Stop and small the flowers ... Its time for a lifestyle change.

 

Newsletter

Hi folks... Enjoy!

 

Colours of our Farm

             What a great time of the year!! The colours were spectacular this year.  The animals know that it is Fall.  They seem much more active in the morning enjoying the cool frost that blankets the country side.  Napoleon is just full of it, jumping on everybody, pushing this one, attacking that one, racing with Thunder or just making a pest of himself.  During the afternoon everybody just soaks in the last warm rays of the sun.  Soon the Fall rains will be upon us and we will not be pasturing the animals in our fields anymore.  We will keep them close to the barn feeding them hay, grain and minerals.  I always marvel at how lucky we are to live in our country.  The end of one season always brings the beginning of another.  A fresh new start every time.  Something to look forward to... and as Canadians we thrive on the challenges that Mother

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Are the animals friendly? 

Are they halter trained?

Meadowview Alpaca Farm

Guard Animals

             If you are in the alpaca business you have considered or debated on guardian animals and so you should.  You have a few choices: dogs, donkeys and llamas.  We debated on all three but we settled on llamas.   We avoided dogs for several reasons:  we have heard horror stories of crias been attacked by Great Pyrenees dogs because they were new to the herd.  Secondly, we have Border Collies. They move the animals to pasture morning and night. As they are herders, they are very dominant dogs.  I could see a problem developing with two dogs that want to move the alpacas and a dog that wants to protect the alpacas.  So we stayed away from dogs.  Donkeys are also good protectors but they could kick an animal and that would be the end of that alpaca so we decided against donkeys.  That’s when we had the opportunity to purchase Lulu.  She was a bit wild when she got here, but she soon settled down and became a real asset to the farm.  Let me tell you a little story that will illustrate this. 

             One day , a couple of summers ago, we had the girls pasturing in our meadowfields, when I heard a bugle call. An alpaca will sound the alarm if there is danger, hence the bugle call.  I ran down to the field to see a big black bear crossing the far field.  The alpacas were all bunched together in the centre of the first field and Lulu was walking the fence line.  She was puffing herself up to look bigger,  and spitting in the air.  I don’t know if you have ever seen a 400lb llama in an aggressive mood, but I can tell you it is intimidating.  She was doing her job perfectly yet she is a kind, quiet girl with us.  Llamas have a terrible reputation for spitting at people but Lulu has never spat at any human.  With a name like Lulu you have to be kind.

             Oh, what happened to the bear you ask?  It was a false alarm, he was just crossing the field to go to the forest.  He was not interested in the alpacas.  But it was a perfect demonstration of how well a Llama can protect your herd. 

Choosing a Breeder

        It sounds simple, but it’s actually complicated and one of the most important decisions you can make for continued support.  Don’t choose your local alpaca farm just because they are close.  Choose a breeder because of the services and expertise they offer.  Are they successful?  Are they willing to share the secrets of their success? This may mean visiting a lot of farms.  You need a breeder that can provide the following services:  quality alpacas at reasonable prices,  the “how to” of running an alpaca farm,  how to set up your farm business to take advantage of all the tax savings, registering your farm, the secret of making money at alpaca farming, how to prepare a business plan etc.  These are all important components of success.  There are many questions you must ask yourself: Do I want a fibre farm or do I want a breeding and fibre farm?  If it’s the latter, make sure your animals are registered.  You can obtain the best prices with registered animals only.

             The after sales services are key, as the breeder will guide you through all the steps to becoming a viable alpaca farm.  Find somebody who has a thriving alpaca business and start emulating them.  To be successful find a successful breeder.  They will the guide in your new adventure,   

 

The watchful eye of Lulu

Lulu checking out the new arrival,

Black Pearl

Nature sends our way.        

Napoleon at his best

All alpacas are different in appearance and in stature, but more importantly they all have their own personality.  Check out Napoleon.  He is always running, pushing, jumping on everybody. Napoleon is full of it.

We also find that all alpacas are born with a name and it is for us to discover it.  This little guy obviously wears his name well.  Napoleon was born Sept. 1st to Rosie. He was a little small (15 lbs.) but very feisty right from the beginning. Napoleon is a CLAA AND  ARI registered, potential herdsire.

Lulu surrounded by the crias.

Lulu is always the favourite with the newborns,

That is why we often refer to her as “Auntie Lulu”.

How do we go about shearing?

What do you do with the fibre after shearing?