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 Eric Hoffman has several professional quality slide shows that have between 50 and
120 images with designed presentations lasting from 40 to 90 minutes.
Since l976, Eric has made more than 100 presentations to breed organizations,
community groups, and schools.
"This years speaker featured Eric Hoffman from Santa Cruz,
California. Eric delivered an exceptional seminar, captivating all with his endless
resources, knowledge and experience! Topics covered were Andean
pastoralism, history, health, herd management, behavior, and anything else you wanted to
know."
~ Canadian Alpaca Breeders Association, Spring
1999 Newsletter
Eric's most popular presentations are:
Andean
Pastoralism
 The story of the 40 million year history of the camel family, the emergence of selective breeding programs in the high Andes
beginning 6000 years ago, the customs and beliefs of the ancient pastoralists
(Incas and previous cultures), changes in alpacas caused by selective
breeding practices, fiber characteristics of vicunas, alpacas, and llamas
and the influences that have affected husbandry practices and llama and alpaca
raising in the 500 years since the Conquest in 1432.
Understanding Camelid Behavior to Better Manage Alpacas and Llamas
Through a series of images and a humorous presentation (complete with imitative
camelid vocalizations) Eric explains the evolution of camelid behavior and
how the behavior in the wild camelids (vicunas and guanacos) is part of the behavior make-up in the domestic camelids (alpacas and llamas). The talk
explains territoriality in the males, hierarchical behavior in the family
group, and common forms of communication (ear positioning, body postures,
vocalizations, and scent). Participants will learn to identify behavior and
what it means. The presentation is useful to owners and managers because
they learn to understand courting behavior, identify stress in animals and ways
to reduce it, how to modify a facility to best meet the needs of the
alpacas and llamas, and to increase the owner's appreciation for his animals by
understanding the language of camelids.
Getting Husbandry Right
Fiber Processing and Evaluation
Training
and Transportation
Partial list of past speaking engagements:
Australian Alpaca Association
(Australia)
New Zealand Alpaca Conference, 2001 (Keynote Speaker)
Alpaca Breeders of Central Chile (Chile)
Alpaca Owners and Breeders Assoc. (U.S.)
Canadian Llama and Alpacas Assoc. (Canada)
International Llama Association (U.S.)
International Alpaca Assoc. (Peru)
Cal-ILA (California, U.S.)
Calpaca (California, U.S.)
Canadian Alpaca Breeders Assoc. (Calgary and Saskatoon, Canada)
NEOBA (Massachusetts, U.S.)
Background & History
Eric has been enthusiastically involved in the creation and the success of
the alpaca business. He is known internationally for his knowledge about
alpacas, llamas, guanacos
and vicunas. He has been a keynote speaker in Australia, Peru, Canada,
New Zealand, and the United States on a broad range of subjects
at international conferences.
He is the creator of the Alpaca Registry which is
a vanguard registry because it made use of scientific verification as proof
of lineage and has effectively created the largest gene pool of alpacas in the
world whose genetic make-up cannot be eroded by the influences of llamas
and huarizos.
His more than 150 articles on subjects ranging from camelid
behavior to the history of Andean pastoralism to evaluating alpacas fiber
and management programs for vicunas in Peru have appeared in Outside,
Pacific Discovery, International Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Grolier's Science
Journal, California Living and trade publications.
Eric is the principal author
of The Complete Alpaca Book, co-author of The Alpaca Book
and founding editor of the
Alpaca Registry Journal. Eric worked closely with the veterinarian community
and was instrumental in creating the now defunct Alpaca Registry screening
program that screened more than 7,000 alpacas and raised around $3,000,000
for the alpaca community. To schedule a speaking
engagement, please call Eric Hoffman at:
(831) 426-8649 or email.
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