Code of Conduct for the Transfer of Camelids
( Endorsed by the Southern States Llama Association )
This Code establishes
behavioral guidelines for the offering
for sale, trade or donation of any camelid.
Any breeder, seller or trader transferring
a camelid to another person
should undertake to commit to the following actions:
1 . To give appropriate
advice and full information on the pros and cons
of owning camelids to any
inquirer who is interested in owning them.
2 . To offer
after-sale/transfer help and advice, whenever needed, to
purchasers/receivers of
camelids, particularly in the areas of care and
well-being, of the animals.
3 . To ensure that
purchasers/receivers obtain full and appropriate
advice on choosing the right
camelid for the purpose for which the
camelid is being obtained.
4. To declare any known
faults in conformation or temperament which
would hamper or obstruct the purpose
for which the camelid is being
obtained.
5. To not knowingly offer
cross-bred or in-bred stock or related pairs
without declaring them as such.
6. To provide purchasers/receivers with a
record of the camelid's date
of birth, full breeding history, full veterinary
history and history of
worming, vaccinations, etc. as far as they are known.
7. To ensure that purchasers/receivers
understand that, if they have
more than one intact male, the males will need to
be kept separately if
they are within sight or smell of a female or their
fighting teeth cut and
inspected on a regular basis to prevent serious injury
from fighting.
8 . (a) That crias will not be
bottle-fed/hand-reared except in
circumstances of feeding difficulties which are
life-threatening to the cria,
in which case the fact that an animal has been
reared in this way will be
declared to the potential purchaser/receiver. (b) To
explain to all
purchasers/receivers of camelids which are capable of breeding
that,
although bottle-fed/hand-reared youngsters are extremely tame and
friendly
when small, they are likely to become extremely difficult to
manage when they
mature. (c) To explain that any male camelid which
has been
bottle-fed/hand-reared should be castrated at the appropriate
age, but that
castration might not prevent such problems, as it may not
change the character
of an animal which has been subject to such handling.
9 . Use the following terms to describe
females sold as pregnant:
(a) Confirmed pregnant: to declare females for
sale/transfer as "confirmed
pregnant" only when an ultrasound scan or
pregnancy blood test has
confirmed pregnancy and there has been no reason to
suppose that a
miscarriage has occurred. (b) Believed pregnant: to declare
females for
sale/transfer are "believed pregnant" only when a mating
has been
witnessed and subsequent putting of the male with the female has been
witnessed and has not resulted in further mating. (c) Possibly pregnant:
to
describe a female as no more than "possibly pregnant" where no mating
has been witnessed but a proven female has been running with a proven
male.
10. To advise purchasers/receivers of a
maiden female that female
camelids should not be intentionally mated until they
have attained at
least 60% of their adult weight or be at least eighteen months
of age.
11. To declare any doubts or known
possibilities concerning cross-breeding
in the history of the animals.
12. To ensure that when declaring that an
animal is handleable or
halter-trained, the animal can be led and the halter be
easily put in place,
with minimum stress to the handler and/or the animal.
13. To ensure that the transport provided
for the camelid by either
the transfer or transferee is suitable.
This code establishes that
sellers/transferors of camelids should not:
(a) Transfer a camelid
without ensuring that the new owners understand
the long-term commitment.
(b)
Sell as "easy-to-keep" without making it clear that all livestock need
daily observation, care and attention, and can be subject to veterinary
and
other problems.
(c) Sell without making every effort to ensure that the new home
offers
adequate feeding, shelter, fencing and clean water, etc.
The SSLA will provide copies for your farm at
your request.
Please use this in your advertising and on your promotional
materials
as a way to strengthen our purpose and to stress the integrity
and
professional within our organization.