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In this issue…

Summer Greetings from Marty

The days are really long here in Bend which is darn handy with all the work that needs to be done in these few short months of summer. Pastures to mow, gardens to tend, animals to shear…what a change from life on the road most of the time. I have just returned from a great clinic in New Jersey hosted by Meadowgate Farm and ably organized by Camelidynamics Handler Karen Dombeck. Practitioner Dorothy Hunt was on hand to assist. What a difference it makes to be part of a team.

If you haven’t been to an Advanced Clinic, consider coming this year or soon. I am just amazed at the quantum leap in skill level that happens in four days of intensive camelid handling with hands–on and video coaching. Learning to be a more efficient handler is not only more fun but saves time…the one thing none of us has enough of!

It is so much fun to host the 4–day trainings. It is like a class reunion every time! If you enjoy working with llamas and alpacas and PEOPLE, do consider the Handler and Practitioner Program as there is significant demand for qualified handlers and teachers.marty sig Download the Guild Guidelines if you have any questions email marty@camelidynamics.com or liz@camelidynamics.com. The program is rigorous, but the rewards are many. I hope to see many of you at a clinic or event soon!

 

 

2006 Advanced Clinic Open Slots

All of the 2006 Advanced Clinics filled very fast but cancellations have opened up a couple of spots:

If you are interested the Handler Seal, beginning the Practitioner Program this year or advancing your handling skills to a new level, email marty@camelidynamics.com and grab one of these spots. Click here to learn more about Advanced Clinics.

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT Extended! Joint Basics Clinic with Amanda Vandenbosch

We still have a few openings in this one of a kind clinic. To accommodate this mailing we have extended the early bird deadline by two weeks! Sign up before June 30 and still receive the early bird discount of $540 (10% off). This one of a kind clinic is absolutely a must for newbies who want to get this most important information in one spot at one time. Save on transportation costs, and time by attending a handling and fiber/conformation clinic presented together.

Marty will be attending Amanda’s clinic and Amanda is attending Marty’s clinic which means your opportunity to have time with the experts is doubled! Marty will be supervising all the animal handling which means two additional days of animal handling practice. Email marty@camelidynamics.com to register or click here to learn more.

Attention! Traveling to Bend, Oregon just got easier!

There are now flights to Bend/Redmond airport directly from Denver! The Camelidynamics Center is just 20 minutes from the Bend/Redmond airport. These flights have just started and are only operating on the weekend but provided the route is popular, there will be flights directly to Denver daily. These weekend flights will make it much easier for many of you to get to the Advanced Clinics since they begin on Saturday. If you haven't made your travel plans, be sure to look into these new United Airlines flights at www.united.com.

The Guild Nearing 1-Year Mark

get it now

Not yet a year old (August is our 1-year anniversary), and the Guild is now nearly 400 hundred strong. We have discussions proceeding about 398 topics all related to training, handling and management with well over 1,200 posts. In addition to unlimited posting, Guild members receive a weekly digest of posts, have access to the Guild Library, are eligible for the (soon to be) members discounts in the webstore and receive the quarterly Guild eNews packed full of information. It is the best $30 you will spend on your alpacas or llamas! Click here to learn more and join.

Tip of the Quarter: Play Hard!

Here’s some excerpts of one of our favorite topics this summer…FUN! Click here to view the complete thread on the Guild Forum.

POST: Pen enrichment for small herd owners

NinaFaust 04-06-2006 01:37 PM

moose

Since I have only 2 alpacas, a pair of geldings, I am interested in pen enrichment. Zoos require enriched environments for apes, chimps, and many other very intelligent animals. Alpacas in a larger herd probably provide a lot of entertainment for each other. But two alpacas alone probably could use some extra stimulation…

 

 

Marty McGee Bennett 04-06-2006 04:14 PM

scratch post

wow Nina, A moose to look at is pretty good enrichment! I think you have already gotten them each the best enrichment there is...each other! However the other thing that alpacas love to do is eat. So figuring out how you can give them plenty to chew on without them getting fat is a good thing in which to invest some effort. Some people put street sweeping rollers in the pasture because the animals love to rub against them…

 

 

 

 

Liz McDannold 04-07-2006 08:50 AM

Hi Nina, How about some hills/mounds for climbing and playing king–of–the–mountain? If you have trees or a structure to hang something from, how about hanging some strips of webbing or heavy plastic– could serve a dual purpose of giving you a distracting 'obstacle' to work around. And maybe some sturdy logs, stumps or rocks to meander through on the never–ending search for a tasty bit of grass…

 

 

NinaFaust 04-27-2006 10:10 PM

I have been thinking more about ways to enrich an alpaca's environment…Many of the toys for horses look like they might be adaptable for alpacas.

alpaca soccercarrot ball

One that looked particularly useful is a Graze Horse Feeder or HorsePlayRound. I adapted this idea to a lighter container–a plastic mixed nut jar. I cut holes into the side, then quartered and sliced some carrots and put them inside. The boys are having a ball with it! So far I don't think I have the exact optimum number of holes to make it just challenging enough without being frustrating. Two holes were not enough, but I think four may be too many. As soon as I finish eating the nuts in another jar, I will try three holes. Anyway, this has been a rather fun experiment.

 

 

Marty McGee Bennett 05-02-2006 01:57 PM

This really makes my day. When I saw the post I was hoping for photos! This is the cutest thing. Once you get just the right ratio of carrots to holes and hole size please post the directions. I would love to make some for my girls. This just really makes me smile! I want to come back as one of your alpacas.

 

 

Julie Taylor-Browne 05-02-2006 10:18 PM

What a great thread this is! I ran an Introduction to Alpacas workshop at my farm last week and we used pasture enrichment as a topic. If I am cutting trees down I will usually put a large branch or two in the pen for them to nibble on (non-poisonous varieties, of course). In England their favourites are willow, hazel and Ash. If you are lucky enough to have apple trees or fruit trees with windfalls they love these too.

Finally knowing how much they love dipping their feet in the water trough in summer I am thinking about putting in a small paddling pool for them, I recently saw a picture of one sitting contentedly in one whilst the others patiently awaited their turn.....

 

 

Read this entire topic and see all other Guild conversations at http://camelidynamics.com/guildForum/showthread.php?t=372

New Posters: Halter Up! & Round Up! NOW AVAILABLE

round uphalter up

We have two beautiful new training/handling posters. These posters are not only incredibly beautiful featuring the artwork of Rumara Jewett (www.rumara.com ) but are chock full of valuable information. The posters are 24 x 36, big enough to be seen easily while you work. You can hang these posters right in your catch pen for an instant reminder or put them in your office or tack room for inspiration. These step–by–step posters make great gifts for your 4–H leader, vet or new clients.

Click here to learn more in our webstore.

Schedule “Marty’s Top 10” Presentation for 2007

The AOBA National Conference included my General Session “Marty’s Top 10” presentation to a standing–room–only crowd.slide 1 I haven’t put in a series of all nighters like this since college. Alyson Gilman, PowerPointer extraordinaire, helped me create the graphics to go with my new Marty’s Top Ten List.

We counted down from #10 “How do you get them to poop in one spot?” to #1…of course, this is highly classified! We got wonderful feedback after the presentation and have decided to take this presentation on the road. If you are a member of a group that is organizing a conference, show, mini-clinic or educational seminar in 2007, please email marty@camelidynamics.com.