Boughey Imogen, Hall Evelyn, Bush Russell
Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden, NSW 2567, Australia.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Oct 4;14(19):2861. doi: 10.3390/ani14192861.
The Australian alpaca industry has continued to grow since the introduction of alpacas in the 1980s. Little is known about the geographical distribution of alpacas or on-farm management practices. This study aimed to address this and identify key producer knowledge through an online survey. The survey consisted of 25 questions grouped into 3 areas: demographics, farm production and alpaca nutrition. The highest concentration of alpaca producers was along the east coast of Australia, primarily in high-rainfall zones, which could be attributed to more consistent year-round pasture availability and market access opportunities. The Huacaya breed accounted for 93% of the animal numbers reported in this survey. Respondents identified 12 key pasture species being grazed, with Kikuyu being the most common, followed by Subterranean Clover and Phalaris, likely due to the majority of respondents being located in suitable high-rainfall environments. Pasture species were not identified by 25% of respondents. There are no registered anthelmintics or vaccinations for alpacas, resulting in a variation in dosage rates and administration frequency, raising concerns for effective disease and parasite management. This survey has identified key knowledge gaps in alpaca management practices in Australia that will be further investigated to provide industry recommendations to improve alpaca production.
自20世纪80年代引入羊驼以来，澳大利亚的羊驼产业持续发展。人们对羊驼的地理分布或农场管理实践知之甚少。本研究旨在解决这一问题，并通过在线调查确定关键生产者的知识。该调查由25个问题组成，分为三个领域：人口统计学、农场生产和羊驼营养。羊驼生产者最集中的地区是澳大利亚东海岸，主要在高降雨区，这可能归因于全年更稳定的牧场供应和市场准入机会。在本次调查中报告的动物数量中，华卡约品种占93%。受访者确定了12种主要放牧的牧草品种，其中雀稗最为常见，其次是地下三叶草和虉草，这可能是因为大多数受访者位于适宜的高降雨环境中。25%的受访者未提及牧草品种。目前没有针对羊驼的注册驱虫药或疫苗，导致剂量率和给药频率存在差异，引发了对有效疾病和寄生虫管理的担忧。本次调查确定了澳大利亚羊驼管理实践中的关键知识差距，将进一步进行调查，以提供行业建议，提高羊驼产量。
