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Alpacas

Resources About Alpacas

This is a graphic of a person pushing a wheelbarrow full of hay to three alpacas.
  • alpaca care, alpaca health, alpaca housing, alpaca nutrition, alpaca veterinary care

Techniques And Practices Necessary For Responsible Alpaca Care

A primer on what an animal sanctuary needs training and protocols in place for when it comes to the compassionate care of alpacas.
This is a graphic of a person pushing a wheelbarrow full of hay to three alpacas.
  • alpaca care, alpaca health, alpaca housing, alpaca nutrition, alpaca veterinary care

Techniques And Practices Necessary For Responsible Alpaca Care

A primer on what an animal sanctuary needs training and protocols in place for when it comes to the compassionate care of alpacas.
Photo by Jaddy Liu on Unsplash
  • alpaca care, alpaca housing, alpaca living areas

Creating A Good Home For Alpacas

Indoor and outdoor living space recommendations for alpacas
Photo by Jaddy Liu on Unsplash
  • alpaca care, alpaca housing, alpaca living areas

Creating A Good Home For Alpacas

Indoor and outdoor living space recommendations for alpacas
Photo by Dušan Smetana on Unsplash
  • foods toxic to alpacas, plants toxic to alpacas, toxic plants

Things That Are Toxic To Alpacas

This list includes descriptions of common plants and other substances that may be toxic to alpacas and tips on how to prevent poisoning at
Photo by Dušan Smetana on Unsplash
  • foods toxic to alpacas, plants toxic to alpacas, toxic plants

Things That Are Toxic To Alpacas

This list includes descriptions of common plants and other substances that may be toxic to alpacas and tips on how to prevent poisoning at your sanctuary.
  • alpaca care, alpaca health, alpaca health evaluation

How to Conduct An Alpaca Health Check

Everything you wanted to know (and some stuff you probably didn’t) about alpaca health checks!
Unity Farm Sanctuary (UFS), co-founded in 2016 by husband and wife team John and Kathy Halamka, is located in Sherborn, Massachusetts, USA, with a mission to facilitate positive change for animals and people alike. Home to a multitude of rescued animals, including equines, alpacas, llamas, sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, and many different birds, UFS also works with the community and vegan organizations to help farmed animals find loving, forever homes. UFS hosts sanctuary tours and humane educational workshops and is an affiliate of the Leaders for Ethics, Animals and the Planet (LEAP) program. LEAP is a national and first-of-its-kind education program offering high school students a compassionate alternative to conventional agricultural programs, such as 4H and FFA (Future Farmers of America). Operating in partnership with 18 farmed animal sanctuaries nationwide, the program's monthly curriculum integrates classroom learning about animals and the environment with practical sanctuary experience and plant-based cooking instruction. UFS is entering its second year of partnership with LEAP and currently hosts six high school students, many of whom work or volunteer at the sanctuary.
  • alpaca care, alpaca health, alpaca health evaluation

How to Conduct An Alpaca Health Check

Everything you wanted to know (and some stuff you probably didn't) about alpaca health checks!
Two alpacas sitting in a kiddy pool together.
  • alpaca enrichment, alpaca welfare, camelid enrichment, environmental enrichment

Creating An Enriching Life For Alpacas

Help ensure your alpaca residents have a happy and healthy life by introducing enrichment strategies for them!
Two alpacas sitting in a kiddy pool together.
  • alpaca enrichment, alpaca welfare, camelid enrichment, environmental enrichment

Creating An Enriching Life For Alpacas

Help ensure your alpaca residents have a happy and healthy life by introducing enrichment strategies for them!
A mother alpaca stands with her baby in a field.
  • baby alpaca, baby llama, crias, young camelids

Care Recommendations For Crias (Baby Alpacas And Llamas)

Nutritional, living space, and social recommendations for a younger llama or alpaca in an animal sanctuary environment!
A mother alpaca stands with her baby in a field.
  • baby alpaca, baby llama, crias, young camelids

Care Recommendations For Crias (Baby Alpacas And Llamas)

Nutritional, living space, and social recommendations for a younger llama or alpaca in an animal sanctuary environment!
  • alpaca foot health, alpaca nail maintenance, alpaca nail trimming

How To Trim An Alpaca’s Nails

A short guide on how to trim an alpaca’s nails and common nail care concerns!
Group 407 (1)-strossf
  • alpaca foot health, alpaca nail maintenance, alpaca nail trimming

How To Trim An Alpaca’s Nails

A short guide on how to trim an alpaca's nails and common nail care concerns!
  • Johne's, MAP, Mycobacterium avium

Advanced Topics In Resident Health: Johne’s Disease (Paratuberculosis)

Johne’s is a challenging disease, especially in a sanctuary setting where individuals have unknown backgrounds and may be coming come from situations where the
Open-Sanctuary-Project-Johnes
  • Johne's, MAP, Mycobacterium avium

Advanced Topics In Resident Health: Johne’s Disease (Paratuberculosis)

Johne’s is a challenging disease, especially in a sanctuary setting where individuals have unknown backgrounds and may be coming come from situations where the risk of exposure is high. What do you need to know to keep your residents safe?
Banner reading "What Does It Meand?" with a picture of an alpaca.
  • camelid behavior, camelid body language, camelid care

Understanding Camelid Body Positions: Head And Neck

This resource is part of a series on camelid body language and provides a brief introduction to the different ways camelids communicate with their
Banner reading "What Does It Meand?" with a picture of an alpaca.
  • camelid behavior, camelid body language, camelid care

Understanding Camelid Body Positions: Head And Neck

This resource is part of a series on camelid body language and provides a brief introduction to the different ways camelids communicate with their head and necks.
Banner reading "what does it mean?" with an alpaca and speech bubble with musical notes and the word humm.
  • alpaca vocalizations, camelid behavior, camelid vocalizations, llama vocalizations

What’s The Word?: A Glossary Of Camelid Vocalizations And Sounds

Vocalizations can provide vital insight into a camelid resident’s emotional state and health if you are able to interpret them properly!
Banner reading "what does it mean?" with an alpaca and speech bubble with musical notes and the word humm.
  • alpaca vocalizations, camelid behavior, camelid vocalizations, llama vocalizations

What’s The Word?: A Glossary Of Camelid Vocalizations And Sounds

Vocalizations can provide vital insight into a camelid resident’s emotional state and health if you are able to interpret them properly!
A banner reading "what does it mean?" with an arrow pointing to a llama's tail.
  • alpaca body language, camelid behavior, camelid body language, llama body language

Understanding Camelid Body Language Part 2: Tails

This resource is part of a series on camelid body language and provides a brief introduction to the different ways camelids communicate with their
A banner reading "what does it mean?" with an arrow pointing to a llama's tail.
  • alpaca body language, camelid behavior, camelid body language, llama body language

Understanding Camelid Body Language Part 2: Tails

This resource is part of a series on camelid body language and provides a brief introduction to the different ways camelids communicate with their tails.
What does it mean typed on paper with a llama sitting next to the words.
  • alpaca body language, camelid behavior, camelid body language, llama body language

Understanding Camelid Body Language Part 1: Ears

This resource is part of a series on camelid body language and provides a brief introduction to the different ways camelids communicate with their
What does it mean typed on paper with a llama sitting next to the words.
  • alpaca body language, camelid behavior, camelid body language, llama body language

Understanding Camelid Body Language Part 1: Ears

This resource is part of a series on camelid body language and provides a brief introduction to the different ways camelids communicate with their ears.
This is a graphic of an alpaca with a stethoscope over their chest and a red alert triangle above their body.
  • alpaca disease, alpaca health, alpaca illnesses

Potential Alpaca Health Challenges

An introductory guide for common alpaca health issues, illnesses, and diseases. When in doubt, aways contact an expert or veterinarian for evaluation!
This is a graphic of an alpaca with a stethoscope over their chest and a red alert triangle above their body.
  • alpaca disease, alpaca health, alpaca illnesses

Potential Alpaca Health Challenges

An introductory guide for common alpaca health issues, illnesses, and diseases. When in doubt, aways contact an expert or veterinarian for evaluation!
A lamb eats fresh spring grass in the sun.
  • camelid diets, equine diets, pasture, ruminant diets

Spring Green Pastures: Managing Resident Consumption

This is a mini introductory resource on spring pasture-related health issues, briefly covering things to look out for and precautions to take to ensure
A lamb eats fresh spring grass in the sun.
  • camelid diets, equine diets, pasture, ruminant diets

Spring Green Pastures: Managing Resident Consumption

This is a mini introductory resource on spring pasture-related health issues, briefly covering things to look out for and precautions to take to ensure residents stay happy and healthy this spring!
A cream colored background. A cartoon yellow sun peaks out from behind a baby clue cloud. Bellow are green scribbles that represent grass. Over the cloud are the words "Spring Green Pastures".
  • camelid health, Infographic, pasture management, spring pastures

Spring Green Pastures Infographic

This infographic provides tips on how to keep your residents healthy on lush pastures.
A cream colored background. A cartoon yellow sun peaks out from behind a baby clue cloud. Bellow are green scribbles that represent grass. Over the cloud are the words "Spring Green Pastures".
  • camelid health, Infographic, pasture management, spring pastures

Spring Green Pastures Infographic

This infographic provides tips on how to keep your residents healthy on lush pastures.
On the left, a cutout picture of a zebra stands staring out ahead of them while a young, black male cow stands on the right with a cartoon fly about to land on him.
  • animal well being, animal well-being, bloodborne disease, fly control

Science For Sanctuaries News Edition: Stripes May Discourage Flies

In this resource, we discuss a 2019 research article in which scientists investigated whether painting white stripes on black cows reduced the number of fly bites.
On the left, a cutout picture of a zebra stands staring out ahead of them while a young, black male cow stands on the right with a cartoon fly about to land on him.
  • animal well being, animal well-being, bloodborne disease, fly control

Science For Sanctuaries News Edition: Stripes May Discourage Flies

In this resource, we discuss a 2019 research article in which scientists investigated whether painting white stripes on black cows reduced the number of fly bites.

Fun Facts About Alpacas

Alpacas practice good hygiene and have a designated communal bathroom area!
Yes, it is true! Alpacas do spit, but only when they are really upset and would like to warn away others. If you see their ears back and head up, back away!
A baby alpaca is called a cria. Mothers bond with their crias through vocalizations called humming, as well as through nuzzling and nose to nose contact.

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