Well?........ I think I've built a better alpaca trap (or alpaca chute/llama chute),........and I think many of you will agree! Especially, you 1-person alpaca health care providers!!! The logic behind the success of the PacaTrapper will make total sense as you read on.
......interestingly , The AlpacaRosa has some history of building better mouse traps, like the world renowned Tooth-a-Matic!, .... and more recently, the Fight O Matic and Bungee BiteBloc! Check out these time saving products while you're on our website.
I guess, I just like mouse traps!.... or, maybe,..... its just the CHEESE! x
While developing the Fight O Matic (fighting teeth trimmer) I found the need to design a better head restraint system, that would securely hold the alpaca/lama head for safe trimming. Historically, alpaca chutes were not designed with very secure head restraint in mind, they were simply mutant minature versions of cattle chutes, keeping the animal relatively contained within a box . Well, I changed all of that!.......I had so much fun with this "alpaca chute" project, I developed the idea further and with the help of our friends at Our Legacy Acres Alpacas, named it the
PacaTrapper..........
STRESS-FREE "Pacatrapping" is accomplished with a simple concept, You can't be afraid of what you can't see. They walk up to a post with NO enclosure, with all straps above, behind,or under them. They can't see a thing and thus are notably more relaxed than INSIDE a chute
OMG, How SWEET is this design feature? I told ya, ........I had fun with this project!
The PacaTrapper uses the inherent strength of a buried barn post, which economizes the amount of steel required to fabricate this chute. This brings down the cost of the chute & shipping, allows cria to nurse under MOM, and my favorite part.... IT TAKES UP NO BARN FLOOR SPACE!
When you study the typical alpaca chute design, they use this big bulky frame, which it's sole purpose is to support the belly straps and a V-brace, but unfortunately from the perspective of an alpaca, many behave as though its a torture chamber to stay the hell out of!. As many of you already know, alpacas need to be pushed into chutes, pens, trailers, vans, etc...... Suffice to say, I found a better, more economical method of placing the support frame ABOVE the alpaca (and their eyes), and removing the STRESS that explains their behavioral tendencies while in a typical alpaca chute......and by the way, did I mention the PacaTrapper is totally out of the way of all traffic yet can be used at a moments notice?
I had dinner with some very experienced chute owning alpaca breeders the other night and they asked me " Don, how do you keep the alpaca from thrashing around in your PacaTrapper?" I thought WOW!, That question speaks volumes for the effectiveness of the typical alpaca chute. Wouldn't you agree? ........"thrashing?"..... c'mon!
I told them that I would let them know the day an alpaca thrashes around in a PacaTrapper because he is very upset that he is standing hitched up to a barn post. You see folks, while a halter trained alpaca is "pacatrapped", he sees nothing but a barn post and feels nothing to get stressed about. Make sense? All straps are above and behind their head or below their chin and since they can only see a post straight ahead, AND since you didn't have to push them into the chute, they just don't see a reason to get upset. " My conclusion after watching the calmness that the alpaca regularly expresses while in the PacaTrapper is that, an alpaca can't be terrified of something it can't see and doesn't know exists" Thats not to say that you will never get an alpaca that will not like being in the PacaTrapper, but to say that OVERALL, their attitudes are much improved over other chute type systems. We have panic snaps provided for quick releasing of alpacas that are upset, just as a safety precaution.
SIMPLE?....Yep!...Now, imagine that she won't let her new born nurse, This is the ticket folks! Look how easy the cria can get under Mom.
Image:
YES! it easily and safely "traps" the alpaca or lama for easy one-person operation of the Tooth a Matic and Fight O Matic.
Gold is demonstrating how relaxed he is , resting his eyes while gumming the Bungee BiteBloc
.........."Since there is no steel frame around the alpaca body, crias can easily nurse from a psycho dam, AND you wont get your hand smashed or elbow hyperextended if your arm were to get in between the frame and alpaca, as can be a risk with other chutes, especially when trimming toe nails."
NOTE: the PacaTrapper takes up NO floor space!
-Requires NO Barn floor space (solves my biggest chute peeve!) -PacaTrapper receivers can be placed at several locations on the farm -allows easy solution for new dams that wont allow cria to nurse -Affordable, At $500, 3X cheaper than ordinary chutes -NO smashed hand worries, there is no frame to smash your hand against -easy access around alpaca for those emergency shearing jobs -Restrains head more securely than any alpaca chute in the world -no more PUSHING alpacas "into" chute,it's more like hitching to post -allows 1-man operation of Tooth a Matic and Fight O Matic, AWESOME! -Lightweight/ allows for easy portability (under 25lbs) -Lightweight/ allows inexpensive shipping -less injury risk during vet ultrasounds -designed by an experienced alpaca breeder -powder coated paint -quick release snaps -Stress-free pacatrapping, you gotta love it!
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Looks substantial, but Wow, that takes a lot of space! I dont have room for THAT in MY barn! How about you?
If you have a barn, garage, or a 3-sided shelter, or even a Basketball hoop with a buried post(yes, one cool customer is using a basketball post), you can easily install the Paca Trapper with 3 bolts , a wrench, and a drill. Since the PacaTrapper is designed to swing out of the way when you are not using it, You only have to install it once.
Some breeders are ordering extra receivers to bolt on to several posts around their farm so that they can use the Pacatrapper in several locations by simply lifting out the two steel arms and placing them into another receiver.
-No more carrying or wheeling the alpaca chute over to the designated location for herd health day. -No more back breaking pains from moving that monstrosity. -No more delays for teeth trimming because you couldn't find a helper. -No more stepping around the big bulky chute ANYMORE! -No more fighting the alpacas who don't want to go into the chute! -No more getting your arm hurt between steel frame and alpaca -No more need for extra people to hold head
For those who don't currently own an alpaca chute: -No more risk of perforating rectum during ultrasounds while your girl jumps uncontrollably. -And think how nice it will be to help a struggling cria latch on to mom without hormone crazed psycho mom not standing still. -And, how about this one? You are home alone, and need to milk out Mom..........been there , done that, NOT fun.
The PacaTrapper is easily portable from farm to farm as it weighs under 25lbs. and is carried on your shoulders with, of course, my signature design feature, free-hand and arm motion which makes for a great Portable Alpaca Chute!
................. Okay, time for a little movie.
I have been in the alpaca business over 10 years and personally never purchased a chute for one reason. They were too BIG and in my way! I often regretted not having the benefits of owning some kind of a alpaca restraining chute during teeth trimming ,ultrasounding or toe nail trimming. The PacaTrapper would have been so sweet the painful occasions our maidens would not allow their new cria to nurse.
Since I like to manufacture time saving tools for the alpaca industry, I decided to focus some attention on a new alpaca chute concept for alpacas so that I could single handedly trim teeth by myself.
Like many products used on alpacas, the "Alpaca chute" was a carry over from other livestock industries to help restrain large animals .
......................................"Sometimes we need to take a step back and re-examine why we are still using the same old methods that we were taught. That is exactly what I did. The results can lead to innovative creations "
As most of us know, Alpacas are a totally different kind of livestock. They don't weigh 1500 lbs each. They have long necks. They hate to enter a NO ESCAPE route into an enclosed area . They do, however, instinctively trust human aid. They are a little skittish. Sometimes new Moms wont allow their newborn to nurse! Their padded kicks are not major safety concerns. Add all of these factors into the alpaca chute equation and viola!
When I first tested my prototype PacaTrapper, we found that with Paca Trapper's unique restraint system, the alpaca seemed more relaxed. We are able to halter up the alpaca and very easily walk them over to the PacaTrapper because they see nothing different ( To them, It looks like an ordinary walk in the park, with no chute gauntlet to navigate).
Cattle chute....Look familar? Yep, THATS why our current day alpaca chutes are so BIG and expensive
We have performed 1-person operation of Tooth a matic and Fight O Matic, with the help of the Paca Trapper. We have also performed ultrasounds with aid of only one Hands-OFF person observing vet during procedure ( this is what prompted us to also include a belly strap with the PacaTrapper). The risk of the breeder and/or alpaca getting injured during ultrasound, toenail trimming, and teeth trimming have significantly dropped since the implementation of the Paca Trapper.
The PacaTrapper is designed with quick release snaps for safety. It is also designed with a belly strap to use on the alpacas that like to cush during some procedures. We usually don need the belly strap when doing teeth.
25 units are now completed and ready to ship out. We have a lot of interest in these PacaTrappers but I think I can keep up with your demand. I will always try to keep plenty on hand.
