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Alpacas are quiet,
gentle and curious animals, slightly smaller than their camelid cousin,
the llama. Indigenous to the Andes of South America, these herd animals graze on pasture grass or hay. Fleece colors range from white and light
fawn to brown, mahogany, rose gray, silver, and black, and many shades in between.
Having never owned lifestock before,
we carefully considered the implications of getting involved in the alpaca
business. We looked beyond the doe-eyes and the cute babies to the business
model and the daily tasks, and agreed that the 'alpaca lifestyle' appealed to
us on multiple levels.
Our two-year search for farm property was rewarded! We purchased
our farm in Eugene,
Oregon, just 35 miles from Mike's birthplace of Oakridge. We readied the 1900-era barn and pens, and after boarding our alpacas for three years, they are now at home with us. See more photos and notes of our progress along the learning curve on our blog.
Alpacas
are fleece animals — that is the end product of our ranching
business. Aragon Alpacas breeds toward fineness of dark-colored fleece.
And since Nature has a way of surprising us, it can take several
breeding steps to move toward our goal. We make the wisest choices possible,
and then wait almost a year (gestation is 11.25 months) to see the outcome,
and then another couple of years before that offspring matures and produces.
Breeding considerations match the attributes of a female
with higher qualities in a male, always reaching upward. Physical conformation,
fleece characteristics, color genetics, and temperament of each parent
enter into the decision.
Shearing
season - our harvest - has produced a bounty of fleece for sale to artisans. A few will be skirted for shows, others sorted for spinning. Raw fiber is desired by hand-spinners or it may be sent to
a mini-mill for machine-processing into roving, batts, or yarn. Small mills
are often run by other alpaca farms, so the fiber is in skilled
hands. There is also a fiber co-op in North America to promote this
home-grown resource. And other opportunities such as the Alpaca Blanket Project are getting a strong start.
The alpaca industry is so new in the
United States that owners and veterinarians are continually learning and sharing information,
linking together in our literal grass-roots network. In the summer of 2008, alpacas were declared "livestock" by the U.S. government, which further enhances their asset value. Do an online search to find farms in your area and go meet alpacas for yourself. And if you are in the Eugene, Oregon, area, we'd love for you to come visit us!
For a continuing source of information on raising alpacas
for sales and fleece production, read our blog. Upcoming topics include alpaca health and nutrition, finding
a veterinarian, herd managment tips, networking with other ranches, guardian
animals, and much more.
 Drake's Arabesque d'Aragon |
"Alpacas
offer an outstanding choice as a livestock investment. They
have long been known as the aristocrat of all farm animals.
But most of all, alpacas are easy keepers, they have a charismatic
manner, do very well on small acreage and produce a luxury
product which is in high demand."
~ Alpaca
Owners & Breeders Association ~ |
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