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Llamas & Alpacas In The News

Expo to showcase alpacas and their fur in fashion

By Evelyn Barge, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 11/13/2008 10:22:28 AM PST

AlpacaFest West will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 15-16, at the Industry Hills Expo Center. Visitors will be able to view hundreds of alpacas as they compete in show rings for top honors. A fashion show will highlight clothing made from alpaca fleece. (Photo courtesy of SoCalpaca)

SIXTH ANNUAL ALPACAFEST WEST

Presented by the Southern California Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association (Socalpaca), AlpacaFest West returns to the Industry Hills Expo Center with hundreds of alpacas on display, a competitive show ring, a marketplace featuring alpaca-fleece clothing, a designer fashion show, arts and crafts and more.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Runway fashion show Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

Industry Hills Expo Center, 16200 Temple Ave., Industry

Admission and parking are free.

www.alpacafestwest.com

One year ago, Cathleen Greer walked into the Industry Hills Expo Center and met the gaze of a pair of deep, soulful eyes.

It may have been love at first sight for the La Habra Heights resident, but it was a touch that hooked her.

"The minute I put my hand in its fleece, I knew it was the answer to my prayers," Greer said.

The object of Greer's newfound affection? An alpaca, a domesticated South-American species closely related to the llama.

This weekend, more than 300 alpacas from more than 120 ranches throughout California and neighboring Western states will again converge on the Expo Center for the sixth annual AlpacaFest West.

Beginning on Saturday at 8 a.m., the event will feature a competition ring, where alpacas and their breeders will vie for top honors in a number of categories.

Also on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., a runway show - featuring

Building a stable future
Kids learn care, feeding of horses in program

By Megan Montgomery Special to the T&G

Amanda Lord, the year-round horse program director for Camp Marshall, instructs students Laureen Anderson, 7 of Brookfield; Victoria Pellitier, 11 of Charlton; and Hailie Brown, 7, of Spencer on how to groom Dolly, a halflinger pony who lives at camp. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

SPENCER— Seated on a wooden toolbox, Victoria Pelletier, 11, listens to a horse-care lecture and takes notes.

Her four-footed friends in the next stall over aren’t as attentive. They poke their noses out from the stable door, clicking their heels on the dirt floor.

This year, under the guidance of camp directors and donations from local residents, Camp Marshall in Spencer is set to hold its first year-round programs. This means children between the ages of 5 and 16, like Victoria, will be able to enjoy Camp Marshall long after the summer ends.

“It’s a really new and exciting time for us,” said Jeanne Cassavant, center director at Camp Marshall.

The year-round programs started Sept. 24 and are still in the early stages.

“There’s always something happening these days,” said Mrs. Cassavant. “We feel the response for this is going to be huge.”

Tucked away in the hills, Camp Marshall’s 275 acres of land is framed by forests and borders Thompson Pond.

The country setting makes it ideal for the programs offered, which include archery, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, sports fishing, gardening and horseback riding.

The agricultural aspect of camp offers programs such as farm animal care and science, farm product making, and outdoor living skills.

“It’s a great idea for kids, especially the urban ones who don’t have the opportunity to have an animal in their backyard,” said Lynn Snelling, director of adventures on the farm.

As a 4-H camp in the Worcester County area, Camp Marshall offers a variety of athletic and agricultural programs for urban and rural youth alike.

The name “4-H” came into use after World War I as part of an agricultural and life skills youth movement. The four H’s represent head, heart, hands and health.

Mrs. Snelling has a long history at Camp Marshall. Her family has been involved since the camp opened its doors in 1952.

With the start of the new year-round programs, Snelling will teach a recipe class, penny rug and pillow stitching, and other farm fundamentals to children.

“We want the kids to have fun, of course, but we are also teaching them skills that build confidence and can be used in life,” Mrs. Snelling said.

One of the more popular programs offered at the camp has been horseback riding. After school, children like Victoria come to camp to learn, care for, and ride horses.

“I’ve loved horses since I can remember,” said Victoria, shoveling wooden shavings inside one of the stables. “I want to own my own horse someday, so learning about it here really helps.”

Camp Marshall is also home to a barnyard full of goats, chickens, rabbits, turkeys and an alpaca, who answers to the name Al.

Their Adopt a Farm Animal program allows children to learn and care for a farm animal of their choice. New this year is the “Love a Llama” and “Moo 4 You” program, which allows children to adopt their own llama or cow.

Camp Marshall also plans to hold birthday parties and instruct adult classes in farming.

“We’re taking things as they come, a day at a time,” said Cassavant.

By Glenda Eden - AgriNews Staff Writer

EASTERN ONTARIO- Lucie Savage and Jean Dupuy, who share their farm with about 80 head of alpaca, opened their barn doors to the public for Eastern Ontario’s annual Agri-Tour. Camino Farm near Limoges was one of 17 agriculture venues and farms to participate in the tour held on the second and third weekend in September.

Raised for their fibre, alpaca are natives to South America and found mainly on the planes of the Andes Mountains in Peru and Chile. While being strong, elastic and resilient, the high-quality fleece can be as luxuriantly soft as cashmere and warmer than sheep’s wool. The farm ships out its fleece to be processed and manufactured into the products they sell including socks, blankets and yarn for hand knitting. Coarser fleece is made into carpets and raw fleece makes excellent filler for duvets.

The family claims alpacas will steal your heart and they certainly blow the top off the adorability scale, particularly the babies.

The agile crias weigh 15 to 20 pounds and are surprisingly vigorous at birth. The females don’t seem to require much intervention, tending to give birth on their own and undetected. In fact, of the 15 crias born this year Dupuy says he was around to actually see only four or five. Colour is often a surprise as they can be a variety of 22 different shades of white, brown, red, grey and black.

Dupuy uses a special pivot table to shear the animals in early May so they have a bit of re-growth before fly season.

Unlike their cousins the llama, alpaca are too small to use as pack animals and are raised only for fibre in South America.

There are a handful of llamas on the farm and Dupuy believes their undesirable reputation comes from lack of understanding of the nature of the beast. They are social and curious but also very protective and maternal. They will adopt, nurse and raise alpaca crias and that, in part, is why Camino Farm keeps these larger and somewhat more intimidating guardians in the herd.

A good-sized male alpaca can produce as much as 10 lbs of fibre a year with the fleece from the back and neck being the best quality. Females raising young produce less.

Alpacas breeding is keeping busy couple down on the farm

Now it's farming for fun; next comes profit

By Sarah Bradshaw • Poughkeepsie Journal • October 21, 2008

Fleecing in West Virginia

By GRETCHEN MAE STONE

The State Journal

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Not many West Virginians can say the governor met them at the front door of the Capitol, but Leo and Jesse stomped right up to the front steps and spent one-on-one time with him.

The year before their visit, the governor signed a proclamation dedicated to Leo and Jesse and all of their friends.

They even refrained from spitting on him during their visit this year, which can be a problem if you get between two alpacas.

Leo and Jesse are pet-quality alpacas from Crimson Shamrock Ranch, David Moran and Lori Wall's 120-acre farm in Preston County, where about 80 suri alpacas run from paddock to paddock with their guard llama and three guard dogs, Ace, Zeke and Lucy. Moran is president of the West Virginia Alpaca Organization.

Gov. Joe Manchin met alpacas the previous year, when he proclaimed Sept. 29 National Alpaca Farm Day in the Mountain State in keeping with National Alpaca Farm Days.

The proclamation came because Leo and Jesse are part of a growing cottage industry that alpaca owners say could have a huge effect on West Virginia.

"There are only 33 active alpaca breeding farms in West Virginia ...,'' Moran said. "We were the first ones when we came in here. We were the only alpaca breeders, and so the entire West Virginia herd was basically what we had.''

Moran estimated that 1,000 to 1,500 animals now live in West Virginia. Experts said the largest herd in the state is about 300 animals.

"When we came out, we wanted to start a sustainable alpaca industry in West Virginia, for the fiber and the breeding and all aspects of alpaca,'' Moran said.

The industry is getting closer, but probably has another 10 years to go. To get there, Moran said, the industry probably will need "on the order of at least 100 farmers and something on the order of about 5,000 alpacas, for this state, just for West Virginia.''

That means the industry would have to more than triple in the next 10 years, a growth rate unheard of for any but the most successful industries.

"Our industry basically matches the economy. When the economy is really good, then our industry is good,'' Moran said.

Prices are stable right now in the industry, after a climb and peak about two years ago, but the industry is depressed.

Janet Swift of Renick owns Mi Madre Alpacas with her husband, Scott, where they keep about 130 suri and huacaya alpacas.

Janet Swift said the market has been changing during the past two years, reflecting the rest of the economy. On average, a bred female would sell for about $20,000 two years ago, but that is closer to between $10,000 and $15,000 now.

"A couple of factors, there is the economy and another is they're not as novel as they were. The American herd is growing, sellers are competing more to sell, and buyers are more savvy and shopping around and looking for a good price,'' she said.

With alpaca prices fluctuating in the same way as the economy, Moran said it's a crapshoot as to how much buyers can expect to pay for a male stud, although females' prices do usually remain within a tighter range.

"A male just went for $200,000 at the last auction. ... The highest selling female at that auction was $34,000,'' he said.

At that auction, the next highest selling females went for $30,000, $25,000 and $20,000, approximately, Moran and Wall said. The highest priced female Moran has seen was a huacaya that went for $80,000 about five or six years ago.

Males are generally worth from nothing up to $1.5 million.

Female prices usually range anywhere from about $15,000 up to $45,000, Moran said, depending upon the female.

"The pedigree is important, really important in the pricing; however, the characteristics and the appearance of them, and the fiber, is what we're really working on.''

Click to enlarge

Sun photograph by LISA YANICK-JONAITIS Julie Maynard practices leading one of her alpacas at her farm in rural Clare. The family started raising the alpacas last year and plans to add 20 more to their herd in December.

Sunday, October 26, 2008 2:03 PM EDT

By PATRICIA ECKER
Sun Staff Writer

There are some new animals at the Maynard family farm.

The family used to be in the business of harness horse racing. But these days, they are raising alpacas.

Eleven-year-old Sydney Maynard, who attends Clare Middle School, took first place at the 12th annual Michigan International Alpaca Fest in Birch Run in September.

The sixth-grader is a member of the Gratiot County 4-H Alpaca Amigos. The September show was her first alpaca show, so she was a little bit nervous.

"It was kind of tough," Sydney said. "There were some pretty nice alpacas there.

"It was pretty cool to get a blue ribbon."

Alpacas are a domesticated species of the camelid family, indigenous to South America. They are valued for the fiber of their coat and their uniqueness to North America, Sydney's mother, Julie Maynard, said.

"It's an investment," Julie Maynard said. "About a year ago, I put a downpayment on 13 alpaca, now I have 20. They are raised for their fleece."

They've named their farm the Red Star Alpacas.

Maynard saw an informercial on the alpaca back in the late 1980s, but she never thought she would be in the business of raising alpacas.

That changed when the family got out of the harness racing business.

"We'd gotten out of the racing business, and we had the farm, the pens, and the building," Maynard said.

"In the past 12 months, I can't believe how much we've accomplished from my $401K investment money."

Maynard, a former nurse, said she can sell two alpacas and make as much as she did in her former profession.

"Their fleece is so warm," maynard said. "It is softer than cashmere, warmer than wool, and they are hypo-allergenic animals," she said.

Maynard said that due to the decline in popularity of horse racing and purse money, her husband, Jeff, now travels to New York to shoe horses at the harness race tracks, as a longtime farrier.

"Their harness race industry is still strong because they have racinos," Maynard said. "A (purse) that went for $2,500 here would go for $10,000 in New York, so my husband goes once every four to six weeks. We've tightened our belts."

She said that she is encouraged for the future use of alpaca fleece because of the efforts of the Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North American.

"They have approached denim manufacturers, and some high end manufacturers," Maynard said. "They are taking alpaca fleece, and blending them into blue jeans.

"This denim is pretty soft, and next fall the Gap will offer Paca Blues."

Maynard said some people who own alpacas process the fleece into yarn. There are many uses for the animal's fleece.

All in all, the family is adjusting to their new venture.

"We have horses, chickens, and alpacas." Maynard said. "It is so cool for my girls to learn about, raise and care for our alpacas."

Sydney's older sister, 13-year-old Samantha, agreed she's learned a lot about the alpacas since they first got them last fall.

"It was a learning experience for all of us," Samantha said. "They were new, and not everybody has even seen an alpaca.

"They are such a unique animal. I think it's special for me to be able to teach people about them. I feel really lucky to have them."

Sydney said that she had a substitute teacher who married a man from Peru, which is the homeland for the alpaca, but he said he never had an opportunity to touch one until they visited her farm.

"They're wild," Sydney said. "Her husband was stunned because they don't get to touch them in Peru."

Maynard said they recently took five of members of their herd to Uncle John's Cider Mill in St. Johns to promote their farm.

"We took the two moms and their babies, and the people just loved to touch them.

"The one baby just let the kids love on her."

Maynard said alpacas do not spit, although their cousins the camel and llama are known to use that defense.

"They are mild mannered with a gentle temperament," Maynard said. "Their babies are born in the spring and the fall.

"They can conform to your lifestyle, and alpaca food is available at the local tractor supply stores."

Something unusual about alpaca, Sydney said, is that they hum.

"They hum in the morning," she said. "When she gets scared, the white female will make a high pitched screech, and sometimes she makes a screaming noise."

Alpacas come in different colors, and they are bred to ensure a high quality of fleece, Maynard said.

"They come in black, brown, fawn, gray, white, and we have one that is a rose gray," she said.

She said that very often she finds herself caring for the alpacas and spending time watching them and admiring their interactions with the herd.

"Sometimes you have to trim their teeth," Maynard said. "There is some herd management involved."

The family plans to get 20 more alpacas this December.

Her daughter's 4-H involvement has taught them that they are not just animals, and Samantha has learned how to check for parasites when she checks the alpaca's fecal matter.

"She gets the microscope out, and asks questions," Maynard said. "They clean up the droppings to prevent parasite infestations.

"You have to meet their every need. It was always my hope that this helps make my kids good adults," she said.

If you attended the Clare St. Patrick's Day parade, you may have seen the Maynard family walking with what looked like miniature llamas along the parade route, but they were their beloved alpacas.

"It's a unique experience," Maynard said.

Llamas part of Sacred Heart Monastery family

By Linda Sailer, The Dickinson Press
Published Sunday, October 26, 2008

RICHARDTON, N.D. – The sisters at Richardton’s Sacred Heart Monastery have been excited to meet the newest member of their llama herd, but they haven’t been in total agreement about the name.

The llama, which was born Aug. 31 and weighed 20 pounds, was registered as Augusta, but the nickname Sweet Pea is catching on.

Whatever the name ends up being, the llama is a welcome addition to the herd of nine animals.

The herd has become an important source of funding for the sisters. They use the wool to spin into yarn and sell the llamas as guard animals to sheep herders.

With their heavy coats of wool, the llamas are well-suited for North Dakota’s climate, though the monastery also provides shelter.

Sister Paula Larson feeds pellets to Coco, the llama that gave birth on Aug. 31. Coco is shown with her baby, Augusta, earlier this month at the Sacred Heart Monastery in Richardton. Associated Press

It was only natural for Sister Paula Larson to accept responsibility for the herd’s care.

“Being from a farm and ranch myself, I always was attracted to animals,” she said.

She also directs the Sacred Heart Benedictine Foundation and business-related matters for the monastery.

While llamas graze on grass during the summer, Larson supplements their diets with pellets, vitamins and minerals. She provides fresh water and hay and cleans the barns and corrals.

“We maintain a very clean living environment,” she said.

She said the herd started with the donation of a pair of llamas in 1993.

“Basically, the couple told us they were women-friendly livestock,” she said.

Are they women-friendly?

“Absolutely,” Larson said. “And they are curious, gentle and smart, very smart. They are quick learners.”

Larson said llamas are very compatible with the earth. They have padded feet, and they leave their manure in one pile, which can be spread as a natural organic fertilizer.

“It’s time-released,” she said.

“What has surprised me the most was one of the myths you hear that they spit all the time. That’s not true at all – that’s pure myth,” she said. “I think spitting is a protective mechanism. If they don’t feel threatened, they don’t use that.”

Larson said llamas will spit among each other.

Llamas are members of the camel family and live for about 25 years, Larson said. They originated in North America about 40 million years ago and have been domesticated for about 5,000 years.

Larson said llama wool doesn’t contain lanolin.

“People with allergies can usually wear llama or alpaca, which is from the same family, but much smaller,” Larson said.

The neutered males are sold as guard animals to sheep herders.

“Usually it’s the males, but we have sold a female,” she said. “They protect with their feet, they protect with their lives. They become very possessive,” she said.

The sisters also have sold the llamas as pets and pack animals. Some people have purchased the llamas to spin the wool themselves.

The herd’s colors vary – black, white, caramel, fawn, and browns and whites mixed together.

“You need a white one if you want to dye the fiber,” Larson said.

She clips several pounds of wool from each animal in the spring.

“We go to a fiber festival in Minnesota, usually in May. The judges are looking for how the fiber holds together, the condition of the wool itself, how long the length is,” she said. “We don’t usually use the guard hair unless it’s for felting.”

Once the wool is clipped, it becomes the responsibility of Sister Patti Koehler.

“Right now I’m spinning black,” Larson said. “Sister Patti tells me what to do, and I do it. I find it (spinning) very creative. I’m surprised that when you hold your fingers a certain way, the fiber just goes into the spinning wheel.”

She described the spinning as a soft whirl.

“That’s what I would say. There’s a rhythm to it,” she said.

Koehler, a native of Wolf Point, Mont., transferred to Sacred Heart from another community in Missouri. She was attracted to the rural setting and its sisters.

“And it has a very strong prayer life,” she said.

The sisters introduced Koehler to fiber arts when she arrived. She currently serves as vocations director and assists with the foundation. When there’s time, she works with the wool.

She helps with the clipping and processes the wool that remains at the monastery. The other wool is sent away to be cleaned because of time restraints.

The process requires multiple hands-on steps. After clipping, the vegetable matter is removed by hand and the wool is washed. It’s put through a picker, which further removes matter and loosens the fibers.

It’s then run through a carder, where all the fibers are run into one direction and the colors can be mixed.

In the dyeing process, Koehler has used fiber dyes, wool dyes, even Kool-Aid and Easter egg dyes.

“We sent a lot of it out to be cleaned and put into rovings,” she said.

Rovings are the long strips of wool, rolled into a ball that are used for the next step – spinning.

Koehler said the thickness and texture varies with the spinner. Sometimes two strands are twisted together. Koehler likes to mix strands of alpaca or synthetic eyelash or glitz into the yarn.

“Finally, we ball it. We use a niddy-naddy that helps us wrap it into a skein, and we’re able to count the yardage,” she said.

After being handled so many times, the yarn is washed again and hung to dry to set the twist.

Koehler uses some of the wool for felting.

“Felting is where I take the wool and weigh out a layer in one direction and another layer in another direction,” she said. “I do approximately three to five layers, depending on how thick I want it. I use hot, soapy water and basically press it together with my hands. I use felt to make purses, for instance, or scarves,” she said.

She likes the dyeing because it’s creative, but her favorite part of the process is to sit at the spinning wheel.

“It’s very meditative, very calming. It’s where I do my morning prayer before I go to chapel,” she said.

Koehler estimates it takes about six hours from the start of a basket of raw wool to a finished product. If dyeing is involved, it takes longer.

“Depending on who’s spinning, it might take up to eight or nine hours,” she said.

The Sacred Heart Monastery has a gift shop where finished scarves, purses and other items are available for sale. The sisters just received a shipment of yarn in a creamy color and in brown. The yarn is from their llamas and a donation of alpaca wool, as well.

“It’s ready to go for any knitters or crocheters,” she said.

Alpacas: Alternative Investment In Turbulent Times

Posted: 11:01 PM Oct 14, 2008 Last Updated: 11:01 PM Oct 14, 2008 Reporter: John Knicely Email Address: sixonline

Fleecing West Virginia  Posted Thursday, October 16, 2008 ; 06:00 AM Updated Thursday, October 16, 2008 ; 11:43 AM View Associated Slideshow Growth in popularity of alpacas may mean business opportunity in state. Story by Gretchen Mae Stone Email | Bio | Other Stories by Gretchen Mae Stone Not many West Virginians can say the governor met them at the front door of the Capitol, but Leo and Jesse stomped right up to the front steps and spent one-on-one time with him. The year before their visit, the governor signed a proclamation dedicated to Leo and Jesse and all of their friends. They even refrained from spitting on him during their visit this year, which can be a problem if you get between two alpacas. Leo and Jesse are pet-quality alpacas from Crimson Shamrock Ranch, David Moran and Lori Wall's 120-acre farm in Preston County, where about 80 suri alpacas run from paddock to paddock with their guard llama and three guard dogs, Ace, Zeke and Lucy. Moran is president of the West Virginia Alpaca Organization. Gov. Joe Manchin met alpacas the previous year, when he proclaimed Sept. 29 National Alpaca Farm Day in the Mountain State in keeping with National Alpaca Farm Days. The proclamation came because Leo and Jesse are part of a growing cottage industry that alpaca owners say could have a huge effect on West Virginia. "There are only 33 active alpaca breeding farms in West Virginia. ...," Moran said. "We were the first ones when we came in here. We were the only alpaca breeders, and so the entire West Virginia herd was basically what we had." Moran estimated that 1,000 to 1,500 animals now live in West Virginia. Experts said the largest herd in the state is about 300 animals. "When we came out, we wanted to start a sustainable alpaca industry in West Virginia, for the fiber and the breeding and all aspects of alpaca," Moran said. The industry is getting closer, but probably has another 10 years to go. To get there, Moran said, the industry probably will need "on the order of at least 100 farmers and something on the order of about 5,000 alpacas, for this state, just for West Virginia." That means the industry would have to more than triple in the next 10 years, a growth rate unheard of for any but the most successful industries. "Our industry basically matches the economy. When the economy is really good, then our industry is good," Moran said. Prices are stable right now in the industry, after a climb and peak about two years ago, but the industry is depressed. Janet Swift of Renick owns Mi Madre Alpacas with her husband, Scott, where they keep about 130 suri and huacaya alpacas. Janet Swift said the market has been changing during the past two years, reflecting the rest of the economy. On average, a bred female would sell for about $20,000 two years ago, but that is closer to between $10,000 and $15,000 now. "A couple of factors, there is the economy and another is they're not as novel as they were. The American herd is growing, sellers are competing more to sell, and buyers are more savvy and shopping around and looking for a good price," she said. With alpaca prices fluctuating in the same way as the economy, Moran said it's a crapshoot as to how much buyers can expect to pay for a male stud, although females' prices do usually remain within a tighter range. "A male just went for $200,000 at the last auction. ... The highest selling female at that auction was $34,000," he said. At that auction, the next highest selling females went for $30,000, $25,000 and $20,000, approximately, Moran and Wall said. The highest priced female Moran has seen was a huacaya that went for $80,000 about five or six years ago. Males are generally worth from nothing up to $1.5 million. Female prices usually range anywhere from about $15,000 up to $45,000, Moran said, depending upon the female. "The pedigree is important, really important in the pricing; however, the characteristics and the appearance of them, and the fiber, is what we're really working on." The alpaca business, which from all appearances is fluffy and cute, can be very competitive when it comes down to buying and selling breeding stock. "First of all, it's one of those businesses where your customer becomes your competitor the next year," Moran said. "Now that's not true if you're selling hamburgers or hot dogs or if you're selling automobiles, but if you're selling livestock and you sell your very best to somebody, then they can become a competitor that could easily be better than you." Perfect Home for Alpacas During this year's National Alpaca Farm Day in the Mountain State, Manchin said, "From what I'm told by many alpaca farmers, West Virginia is an ideal location for alpacas. They thrive here because our mountainous terrain and climate is similar to that of their native countries." Moran and Wall, San Francisco and North Carolina/Virginia natives, ended up in West Virginia after an exhaustive search for a farm suitable for alpacas. "Well, we looked for this place. We spent over two years, and we knew we wanted to be up in the mountains," Moran said. "We're at 3,000 feet here. ... This is a healthful environment for alpaca being up here. So we looked around. "We looked in Montana and Idaho and Vermont. ... We considered Oregon and Washington, and then we decided to be here. Lori still works in Washington, D.C., part time, and so this is an easy place for us to be midway." The mountainous terrain is good for the alpaca, and they're generally good to the land. Alpacas have little in common with that most famous of American herd staples -- the cow. They eat less, have a smaller impact on the land and they're kid-friendly. Any alpaca farmer would tell you they're better in every way. They don't tear up the ground like cattle, Moran said, because they have two toes on each foot instead of hooves. "They have a low impact on the land, and the value of the alpaca as livestock is more than just the industry it generates through their fleece," Manchin said. "This type of farming can also help to keep some of our family farms in place." These sentiments are echoed by state alpaca farmers, who say the growing industry not only keeps farmers on the land but is leading toward a textiles industry for fleece that is sometimes used in high-end fashion. The Swifts are full-time second-generation alpaca breeders, Swift said, and profits from their herd of alpaca pay the bills. Alpacas on the Rise Even though prices for breeding stock are going down, that is attributed to the growing number of farmers and alpaca in the United States. In Manchin's alpaca proclamation, he said the country currently has 100,000 registered alpacas and will need about 1 million animals to support a national mill. Moran expects that as alpacas continue to gain popularity, the industry will become organized and sustainable in the state. "Fiber activities would all be consolidated. So all the fiber would be going to the same processor; we would be collecting fiber from all of the farms, and it would all be processed at the same time," he said. Additionally, he said, the state would "have a standard for the characteristics of the animals we would want to see bred. That hasn't happened even nationally yet." Presently, the animals' fleece is exported to Peru, native country of the alpaca. Peruvian workers then turn the fleece into rovings, the product created before yarn, or finished products, and ship that back to the states. Many alpacas that can be found here are descendants of or came from Peru or one of its neighboring countries. "Twelve years or so ago, I went to Peru and to Bolivia and also to Chile to pick out animals," Moran said. The Swifts' alpacas are from a herd that was handpicked on a trip to South America during the first Peruvian importation into the U.S. That herd lived in Vermont for years but now calls West Virginia home. "There weren't any in the country at that time from Peru, and my father-in-law and a group of men did five importations of alpacas and llamas from Peru," she said. "And that's when alpacas started to get really popular." Alpaca Basics The South American Andes Mountains have been the ancestral home to alpaca. The Incan civilization cherished the fleece. Their herds roamed the foothills and mountain pastures. Spanish conquistadors killed a large part of both the Incan and alpaca populations in the 17th century, forcing the retreating survivors to seek refuge in the high mountain plains known as the Altiplano. In 1984, importers brought the first of a carefully selected herd of alpacas into the United States and Canada. Peru, Bolivia and Chile are still home to the largest percentage of alpacas in the world. Alpacas are a member of the camelid family, which also includes dromedary and Bactrian camels, llamas, vicunas and guanacos. Alpacas selectively graze, eating pasture grasses and hay, a fact that makes feeding alpacas relatively inexpensive. A daily mineral supplement rounds out their diet. There are two different alpacas types, the suri and the huacaya. The suri has fiber that grows quite long and forms silky, pencil-like locks. The huacaya has a shorter, dense, crimpy fleece, giving it a very woolly appearance. Alpacas have soft padded feet, making them gentle on pastures, and they have no top teeth in the front. The average height of an alpaca is 36 inches at the withers. They generally weigh from 100 to 175 pounds. Alpacas are easily handled by most people. Alpacas have a life span of 15 to 20 years, and they provide fleece for a lifetime. An alpaca’s gestation period is 11 to 12 months, and they have single births (twins are extremely rare). A baby alpaca, called a cria, usually weighs between 15 and 20 pounds. Alpaca fiber comes in 22 colors that are recognized by the textile industry, and there also are many blends. Alpacas produce 5 to 10 pounds of fiber. Source: www.ilovealpacas.com

Stillwell Family's 401(k) Is Herd Of Alpacas

Breeding Alpacas Can Sell For Thousands Of Dollars

Gentle Alpacas that kiss kids a sight to see in Sandy

Show continues Sunday

By Jennifer W. Sanchez
The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 05/25/2008 12:32:18 AM MDT

 

SANDY - Colleen Dimmitt and her two grandchildren had never seen an alpaca, so they decided to stop by the National Alpaca Show on Saturday.
    As they walked around the South Towne Exposition Center, they watched hundreds of alpacas relaxing in pens lined with hay. Dimmitt's grandson, 5-year-old Kai, liked the alpacas' long necks but wasn't impressed with their strong barnlike smell.
    Still, he, along with other kids and adults, stood outside of the pens with their hands behind their backs and faces inside the fences waiting for a kiss from the shy, friendly animals. Kai eventually received an infamous alpaca smacker.
    "It feels like their nose is furry," Kai giggled.

Tracyn Otterness, of Wanship, gets a kiss from an Alpaca named Lila rose. The annual national alpaca show continues Sunday at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune )

    The Dimmitts were some of the hundreds of visitors who attended the 17th annual event sponsored by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.
    Dimmitt, a Sandy resident, was glad she stopped by to learn more about alpacas.
    "They're cute, but they're kinda scary," she said, referring to a breeder's warning not to stand behind them or they might kick.
    A cousin of the llama and camel, alpacas are smaller, reaching about 3 feet wide and roughly 160 pounds. Their fur comes in 22 natural colors and is sheered off once a year before summer. The fluffy-looking alpacas are called huacaya, those with fur resembling dreadlocks are called suri. Female alpacas often have only one offspring a year, organizers and breeders said.
    Originally from the Andean region in South America, such as Peru and Bolivia, the animals were first imported to the United States in 1984. Although alpacas are eaten in South America, they are not considered food here, breeders said. In the U.S., they are not used for riding or carrying items. Alpacas are mostly used for their fur, which is made into clothing, and are sometimes kept as pets. The animals can cost as little as $300, but the average price is about $18,000, breeders said.
    In Utah, the number of alpacas has almost tripled since 2002. Today, there are an estimated 1,000 alpacas on about 31 alpaca farms statewide, said Dan Merrill, president of the Intermountain West Alpaca Association.
    Merrill, who used to raise horses, bought his first alpaca in 1999 when he moved to Utah from California. Now retired, the Bluffdale resident plans to stay in the growing alpaca-breeding business. He said alpacas are his stress reliever.
    "These are animals that make you feel good," he said.
    Tonya Otterness has been showing alpacas since she bought her first one in 2000. She said the extra income she earns from raising alpacas on her 66-acre ranch outside of Park City allows her to stay home to raise her two young kids. Plus, she said, the animals are easy to handle and train. "They're affectionate," she said.
    For some visitors, the free event was also a great time to learn more about the products made from alpaca fiber.
    Kim Devos runs an online store, Inca Fashions, based in California. She designs and sells alpaca-fiber scarves, vests, jackets, bathrobes and teddy bears. She said alpaca clothing is more expensive than wool but cheaper than cashmere. For example, a woman's polo-shirt cost about $100.
    Lisa Williamson was trying on several sweaters from Inca Fashions' sale rack. she first heard about alpaca products about five years ago and bought a pair of socks last year.
    "They're so soft, durable . . .and very warm," she said. Still, she couldn't decide on the green or striped brown sweater.
 

Llamas: large and in charge

By Elliott Cochran
Courier Staff
 

05/01/2008

 

	Naomi Topp, 13, gives Izzy a good backrub after coming off the arena floor at the llama "hobo" show Saturday at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. The stress of the show was handling and control rather than looks.

 

Llama lovers from across the state and neighboring areas came to the Montgomery County fairgrounds last week for the Texas Classic Llama Show, an event celebrating the camelid creatures.

Owners enjoyed performance clinics and classes, as well as a raffle drawing show competitions Friday through Sunday. A $500 scholarship for higher education was also contested in showings for participants between 11 up to 18 years old.

The 153 llamas joining their owners enjoyed a little camaraderie after traveling from their homes across Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. This year’s event — the fifth — was sponsored in part by the South Central Llama Association and numerous ranches across Texas.

Llamas are versatile creatures that can offer practical or pleasurable functions every day for those lucky enough to own them, according to Robin Turell, superintendent of the event and part owner of Figment Ranch in Cypress, Texas.

“It’s a fun and healthy things for families; people young and old can show llamas,” she said. “Llamas are very, very gentle; very tame and nonthreatening. Llamas are not aggressive; they don’t bite or kick.

Members of the camelid family, llamas have South American origins. Other camelids are camels, alpacas, guanacos and vicunas.

One family traveled more than 200 miles from Longview, Texas to participate in the competitions and festivities in Conroe.

Ken Topp, with his wife Valerie and their nine children, brought their llamas, Izzy and Tibideaux, to participate in the “hobo show,” which teaches the essentials of showing the animal, and compete for the $500 scholarship.

Topp said his wife became interested in the animals after learning that llamas are instinctually protective of livestock against predators like coyotes, mountain lions and other threats. The Topp family’s experience with llamas offers an opportunity for his children to build character qualities, he said.

“This is the first adventure with an animal like this. My wife got interested in alpacas, and she learned llamas are good animals for protecting against predators,” he said. “This show is something to bring our family together and spend time with each other. It teaches our children certain character qualities by raising an animal.”

The Topp family owns a 46-acre ranch with several chickens, cows and horses across their property.

Valerie Topp said their llamas have been incorporated into the family’s daily routines, and the animals’ calm demeanors makes them compatible with other animals across their acreage, as well as her children.

“It gives my children an opportunity for character building; we home school, so it’s kind of a part of their curriculum. It makes my children better rounded” she said. “Llamas are a good, family-friendly animal to work with. They’re not a big animal, and pretty harmless around children.”

For more information on upcoming events in the llama community, contact Robin Turell, part owner of Figment Ranch at figranch@flash.net, or visit the South Central Llama Association’s website at www.scla.us.

 

©Houston Community Newspapers Online 2008

Debbie Woodcock (second from left) is helped by her father Keith Woodcock (left), Katie Mills and husband Donny Armentrout.

An adult alpaca can produce 50 to 90 ounces of first-quality hair, which can be sold for $3 an ounce. The fiber is used to make socks, blankets and sweaters.

A 4-month-old alpaca named Rory stands among unclipped adults after getting sheared at Debbie Woodcock's Spotsylvania County farm. Woodcock began raising alpacas in 2004. She now has 25 of them.

The alpaca fiber industry is growing in North America and a Spotsylvania woman sheared her alpacas over the weekend to sell their fiber

See related video

Date published: 4/22/2008

BY KAREN BOLIPATA

In 2004, Debbie Woodcock was looking for something to do at her 20-acre family-run farm in Spotsylvania County.

She was visiting another farm with a friend when she came across alpacas. The application Web developer in Richmond liked the animals' gentle and curious disposition. And they were smaller than cows and horses.

"I just kind of fell in love sort of with their cuteness right off the bat and the fuzzy teddy-bear look," she said.

But alpacas, a cousin to camels and llamas, aren't just cute. Their fiber is warmer than wool and can be sold to make socks, blankets and sweaters.

Predominantly located in the animal's native South America, the alpaca fiber industry is trickling into other parts of the world.

The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association has more than 4,000 members in North America. One is Woodcock, whose farm is now known as Pigeon Creek Alpacas.

Woodcock is one of 40 registered owners and breeders in Virginia. She co-markets with two other farms in the state, Camillo Valley Alpacas and SpyGlass Alpacas, which are collectively known as the Virginia Alpaca Experience.

They sell the fiber to friends and co-workers. This year, Woodcock plans to market to yarn stores in Fredericksburg and Richmond.

Over the weekend, Woodcock and friends gave all 25 of her alpacas their annual shearing. Each animal took about 30 minutes to clip.

Prime fleece can sell for $3 an ounce, Woodcock said. An adult alpaca might produce 50 to 90 ounces of first-quality fiber and 50 to 100 ounces of second- and third- quality fiber, according to the alpaca association.

"I think a lot of people don't realize what it's all about," Woodcock said.

On Saturday afternoon, Woodcock unstrapped Trinity, a white female, from the shearing table. Trinity stood, and, shed of all her fur, let out a nervous sigh.

"You're OK!" her handlers assured her.

Woodcock had another day of shearing ahead. But Trinity was off the hook until next spring.

Karen Bolipata: 540/374-5418
Email: kbolipata@freelancestar.com

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CHRIS JOSEPH TAYLOR / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Meet an alpaca at Spring Fling at the Pacific Science Center this weekend.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

Llamas find refuge at Queen Creek facility

Sarah J. Boggan, Tribune

Fleece is the word in East Peoria

Riverside AlpacaFest features 500 of the prized animals

Sunday, April 13, 2008

BY ED McMENAMIN

of the Journal Star

The alpaca, a shorter cousin of the llama, was first imported to the United States from its native South America in 1984. There are now 100,000 registered alpacas in the country.

About 130 farms brought their animals to the event, which continues from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the East Peoria Event Center.

Farmers from across the country have brought their prized animals for fleece and halter competitions, and vendors are selling alpaca yarn and other products, including softer-than-wool sweaters. At noon today, a fashion show features outfits made from alpaca fleece.

Shari Pritchard, who founded the Illinois Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association and AlpacaFest, owns 26 of the animals.

She said when the organization was formed in 2004, there were about 30 alpaca farms in the state. Now there are about 70.

"You don't need a lot of acreage," she said. "You could ... keep five (animals) on one acre."

"Hopefully in a few years it will be my full-time retirement activity."

The animals are calm and do most of their communicating with a soft hum that sounds similar to a quiet kazoo.

"I've got grandkids handling the animals in the barn," she said. "I never have to worry about the kids getting knocked over or getting hurt, and they're just so cute."

With age, the alpaca's coat becomes more dense but also more coarse.

The animals are sheared about once a year and can produce about 10 pounds of the lanolin-free fleece.

Alpaca clothing isn't cheap. The smooth and silky sweaters go for $150 to $250. A 296-yard ball of alpaca yarn fetches $40.

The animals live upward of 20 years, and those with prized bloodlines can sell for $20,000.

"No animal is really worth $20,000; it's potential, (to) build a herd," said Jim Tomaszek, owner of Safehouse Farm Alpacas in Barrington. "We're going for a very fine fleece, a very dense fleece."

Fleece from old alpacas is used for things like rugs or other products that don't touch the skin.

But, unlike with llamas, it's almost unheard of to catch anyone eating alpaca.

"In South America they will eat alpaca, the older ones. In the U.S., we don't eat them - it's the mind-set," Pritchard said. "If you have a $500 gelding, you're not going to eat him. Even though it's business, you do get attached to them."

Ed McMenamin can be reached at 686-3196 or emcmenamin@pjstar.com.

Local residents care about camelids

by Kathryn Purcell
photos by Angelina Bellebuono

It's a common question, one asked by more and more people each year: What to do after retirement? Some people travel; some volunteer; some even take part-time jobs.
Morgan County resident Judy O'Rourke, however, chose to pursue a slightly different answer to that question.
The idea to start Tuckaway Farm Alpacas began with simple curiosity. O'Rourke and her husband, Jim, took a trip to a north Georgia alpaca farm, just to see the animals. It was there that her interest was peaked, and her passion for the animals ignited.
After the visit, O'Rourke started consuming every book, magazine and Web site on the subject she could find. Then, she came up with a business plan. At the same time, the couple elected to put their house, located next to Morgan County Primary School, on the market and move somewhere a little smaller. They didn't need the space anymore, O'Rourke said, now that their children were grown and moved out from under their roof.
"Halfway down the driveway, I fell in love," O'Rourke said, of the couple's current Buckhead Road home. "I said 'I hope there's a house down there.'"
The previous owners had horses, which meant plenty of land for a potential alpaca farm. The former horse barn was re-worked, fences erected and the farm laid out. All that was left, then, was to find the beginnings of their herd.
The answer to that question came to the O'Rourkes during a trip to another north Georgia alpaca farm. At one point during the visit, O'Rourke was standing at a fence, leaning down to see a newborn alpaca. As she came back up, she found herself on the receiving end of a big, wet kiss.
"When I saw her, I knew I had to have her," O'Rourke said. "They said she wasn't for sale, but I got her."
The O'Rourke's ended up leaving that farm with "Kiss" (who O'Rourke lovingly calls a "floozy" given the fact that she bred before she was supposed to), their first alpaca and the dominant female of their current herd.
The herd continues to grow and grow, and the O'Rourkes now have 17 alpacas.
"We thought about horses, cows, goats, sheep," O'Rourke said. "Then, I saw an alpaca. Once you see one, you want one. And once you get one, you want more."
• • • • •
Traveling down the driveway that leads to Tuckaway Farm, it's easy to see why people fall in love so quickly with these animals. Approaching the fence, visitors are promptly greeted by a group of very curious, and very fluffy, male alpacas.
O'Rourke describes the animals as curious, and generally amicable.
"They tend to stay out of arm's reach," O'Rourke said. "They're gentle, easy to be around."
Among the herd, they attach to each other and become friends. Often, alpacas become depressed when separated from their best friends.
Alpacas are very easy to care for. In fact, most first-time alpaca buyers are women with no previous farm experience, according to O'Rourke.
At Tuckaway Farm, the alpacas are fed straw and hay and are given water twice a day. As far as health care goes, the animals, whose life expectancy lasts to their late 20s, are vaccinated once a year, and toenails (alpacas don't have hooves) are clipped as needed. The primary health concern, especially in this area, is a meningeal worm carried by whitetail deer, which causes neurological problems in the alpacas.
While easy to maintain, it's often difficult to determine whether an alpaca is in need of medical attention.
"They're very stoic animals," O'Rourke said. "They won't tell you if there's anything wrong."
Alpacas are very hearty and have a very efficient digestive system, according to O'Rourke, all of which makes sense given their origins in mountainous Peruvian lands where food can be scarce. Even more interesting are their, well, bathroom habits.
"They have a communal dung spot," O'Rourke said. "They pick one place in the pasture and that's where they all go."
Further, their waste makes excellent compost, according to O'Rourke.
The make little to no noise. In fact, the sole noise they do make is a humming sound that varies depending on what message they are trying to convey. Mothers make a slight clucking 'hum' to call their children; males make a screeching 'hum' when they are fighting, or 'neck wrestling,' or if something's wrong.
And then there's 'orgling,' the sound makes make when they're interested in mating. According to O'Rourke, the sound triggers ovulation in females.
Females are bred at one-and-a-half years old, and gestation lasts for 11.5 months. When alpacas come into the world, they are typically born by 11 a.m.
"It's something nature provides," O'Rourke said. "It gives them time to get up and dry off."
After delivery, alpacas are capable of breeding again three weeks later, and they often do.
"They're not happy unless they're breeding," O'Rourke said.
The biggest predator, when it comes to alpacas, comes in the form of packs of domestic dogs. That's where Sadie comes in.
Sadie is a Great Pyrenees, a breed of dog often used in guarding livestock. So, it seems to make perfect sense that she found her way to Tuckaway Farm.
"We keep her with the males during the day," O'Rourke said. "At night, she gets free run of the place."
Without the help of Sadie, alpacas have two defenses -- run or spit. However, they're reasons for spitting distinguish them from other, less dignified camelids.
"Alpacas spit defensively," O'Rourke said. "Llamas spit recreationally."
• • • • •
Alpacas are members of the family Camelidae, better known as camelids, along with camels and llamas. According to O'Rourke, the earliest camelid fossils were found in the Kansas City area. It is thought that some of these early camelids traveled north to Alaska, along the Bering Strait and through to Asia, Europe and Africa, evolving into camels. Some, on the other hand, went south to the South American continent, becoming llamas.
Alpacas originated with the South American group, and come from Bolivia, Chile and Peru, where they are considered a 'National Treasure.' For that reason, Peru refused to export the animals. Chile, however, didn't, and provided the beginnings of the American herd.
The first alpacas came to the United States in 1980, according to O'Rourke. In 1984, the National Registry for the animals was closed.
"There were about 120,000 [alpacas] registered in the U.S.," O'Rourke said. "But we're not sure how many of those are alive now because some people don't report deaths."
Alpaca importers can still bring the animals into the country, but they can't be registered. And, if they can't be registered, there's not much that can be done with them, especially in so far as breeding, according to O'Rourke. However, those born in the United States to registered parents can still be registered in the U.S., just not as part of the original National Registry. In order to do so, a sample of the newborn's blood must be sent in.