Learning About Llamas

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

The 7th annual free Llama and Alpaca Information Day will be held April 19th at JNK Llama Farm in Bellingham. JNK Llama Farm owner, Niki Kuklenski, says that the day long clinic begins bright and early.

KUKLENSKI: Check-ins at 8:30 a.m., and people need to RSVP beforehand. And what we have is an ongoing offering from basically 9:00 a.m. until it ends at 5:00 p.m.. So, we have two to three classes running every hour for 45 minutes with a 15 minute break and passing period and question time, and then we go straight into another set of classes.

Kuklenski says they always have a basic offering of informational classes.

KUKLENSKI: Which is shearing, toenails, basic vet care and what not, and then we have other things. There’s fiber demonstrations and fiber classes. And then we also have people coming to just talk about general ownership and experience.

Dr. Mike Anderson from Kulshan Veterinary Office will also be back this year.

KUKLENSKI: He always does a basic care and management for new llama and alpaca owners, and then he does an advanced class, which is usually some sort of current issue. In the past it’s been geriatric llama care or teeth related issues - things like that.

Kuklenski would like to remind folks that while future llama or alpaca owners are encouraged, animals will not be sold during the event.

KUKLENSKI: The sole focus of this is education and helping people learn about how to take care of their animals

That’s Washington Ag Today.

I’m Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.