Our Story
Our story!
Natural Health! - Natural Alpaca!
The Alpaca industry is growing in more than one way. As an alpaca breeder and as a Natural Health Practitioner, when visiting farms, I realized one of the most important problems in raising these beautiful, docile animals was the amount of medications that were necessary to domesticate these animals to suit our conditions.
Common sense tells us that in the wild of the Andes these animals ate what they found as forage, bred to whomever, and died of many things.
With that in mind, as I began to make alpaca purchases, I realized the amount of medications given to these animals not only could affect their immune systems eventually, but could also cause breeding problems as well as birthing problems.
Keeping an open mind about all of this and realizing that I had my own belief system as a Natural Health Practitioner, I also realized I would be viewing this a lot differently than the Veterinarian world.
Or so I thought! And then I attended an Alpaca meeting here in my home state; and, lo and behold, a Vet began to speak about how we are over medicating these animals due to our fears.
Now, what I do know about health is this: we all have parasites. We get them from food, water, and the very air we breathe. We are always going to have parasites it is just when we have them in abundance that they create our immune systems to become taxed.
As a 30-year Natural Health Practitioner, I teach my clients to detox at least twice a year as a preventative measure and to take daily nutritional supplements to keep everything in a homeostasis, or balance, in the body.
So why are we not using this same philosophy with our Alpacas? During the time I was purchasing Alpacas, I decided to create a daily food or nutritional formula for the Alpacas.
I talked to folks that were well versed with these wonderful animals (due to their many trips to the Amazon Rain Forest), and they were happy to be of help. Upon purchasing our first Alpacas, we were ready to put the natural health theory to the test.
Our animal herbal formula arrived and we started using it in September, 2006. It was given daily to our 12 Alpacas: 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons per day sprinkled on their grain.
We continued to take fecals and test for parasites. Things stayed clean until spring. The Vet found a few parasites in the boys and very little in the girls. We noticed we had moved the boys to a new pasture; and, we knew that it would be normal to have parasites.
But, because it was spring and we knew the parasite season had begun, we decided to increase the formula to twice a day. That worked.
So spring through fall, we increase the formula.
In the summer we had new Alpacas come in and, with that, parasites again. We did not quarantine these alpacas. We decided we could not prove anything by doing that, so we risked them all being sick or having parasites. I added Una de Gato (cat’s claw) to this group. Everyone stayed healthy with a small amount of parasites.
We are more than pleased with our formula and will continue to use it daily. We have recently added diatomaceous earth as well.
And if that formula keeps a healthy immune system and helps with their stress, then the only other concern is a contagious dis-ease. Even with that risk, our alpacas are one step ahead because they have a great immune system.
There are plenty of things for which we need medications. There are emergencies.
For instance, we had an Alpaca delivered to us with a very bad urinary and vaginitis infection. She was having a great deal of blood in her urine. Antibiotic shots were administered for 4 days while I also gave the animal herbal formula along with our Alpaca Essence ( a subtle liquid extract) for calming.
The animal herbal formula was made liquid by adding water and was given to the Alpaca twice a day for two solid weeks. No other medication (beyond the one mentioned) or herbs were used. The infection healed; and, five months later, she birthed a beautiful little alpaca.
In the end, I am really only asking for you to stay open minded about the laws of nature. Look at where these animals came from and their normal habitat, and then look at where you are located and what is surrounding them. All this is important to their health.
We use our natural health formulas daily and medications only when needed. Animal Herbal formula helps with overload of parasites, builds the immune system, helps the digestive system, and has many other uses.
As a Natural Health Practitioner, I need you to be aware there are herbs you do not mix with medications. Even though the basis of all medications started with herbs, today we have so many medications for so many things you need to use common sense as well.
This may not be the way you want to go for various other reasons. Some may feel this is too expensive.
Of course, you do need to know that this formula can be used by an Alpaca owner as well. We had to laugh when our farm help said they tasted it and wanted to use it like a vitamin and mineral supplement. They all were so pleased with their results that many of them still continue to use it today.
So you see what’s good for the Alpaca is good for us!
I plan to continue to look into my herbal bag and see what else I can use for continued alpaca health, better fleece, and beautiful cria!
If you have any comments feel free to contact me!
Alicia Rocco, NHP alpaca4u@frontier.com
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To enquire about educational opportunities at Alpaca Spring Valley Farm, please Contact Alicia Rocco, Farm Business Manager
Our Family!
By way of introduction, Ron Rocco, 43, has been an employee of North Canton City School System, and is head mechanic of the transportation department for the last 15 years. He also owns and operates his own business - Custom Bus and Truck Panels. Ron serves his community through his involvement in Kiwanis.
Shelly Rocco, 41, had been the owner of In-Between Cleaning, an industrial cleaning business for manufacturing companies, for 10 years. She is now a partner with her husband in the Custom Bus and Truck Panel Company.
Ron and Shelly, married for 20 years, are both life-long residents of Minerva, Ohio, and have owned their own property on Whitacre Ave. for 19 years. Their son, Anthony, enjoys playing his favorite sports, baseball and basketball and of course the alpacas.
They are the alpaca farmers. Yep, they feed and clean the poop.
Grandma (Ron's Mom) is the Natural Health Practitioner and Business Manager for the farm. She has been a Natural Health Practitioner for 30 years and uses her knowledge in caring for the alpacas. She also is in charge of selling alpacas and the breeding schedule.