achieving a �one breeding pregnancy�
Pregnancy test methods
Birth and neonatal cria care

Feeding
Dry-lot considerations
Forage testing
Mineral panels
Different types/grades of forage for different animal situations
Pastures: soil, fertilization, water, aeration, and other considerations
Pasture rotation

Farm Safety
Electrical
Plumbing/water
Hay and appropriate storage
Fences / gates - different types of fencing
Farm layout

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Advanced Alpaca Techniques

This hands-on seminar, focusing on alpaca reproduction, goes beyond the basics. Combining basic sciences, management and clinical perspectives, this presentation is designed to provide advanced information on alpaca developmental and adult male and female reproductive physiology/anatomy. It includes information on �state of the art breeding� practices, and issues associated with birthing, weaning and re-breeding.

Also included will be the opportunity to discuss, observe or perform some of the following techniques: blood draws, using swabs to determine male fertility, use of the speculum, ultrasound for effective herd management, stethoscopic skills, use of herbal and other lactation hormones, tubing the cria, use of glucometer, etc.

Designed to significantly enhance your breeding knowledge, the information presented in this workshop will enable you to be a far more effective mentor to new farms and will set you apart from individuals who don�t keep up with continuing education.

Due to the advanced nature and hands-on opportunities, this workshop has a limited enrollment.

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TimberLake Farms If you are hosting a seminar and would like to add a link to TimerLake Farms you may use this graphic. Please provide a hyperlink back to this site.