PIECES OF ADVICE FOR THE NOVICE

Award Winner

ALPACAS: We started our ALPACA herd on a very limited budget by purchasing two bred females, each with her male cria at her side. We financed our girls through the selling farm. Thrilled that someone would understand our interest in and love for these animals, although we did not have the full purchase price, we looked no further and purchased them immediately. Six thousand dollars down, 8% interest with payments over 60 months and we were on our way!

PIECE OF ADVICE #1: Go to as many farms as possible and speak to as many breeders as possible asking question after question. Most breeders will finance animals with minimal down and payments arranged over a period of time; many with no finance charges and free agistment until you are ready to take your animals home. Don't be taken in by a deal that sounds too good to be true. Be polite, but not naive.

CRITERIA: The most important CHARACTERISTICS of a good ALPACA are correct conformation and pleasing fiber.

PIECE OF ADVICE #2: It does not matter if the lineage of the ALPACA you are looking at is Peruvian, Bolivian or Chilean as long as the conformation is correct and the fiber coverage of the animal is good and the fiber itself has a soft hand, is crimpy and lustrous.

CONFORMATION: During your initial viewing of an ALPACA, follow the suggestions of PIECES OF ADVICE #3, #4, & #5.


PIECE OF ADVICE #3: Look for straight front legs; they should not angle in to meet at the knees or toe-out at the feet. The legs should be straight from the shoulder to the feet. Look for a straight top-line from the base of the neck to the tail. The neck should be attached to the body at nearly a right angle and the tail should not be set low on the rump.


PIECE OF ADVICE #4: The bite is correct when the top gum and the bottom teeth meet EXACTLY in the front. Watch carefully for this as the bite is highly inheritable. In the Show Ring, the judge looks carefully at the bite; a bad bite, teeth either in front of the top gum or behind it, is frowned upon and may cost your ALPACA a ribbon. (Even though your choice may be never to enter the Show Ring, you should be buying and producing alpacas capable of doing so.)

PIECE OF ADVICE #5: Watch the hind legs as the ALPACA is being led away from you; you should see sturdy legs stepping down on feet which stay evening spaced between one another. The feet should not be placed one in front of the other (i.e. rope walking). As the ALPACA is walked back toward you, the front legs should appear straight and strong.

FIBER: Characteristically, ALPACA FIBER should be as dense as a berber rug, as soft as a baby's behind, as crimpy as close running waves and as lustrous as shiny gold.

Ziggy SA Nikolai

Rosie Dior & Sweetie

LaBella Hannah''s Sweet Droxie
Sultan of Swing and Isis

Millie SA Nikolai

Some of the Girls