Our workshop is an intensive couple of hours, introducing you to the benefits and management, including animal welfare and general information about wanting to start up your own herd or run a couple of alpacas on your new or future hobby farm. We will discuss our personal alpaca journey and why and how we started. What we love and what we did not know before we started! The good, the bad, the funny and not-so-great of managing livestock.

The perfect starter guide that gives you the confidence to embark on your farm journey.

Our training day will cover these topics and so much more: 🔽

* alpaca management and health,

* alpaca breeds the difference between Huacaya and Suri.

* what is a PIC & why do you need one for your land before purchasing alpacas?

* A good livestock breeder vs a not-so-great one. What to expect, ask and look for when purchasing livestock.

* best shed layouts for shearing, including having small pens for safe and calm handling.

* appropriate shade for livestock and why trees are so important.

* best feed, grass, creating laneways & rotational paddocks,

* husbandry and management - where to start and what to expect. Nail trimming, shearing, worming, body score and vaccinations,

* conventional and alternative livestock. Why we don’t keep alpacas with hard-hoofed animals, and how do we manage them both?

* female alpacas, wethers, entire males and crias. Why don’t we sell crias? What is a weanling? Why same-sex paddocks are necessary.

* Alpacas as guard animals (what is best) and the myths and truths about foxes, domestic dogs, and wild dogs. How to protect your herd.

*alpaca fleece, spinning, knitting and processing it so you can enjoy and make the most of the ‘fibre of the gods’.

*Bio-security Act, managing invasive pests and best places for resources from the Local Land Services (LLS), Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Hunter Landcare.

*At the end of the session, we will sit down and enjoy a cuppa and some light refreshments at the house.

*On the day, you have the opportunity to purchase our - AgGuide Practical Handbook - Farming Alpacas. This book was my bible when we started back in 2012, and we now have the updated version.

This day is suitable for people who want to buy or even just dream of owning alpacas. Little Valley Farm is a registered breeder with the Australian Alpaca Association.

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Start 10:30 am startup at our red barn house—approximately 3 hours.

Location: Laguna, 2325. We are 2 hours from Sydney—ten minutes from Wollombi Valley in the Lower Hunter Valley and one hour from the Central Coast. The Trading Post Laguna is our local bar and cafe.

Due to our bio-security policy, please do not bring your dogs to our farm.

Children are charged from 1-16 years old. We do prefer to have only adults as it’s an intensive couple of hours; however, on certain dates, we can book in children. Charged per child. Groups will be limited (6), so your experience and learning are maximised.

For all farm visits, please bring a sun hat and closed shoes.

If you need one night accommodation please let us know so I can check availability and rates.

If it rains, we will still go ahead with the session. The only exception is a pending fire/flood in our region.

Cancellation Policy: Please give us at least three days’ notice. We are happy to reschedule dates. Refunds are possible, less a credit card fee approx $20.

Training Part 2 - Free Husbandry Hands-on Workshop just for you.

*Once you have completed the starter workshop above, we would love for you to come back for our “Husbandry Hands-on Workshop,” which will give you hands-on experience and more confidence in handling alpacas for when you need to do vaccinations, trim toenails, and check teeth and eyes as well as body score.

Our aim is to build an alpaca network in the region as well as mentor new alpaca owners as they begin their own alpaca journey, just like us back in 2012. As part of our aftercare, we run free alpaca husbandry workshops a couple of times a year where you can come back and gain some hands-on experience and more confidence in handling the herd. There is no charge if you have completed the alpaca workshop. Animal education and animal welfare is at the very heart of what we do. Daniela

Workshop at your farm with your alpacas or

**NEW workshops on your farm. We will run workshops on your farm for up to four people. Great for families who can not travel with young children or if you have recently acquired alpacas at your place. Email Daniela for dates, rates and travel locations. We will travel up to 90 minutes from our farm in Laguna to your place. Please note that our alpacas are not brought onto your farm due to our strict bio-security policy. Price varies depending on your location. We can also run private one-on-one workshops here.

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