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SO
YOU WANT TO TRANSPORT ALPACAS YOURSELF
This
is for those of you, like me, who have either never transported
your own alpacas, BY YOURSELF, or if you did, maybe ran short
of some seemingly inconsequential item that would be worth
more than gold to you at the time you discovered its absence.
All
the transporters I knew of were already booked. Do I panic?
No way. I've been around. Should be no problem. Maybe consider
the trip an adventure, kinda like an Errol Flynn swashbuckling
flick- without Errol, the ship or the water. I'm tackling
this mentally and doing a pretty good job with my attitude-so
far.
Logistics:
How many miles is it? How long will it take? You're kidding,
no way. 1000 miles. 18 hours of pedal to the metal. OK, let's
accumulate some facts, FAST.
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There
are many factors that can generate stress, related to
the transport process, handling, loading, unloading, and
removal from familiar surroundings are a few. Others are
confinement, constant vibration, and the inhalation of
exhaust and urine fumes. The stress combined with limited
water intake can compromise the alpaca's immune system,
exposing your animals to added health risks. For this
reason, it is necessary to minimize the number and severity
of the trips.
Carefully
consider time of year, route
maps, places to stop with animals, car tune up,
and assure that your trailer is in safe and serviceable
condition. Careful planning is the key.
Give
your trailer a bath inside, outside, and underneath
to expose any problems that might be hiding under last
year's road grime and mud.
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Look
for cracks and rusting especially where urine and dung tend
to collect. Rust can make your trailer unsafe. Have your trailer
inspected, or carefully inspect it yourself at least once
a year. This inspection should include tire rotation and bearing
lubrication. Special care should be given to your wiring system
and a check of your turn, brake, and running lights.
Inspect
your truck's exhaust system to assure that excessive fumes
are not going to get into your trailer.
I'll
be taking 4 animals. My stud El Patron and 3 non-pregnant
females. Uh-oh. How do I avoid turning this road show into
a brothel on wheels. Enter Tim Timmerman of Aussie Acres.
He installed a clever, removable divider into my 2 horse trailer
making it impossible for El Patron to leave his side yet allowing
visual contact with the others. Keep in mind, these animals
are herd oriented and find solace in each others company.
There's
patchy snow all over the place. Heat won't be a problem this
time but can be if you don't have adequate ventilation in
your vehicle.
Monitor
the air freshness each time you stop. Open and close doors,
windows, or vents as necessary. That's standard precaution
for all times of the year. Alpacas are forage eating animals
and give off a lot of body heat. In summer add A/C or a blower
if you can and consider doing your traveling at night if temperatures
warrant it. That being said, don't dally too long. Dragging
out travel time just keeps them off their normal routines
that much longer.
Don't
judge the trailer temp as if you personally were riding back
there, unless you're wearing a furry jumpsuit for the experiment.
Think of being 16,000 feet up in the Alta Plano and not even
a shiver. Our furry critters are tough, and much more durable
than we are.
For
bedding, a thick mattress of good quality clean hay without
seeds or other contaminants makes it comfortable for the animals
and easy for you to pick their fleece out once you've arrived
at your destination.
El
Patron is always putting his head through fences etc. so I
didn't want to hang hay bags or water buckets that he could
get tangled in. Add 3 more heads and 12 more feet to the equation.
Well, here's the most remarkable fact and the solution to
the problem. Alpaca just love to eat the hay off the floor
while in their cush positions which they get into as soon
as you move one inch. To make life even easier, the areas
they use as dung piles are easily picked up and spreading
more hay around makes it just as fresh as new. Pick up one
of those collapsible rakes, they can be adjusted to any width
for narrow areas and will stow easily on a wall. Don't forget
a shovel. Some folks prefer the L shaped kind with a long
handle so you don't have to bend down . I like the longer
handled variety for the pen cleaning at the shows but on a
trailer the plain old Rubbermaid kitchen type is much handier,
wider and easier to control, and it stowed flat.
As
for food, we know where they'll get their hay. Off the floor.
The rest is just as easy. Don't give pellets or grains. .
I wouldn't give it during the hauling or any periods of stress
(shows) anyway. Their routine has been affected and the confinement
in small spaces doesn't allow much natural movement. Not a
happy situation especially if you're trying to digest a big
meal. Get the point.
Hydration:
the day before the trip make sure they've had all the water
they want. . While you're moving they won't be drinking as
they travel in the cush position (lying down). Be sure to
stop at least every two hours and offer buckets of their home
water. Water on the road may have a different mineral content
and taste or smell unappetizing to your inexperienced traveler.
The last thing I wanted to worry about was an animal that
was becoming dehydrated because he was fussy about his brand
of water. I carry enough water in collapsible jugs to handle
the round trip needs and it seems to workout just fine. There
was a time when I figured anyone related to a camel could
go a week without water. Maybe they can in Hollywood movies,
but they sure did go for the H2O on our trek. By the way,
attach the bucket handle to something to keep it from tipping.
A wet Alpaca is not a pretty site and water can play havoc
with a perfect fleece before a halter class.
Keep
in mind that these rest stops are also necessary for the animals
to relieve themselves. If you're transporting a nursing cria,
you'll want to give the mom all the time she needs to feed
her baby. Check with your vet to decide how often you must
stop. Take a moment to assess the temperature and air freshness
inside your trailer, and open and close doors, windows, or
vents accordingly.
I
leave the halters on and snug in case of an emergency exit
or to easily clip onto leads to unload. The less stress the
better.
It
can be very reassuring to have an auto club membership such
as AAA, so that you know help
(to a vet or mechanic) is only a phone call away. Driving
down a deserted road, knowing there's a town out there somewhere,
wouldn't you like to know where the gas stations are located
along your route AND their hours of operation. How about who
has emergency service. Think that might come in handy? AAA
and others can tell you ahead of time. Betcha the internet
has it somewhere. Trust me on this. It will save you lots
of anxiety when your needle starts dipping below the 1/4 mark.
Sounds paranoid and extreme, I know. Alone on the road , dark
or light, in an alien landscape with a major investment in
tow, better to be prepared.
Know
your license plate number, also that of your trailer. Write
it down inside your vehicle. When you're nowhere near you
home state is not the place to find out your tag isn't current
and you're being detained-under local, tribal law- not the
USA laws we operate under. I don't even know if I'm entitled
to my one, let em know where I am, call. Whew! Check with
travel experts. Know your route. Ask for problem roads and
danger areas. Learn how to use your compass and be sure it
has a backlight. You'll at least have an idea of the proper
direction to head in.
Fuel
consumption is totally mind boggling. Forget what you read
on the dealers sticker as to miles traveled per gallon of
gas. I'm convinced they get their results while driving downhill
in overdrive. I've never seen a needle drop as fast as when
pulling a trailer. I've heard that pulling using the higher
octane fuel doesn't do anything special for your engine or
mileage. If anyone really knows, please send me an e-mail.
I just followed Toyotas' instructions and used 87.
Tire
pressure. My trailer has 4 tires and one unused spare. The
dealer recommends I keep the pressure at 39. Check them visually
on the road and also by kicking each and listening to the
sound. If the sound is the same all the way around your rolling
on equal pressure, a good thing. For those of you who may
be tone deaf, a $1.79 pressure gauge is mucho importante.
Look
for a video monitor with temperature readout. I don't have
the brand name but saw one at the last futurity. You can watch
the animals in the trailer from the convenience of your car
and monitor the trailer conditions affecting them. This could
become a necessity with a pregnant female or cria in tow.
Ever
consider loading up before dawn, tooling down the road and
being blinded by the rising sun when you came around the hill.
Be aware of sunrise. Bring and wear sunglasses. You can loose
control of your rig for a moment while you're eyes are reacting
to the sudden change. On the subject of sunglasses. Buy the
type with side shields. They'll protect you from sunrays streaming
through your side windows which are very tiring and can strain
your eyes adding to drivers fatigue.
Remember
your flashlight. Little one for your map, medium for checking
out your tires, etc., big ole high beamer for searching down
the road. Want to get fancy, get a night vision pair of binoculars.
Where
to rest. Utilize internet, knowledgeable friends and pioneers.
I can recommend a book (U.S. Stabling Guide 800 829-0715)
used by horse endurance riders on their treks across the country.
All of these places cater to horses. Most have stalls, paddocks,
available water, hay and security for all of you. Many are
bed and breakfasts and are used to dealing with late arrivals
and early departures of animals. I stayed at The Ranchette
in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was perfect. Janice, the proprietor
packed breakfast, quiche, juice, coffee and biscuits for on
the road travel plus fruit, just in case.
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