TECHNICAL AGRICULTURAL TOURS

SURI FACTS

• The “suri” is a rare type of alpaca prized for its luxurious fleece. Unlike the more commonly seen “huacaya” alpaca with its merino style fibre, the suri has a fleece which hangs from the body in silken locks.
• Suri fibre has a unique lustre and handle, which when processed into cloth or yarn makes it immediately apparent why the South American Incas called suri the Fibre of the Gods, and reserved it for use only by royalty.
• The very small quantity of top quality white suri fibre currently produced in the world each year offers exciting opportunities for the investor keen to produce or process this unique natural fibre.
• In addition to their fleece production qualities new markets for meat and hide are now evolving.

BIRRONG SURI ALPACAS

• Established in 2002 with a commitment to the long term development of the suri fibre industry, in Australia and overseas
• Located on 100 acres at Canyonleigh in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, conveniently located about 1.5 hours drive from Sydney or Canberra, and running a stud herd of around 75 pure and cross-bred suris
• One of less than ten Australian studs focussed totally on breeding pure white suris suited to commercial fleece production
• All our fibre is currently processed and sold within Australia
• Committed to the continuous improvement of our breeding stock through genetic selection
• Breeding stock, together with fleece production wethers, are always available for sale to established and new suri breeders
• Six years’ involvement in the training and education of new suri breeders in Australia
• Our specialist technical agricultural tours are tailored to individual needs and interests based around a series of Basic Modules covering:
  1. An Introduction to Suris
  2. Farm Layout
  3. Nutrition
  4. Husbandry and Health
  5. Reproduction
  6. Stock Assessment
  7. Suri Genetics and Cross-Breeding
  8. Fibre and Processing

BASIC MODULES
A. An Introduction to Suris
Content:
  • What is a suri?
  • Evolution of the suri breed
  • Suris in Australia
  • Suitability of the suri to other parts of the world
  • Uses of suri: fibre, meat and hides
Length: 30 minutes

B. Farm Layout
Content:
  • Farm size and design
  • Fencing
  • Shelter and shedding
  • Water
This is a practical session taking the form of a walk around the farm.
Length: 90 minutes

C. Nutrition
Content:
  • Pasture—assessment of quality and quantity
  • Supplementary feeding
  • Nutritional requirements
This session includes practical pasture assessment.
Length: 90 minutes

D. Husbandry and Health
Content:
  • Vaccinations and drenching
  • Nails and teeth
  • Shearing
  • Common illnesses and injuries
This session includes practical demonstrations.
Length: 90 minutes

E. Reproduction
Content:
  • Mating and pregnancy testing
  • Birthing
  • Neonatal and cria care
  • Embryo transfer and artificial insemination
This session includes practical demonstrations.
Length: 90 minutes

F. Stock Assessment
Content:
  • Suri conformation and faults
  • Fleece quality and style
  • Comparison of pure and cross-bred suris
  • Pre-inspection research
This session includes practical demonstrations.
Length: 90 minutes

G. Suri Genetics and Cross-Breeding
Content:
  • Concepts and terminology applied to suri breeding
  • Suri cross-breeding
  • Line breeding and in-breeding
  • Improving quality through genetic selection
Length: 60 minutes

H. Fibre and Processing
Content:
  • Assessing fleece quality
  • Shearing and skirting
  • Fibre testing and fleece statistics
  • Overview of fibre processing
This session includes practical demonstrations.
Length: 60 minutes

For a quotation and suggested itinerary or booking based on your requirements in terms of:
Basic Modules; Catering; Specialist Speakers,
please contact us.