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Breeding
Services
 Our
first Herdsire is Helderberg
Obi-Wan, who has successfully settled females. He
has been bred to Friday's
Child, Sierrabita
and Barbita. As soon
as they are confirmed pregnant , Obi-Wan will be offered for
breeding services. He has fine, crimpy fiber, lots of volume
and full coverage. He is the son of Dewey Meadow Peruvian
Premiere and grandson of Curly Calib.
Black
Jack Tuesday should be ready for breeding later this fall.
He has true black and silver grey lineage, and has excellent
conformation.
Starting
Your Farm - From the Ground Up!
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We
built our farm from scratch, on just about fourteen
acres of land where once hay fields were all your could
see between the tree lines. We've learned much
along the way, and are happy to share what we've learned.
We currently
have two barns, this year adding concrete floors in
the stalls. We have four separate stall areas,
and will be adding a fifth in the spring. We continue
to improve the quality of our fields for hay, and each
year, we fence in more pasture areas. As our herd
continues to grow, we expect to build a third barn.
Lessons learned?
You bet! Learn about shelter,
fencing, alpaca
maintenance, birthing, shearing,
what to do with fiber and resources
for farms. |
Shelter
Alpacas are well-adapted
to the cold, snowy winters of the northeast, and in fact,
seem to do better during those cold winters than during the
hot summers. A shelter to escape from the storms or
hot sun is all they really need. We have built barns
with
doors to help contain the alpacas when getting them ready
for maintenance or shearing. But quite often, the first
thing you see after a light snowfall is "mounds"
of snow with alpacas underneath, as they chose to sit it out!
Be prepared to quickly
remove snow from the fields after a heavy snowfall, and make
room for the dung pile! Otherwise, you'll find they
have taken to using the barn for a bathroom. Alpacas
will walk through snow - but once it is a couple of feet deep
- they seem to prefer to stay in the barn!
A large fan is a
must for hot summer days. Situated in a barn, you'll
see your alpacas relaxing in front of it most of the day.
Shade from large trees is also great for those hot afternoons
- but be sure to check on the suitability of the tree species.
The Internet is a great resource for finding information on
leaves poisonous to alpacas.
We are equipped
to board a small number of alpacas - and will be happy to
board any alpaca you purchase from us until your farm is ready
to receive delivery.
Fencing
Generally speaking,
alpacas do not test a fence the way cattle, horses or goats
do. However, they can leap a fence to get to the green
grass on the other side if the fence is not high enough!
Baby alpacas can creep under fences or between the slats if
they are too far apart. Poratable panels made for cattle
and horses won't keep a baby alpaca contained. And field
fence? Make sure the grid is either small enough or
large enough to keep their heads from fitting through - as
an alpaca may get its head stuck - especially in full fleece!
We have found that stiff cattle panels seem to work well.
Depending on where you live, you may want to consider
electric fencing or other means to thwart predators.
And sometimes the predator is just a neighborhood dog.
You'll know when one is around - the alpacas will all turn
to look, and they may scream to alert the herd.
 We
also have a "guard llama." Many farms use
dogs, and there are good resources for them. However,
on a farm as small as ours (fourteen acres) with neighbors
nearby, a dog may not be the best choice, as they may bark
all night at the critters (that's their job.) Many farms
successfully use llamas to protect the alpacas from dogs and
coyotes. But be aware that a llama/alpaca cross-breed
is possible - and not desireable for fiber quality.
Use gelded males and/or keep a female llama with your girls.
There are a number of llama rescue farms that can offer you
good guard llamas at a reasonable price.
As you expand your
pastures, be sure to check on the species of grass and weeds
already resident. Some plants are poisonous to alpacas
and other livestock. Some grasses are too high in protein
for alpacas. It may be worth it to wait a year or two
and take care of the field before letting alpacas graze.
You may need to spray the weeds, fertilize the ground, balance
the pH, and plant new grass. In New York, you can check
with your local Cooperative
Extension for help in preparing your fields.
Alpaca
Maintenance
You have probably
heard that alpacas are easy to care for - and for the most
part, that's true! But they require regular maintenance
- de-worming, nail-trimming, possibly tooth-trimming, and
immunizations.
Alpacas use a community
dung-pile, and establish several piles throughout the field
that are easily raked up (alpaca droppings look like, and
are referred to, as "beans") into a small loader
and tractor. Keeping an eye on the dung piles is a great
way to check the health of the herd. If the beans start
to clump, or loose their shape altogether, you may have a
sign that either their diet has changed (new plants in the
pasture) or there may be worms in their system. A call
to the vet can help determine the appropriate course of action
if the symptoms get worse or last more than a couple of days.
There are some diseases
and parasites that are of particular concern to alpacas.
This includes the meningial worm, a worm deadly to alpacas
carried by white tail deer; Bovine Virus Diarrhea (BVD), recently
showing up in herds throughout the country, but detectable
through testing; and various intestinal worms, detected through
routine testing or testing in response to abnormal feces or
behavior.We have found that the best way to learn about all
of these is through classes sponsored by local
alpaca organizations, often held at conferences, and Internet-based
research. Much is being learned about these threats
to the alpaca industry every day.
Birthing
Alpacas have a gestation
period of eleven to twelve months. And despite all that
preparation time, the first time an alpaca is born on your
farm, you will be anxious, if you see it at all! Alpacas
are usually easy-birthers, and require no assistance.
We have been fortunate - all of our births (thirteen so far)
have gone well. However, make sure to keep the phone
number of the vet handy in case you have concerns or questions
(yes, we called them several times.) We highly recommend
joining a local
alpaca organization and taking classes to familiarize
yourself with the typcial birth, and the procedures
that should follow, before the first one comes along.
Alpacas usually
have their cria (multiple births are rare) in the morning.
A female who is up and down, not eating, and walking around
with her tail up during morning chores may well be in labor!
Watch for the front feet to appear from under her tail, followed
by the head. When the cria finally does come along,
the "family" will gather, the wonderful alpaca "hum"
will start, the baby will roll around to remove the membrane,
will sit up, and will begin to look for its mom to nurse.
Within an hour or so, the cria should be standing and nursing.
Take a look at some of the
cria born on our farm!
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There are also cooperatives that will take your fiber in exchange
for reduced prices on finished goods. There are numerous
local events that welcome alpaca farmers and their bags of
fiber, yarn and finished products. You can also establish
