QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS

At Toft we maintain strict quarantine protocols to protect the Toft Herd and our clients alpacas whilst resident with us. We are lucky in some ways that our farm splits into three separate areas with natural physical barriers between. This has enabled us to maintain a quarantine policy for a number of years with visiting alpacas and with our own alpacas which travel off farm.

We have now created a specialized on farm quarantine facility to ensure that client animals whilst resident with us for mating can reside within their own family or friendship group in their own paddock, as part of a larger herd, and maintain their own feeding regimes if necessary but also achieve minimum direct contact with any other alpacas.

We maintain these protocols to protect all the alpacas in our care and manage any risk to the absolute minimum we can achieve.

MATING PROTOCOLS

All herds  applying for alpacas to be resident at Toft for mating  will need to complete and sign  a detailed questionnaire regarding, health status, vaccination records, farm contacts, mating contacts, herd status, breeding status, movement records  etc. 

At Toft we have always kept detailed movement records for our alpacas as a matter of good practice to mirror the stricter controls which are applied to other recognised livestock. We would expect, as we ourselves offer, total transparency regarding movement and contact information from all herds applying for mating services form our males.

Once the questionnaire is satisfactorily completed and signed the visiting alpacas will be allocated their own quarantine paddock.  The only direct contact with any other alpaca during their stay would be via mating itself when the Toft male of choice would be brought to the females paddock, where they will be pen mated. Once the job is done he will leave to enter his own quarantine facility. There will be no on farm paddock mating.

All males used for client matings or who have moved off farm for mating are kept quarantined from the other Toft Stud males which remain on farm at all times.

There are no agistment charges for females or crias who are resident for mating.

The females once scanned pregnant at 60 days from their last mating date will be returned to or collected by their owner.

We offer a live birth guarantee with every mating up to a limit of three months of age. If you should lose the cria for any reason before that time we will remate as soon as is mutually convenient at no cost.

We will pick up and deliver at cost.

We will expect a non refundable deposit of 20% of the total mating fee when the alpacas arrive for mating.

The remainder to be paid 30 days after the alpacas have returned to their home farm.

OFF FARM MOBILE MATING

At Toft we have never run our males great distances to mate preferring not to stress them with too much travel. We have never practiced consecutive matings where a male may visit several farms a day.  We have always offered a very select mobile mating service to clients within a fifty mile radius of the farm who we know adhere to the same level  of  biosecurity as ourselves.

All herds  applying for mobile mating services to their alpacas  will need to fill in and sign  a detailed questionnaire regarding health status, vaccination records, farm contacts, mating contacts, herd status, breeding status, movement records  etc. We would expect, as we ourselves offer, total transparency regarding movement and contact information from all herds applying for mating services from our males.

We would prefer the client to use their own male for spit off purposes. We will loan a male for this purpose if necessary.

We would expect the females to be penned individually for mating purposes. We do not paddock mate.

We will work closely with the client to achieve a smooth pregnancy and set the visiting schedules around the cycles but reserve the right to recommend other options to progress the process should pregnancy prove elusive.

We will expect a non refundable deposit of 20% of the total mating fee on the day of the first visit and the remainder to be paid 30 days after the alpacas have been scanned pregnant.

We offer a live birth guarantee with every mating up to a limit of three months of age. If you should lose the cria for any reason before that time we will remate as soon as is mutually convenient at no cost.

ON FARM MOBILE MATING

Should the client find it easier or more economic to bring small groups of  females to Toft for mobile mating, the same protocols as above apply except when the female arrives she will be penned and mated within our quarantine facility and leave immediately after. There will also be some consideration given with regard to the mating fee as there would slightly less work on our part using this routine.

LEASING MALES

For those clients with a number of females to mate who wish to keep their own alpacas on farm, we have been leasing males for the past couple of seasons with some success. Leasing is where for a set fee, usually related to the number of matings, you 'hire' a male for a season or part season where he resides on your farm for mating purposes.

This has considerable advantages, for the client, the alpaca, and ourselves:-

It is by far cheaper, as there are minimal  travel costs, labour costs etc

It allows an inexperienced client to gain breeding experience.

It allows the client total flexibility to set their own mating schedules around their females needs.

It allows the client to create an income by offering the male to third parties as long as the same mating and quarantine protocols are adhered to as we  practice at Toft.

It allows the client access to improved genetics without the permanent commitment and huge outlay of purchasing a stud male.

It provides the client with multiple options of cheaper top class genetics season to season with which to progress their breeding.

It provides Toft  with an outlet to prove our up & coming males.

Normally these leased males will be our up and coming males which once proven, we will be using her at Toft in years to come. Leasing males should be considered a serious option as it allows our clients to work with us on the front foot to improve their breeding .

TOFT HERD SIRES

 If none of the above options suit your breeding ambitions then it could be time for you to consider purchasing one of our herd sires. We always have top quality genetics available at very reasonable prices in all colours for those who would rather own their male.

Normally these will be unproven males who once proven will increase in value. As they come into their maturity for their first season will prove a reasonable investment that may well produce great rewards.

TOFT STUD MALES

We have a very limited number of proven stud males for sale, most with show records and progeny on the ground for those who want more of a guarantee and are willing to pay a premium.

As always there are options within the options and we urge you to give us a call so we can work with you to solve your breeding ambitions.

Call: Shirley or Rob on 01788810626: Shirley@ toft-alpacas.co.uk  Mob:-07970626245