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LLAMA ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALASIA Inc.

REGISTRY GUIDELINES

FOURTH EDITION 2009

 

Published  by:
  Llama  Association of Australasia (LAA)
  c2009

This  document cannot be reproduced in its entirety or in part by any means,  including in print or by electronic means, without the approval of the LAA  Management Committee. (Current LAA members for personal use are exempt)

For more information and contact details

please  see the LAA website at:
  www.llama.asn.au

Date  for next review:   June 2011 

The Llama Association of Australasia Inc.  (LAA) 

Australasian Lama Registry : Guidelines 

Fourth Edition 2009 

1. PURPOSE
    The purpose of the Australasian Lama Registry (ALR)  is to encourage lama breeders to aim towards producing the best quality lama  possible, both in physical conformation and appearance; and in temperament and  suitability for task or purpose. 

The Australasian Lama Registry is to maintain a  record of llama identification and genealogy, and of llama ownership. 

1.2 USE
    The Australasian Lama Registry can be used as a  source of statistics and genealogy history.   Its data will be made available to LAA members, authorized government departments,  or other reputable researchers, upon request and payment of the appropriate  fee. 

2. DEFINITION OF LAMA
    Members of the South American Camelid (SAC) family  are classified under the genus Lama (single “L”). 

Species within the Lama Genus are the Guanaco (Lama  guanaco), the Alpaca (Lama pacos pacos) and the Llama (Lama glama).  All species within the Lama Genus, plus the  Vicugna (Vicugna vicugna), can be interbred and produce fertile offspring. 

3. REGISTRY STRUCTURE 

3.1 ADMINISTRATION   

  • The registry is administered  by the Registry Sub-committee of the LAA. 
    •    
  • The registry sub-committee  must consist of one Registrar (Mick Wescombe) and can have up to two other  members, one of whom may be the registry manager (Heather Duxbury).  Members of the registry sub-committee, except  for the registry manager, must be members of the LAA but do not have to be part  of the LAA (management) committee.
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  • The registry sub-committee  works under direction from, and reports to, the LAA committee.
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  • The registry manager works  under direction from, and reports to, the Registrar
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  • The Registrar must make a  formal report to the LAA committee at least once per year.
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  • All registry related  stationary and hardware, eg. service certificates, microchips, microchip  implanter and scanner etc. is available from the Registrar upon request and  payment of the appropriate fee. 

3.2 STRUCTURE
    The Australasian Lama Registry is open to llamas,  guanaco and crosses and is divided into divisions according to species.   

  • Llama Division (for pure  bred llama).
    •    
  • Guanaco Division (for pure  bred guanaco).
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  • Crossbred Division (for  offspring of a cross-breeding between different species of lama, eg. llama and  guanaco, or llama and alpaca).
    •    
           
    • Both parents of a crossbred offspring must be eligible for registration,  or already be registered in their own division, for their offspring to be  eligible for registration in the crossbred division.
      •      
    • Alpaca should be registered with the International Alpaca Registry.
      •      
    • Vicugna are protected in their country of origin and generally are not  exported.  They are not registered here.

4. DIVISIONS 

4.1 LLAMA DIVISION   

  • Both sire and dam must be  llamas.
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  • Llamas must meet the breed  standard – see separate LAA Llama Breed Standard for details.
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  • Any llama which exhibits any  disqualifying fault as set out in the LAA Llama Breed Standard will not be  eligible for registration as breeding stock. (see Breed Standard: section on  Disqualifying Faults)
    •    
  • The llama type  classification, which is based on fleece-type, colour, and colour pattern, (see  Section 5), must be nominated by the owner at the time of registration.  As it is often difficult to accurately  distinguish between a short or medium wool llama, or a medium to long wool  llama at a young age, this classification can be amended when the animal is  aged 18-24 months, if necessary.

4.1.1 FOUNDATION LLAMAS  

  • Foundation llamas are those  which are imported from overseas, and/or whose sire and dam are unknown.
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  • The llama offspring of  accidental matings where the sire cannot be identified can be registered as  foundation lamas.
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  • To be eligible for  registration, foundation llamas must meet the LAA Llama Breed Standard.  This is especially important if there is any  doubt as to the species of either parent of an accidental mating.  If still in doubt the offspring should be  placed into the crossbred division. 

4.2 GUANACO DIVISION   

  • Both sire and dam must be  guanaco.
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  • Animals applying for  registration in this division must meet the following criteria.
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  • The animal must exhibit the following typical guanaco characteristics:  long, spear shaped ears; a long, thin, rectangular face; low set eyes; a  prominent chin; high withers; a slightly rounded top-line.  The height of the adult should be  approximately 106 cm at the withers; the fleece distribution is as a short wool  llama.  In colour, it should conform to  the “natural” or “wild” colouration of the traditional lama, (see Section  5.2).  Generally, the guanaco will have a  lighter frame, a longer tail, and produce less abundant wool when compared to  the llama.
    •    
  • Although the LAA does not have a Guanaco Breed Standard at the moment,  if one is developed in the future this Breed Standard would override above  should any inconsistencies occur

4.3 CROSSBRED DIVISION   

  • Have parents which are not  of the same species of lama.
    •    
  • If the progeny of crossbred  animals is bred back to a pure bred animal for 4 generations, then this  offspring is deemed to be back to the pure line and can be registered in the  appropriate pure bred division.
5. CLASSIFICATIONS

    Classification, or the naming of lama varieties, is  usually based on the fleece/wool type, colour, and colour pattern.  The following classifications should be used  for registration of llamas, and can also be used for crossbred animals. 

5.1 FLEECE TYPE CLASSIFICATION
    When referring to the type of fibre on a llama, the  terms fleece and wool are often used interchangeably.  In these registry guidelines the term wool  has been adopted. 

Wool type classification can often be difficult in  very young animals.  It can be especially  difficult to distinguish between short and medium fleeced animals, and often  between some medium and long fleeced llamas.   Because of this, the wool type classification can be amended, if  necessary, between the age of 18-24 months as the animal matures. 

5.1.1 SHORT WOOL
    A short wool animal has a clean smooth head, ears  and legs, and a short dense fleece all around the neck. . There is a short  dense fleece of body wool, which is double coated, having a coarser outer coat  (guard hair) and a finer under coat.  The  fleece of a short wool animal is at least partially shed annually. 

5.1.2 MEDIUM WOOL
    A medium wool animal has a clean, smooth head and  ears.  Although medium wool animals may  have tufts of hair below the knees or hocks, the amount is not  significant.  There is a dense, usually  double coated fleece, of body wool.  The  neck wool, which in young animals may be longish all round is partially shed on  maturity, leaving a short soft fleece on the front and longer hairier fleece on  the back of the neck – this sometimes resembles a mane.   A medium wool animal does not have long wool  all around the neck, or significant wool on the legs, or below the knees or  hocks.

 

5.1.3 LONG WOOL
    The head of a long wool animal may be covered in  short smooth hair all over, or have a fringing of longer hair around or over  the eyes and along the edges of the ears.   The fleece on the legs usually extends to below the knees or hocks.  The neck wool is long all around the neck and  is not shed.  The body fleece is long and  can be either “single” (no noticeable difference between the guard hair and the  under-wool), or “double” (obvious guard hair). 

Fleece types for long wool animals may vary from one  which stands out perpendicularly from the body, to one which hangs straight or  is in waves.  This long hair may result  in a “parting” along the back and sometimes down the neck. 

5.1.3.1 SURI WOOL: Suri wool llamas have the same  wool distribution as other long wool llamas, but the fibre forms into  cords.  These hanging cords, which form  close to the skin and maintain a uniform profile to the tips, give the Suri  Llama an appearance of stretchiness and narrowness, especially when viewed from  the front. 

5.2 COLOUR CLASSIFICATION
    Colour selection is made by opening the fleece and  assessing the colour nearest to the skin.   A maximum of three (3) colours may be selected for each animal with the  predominant colour listed first, and then the next two major colours (if any)  listed in descending order.
    The colours listed below cover the broad spectrum of  available colours and you should match to the nearest like colour when  selecting the colour for registration.  A  colour chart, available from the Registry, will assist in defining colours:

White

    Black
    Light Fawn (cream)
    Medium Fawn
    Dark Fawn (dark gold)
    Light Brown (chestnut)
    Medium Brown (red)
    Dark Brown
    Light Grey
    Medium Grey
    Dark Grey
    Rose Grey/Roan (light red roan)

A guanaco seeking registration in the Guanaco  Division can only have the “Natural” or “Wild” colouration and patterning.  This will give the guanaco a two tone look  with a caramel coloured body, a lighter colour on the belly region, and a grey  head

5.3 PATTERN CLASSIFICATION
  When deciding on the colour pattern, selection is be  to be made from the broad pattern themes listed below.  The term dark points can be used as a suffix  to another pattern and would usually be seen with a solid colour llama, as in  solid medium brown with black points*. A pattern chart, available from the  Registry, will assist in defining colour patterns
  (* light brown or grey animals will often have  charcoal or grey points)

Solid: single colour
    Tuxedo: solid body colour, with  white markings confined to face, neck, chest and lower legs
    Paint: patches of colour on a  white background
    Bay: solid body colour with  darker head, legs and tail
    Natural: fawn to light brown body  colour, lighter underneath, with greyish markings on the head and lower legs
    Appaloosa: darker spots on a light  background
    Reverse  Appaloosa:  lighter spots on a dark background
    Calico: tri-coloured, black, brown  and fawn as in a tortoiseshell cat.

6. GENERAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION

6.1 BREEDER
  The breeder(s) is/are defined as the owner(s) or  lessee of a lama’s dam at the time of birth.

6.2 OWNER
  An owner is the person(s) who holds legal possession  of a lama. 

  • Each owner(s) will be  assigned a three or four character owner code.
    •  
  • To register a lama the  owner(s) must be financial member(s) of the LAA.
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  • The owner(s) may nominate an  agent to handle registry activities for them.   An owner must notify the Registrar in writing of the name of the agent  and include the time period that this agent is authorised to act for him/her.

6.3 OWNER RESPONSIBILITY/DECLARATIONS 

  • Only the current owner(s)  can register a lama.
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  • Owners are responsible for  supplying the registry with accurate information in relation to births, deaths,  breeding, and transfer of ownership.
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  • Registration application  forms must be filled in completely and accurately for the registration to  proceed and include the signature(s) of the current owner(s) or an owner’s  authorised agent.
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  • Owners acknowledge that  there may be release of registry data from time to time as specified in Section  1.2.

6.4 NAMING 

  • Breeders must register a  prefix to be used as part of the registered name of a lama.  This prefix is usually the breeders’ farm  name. If this prefix differs from the breeders’ farm name, a written request  must be made to the registry for the change.   No permission will be given for the registration of an already existing  prefix and only the owner(s) of the prefix may use it in the name of a lama.  (see also section 6(c) & 6(h)).
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  • The prefix, if known, must  be used in the lama’s registered name, except in foundation llamas (see Section  4.1.1).
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  • Names must not be offensive  or misleading.  Any suspect name  submitted for registration will be referred to the registration committee for  assessment.
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  • Each name must be unique,  differing from any other by at least one character.
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  • Registration software  restrictions limit names to a maximum of 30 characters, including the prefix  and spaces.
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  • Name changes are only  permitted for registered llamas with no registered offspring.  Name changes will only occur under  exceptional circumstances where the registered name is considered to be  unsuitable, and providing that the present owner(s) can supply written and  signed approval from both the breeder(s) and the Registrar.

6.5. SERVICE CERTIFICATES 

  • A service certificate,  filled in at the time of mating, is required for all matings. This then becomes  a legal document verifying the sire and dam.
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  • The service certificate is  to be signed by the owner(s) of the sire, or the stud manager, or authorised  agent of the owner.
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  • Three copies of this  certificate are to be kept.  One copy by  the owner(s) of the covering sire, one copy by the owner(s) of the serviced female  and one is to be included with the application to register the offspring.

           d)   A  service certificate is not required when an owner(s) is using their own sire(s).   Instead of the service certificate the sire and dam owner(s) signature  must appear on the registry application form.

6.6 AGE OF LAMA
  A lama can be registered from birth.

6.7 SEX OF LAMA 

  • A lama’s sex must be stated  on the registration application form.
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  • If a male lama is castrated,  it is to be registered as a gelding.
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  • If a registered male llama  is castrated the registry should be notified and the registration certificate  will be amended.
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  • No provision is made for the  registration of a de-sexed female lama at this time, as this is not common or  current practice. All female lamas are to be registered as female.

6.8 PERMANENT LAMA IDENTIFICATION 

  • An identification microchip  must be implanted at the base of the left ear of the lama to be  registered.  The microchips and implanter  are available from the Registrar upon application and payment of the  appropriate fee.
    •  
  • Other nominated sites for  microchip implantation may be accepted upon written request stating why this is  necessary.
    •  
  • Because of the permanent  nature of the microchip other forms of identification are not necessary for  registration.
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  • It is the owner(s)  responsibility to ensure that the implanted microchip remains in working  order.  If, for some reason the inserted  microchip is expelled from, or moves within, the lama and cannot be found, then  a new chip should be inserted and the registry updated with the new number as  soon as possible.  This is to keep the  registry and lama identification accurate.

6.9 TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP 

  • The registry should be  notified of all owner transfers of registered lama.
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  • The transfer section on the  back of the certificate should be filled in and sent to the registry with the  appropriate fee.
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  • The transfer must be signed  and dated by the seller.
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  • The registry should be  notified of transfers within 120 days

 6.10. LENGTH OF REGISTRATION
  Once accepted into the registry, lamas remain  registered for life.

6.11 DEATH OF LAMA 

  • On the death of a lama the  appropriated section on the back of the certificate is to be completed and sent  to the registry.
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  • The date and cause of death  should be included if known.

If you would like to retain the certificate then  please either fax a copy or email information to the Registry Manager and a  copy of the fax/email will be filed as verification of the death.

7. REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES
  Once a lama has been accepted into the registry the  owner will receive a registration certificate.

7.1 CERTIFICATE CONTENTS 

  • The following information  about the lama being registered will be shown on the registration certificate:   
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    • Name
      •    
    • ALR Number
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    • Microchip number
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    • Colour
      •    
    • Sex
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    • Current owner
      •    
    • Owner number (and code if  applicable) 
     
  • The following information  about the lama being registered, if known and applicable, will be shown on the  registration certificate 
      •    
    • Lama species
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    • Llama fleece classification
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    • Name of the dam owner at time of service (breeder)
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    • Name of dam owner at time of cria’s birth
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    • Name of the sire owner at time of service
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    • Pedigree/ancestor information
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    • Date of birth
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    • Ear tag number
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    • Country of origin – (country where dam was serviced)
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    • Country of birth
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    • ILR number
  • The following information  about the registered lama’s ancestors, if available, will be shown on the  registration certificate 
      •    
    • Name
      •    
    • ALR number
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    • ILR number or ear tag number
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    • Country of origin
      •  

       7.2  CORRECTION OF ERRORS 

  • Errors made by the registry  will be corrected free of charge upon notification
    •  
  • Errors made by the owner  will be corrected upon notification and submission of the incorrect  registration certificate and payment of the appropriated fee.
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  • If a cria of under 12 months  of age is registered and it becomes apparent that its adult fleece  classification has changed, the registration certificate will be amended free  of charge when the animal is between 18 and 24 months.
8. FEES

  For the current fee structure, please refer to the Payment  Form in the Registry section of the Association’s  web site at www.llama.asn.au . 

  • The Registry sub-committee  in consultation with the LAA committee sets any fee payable for a registry  process.
    •  
  • Any fee set for a registry  process must be paid to the Registry before the registry will be updated.

9. REGISTRY DATA & COPYRIGHT
The LAA holds copyright over all data pertaining to  the LAA Australasian Lama Registry, including these guidelines and the registry  contents.

All data remains the property of the Llama Association  of Australasia Inc. and cannot be reproduced or used in any way, including in  either written or electronic format, without the express permission of the LAA  Registry Committee and the LAA (management) committee. The data will be made  available on request as listed in Section 1.2.