Please be aware that there are also female berserkers. I am in the unenviable position of knowing and working with both a male and female berserker. They aren't as aggressive as the males, but are quick to spit and generally are very difficult to handle. It took 4 people getting third-rumen spit all over them before they put a towel over her head before we could get her to the shearing area. The male berserker came to my employers as a former therapy animal. He almost knocked me over once with a full-on charge. Luckily, he's a smaller alpaca and I was semi-crouched down when he ran into me. So I insisted on belling him. Sure enough, today I stopped in to visit the barn and he wasted no time hustling over. However I heard the jingling and jangling of the bells on his collar, and knew what was happening, so I was able to turn and stop and deflect him before he made contact.
Wonderful video. I have a bottled fed yearling (Lenny). He was and still is a very curious and friendly alpaca. Folks who didn't see him suggested we put him down bc he most likely would have this issue. Today he is thriving and doing very well. He requires correction and we use a water bottle along with a nose-bopper should he behave outside of what is expected. Normally, that is he just always under foot. He is doing well with his halter training and living nicely with his bro-alpaca. I was very concerned about this behavioral issue and found your video very informative. I watched the examples of berserk behavior and felt comforted when I saw that Lenny's was not at all like those shown. Thank you.
Thank you for putting this video out there. I recently brought 3 alpacas to my farm 3 boys all born within two weeks of each other, a little over 1 year old and bonded. One is showing signs of BMS. My husband wants to go the gelding and training route prior to any euthanasia. (I'm definitely buying a frisbee after watching your video!) Looking at their detailed files this one had some very close interactions with the owner at about a month when it was failing to thrive and I'm guessing this is where the issue came in. He charges at me and my 8-year-old and has tried to mount us but does not show those signs with my husband during herd health day he spits and mounts/chest bumps. IDK. Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you for this great video. You share your own experiences very open and so people listen and resonate. That's really important because Alpacas are more and more hyped and people owe them as pets without taking in enough decent information before. Sorry for my bad grammar I am from germany...You inspired me to make a video on this topic in german on my channel and I have added your video to one of my playlists. Greetings
Oh, how wonderful! I'm sorry it has taken so long to respond. I have been off of RUclips recently. I think it is great that you are able to talk about this topic in another language to prevent BMS in more alpaca and llamas.
Hello....excellent video! I hope you don't mind, but I shared your video, along with my personal commentary, on my FB page following the viral nature of another "cute" alpaca video making the rounds. Probably why you are seeing a jump in views. Thanks for posting. Excellent explanations!! Cheers, Janet (Green Gable Alpacas, PEI Canada)
The man racking the poop up in the pen is Brian beschk from the RUclips channel featuring the REPTERIAUM he is a famous reptile RUclips.and he did feature this in his show long ago and he felt it was a rare strange thing for the species and out of the normal behaviour for the species.
I have a girl that is one year old. Born here on our farm to her momma everything has been great and normal. We just brought home two other yearlings from another farm and it made her very curious and a little more clingy to me like kinda she was checking in with me more and seeking me out more. I also try to desensitize my group with touching but she was actually seeking being pet. And it was getting more increasingly over the days then yesterday she started bumping and nibbling and then last night after chores she started trying to jump on me like she does her momma. I clearly firmly corrected these behaviors on similar ways I have seen her mother correct her so it was good to hear you say that’s what you do. But I instantly thought oh no did I over pet her!? And not I am all panicked
I learned something new today: “Alpaca meat is one of the healthiest and most flavorful meats in the world,” Sierra Meats reports. It is described as a mild meat which takes on the flavor of the dish. It is slightly salty, tender and lean, high in protein with no fatty aftertaste. Alpaca meat also has the lowest level of cholesterol of any meat.”
Thanks for posting this! I'm considering getting a llama or alpaca as a companion for my horse (and/or possibly sheep), after losing my elderly horse last fall. I'm learning about all the psychology and care needs before getting one. I've heard of BMS from other alpaca and llama farmers, and it seemed like such a random factor before. With your explanations, it sounds just like dealing with horses and rams. No longer a concern!
I'm so glad that you are doing your research on this! It shows how much you care for your animals. Thank you. Alpacas do best in groups of 2 or more. They are strongly herd oriented and the stress of being alone will create ulcers down the road. No, horses are not a substitute for alpaca companionship. Keep in mind that a horse's kick can do serious and even fatal damage to an alpaca. They just cannot take the force of it. You know your horses so you get to decide but I do not advise keeping alpacas with horses. A llama with guard instincts would be good to have with you sheep. (If a male, he MUST be gelded.) Just run fecal tests monthly on the llama for parasite control.
Yes, exactly. There would be lots of tests and trials and gradual introductions to see who gets along with whom. Good fences make good neighbors. We also have a dog who likes to get up close and personal, so TONS of desensitizing with the right individual(s). I have a friend who breeds llamas for temperament first and fiber quality second, and she would likely be my go-to for finding someone.
Horsewoman with over 40 yrs experience chiming in. SImply put wile you do want foals to imprint on you to some extent, you DON'T do that with crias. That is how you create a berserker. I work with 2 of them, and in fact one of them charged me today. However, as he is now belled, I heard him and was able to stop him and back him off before he made contac.
The white one was in a petting zoo. Don't know if its there to protect the other animals or as a pet-able animal but didn't seem very safe to me. It's name was Misty so I had assumed it was a female.
I saw that vid. The owners are nuts for keeping a berserker as a petting zoo animal and thinking its aggressive behaviour is cute. From what I could see of Misty, it was a gelded male. Proof that gelding doesn't work with berserkers.
This video helps A lot!! My llama is attached to me bud I think it is to late to fix. He’s perfectly fine with me. But strangers he wants to hurt. He’s about 11-12 years old though !
Hi, just found your video and was intrested in this topic. All the others I have watched this evening didn't mention this subject so think you for sharing. I enjoyed watching and will be checking out more of your video's. Are Alpaca's and Llama's the only animals you raise?
it's amazing how animals are just like humans. bms sounds like a spoiled child haha. thank you for this video. my dream is to have an alpaca farm but that's not until a few years later!
That’s Bryan barzcyk I am probably butchering his last name in the video with white llama cleaning pin he knows a lot about animals reptiles he has amazing snakes gets up close tours of zoos
Don't anthropomorphize. Berserkers don't strut around thinking they're great and wonderful. They don't act like Mango Man. They are merely animals who think people are others of their species.
@@susanandrews2294 who’s anthropomorphizing eh? I specifically analogized the behavior pattern exhibited by two different species. You superimposed human thought onto another species’ behavior. Did you talk to them? Did they tell you how they think? Is there an actual scientific study that proves exactly what they’re thinking since we can’t talk to each other? Humans are animals too, primates. I have degrees in Zoology/EvoBio and Psychology. Educate yourself, Dunning Kruger, so you don’t end up calling your own self out again.
Please be aware that there are also female berserkers. I am in the unenviable position of knowing and working with both a male and female berserker. They aren't as aggressive as the males, but are quick to spit and generally are very difficult to handle. It took 4 people getting third-rumen spit all over them before they put a towel over her head before we could get her to the shearing area. The male berserker came to my employers as a former therapy animal. He almost knocked me over once with a full-on charge. Luckily, he's a smaller alpaca and I was semi-crouched down when he ran into me. So I insisted on belling him. Sure enough, today I stopped in to visit the barn and he wasted no time hustling over. However I heard the jingling and jangling of the bells on his collar, and knew what was happening, so I was able to turn and stop and deflect him before he made contact.
I was mildly disappointed that the alpacas at the farm I volunteer at don't really come over and ask for affection, I'm not longer disappointed
Wonderful video. I have a bottled fed yearling (Lenny). He was and still is a very curious and friendly alpaca. Folks who didn't see him suggested we put him down bc he most likely would have this issue. Today he is thriving and doing very well. He requires correction and we use a water bottle along with a nose-bopper should he behave outside of what is expected. Normally, that is he just always under foot. He is doing well with his halter training and living nicely with his bro-alpaca. I was very concerned about this behavioral issue and found your video very informative. I watched the examples of berserk behavior and felt comforted when I saw that Lenny's was not at all like those shown. Thank you.
I'm so glad you found this video. Sounds like Lenny is very blessed to have found a home with you!
Thank you for putting this video out there. I recently brought 3 alpacas to my farm 3 boys all born within two weeks of each other, a little over 1 year old and bonded. One is showing signs of BMS. My husband wants to go the gelding and training route prior to any euthanasia. (I'm definitely buying a frisbee after watching your video!) Looking at their detailed files this one had some very close interactions with the owner at about a month when it was failing to thrive and I'm guessing this is where the issue came in. He charges at me and my 8-year-old and has tried to mount us but does not show those signs with my husband during herd health day he spits and mounts/chest bumps. IDK. Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you for this great video. You share your own experiences very open and so people listen and resonate. That's really important because Alpacas are more and more hyped and people owe them as pets without taking in enough decent information before. Sorry for my bad grammar I am from germany...You inspired me to make a video on this topic in german on my channel and I have added your video to one of my playlists. Greetings
Oh, how wonderful! I'm sorry it has taken so long to respond. I have been off of RUclips recently.
I think it is great that you are able to talk about this topic in another language to prevent BMS in more alpaca and llamas.
Hello....excellent video! I hope you don't mind, but I shared your video, along with my personal commentary, on my FB page following the viral nature of another "cute" alpaca video making the rounds. Probably why you are seeing a jump in views. Thanks for posting. Excellent explanations!! Cheers, Janet (Green Gable Alpacas, PEI Canada)
Great! Thank you for sharing. I hope it helps someone!
The man racking the poop up in the pen is Brian beschk from the RUclips channel featuring the REPTERIAUM he is a famous reptile RUclips.and he did feature this in his show long ago and he felt it was a rare strange thing for the species and out of the normal behaviour for the species.
Found the link, sorry for asking
Since spring our oldest alpaca is jumping on us, nothing more…time to react quickly
I have a girl that is one year old. Born here on our farm to her momma everything has been great and normal. We just brought home two other yearlings from another farm and it made her very curious and a little more clingy to me like kinda she was checking in with me more and seeking me out more. I also try to desensitize my group with touching but she was actually seeking being pet. And it was getting more increasingly over the days then yesterday she started bumping and nibbling and then last night after chores she started trying to jump on me like she does her momma. I clearly firmly corrected these behaviors on similar ways I have seen her mother correct her so it was good to hear you say that’s what you do. But I instantly thought oh no did I over pet her!? And not I am all panicked
Hi, I don’t find the link to this training you’re talking about
Could you please write it?
Very good Declaration. Good to learning
I learned something new today:
“Alpaca meat is one of the healthiest and most flavorful meats in the world,” Sierra Meats reports. It is described as a mild meat which takes on the flavor of the dish. It is slightly salty, tender and lean, high in protein with no fatty aftertaste. Alpaca meat also has the lowest level of cholesterol of any meat.”
Thanks for posting this! I'm considering getting a llama or alpaca as a companion for my horse (and/or possibly sheep), after losing my elderly horse last fall. I'm learning about all the psychology and care needs before getting one. I've heard of BMS from other alpaca and llama farmers, and it seemed like such a random factor before. With your explanations, it sounds just like dealing with horses and rams. No longer a concern!
I'm so glad that you are doing your research on this! It shows how much you care for your animals. Thank you.
Alpacas do best in groups of 2 or more. They are strongly herd oriented and the stress of being alone will create ulcers down the road. No, horses are not a substitute for alpaca companionship. Keep in mind that a horse's kick can do serious and even fatal damage to an alpaca. They just cannot take the force of it. You know your horses so you get to decide but I do not advise keeping alpacas with horses.
A llama with guard instincts would be good to have with you sheep. (If a male, he MUST be gelded.) Just run fecal tests monthly on the llama for parasite control.
Yes, exactly. There would be lots of tests and trials and gradual introductions to see who gets along with whom. Good fences make good neighbors. We also have a dog who likes to get up close and personal, so TONS of desensitizing with the right individual(s). I have a friend who breeds llamas for temperament first and fiber quality second, and she would likely be my go-to for finding someone.
Wonderful
Horsewoman with over 40 yrs experience chiming in. SImply put wile you do want foals to imprint on you to some extent, you DON'T do that with crias. That is how you create a berserker. I work with 2 of them, and in fact one of them charged me today. However, as he is now belled, I heard him and was able to stop him and back him off before he made contac.
omg girl that guy was bryan barchyk or however you spell his last name in that video of the keeper trying to clean the llama/alpacas encloser
Thanks! Really good info!
Love your video. I have an alpaca with BMS. I need help I dont want to have him put down. Any suggestions?
For a start, bell him. That way at least you can hear him coming. A basic dog collar and a few bells, and you're good.
The white one was in a petting zoo. Don't know if its there to protect the other animals or as a pet-able animal but didn't seem very safe to me. It's name was Misty so I had assumed it was a female.
I saw that vid. The owners are nuts for keeping a berserker as a petting zoo animal and thinking its aggressive behaviour is cute. From what I could see of Misty, it was a gelded male. Proof that gelding doesn't work with berserkers.
I tried to tell everyone I could about this on that one video where that white alpaca chasing that zoo keeper around
Same! The doorknobs in that vid all thought it funny and cute *eyeroll*
This video helps A lot!! My llama is attached to me bud I think it is to late to fix. He’s perfectly fine with me. But strangers he wants to hurt. He’s about 11-12 years old though !
So yes he is a berserker. Just count yourself lucky that he hasn't turned on you.
Sadly, people don't always listen to people who have experience and KNOW what they are talking about.
True 😔
Hi, just found your video and was intrested in this topic. All the others I have watched this evening didn't mention this subject so think you for sharing. I enjoyed watching and will be checking out more of your video's. Are Alpaca's and Llama's the only animals you raise?
Hi Roxanna, I'm glad that you found this video helpful. Yes, alpacas and llamas are the only animals I raise.
What age is it safe to start handling the Cria llamas ?
Just found out about this on wikipedia
I’m not sure but it looks like those two Alpacas that were acting out are alone. Where is the herd? They shouldn’t be alone!
Good question!! That certainly would add to the aggressive behavior if they don’t have the support of a herd.
it's amazing how animals are just like humans. bms sounds like a spoiled child haha. thank you for this video. my dream is to have an alpaca farm but that's not until a few years later!
Spoiled child...pretty much!
jplobotomy Well, of course since humans are animals too. Every animal has some kind of similarity with one another.
My llama has this issue
hi, did you ever hear if alpaca hiking can cause BMS?
I have not heard that. Training alpacas will not create BMS.
I get so pissed when I see videos of people eho have a "pet" alpaca and think that the alpacas arr going to be okay.. Sigh
That’s Bryan barzcyk I am probably butchering his last name in the video with white llama cleaning pin he knows a lot about animals reptiles he has amazing snakes gets up close tours of zoos
He thinks your his "girlfreind" NEUTER..CASTRATE
Gelding won't help. Once a berserker, always a berserker. Yes, gelding will work with horses, but not alpacas.
Wow! In humans BMS is called Narcissism. Exactly the same. So interesting.
This is incorrect
Don't anthropomorphize. Berserkers don't strut around thinking they're great and wonderful. They don't act like Mango Man. They are merely animals who think people are others of their species.
@@susanandrews2294 who’s anthropomorphizing eh? I specifically analogized the behavior pattern exhibited by two different species. You superimposed human thought onto another species’ behavior. Did you talk to them? Did they tell you how they think? Is there an actual scientific study that proves exactly what they’re thinking since we can’t talk to each other? Humans are animals too, primates. I have degrees in Zoology/EvoBio and Psychology. Educate yourself, Dunning Kruger, so you don’t end up calling your own self out again.