Welcome to the February 2005 ILRe-port!
Important information for the ILR member and llama owner.
Rotating Banner Ads
Did you know that you can click on an ad which will take you directly to the advertisers' web site or provide their email address? If you see something you like, get your mouse over there and take look. You can come back to the ILRe-port simply by closing the new browser window.
Events Calendar
Check it out, and ad your event! It is only as good as member input. If you don't like to enter an event through the web site, just give us a call and provide your information to an operator. They will gladly put it up for you. 406-755-3438 Mon. - Fri. 8am to 4pm MST. Or fax your event information to 406-755-3439.
2005 ILR Membership
To vote in 2005, you need to have submitted a membership form and submitted payment by March 15th. However, there are more advantages to membership than just voting. The most common registrations and transfers are offered to members for a slightly lower fee. Under other circumstances we would appreciate your sending us registrations/transfers with the higher fee, but this is a non-profit organization and we cannot use the extra funds for a group outing to one of the local ski resorts. If you plan being a member for 2005, do it now!
Also, on Feb. 15th we will be removing member database search privileges from anyone who was a member in 2004, but has not yet signed up for 2005. If you plan on being a member for 2005, do it now! Don't lose your member privileges.
Call for Candidates
Do you want to take a more active role in the ILR? Do you feel you have a good head for business, creative ideas to promote llamas and can work well with and for others? Perhaps you should consider running for the ILR board of directors.
There are 2 positions on the Board open this year. The person that receives the most votes will receive a 5 year term. The person that receives the second most number of votes will complete Dr. Art Kennel's last year in office.
The deadline to register is Feb. 11 for candidates. You would need to call any of the committee members listed below for more information.
Members of the nominating committee are:
The 108th Annual Meeting of the USAHA
The 108th Annual Meeting of the USAHA (US Animal Health Association) was held in Greensboro, NC, on Oct. 24-27. The camelid community was represented by Teri Baird, Karen Baum, Karen Conyngham, Bob Frost, Julie Jarvinen, Susan Tellez, Cheryl Tillman and Marsharee Wilcox. Leading this delegation was Bob Frost, who, as past president of USAHA, has a permanent seat on the USAHA Board of Directors. The ILR Board of Directors added Karen Conyngham as the ILR representative on the USAHA Board of Directors. She came highly recommended by Bob Frost and works for the USAHA by providing the executives with daily news briefings of pertinent information affecting animal health and welfare in the United States. You will find biographies and photographs of these two able, diligent and well-respected advocates for the llamas’ interests at the end of this article.
We hope you will thank them whenever you see them for their selfless work. Bob is extremely busy with his official USAHA duties, so Karen is helping him by handling communication with the llama community. If you have questions about government rules and regulations, she will be happy to answer them. Email me, Sally Rucker, at ssllamas.com and if ILR can’t answer your inquiry, I will pass it along to Karen Conyngham for clarification. This process will serve to educate the BOD of ILR about these issues, and your questions may alert us to information which it would be beneficial to clarify and share with our entire membership.
We have two funds that support the USAHA and government relations functions. The Endowment Fund was set up to provide long term support for the USAHA function, and we hope as it grows it will be used to fund other government relations priorities. The ILR will match any money contributed up to $25,000 and currently pays 5% per annum interest (deposited every six months) on the balance in that account.
We are hoping to endow this fund with at least $50,000 this year through private donations and matching funds. Presently, Bob and Karen are both paying their own way to work for the llama industry. It is up to all of us to share this burden with them. We would like to use the interest from the Endowment Fund to support our executive seat holders, pay the Association dues at USAHA, and continue to maintain a strong presence at the national level and at the highest levels of government.
We also have a Working Fund. All of the money in this fund is spent each year on government relations projects. Please consider donating to this fund when you send in your Membership Renewals, ILR applications, or whenever you realize how much benefit you receive from the watchdog efforts over government regulations performed by our presence at USAHA.
Bob and the other camelid community representatives have helped eliminate some unnecessary testing and regulations for transportation of llamas in several states and have worked hard on the USAHA Livestock Identification Committee to assure that the methods of permanent ID will meet camelid industry needs. They have worked on protocols favorable to camelids in the event of an FMD breakout, and, most importantly, have raised the credibility and visibility of our industry among the people (state vets and government officials) who have great power over our ability to raise, transport and own llamas free from excessive and unnecessary government oversight and regulation.
For a complete report on this year’s USAHA Annual Meeting, refer to the ILR Website at lamaregistry.com. This report contains important information about VS (vesicular stomatitis) and West Nile Virus. It also contains committee reports from the following committees: The Committee on Food Safety; The Joint Plenary Session; The Committee on Infectious Diseases of Cattle, Bison and Lama; The Committee on Livestock Identification and the Camelid ID Working Group; The Animal Welfare Committee; The Foreign and Emerging Diseases Committee; The International Standards Committee; The Import/Export Committee; and the Bluetongue and Bovine Retrovirus Committee.
We want to extend heartfelt thanks to the following people who contributed to the preparation of this report: Teri Baird, Karen Conyngham, Susan Tellez, and Marsharee Wilcox. We also thank Karen Conyngham for her prompt filing of this report and for keeping us current with other government relations developments. We also commend Bob Frost for his persistence over the years and for achieving the position of President of USAHA. It is almost unheard of for a representative of such a small industry to hold that high seat. We gain immeasurably from our association with such a well-respected, credible and influential advocate.
Your ILR representative to the USAHA are: Karen Conyngham and Bob Frost. To learn more about Karen and Bob, click here.
Karen Conyngham Biography
Karen is a librarian from Austin, TX. She and her husband Jim have 2 gelding llamas, Jack and Spats, who are 12 years old. The llamas are strictly companions, although both are pack trained and they participate in holiday parades around central Texas.
Karen has been a member of ILA, ILR and LANA since 1992, RMLA since 1994, PLTA since 1998 and membership secretary for the South Central Llama Assoc. since 1994. She joined the US Animal Health Association (USAHA) in 1995 and was appointed to the Cattle, Bison and Lama Committee (now Cattle, Bison and Camelids) in 2001 and to the Livestock ID Committee in 2003. Karen has also been added to the committee on tuberculosis and the committee on brucellosis for 2005.
In 1998, Karen and fellow SCLA member Joan Lyons, approached the Texas Animal Health Commission to appeal a change in state entry regulations that required a negative TB test within 30 days and negative brucellosis test within 60 days of entry for camelids. They worked with the state epidemiologist and TB expert to modify the regulations and presented the request at a Commission meeting where it was accepted. After being published for comment in the Texas Register, the change in regulation was made about 8 months after the initial request. Camelids entering Texas now have a 6-month test interval for animals 18 months of age and older for both tests; neutered animals are exempt from the brucellosis test.
Since 2001, Karen has worked in conjunction with Teri Baird, Dan Goodyear, Susan Tellez and Marsharee Wilcox - all USAHA members - as part of the Camelid Alliance to further camelid interests both within USAHA and the camelid community at large. She will continue to work with the Alliance members to increase awareness among state and federal officials about the health interests of camelids.
At the annual USAHA meeting in 2004, Karen was installed on the USAHA Board of Directors, as the Intl. Lama Registry representative, a position which has been so capably handled by Bob Frost of Lincoln, CA, for the past 6 years. Bob will retain a seat on the USAHA BOD in his capacity as past president of USAHA.
In 1995, SCLA awarded Karen the Arnold Sorensen Award for “dedication to the improvement of SCLA and protecting the welfare of llamas raised in the South”. In 1998 she was awarded the ILA’s Pushmi-Pullyu Award and in June of 2004, LANA honored her with their Lifetime Achievement award. She also enjoys felting and knitting with llama fiber as time allows.
Bob Frost Biography
Bob Frost has owned llamas since 1979 at his ranch in Lincoln, CA. He has always had a keen interest in camelid health topics and has assisted with many camelid research projects at the University of California at Davis. This is where he met Dr. Murray Fowler who has been his mentor and close personal friend. Bob served as vice-president of the International Llama Association (ILA) in 1991 and continued to serve on the ILA board until 1993 and after that, on the ILA Research Committee.
In August of 1990, the Canadian government closed the border to the importation of US camelids due to the lack of a validated live animal test for Mycobacterium bovis (bovine tuberculosis). This issue became a concern after outbreaks of TB occurred in farmed deer and elk and Canadian officials suspected llamas/alpacas were also causing TB outbreaks. Bob became deeply involved in the TB issue through his ILA and United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) connections, working to demonstrate to provincial and state regulatory officials that llamas/alpacas were not carriers of TB and did not pose a TB threat to livestock or wildlife.
M. bovis can be transmitted from cattle to many species, including camelids. TB is a zoonotic disease which means it can also be transmitted to humans, and humans to animals; hence the importance to government regulatory agencies of controlling this disease. TB is detected by means of a skin test. When the tuberculin is injected into animals affected with TB, a reaction develops at the injection site, alerting the veterinarian to the presence of TB.
Bob was instrumental in getting ILA to sponsor a Washington D.C. meeting with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agriculture Canada (now the Canadian Food Inspection Agency-CFIA) and private researchers in 1992. At this meeting, USDA announced it would enter into a four year cooperative agreement with Argentina to further develop and validate a diagnostic test for TB in camelids. Also as a result of this meeting, the Canadian government and USDA agreed to carry out other TB diagnostic projects and research on other diseases in llamas/alpacas. Through Bob’s efforts working with ILA and USAHA the Canadian and U.S. governments spent over $500,000 on camelid TB diagnostic research. The Canadian border finally reopened to camelids in 1997.
Bob has been a member of USAHA since 1989, serving on many committees, including Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Infectious Diseases of Cattle, Bison & Lama and Wildlife Diseases. Each year he has made presentations to these committees on the lack of either TB or brucellosis and other diseases in North American camelids. He co-authored a landmark article with Dr. Murray Fowler in 1999, “Prevalence of Selected Diseases of Llamas and Alpacas”. He represented the ILA and, more recently, the ILR on the USAHA Board of Directors from 1999-2004.
Elected Third-Vice President of the 108 year old USAHA in 1999, Bob moved through the chairs and was the first livestock producer other than a cattle or sheep person to become a USAHA president. He worked tirelessly in support of the development of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), a network of veterinary diagnostic laboratories, and the “$460 Million Ames Master Plan” to modernize the three federal reference animal health laboratories in Ames, IA.
Under his guidance, at the 2003 USAHA annual meeting, an International Standards Committee was established to bring together decision makers at the international level to encourage discussion, consensus and adoption of science-based policies regarding animal health requirements in world trade.
After 9/11 and as the nation moved into the new millennium, Bob felt USAHA needed new partners to assist in accomplishing the goals and mission of the Association. As President he brought ten new partners to the Board of Directors for approval. The following became members of USAHA at the 2003 and 2004 annual meetings: USDHHS-Food & Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, USDOI - National Park Service, USDOI - National Wildlife Health Center, USDOE - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, USDA - Wildlife Services, USDOI -U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.
Also as USAHA President, he formed USAHA’s newest standing committee. The “Committee on Diagnostic Laboratories and Veterinary Workforce Development” held its first meeting in 2004 at the Greensboro annual meeting and will work on North American diagnostic laboratory and veterinarian workforce deficiencies with Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Bob still maintains his 100 llamas which have been a “closed herd” since 1991. He does not breed or sell them. He hopes someday before he and all his llamas go to the big pasture in the sky that BSL-3 laboratory space and federal funds will again become available to complete the llama/alpaca research diagnostic projects that he, Dr. Fowler and a U.S./Canadian team embarked on in the spring of 2000 at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg, Manitoba. West Nile Virus and Chronic Wasting Disease research projects in both countries took precedent that spring of 2000 and the shortage of BSL-3 laboratories in North America since 9/11 will prevent llama/alpaca diagnostic research of that magnitude for the foreseeable future.
Membership Benefits for 2005
All individuals who own ILR registered llamas are entitled to membership and involvement in the ILR. The ILR is the most complete source for North American llama information. It is the largest central data repository providing service through the Internet or when a person wants to ask questions to a real human being.
Being a member in the ILR supports critical llama services that an individual cannot do on his or her own. Membership in the ILR:
ILR membership provides direct advantages to the member as well. If you own llamas, and have paid membership dues in the calendar year, you are entitled the following benefits.
Other benefits include helping to maintain reasonable transaction fees. As with many other services, the cost of providing Registry services has been steadily rising. Think of the increases in postage rates, fuel and utility costs, etc. You can save $5 per basic transfer and $5 per basic registration by becoming a member.
By paying dues, you support the efforts of the ILR to strengthen the llama industry. You can help ensure the right decisions are being made for the benefit of your llama or other camelids. You are actively participating in forming the future.
Send in your membership today or go online ( Membership Form) and send in your application. The membership deadline for this years vote is March 15, 2005 .
Have you hugged your llama today? Have you gotten your camelid kiss today?
I Want A Llama.com
iwantallama.com
by ILR Board of Directors
It is with great pleasure that the ILR Board of Directors announces its plan to develop a new web site for the promotion of llamas. With the exciting possibility of reaching people world-wide to tell them about our wonderful animals, we hope to generate excitement and enthusiasm for llamas of all shapes, sizes and colors.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!
In the next few months the ILR plans to launch this new web site. With the help of the ILR members, we hope to provide the world with a fresh view of llamas and their wonderful talents.
It is our concept to design a web site with many pages of pictures and dialog about what llamas are and what they can do. At this time we plan to divide the pages into categories showing photos of what our animals can do.
If you have pictures that you feel capture the essence of llamas in any of the following categories, we would like to use them.
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Any ideas or pictures should be sent to ILR Director Kathi McKinney who is coordinating this effort.
Kathi McKinney
71 Shafer Meadows Lane North
Montesano, WA 98563
360-249-5627
bobkat@techline.com
Send as many photos as you wish but please send good, clear photos, either digital or printed. Photos will be returned upon request.
Thanks for your participation. Let’s see what we can put together for a great website to promote our llamas.
Classified Ads
Events - check the ILR Event Calendar
Gifts
Alpaca fur stuffed llamas, floppy, 3 sizes, $25-50 Llylacllyz@aol.com
Llama design tees & sweats on sale. $5.95 & up. Linda Hayes hayestees@sopris.com 800 815 0488
Everybody’s doing it! Are you? Plan for your comfort and your pets’. Llama fiber filled comforters, mattress pads, pillows, dog and cat beds. Soft and lofty, luxurious as can possibly be! Buy now for a full winter’s comfort. West Mountain Farm, Inc., llamawmf@sover.net 802-694-1417
Llamas for Sale
Llama Sale hayestees@sopris.net
Aureano-Peruvian-Appaloosa-Fine Fiber-in Southern California! whyllama.com or 760-751-2603
Tillman Llamas are selling show quality females bred to HCLA Bolivian Over Exposed. Prices start at 1,500. www.tillmansranch.com 541-389-1065
Moonshadow Farm - eye catching, well formed, nicely fibered llamas for sale, show, breeding and wool. Visit us at www.moonshadowllamas.com or contact us for sales list, hh@moonshadowllamas.com
We raise llamas for fiber and as guard animals. J’n’S Ranch 254-605-0299 jnsranch@hotmail.com.
LLAMAS FOR SALE abbott@charlo.net
Reasonably priced males and females, friendly and lovable - registered and unregistered stock - windstarfarm@yahoo.com
Services
SHEARING-Michigan, Duane Reeves 734-428-0033 PMFllamas@Aol.com
Advertisers' Index
We encourage you to support the following advertisers. They make this information possible.
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The Brownderosa |
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Glenmor Forest Llamas Glen Pfefferkorn Morris Wendorf Dallas, OR 97338 503-831-0850 glenmor@open.org www.glenmor.com |
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Little Doc's Veterinary Care Dr. Karen Baum 1484 Wandering Acres Rd. Huddleston, VA 24104 540-297-1051 fax: 540-297-8345 lildoc@mindspring.com www.little-doc.com |
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Llama Futurity Show and Auction |
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Llama Things |
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Mountain Oaks Ranch |
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Pearson Pond Ranch Jack and Tracy Pearson 242 Charles Lane, #6017 Ellijay, GA 30540 706-276-3658 pprllama@direcway.com www.pearsonpond.com |
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Rocky Mountain Llamas Bobra Goldsmith 7202 N 45th St Longmont, CO 80503 303-530-5575 questions@rockymtllamas.com www.rockymtllamas.com |
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Steven's Llama Tique and Suri Alpacas Loren and Judy Stevens 29581 US Hwy 59 Worthington, MN 56187 507-376-4230 Fax: 507-376-4242 llamatiq@rconnect.com www.stevenstique.com |
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Tillman Llamas and Suri Alpacas |
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Traditional Lama Coalition % Heather or Kay (541) 592-3612 eastfork@cavenet.com |
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West Mountain Farm Lars and Gail Garrison 240 Maltese Rd. Stamford, VT 05352 802-694-1417 llamawmf@sover.net www.westmountainfarm.com |
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Wilkins Livestock Insurers, Inc. Mike & Janet Wilkins, Stacy Wilkins 1405 Rd 12 Geneva, NE 68361 402-759-4901 fax: 402-759-4903 stacywilkins@galaxycable.net www.wilkinslivestock.com |
Online Helps and Hints
Every day our operators answer questions from ILR members and llama owners concerning everything from breeder identifiers to "what is your mailing address for FedEx." We enjoy talking to you, and we are here to help, so feel free to call us. But we are only in the office from 8am to 4pm Monday through Friday, and we take legal holidays off. That means that if you have a question concerning the ILR at 9pm, or on Saturday, there isn't a friendly voice to help you out. So we have included the information you need on our website. You just have to know where to find it.
Internet information access is a strange thing. You can pick up the telephone and call for help, waiting for the correct operator to get you the answer you need, and 10 minutes seems like a short time. But on the web, if you search for 10 minutes, you are sure that the season has changed outside your window. Our task, then, is to make your information access quick and pleasant.
The ILR web site is a huge resource. At last count there are over 600 pages of information ready for your perusal, and that does not include the database research. But how can you best find the information you are looking for? On the ILR web site there are 2 main pages to find miscellaneous information. The first is the ILR Information Page. It contains simple, basic information to help you in your transactions with the ILR. Included on this page is the following:
The second page you need to look for is the Customer Services page. Information on this page is more specific. Forms, instructions, policies and bylaws and ILR Board of Directors contacts are the kinds of information you will find. Below is a partial list of items you can find there.
ECG/Heart Research from Ohio State 
Determination of electrocardiographic parameters in healthy llamas and alpacas
Marc S. Kraus, DVM; Clay A. Calvert, DVM; Alan W. Spier, DVM, PhD; Kathryn M. Meurs, DVM, PhD; David E. Anderson, DVM
The objective of this research was to determine electrocardiographic parameters in healthy llamas and alpacas. A total of 23 llamas and 12 alpacas were studied. Electrocardiography was performed in nonsedated standing llamas and alpacas by use of multiple simultaneous lead recording (bipolar limb, unipolar augmented limb, and unipolar precordial leads).Common features of ECGs of llamas and alpacas included low voltage of QRS complexes, variable morphology of QRS complexes among camelids, and mean depolarization vectors (mean electrical axes) that were directed dorsocranially and to the right. Durations of the QT interval and ST segment were negatively correlated with heart rate. ECGs of acceptable quality can be consistently recorded in nonsedated standing llamas and alpacas. Features of ECGs in llamas and alpacas are similar to those of other ruminants. Changes in the morphology of the QRS complexes and mean electrical axis are unlikely to be sensitive indicators of ventricular enlargement in llamas and alpacas. (Am J Vet Res 2004;65:1719-1723)