2013 MAPACA Jubilee

04.26.2013

2013 MAPACA Jubilee

Northern Solstice Alpaca Farm in Unity, Maine is home to 28 Huacaya (pronounced wuh-kai-ya) alpacas. Owners Robin Fowler and Corry Pratt founded their farm in 2004 and bought their first alpacas in 2006. Then in 2009 they started the Alpaca Center of New England, "an organization providing educational opportunities for all alpaca owners and anyone interested in learning more" [1]. Alpacas are a domesticated species of camelid that hail from South America. They are raised primarily for their luxurious fiber and were first imported to the United States in the 1980's.

This internship was not my first time working with alpacas. I had cared for the alternative species at Alfred State College's Farm Laboratory, which included five male Huacaya alpacas, for three semesters. Additionally, during my senior year at Alfred State College I had served as a Supplemental Instructor for a Farm Animal Management class that included a unit on alpacas and llamas. This internship appealed to me because I had a strong desire to learn more about raising alpacas in a sustainable fashion, and the owners of this farm are highly respected in the industry.


3 AM comes early when you're too excited to sleep. I'd done evening chores at the farm the night before and was eager to attend the 2013 MAPACA Jubilee in my home state of Pennsylvania. The car was mostly packed, except for my Husky and myself. I drove to Northern Solstice a little before 4 AM to help them load the five girls, and was impressed at how easily the young ladies stepped into the dark trailer. The sun was still hiding and it was raining but everyone was in good spirits. Then we hit the road for an uneventful 10 hour drive. Once we reached Pennsylvania, I left the trailer behind to drop my dog off at the farm where I had grown up. This was to be the first Level 5 alpaca show that I had ever attended.

After dropping my dog off, I headed to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. Corry and Robin had already checked the girls in, so I assisted them with setting up their booth. This included moving panels, hanging containers for hay and water, and carrying in the farm display and banners. At check in, volunteers enter each alpaca into a color class by comparing the animal's fiber to a color chart. Three of the alpacas we brought needed to be evaluated by the judges at 8 PM because the volunteers could not agree on the color. So at 8 PM we brought Emma, Riata and Sweet P to the judges in Arena #2 to be color checked. This second check is important because an alpaca can be disqualified for being in the wrong color class. Robin and Corry explained that if an alpaca's color is questionable  it is best to be placed in the darker color class as it will show a brighter fleece. The owners are not allowed to interact with the judges, so I was assigned the task of bringing the ladies to be evaluated.

The next day I arrived at the Farm Show Complex at 7:30 AM to clean the pen so the alpacas would not soil their fiber. The pens at this show have real turf as a substrate, which absorbs urine and is easier to clean than a rubber mat. Huacayas must be shown in a natural state, so we had to carefully pick the hay and straw out of their fiber with our hands, which is another reason the turf is preferred over bedding such as straw or shavings. One concern of using turf is that the alpacas might eat too much of the rich green grass and have loose manure. Northern Solstice prides themselves on the superior health of their animals, so I observed that their alpacas were not nearly as effected by the green grass and stress as other animals at the show. I also filled the water buckets, and as is fairly standard of any livestock show, we had brought water from the farm to avoid the possibility of the animals refusing to drink unfamiliar water.

Riata was to be shown in the second class of the day, and Corry arrived dressed in a black and white suit as is proper professional attire for the show ring. Riata ended up placing fourth in a class of six. At an alpaca show, the animals are grouped into classes by breed, age, gender, and color. They are lead into the arena one at a time so the judge can evaluate fiber characteristics and conformation. The judge watches the animal walk towards her, then away from her, then from the side. The animals line up side-by-side in the arena. There is usually no more than 12 in a class, so a larger class may be split into two groups. Once all the alpacas are in the arena, the judge inspects each individual animal. This includes parting the lips to ensure that the alpaca's upper dental pad and lower incisors meet correctly. The judge then works from head to hip and inspects the fleece for fineness, density, consistency and character. Finally the judge checks the genitalia by lifting the tail. Only a maximum of six alpacas will be placed, so the judge selects her top six alpacas and ribbons are awarded. The judge then gives oral reasons for why she placed the class the way she did.

The next alpacas to be shown were Savanna and Sweat P. These classes were back to back, so I checked in Sweat P and held her in line, called the "deck," while Corry showed Savanna. At this particular show, there is a first deck and second deck where you wait with your class to go into the arena. This helps to ensure that the show runs smoothly and in a timely fashion. Both of the girls were quiet in the ring and placed second and fifth respectively, which was a wonderful testament to Northern Solstice's breeding practices and the genetic prowess of their herd sire, AG Space Cowboy. Because Savanna placed second, she had to return for the selection of Champion and Reserve Champion of all females of her color, and I was tasked with haltering her and bringing her back to the arena for Corry to show. In this Champion class, the first place females from all age groups of that color are lined up for consideration, and the second place females are lined up behind them. When the judge selects a Champion, the second place female behind that animal will step up into the first line for consideration. The judge then selects her Reserve Champion.

04.28.2013

The show ran until Sunday. All of the alpacas we brought ended up "placing in the ribbons" in their classes. It was a wonderful experience for me and solidified my decision to have alpacas in the future. I was able to successfully select the first place alpaca in each class that I observed so my eye for desirable characteristics is certainly improving. Also, out of all the livestock species that I have shown, this was the least stressful show atmosphere that I have ever experienced. It was a wonderful networking opportunity as well.

The 2012 summer internship season has just about wrapped up. Supervisor evaluation have been sent out and are steadily being returned. Interns are working on learning objective reflection papers and compiling their portfolios. Many students will be presenting their experiences to public audiences around campus. One really nice touch is when students send a formal thank you letter to site supervisors. This is a great way to express gratitude and to keep a line of communication open. While most of our students complete internship during the summer, we do have a few that find meaningful experiences in the Unity area. Please feel free to stop by the CRC for more information on internships. Nicole

Week 6 at Harbor Family Services

This week for some reason everyone had either really good days, or just really bad days.  For a few the good days are nothing new, they have been that way the whole time, although since its week 1 of what could be a long stay, this is probably just what seems to be called, "the grace period".  apparently, and this seems to be true, the first few weeks a resident is there, they always seem to be extremely well behaved, always doing what they need to do, and whatever is asked of them.  But than something always sends them off the deep end and you finally get to see why they got there.  Every resident has something that has happened to them, or some actions they have done to get them in long term residential care, and they never seem to go away overnight.  When you get sent on such a severe treatment plan, there is something there that takes time and alot of effort to fix.
   Running away seems to be the thing this week.  2 of the residents ran away 3 times this week, always going together.  Each time it was always 1 resident convincing the other to go.  There was some positive news though, we were able to convice the 2nd resident not to run the 4th time, he sat there begging the 1st not to run.  This seems to have set in though because only a few minutes after he ran, he walked back through the door, on his own free will, no need for law enforcement to intervene.  The policy here is if they run, call the director and let him know, maybe try a little bit, and than call law enforcement, who will find them and bring them back.  But we arent supposed to chase them down or really go look.  Occasionally a staff member will see them walking down the street and follow them till the police can arrive, but the police always bring them back if they run away.

National Aviary - Past Two Weeks

Things have been extremely busy here at the aviary. Summer camps are in full gear, and there's plenty of newly fledged chicks up and about as well. I have now worked on all three of the routines offered to the interns. Currently I am working within the Tropical forest exhibits and have been settling into the routine quite nicely. After a few more days I should have it down no problem, and won't need to constantly check in with Diane or Jaime my trainer supervisors. Downside to the routine...I hate fire ants and there are plenty on this routine.

Over in the wetland exhibit we have been helping Dave tackle an algae problem by force. The pond is being drained once a week and pressure washed/hosed down (believe it or not, a whole day worth of work). With some extra hands we have been picking the algae up by hand and scrubbing it off with brushes where the hose can't seem to blast it off. Little by little over the past two weeks we have been hitting different sections and completely detail cleaning them. If we keep it up and manage to get the algae under control, future maintenance should no longer be such a huge issue for us.Which in return, saves us time and perhaps even some money.

As far as my training projects go, I have been making great progress in some, and very little in others. Joni and Squiggie are getting the hang of my stationing training. Squiggie seems to be picking it all up much faster than Joni, but once they see one or the other listening to me, they will jump right on the band wagon immediately. Along with those two, I've spent loads of time working to get the Flamingos re-conditioned for the flamingo encounters. I have been timing my sessions and dressing like guests to help them adjust to presence in their territory. It is also my hope to relieve some of their aggression towards people in general especially since it is their breeding season and they have been making work difficult for our trainers and interns. It has been working seemingly well for the past two weeks and the length of the sessions has nearly double since I have started. The only downfall is that they are constantly attempting to nest in high traffic areas, where myself and all the trainers must work. This creates new aggression between the flamingos and our staff and does appear to be holding us back a great deal. Training outside of breeding season may work more efficiently however these birds can have a wide range of timing given their habitat conditions. Here at the aviary we can mimic rain almost every day, and food is available to them with no shortage. Those two things are key to their natural breeding habits, and in the wild, the breeding season generally mimics those conditions and can last the entire time those needs are met for the most part. Regaining our ability to have flamingo encounters offers far too much to the aviary to just drop or let go however.

My time spent here will be wrapping up in the next few weeks, and I've been working on networking with some of the co-workers here. Perhaps in the future I could seek advice from them, or ask for references. I'm definitely looking forward to a busy time until I leave for Unity, and it's time to soak in every last drop of knowledge I can find here. 

Week 5 at harbor family services

Not alot out of the ordinary this week, although I guess what is ordinary here can be pretty unique.  The heat seemed to bring out the tempers in a few residents, with the smallest seeming to have the worst.  It's hard to see the tempers coming sometimes, but there is a system of accountability for their actions that is built into the program that quite often gives an easy way to remind them there are better ways of dealing with stress.  Each resident has a sheet for each day that keeps track of how well they followed the rules.  Each day if they don't follow the rules, which could include not cleaning their room or doing chores, or acting out and not following staff directions, points are deducted.  This point system is used to determine what type of activities they are allowed to do.  There are 3 levels, level 1 meaning that they stay on grounds and have not been doing what is expected of them at all.  This could also mean they will be confined to their room for the majority of the day.  to get off level one they have to keep a minimum number of points for a week.  Level 2 means that they are following a majority of the rules, and after a few days on level 2 are allowed to do things like go hiking, swimming, visit the library.  There is alot more freedom with this, which at first some residents take as a chance to act out, such as running away, swearing, threatening violence.  If these actions happen they are first dropped down to the first day on level 2, and than if they continue they are dropped down to level 1.  Level 3 is the highest level and there is a great amount of freedom involved.  They are allowed in the kitchen occasionally, and don't have to go up to their room for quiet time if they don't want to.  If they are old enough they may also be allowed to play rated M games on one of the game systems in the house.  There is actually a level called OLS (off level system).  Although every resident is on the level system, the title seems to have a bit of honor on it among residents, but they standards are pretty high, as these kids are expected to be able to set an example for the rest of the residents.  There is a 3 ring binder where all this is kept track off, along with there individual treatment goals.  The activities required to rise in the level system are stressed as things that are expected of everyone in society, but there is a little room for human error.  No one is expected to be perfect, since no one really is.  Bad days are expected, and although they may drop down to the beginning of their level, they are shown better ways to deal with those bad days so that they won't drop next time.

National Aviary - Penguin Point Routine

So the past week I spent my time at the aviary working under Chris in the penguin routine. This section of the area includes not only the African penguins but also the two eagles exhibits, an off site white dove yard, toucans and the various other birds through out our walkways and entrances areas. Unlike all of the other routines, this one involves the most chores/work outdoors. I love working outside and have experienced rain, and recently blistering hot days of pushing way above 100 degrees (which in thick rubber waders/boots or the quarantine jumpsuit, is very uncomfortable). My supervisors keep an eye on me and constantly check on my water intake. Before this week I thought it was wonderful to have a can of soda with me...well that was short lived. It's two Nalgenes of water for me from now on.

Got to run my first few penguin feedings in front of a large public audience, where I shared information, showed them different fish, and also worked in direct hands on contact with each penguin. Every chore done within the exhibit, and all the feedings are streamed live on the aviary website 24/7 as well. They receive daily vitamins, and medications hidden in specific fish during our feedings, and close attention to detail must be made to ensure accurate data is being recorded. Chris also trained me on the proper technique for picking up one of our penguins from the exhibit. The picture to the left is of myself holding one of the "kids" in the exhibit. His name is Kaden, a four month old African penguin. I was surprised at how the feathers on these animals feel so soft, yet very waxy feeling.

Now the eagles exhibits are what I would call, my most hesitant areas. Our bald eagles are unable to fly. Both Liberty and Bell were injured in the wild, thus spend most of their time on the ground in low perches. No netting is actually required above this outdoor exhibit because they wouldn't be able to get out anyways. There is no shift house, so all work, cleaning, feeding, is carried out in direct contact space. Of course there has been a protocol laid down about working with these two large birds of prey. They are capable of charging and clawing so distance is a must. Slow movement and a cautious line of vision is necessary at all times. If I am washing windows or hosing off plants, every minute or so I turn and make sure I am not in between them or cornered. It is better to have them both together and on the other side than split and all around me. They do move into a specific corner during cleaning to get away from the hose, so aggression is usually dispersed that way long as they are let alone. I am in the eagles' territory so I have to respect "their" boundaries not my own. If I cross paths with where they want to be, I move to a different spot, it's that simple. Peace keeping will never be acquired if I purposefully attempt to displace them from their own home.

The stellar's sea eagles are one of the few birds that receive indirect contact under no circumstances otherwise. With talons over three inches long, it's to be expected. They have a shift house where they are transferred for feeding, and closed off so that we may enter the exhibit and carry on our work. They used to get fed via a window slot, but were clever enough to learn they could fit talons out and swipe for it and that ended quickly. Before I arrived they switched to a feeding tube. All it is is a wide pvc pipe inserted through the wall. They can still manage to get their heads far up into it, but most of the danger has been eliminated almost entirely by this new method.

In the mean time between my routines and also during personal project times, I have been a success so far training Joni and Squiggie the wattled currasows to station in a new exhibit. This was good because it is also improving my relationship with them ten fold. Still a work in progress however. Dave has been joining me in making food enrichment as well. He is a huge supporter of making sure the birds are all given enrichment once a day and not just the same old thing everyday. Wednesday we both took the leftover foods from the kitchen for the day and made bird banana splits. Sounds tasty doesn't? Well believe me it looked good enough for even us to eat. He was telling me about how the public will see these things, and it will make a greater impact on their thoughts if it actually looks fun and appealing to all who see it. Inside the banana we inserted nuts, and between the fruit and peel, we stuffed it full of meal worms, topped it off with parrot pellet, and a popcorn seed mix. This was for the Collie's Jay since he loves to poke around and explore new foods.

Looking forward to another week, and also the new mix up my schedule has between the penguins and marsh room routines. Makes it all a little less repetitive that way which is a good thing. Now just have my fingers crossed that this heat will cool down a bit before I melt.

Week 3 and 4 at Harbor Family Services

I seem to have missed a week so I guess I will just talk about 2 weeks in 1 post.  Week 3 was my first week working with some of the female residents who live at another one of the locations the company operates.  This one was in Winterport, and was a very different experience.  Within an hour of arriving there I had to deal with an assault between two residents.  It was hard to deal with since there was only two of us there.  The procedure when dealing with this type of situation is separate the two and than talk to them one at a time, to get both versions of what happened.  This time what happened was one resident was being picked on because her family abandoned her, and she lashed out.  After than when more staff arrived the full time staff do what is called a Life Space Interview to talk about what happened and what would be a better way to handle the situation.  After that the day was pretty quiet, took a few residents to the bangor waterfront and skipped some rocks in the river, and than just played some basketball.  The rest of the week wasn't anymore eventful, it all seemed condensed into that one day.
   Each week seems to bring something unique to the table.  This week there was a trip to funtown/splashtown in saco.  I was a little worried about going to such a crowded place with the boys, but they surprised me with a really fun and uneventful day, trying some new slides, and making some great memories.  It was really nice to see them have a really good day, as opposed to some of the behaviors they had before, such as running away when they got stressed, this time they just worried about having a good time.  There is now one less resident at the Rockport I location, since one has now been released and is back at home.  This does not mean the job of the staff is over yet. When a resident is discharged, there are still required regular visits, to make sure they they stick to the good behaviors they exhibited while they were living at the house.  This is also true for any visit that is longer than one day.  I believe this is a great idea, because the kids need to learn that the same good behavior is expected of them after they leave the care of harbor family services.