Keeping camelids is becoming increasingly popular with the number of alpacas registered rising by 33% in just two years.
As a result of this trend, farm training platform FarmIQ has launched an online course on camelid care designed for new owners.
Dr Ami Sawran from Westpoint Farm Vets, a farm vet with a passion for camelid medicine, explains that alpacas and llamas have different care needs compared to other livestock.
“Their physiology, nutritional needs and herd dynamics are unlike those of more commonly kept animals like cattle and sheep, which is why new owners and keepers need to understand their specific needs,” she said.
“Whether they are kept as pets or commercial stock, the way you look after and manage camelids directly impacts their health. Because they are so stoic, we need to be tuned in to their ‘normal’ behaviour so that any health problems can be identified and acted on as early as possible.”
The course provides owners with resources that they can print and customise, including instructional videos and presentations to help guide them through husbandry, daily routine care and basic health planning.
“Owners completing the course will benefit from increased understanding of their animals’ needs.
“It could also help them to know when veterinary intervention is required in the future, and how to prepare for a vet to visit by having everything available which may be needed, which will save time and help keep the cost of the consultation down.”
In addition, Dr Sawran highlights that camelid medicine is continuously evolving, as more people take the leap to becoming an owner.
“Often something which was done ‘as normal’ five years ago, may not be appropriate now, so the training course has been put together based on the latest knowledge and evidence base,” she adds.
As well as giving owners a basic overview of camelid health, husbandry and parasite management, the course can also be completed by owners who need to prove they have attended a husbandry course to obtain licensing from their local council.
The course takes approximately six hours to complete, and the materials can be revisited at any time. It is available from https://farmiq.co.uk/course/basic-camelid-care/edate/2025-01-01/..
