Re: [AlpacaTalk] Re: The real question on hay feeding?????????

I can't say on the hay and alpaca issue, but I do know the basis for keeping a routine for feeding is very important in some species. I do know that animals that are creatures of habit, such as parrots, can become upset not only if the manner is changed, if a different peerson does the feeding and even if that person wears a different perfume or has a different smell to them. animals that relay on insticts,such as alpacas fear of dogs and keeping in a herd for protection, it could reason that any change could upset their sense of security, and thus affecting their milk production etc. That being said, if the animals are accoustomed to a variety of schedules or styles, then it wouldn't be seen as a threat to their security. In my opinion, it's better to get them accustomed to a varying schedule/methods because if a change has to be made it won't be stressful.
happy holiday,
marianne

Heather Zeleny - West Wind Alpacas <westwindalpacas@comcast.net> wrote:
Hi Sharon and Jim,
I was waiting to see if others had insight into this before posting..
but no one has!

I don't see how fluffing hay or not would have any affect on cows'
milk production. Is this anectotal or proven, or even a myth?

We used to fluff hay. Now we do not. When we did fluff the hay we were
also giving MSM daily as a preventative wormer as we had had massive
liver fluke infestation/infection. We think it was the MSM that blew
out the fiber, as it is sulphur based. So we don't know if fluffing
hay had any affect on our alpacas' fleece or milk production. Our
babies this year as a group had heavier birth weights than any other
previous year. :) At the same time, we had two 2 year olds who had
AFDs of under 20µ, and two almost yearlings with AFDs 20 or under, one
was 16.6! We are no longer supplementing with MSM, by the way. So I'd
say we have havier babies and better fleece not fluffing hay. I can't
really measure milk production, but the babies are doing very well.
And we haven't really kept up with weighing the babies past one month
of age. As long as they are growing well and have good body scores...
It's a manpower issue.

Does anyone else have observations on this subject?

Heather Zeleny
West Wind Alpacas
1150 Darlene Ln. #199
Eugene, OR, 97401

voice: 541.868.6976

http://www.westwindalpacas.com/
http://www.alpacanation.com/westwind.asp

--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, Sharon or Jim Dear
<sldear2001@y...> wrote:
>
> Take an alpaca farm. One person is an old dairy farmer, the other
person is not barn experieced, The farmer insists on fluffing the hay
with a pitch fork, the non farmer does not.
> 6 months later the non-farmer says to the farmer why aren't you
using the pitch fork and fluffing the hay any more? The farmer says
because you did not fluff and the alpacas will be affected by not
having the same manner of feeding (fluff versus putting out flakes of
hay) because i know that production animals (cows) are affected if
each person does not feed them the same way.
>
> Any imput on this subject would be welcomed.
>
> So I guess that was the real question to my asking eariler about
how do you feed hay to your alpacas?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Jim and Sharon Dear
> St. Lawrence County
> Potsdam, New York
> Alpacas came home 9-11-04
> THE DEAR ALPACA FARM
> www.dearalpacafarm.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! Photos
> Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events,
holidays, whatever.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

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Tim & Marianne Barry
Sonny Haven Alpacas LLC
Sumter, SC
myalpacapride@yahoo.com

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[AlpacaTalk] Re: The real question on hay feeding?????????

--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, "Heather Zeleny - West Wind
Alpacas" <westwindalpacas@c...> wrote:
>Our
> babies this year as a group had heavier birth weights than any other
> previous year. :) At the same time, we had two 2 year olds who had
> AFDs of under 20µ, and two almost yearlings with AFDs 20 or under, one
> was 16.6! We are no longer supplementing with MSM, by the way.

Make that 3 yearlings under 20µ! I forgot one!

>
> Heather Zeleny
> West Wind Alpacas
> 1150 Darlene Ln. #199
> Eugene, OR, 97401
>
> voice: 541.868.6976
>
> http://www.westwindalpacas.com/
> http://www.alpacanation.com/westwind.asp

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[AlpacaTalk] Re: The real question on hay feeding?????????

I think consistency is a good idea in general. Just like cows want to
be milked at the same time each day, they probably like to eat at the
same time each day. I have to say we don't have a set time for feeding
pellets, they get 'em when we get out there! And once in a while we
miss a day, but they always have free choice, unfluffed hay. :)

I guess we'd have to have a really large scale study done by lots of
breeders taking meticulous notes on feeding times, quantities,
supplements... then again we have so many different types of feed out
there, different feeds might affect the fiber in different ways.

Heather Zeleny
West Wind Alpacas
1150 Darlene Ln. #199
Eugene, OR, 97401

voice: 541.868.6976

http://www.westwindalpacas.com/
http://www.alpacanation.com/westwind.asp

--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, Sharon or Jim Dear
<sldear2001@y...> wrote:
>
> I think you are starting to answer my question.
> So maybe i need to ask, do we need to be consistent in our feeding
methods with alpacas as dairy farmers do in order to keep up milk
production in cows. Honestly I think it is like comparing apples and
organges. Alpacas do not produce milk for us to sell, but they do
produce fiber for us to use. So could alpaca farmers do doing the
chores in the same manner affect the fiber?

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Re: [AlpacaTalk] Re: The real question on hay feeding?????????

I think you are starting to answer my question.
So maybe i need to ask, do we need to be consistent in our feeding methods with alpacas as dairy farmers do in order to keep up milk production in cows. Honestly I think it is like comparing apples and organges. Alpacas do not produce milk for us to sell, but they do produce fiber for us to use. So could alpaca farmers do doing the chores in the same manner affect the fiber?

Heather Zeleny - West Wind Alpacas <westwindalpacas@comcast.net> wrote:
Hi Sharon and Jim,
I was waiting to see if others had insight into this before posting..
but no one has!

I don't see how fluffing hay or not would have any affect on cows'
milk production. Is this anectotal or proven, or even a myth?

We used to fluff hay. Now we do not. When we did fluff the hay we were
also giving MSM daily as a preventative wormer as we had had massive
liver fluke infestation/infection. We think it was the MSM that blew
out the fiber, as it is sulphur based. So we don't know if fluffing
hay had any affect on our alpacas' fleece or milk production. Our
babies this year as a group had heavier birth weights than any other
previous year. :) At the same time, we had two 2 year olds who had
AFDs of under 20µ, and two almost yearlings with AFDs 20 or under, one
was 16.6! We are no longer supplementing with MSM, by the way. So I'd
say we have havier babies and better fleece not fluffing hay. I can't
really measure milk production, but the babies are doing very well.
And we haven't really kept up with weighing the babies past one month
of age. As long as they are growing well and have good body scores...
It's a manpower issue.

Does anyone else have observations on this subject?

Heather Zeleny
West Wind Alpacas
1150 Darlene Ln. #199
Eugene, OR, 97401

voice: 541.868.6976

http://www.westwindalpacas.com/
http://www.alpacanation.com/westwind.asp

--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, Sharon or Jim Dear
<sldear2001@y...> wrote:
>
> Take an alpaca farm. One person is an old dairy farmer, the other
person is not barn experieced, The farmer insists on fluffing the hay
with a pitch fork, the non farmer does not.
> 6 months later the non-farmer says to the farmer why aren't you
using the pitch fork and fluffing the hay any more? The farmer says
because you did not fluff and the alpacas will be affected by not
having the same manner of feeding (fluff versus putting out flakes of
hay) because i know that production animals (cows) are affected if
each person does not feed them the same way.
>
> Any imput on this subject would be welcomed.
>
> So I guess that was the real question to my asking eariler about
how do you feed hay to your alpacas?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Jim and Sharon Dear
> St. Lawrence County
> Potsdam, New York
> Alpacas came home 9-11-04
> THE DEAR ALPACA FARM
> www.dearalpacafarm.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! Photos
> Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events,
holidays, whatever.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

SPONSORED LINKS
Alpaca Alpaca breeders West wind inn Farm animal Real estate farming Farming organic

---------------------------------
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Visit your group "AlpacaTalk" on the web.

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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---------------------------------

Jim and Sharon Dear
St. Lawrence County
Potsdam, New York
Alpacas came home 9-11-04
THE DEAR ALPACA FARM
www.dearalpacafarm.com

---------------------------------
Yahoo! Photos
Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays, whatever.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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[AlpacaTalk] Re: The real question on hay feeding?????????

Hi Sharon and Jim,
I was waiting to see if others had insight into this before posting..
but no one has!

I don't see how fluffing hay or not would have any affect on cows'
milk production. Is this anectotal or proven, or even a myth?

We used to fluff hay. Now we do not. When we did fluff the hay we were
also giving MSM daily as a preventative wormer as we had had massive
liver fluke infestation/infection. We think it was the MSM that blew
out the fiber, as it is sulphur based. So we don't know if fluffing
hay had any affect on our alpacas' fleece or milk production. Our
babies this year as a group had heavier birth weights than any other
previous year. :) At the same time, we had two 2 year olds who had
AFDs of under 20µ, and two almost yearlings with AFDs 20 or under, one
was 16.6! We are no longer supplementing with MSM, by the way. So I'd
say we have havier babies and better fleece not fluffing hay. I can't
really measure milk production, but the babies are doing very well.
And we haven't really kept up with weighing the babies past one month
of age. As long as they are growing well and have good body scores...
It's a manpower issue.

Does anyone else have observations on this subject?

Heather Zeleny
West Wind Alpacas
1150 Darlene Ln. #199
Eugene, OR, 97401

voice: 541.868.6976

http://www.westwindalpacas.com/
http://www.alpacanation.com/westwind.asp

--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, Sharon or Jim Dear
<sldear2001@y...> wrote:
>
> Take an alpaca farm. One person is an old dairy farmer, the other
person is not barn experieced, The farmer insists on fluffing the hay
with a pitch fork, the non farmer does not.
> 6 months later the non-farmer says to the farmer why aren't you
using the pitch fork and fluffing the hay any more? The farmer says
because you did not fluff and the alpacas will be affected by not
having the same manner of feeding (fluff versus putting out flakes of
hay) because i know that production animals (cows) are affected if
each person does not feed them the same way.
>
> Any imput on this subject would be welcomed.
>
> So I guess that was the real question to my asking eariler about
how do you feed hay to your alpacas?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Jim and Sharon Dear
> St. Lawrence County
> Potsdam, New York
> Alpacas came home 9-11-04
> THE DEAR ALPACA FARM
> www.dearalpacafarm.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! Photos
> Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events,
holidays, whatever.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
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[AlpacaTalk] The real question on hay feeding?????????

Take an alpaca farm. One person is an old dairy farmer, the other person is not barn experieced, The farmer insists on fluffing the hay with a pitch fork, the non farmer does not.
6 months later the non-farmer says to the farmer why aren't you using the pitch fork and fluffing the hay any more? The farmer says because you did not fluff and the alpacas will be affected by not having the same manner of feeding (fluff versus putting out flakes of hay) because i know that production animals (cows) are affected if each person does not feed them the same way.

Any imput on this subject would be welcomed.

So I guess that was the real question to my asking eariler about how do you feed hay to your alpacas?

Jim and Sharon Dear
St. Lawrence County
Potsdam, New York
Alpacas came home 9-11-04
THE DEAR ALPACA FARM
www.dearalpacafarm.com

---------------------------------
Yahoo! Photos
Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays, whatever.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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