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We are occasionally asked if the alpacas ever escape. Alpacas typically don't challenge their barriers or look for opportunities to escape; so it may take some time before an alpaca realizes there's an open gate, barn door or fence break. Then there are those occasions where no gate or door was left open that leave us wondering, "How did they do that?!"  Ace finds himself outside of the paddock Recently, we discovered little Ace on the outside of the fence eager to return to his herd. We knew that all gates and doors were secure so it was baffling how he managed to get on the other side of the fence. Thankfully, our cameras monitor their activities and captured how this little Houdini performed his mysterious trick. The humorous part is that he had no idea that he did it. Here's what happened: This time of year, while the grass is growing outside of their paddock, the alpacas are eager to reach it to graze and often they are poking their noses through the fence panel to reach those tasty, fresh blades. On this particular day, one of the adult alpacas (Pepper) was leaning against the panel gates that are chained together, pressing the gates outward as she stretched to reach the new grass, and Ace saw an opportunity to reach a patch of grass under the extended gates. As he grazed, he laid down on the ground so that he could extend his neck further under the gates to reach the tasty blades of grass. While he did this, Pepper moved on, taking her body weight off the chained gates causing them to sway back to their normal position. When Ace stood up, he was on the other side of the gates and continued to graze, unaware that he was now outside the fence. The cameras notified us that activity was happening outside, we investigated and quickly acted.  Me walking down the hill to help Ace rejoin the herd  Ace is back inside the paddock and heading over to the herd. I calmly walked into the backyard and started talking to Ace -- if I ran or showed any sign of nervousness, Ace would read my body language and also become nervous.
When Ace saw me and heard my voice, as I opened the gate panels for him, he eagerly came to me and re-entered the paddock to reunite with his herd. He looked at me and hummed as he re-entered the paddock - I think that was a "thank you."
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I am trying not to be too excited over Baxter's first birthday because he doesn't care. But I do. While we have been raising alpacas for nearly ten years now, Baxter is our firstborn, and this month marks a milestone for us: we raised our first alpaca from birth to his first birthday. I documented his first 24 hours of life as any first-time parent would, and I'm so glad I did. As I watched the video again, all the memories and emotions came flooding back from that first experience. If you have not seen that video or would like to revisit it, click on the link below. Since that day, we have watched Baxter as he had his first encounters with his world. - his herd - his home - how much fun running is - learning to eat hay & grain - playing - dust baths - his first shearing - dirt mounds are awesome - more running - snow - wildlife (turtles, raccoons, woodchucks, wild turkeys, the barn cats) Now that he is almost a year old, he's just about equal to the size of his mom, Summer, and has inherited her personality as well: very easygoing and mellow. He seems quite mature as he mingles with his herd day-to-day. In their winter pen, there isn't a lot of stimulation for activities but he and his buddy Ace are already starting to wrestle again. I'm sure that once their coats are off after shearing and the herd is out in the pasture again, there will be more fun runs. Spring is officially here, and boy, does that feel good! As New Englanders, we know that spring snow is always a possibility, but we take confidence that it won't stay long and there is evidence already that the worst of winter is behind us.  As winter slowly fades and snow melts, this is the window of time we all have to traverse before spring really takes hold: mud & muck. It's a dreary season on the farm before it starts looking its best: - the pasture is still dormant - the trees are still bare - debris hidden by snow is now visible - the ground is soft & squishy - mud puddles We don the work gloves and muck boots and begin the process of grooming what Mother Nature and the alpacas have strewn everywhere. - scattered straw will be raked - fallen branches cleaned up - dead trees laid to rest - plant beds prepared - damaged fence & shelters repaired - a new birdhouse will be hung Over the course of the next several weeks, we will take down the weather barriers from the alpacas' barn and the chicken coop, and prepare the pasture for the alpacas' eventual release from their winter confinement and into a lush field of green grasses. The alpacas are good sports about being penned up for the winter, but we see them already longing to be out in the field grazing to their hearts' content. Just a couple more months to go.  Softest bed Ever! The birds are singing their spring songs, which means they are already house hunting or meeting with their architects to build their nests this spring. This is a good time to get them a housewarming gift so they are ready to move in. Alpaca bird nest fluff is a songbird's favorite fiber to lay their eggs in and keep their babies warm. Simply hang it where the birds will see it. A great gift for the bird lover in your life.  Is it me or has February been a strange month of weather? In our part of New Hampshire, most of the month has been dry with mild temperatures in the 40's, and a couple of times we reached the mid 50's. The alpacas, now in their thick winter coats, take the warmer days in stride and seek the shade of the barn and their outdoor shelter -- they especially enjoy the latter since we've lifted the wind panel to allow the breeze to pass through. Lifting the wind panel also allows more light to the shelter, and (amusingly) the alpacas immediately took advantage of having another way to access their hayracks.  Thea and Ace enjoying the brighter space, shade, and cool breeze blowing through the shelter But as I write this, Old Man Winter seems to have realized that Spring is coming soon and has decided that he's been delinquent in dumping snow on us this season. Next week's weather report shows a lot of snow activity.  Hopefully, this will be winter's last hurrah this season! (fingers crossed) The herd won't be bothered at all by the change in weather or the snow because, heck, they are dressed for it.  Since the alpacas have the freedom to go in and out of the barn and shelter at will, some prefer to be inside and some prefer to be outside and coated in a blanket of white. If you are wondering why they would choose to be outside in the snow and cold, it's because alpacas' coats are made of individual hollow fibers that trap and hold heat that becomes a warm and protective layer to their bodies. So just because you see a layer of snow on their backs doesn't mean that the cold is penetrating through their coats and down to their skin; in fact, much like a house with snow on the roof is an indicator that the home is well insulated, the same is true for an alpaca with snow on their backs. This feature is just one of the primary reasons why people love wearing alpaca. Works in progressThese cold winter days are the only time I don't feel guilty for spending my time indoors. Is this true for you too? It gives me a great opportunity to work on a handful of projects. Currently, I have tufts of Stormy's fiber waiting to be hand-felted into dryer balls. There is a scarf on my weaving loom that I am designing. I have three hats that I just completed that are in the final stages of blocking. I also have several bags of raw fiber in the barn that still need to be skirted, graded, and sorted for processing for the fiber mill to make into yarn and batting. These projects are so therapeutic, enjoyable, beautiful, and satisfying to make -- especially when I know which individual alpaca(s) contributed to the construction of each finished piece. And I love seeing a person's face light up when they discover that the hat they just bought came from Summer, Raspberry, Thea or one of the other alpacas' yarn. farm tours are back!It's finally here! Opening day for 2023 farm tours begins on March 11. Come alone or bring a friend or two or three or eight.
See for yourself how big Baxter and Ace are growing. Feed our pregnant girls, Stormy and Thea, treats (they're eating for two!) Feel their soft mouths as the alpacas eat from your hands Plan ahead and schedule a visit this summer when you, friends, and/or family are vacationing in the area; we're very convenient to area attractions or a great place to take a break while on a long road trip to your final destination 5 minutes from Applecrest Orchards & The Orchard Grille 7 minutes from Smuttynose Brewery's Hayseed Restaurant 10 minutes from downtown Exeter 15 minutes from Cider Hill Farm & downtown Amesbury 15 minutes from Hampton Beach & Salisbury Beach 20 minutes from Portsmouth 60 minutes from Portland & Boston Pepper lost a tooth - yes, a tooth! Pepper's two front teeth are one of her most distinguishing features. How could this have happened? We have not experienced this on our farm before, so it took us by surprise. She was fine yesterday, with her toothy smile, but today, one of those big pearly whites is now missing. Yesterday todayI tried to recall if I had overlooked something that might have happened but nothing came to mind. Did she get into a fight with another alpaca? Not likely - she gets along with everyone. Did she eat something that broke the tooth? Possibly, but what? A twig? A rock? Where is the tooth? It could be buried in the hay, embedded in the ground, etc.; I looked around but of course, like a needle in a haystack... it could be anywhere. I am a little sad because her big teeth are part of what makes this little alpaca endearing. But is Pepper okay? Is she going to grow a new tooth? The answer to both is "yes." First of all, Pepper is fine. She is not in pain and actually seemed unbothered by the whole thing. (always a good sign). Next (because we had not experienced tooth loss on our farm before), I did some research on the matter to learn 'how?' and 'why?'. Diving into the books, I found: Caring for Llamas and Alpacas, A Health Management Guide, by Clare Hoffman, DVM and on the Internet: Farm Animal Report's: Alpaca Teeth, the Exhaustive Guide, by Gregory Gaines - with my commentary.
Here is where it gets interesting:
With this new information, I wanted a closer look at Pepper's mouth so that I could familiarize myself with this situation and understand what a healthy, normal baby tooth gap looks like. Pardon the green grass in her mouth, but there is a new tooth coming in where her baby tooth used to be.This was a learning opportunity for us because before 1-year-old Pepper arrived in 2021, we had not had an alpaca on our farm that was under the age of 3 and never noticed any of our alpacas missing teeth before.
Pepper's new tooth will probably fill the space before we know it, and it will be less of a shock when it happens again with her or the other alpacas. Another year has come to a close, and I am so glad that you've been a part of it in some way. Whether we are already friends, you've visited us on the farm, we met at an event, follow me (or each other) on social media, or via this newsletter, I am glad you're here. I love to share videos of the alpacas with you, their activities and antics during everyday life. As you already know, they are beautiful creatures with amazing (and goofy) personalities and mega-soft coats. While I make videos all year long and share them on social media, I make one video at the end of each year highlighting the fun and adventures we've had with the alpacas over the past 12 months. I've been doing this ever since we adopted our first alpacas in December 2014, and this year is no different. In fact, if you need to keep someone entertained for a while (i.e., little kids), need an escape, or want to watch alpaca videos all day, visit my youtube page (@gsalpacas). There are 100+ alpaca videos to keep anyone busy. For now, go make some popcorn, grab a beverage, sit and enjoy the below montage of alpaca fun. I hope 2022 has been good for you and 2023 is even better. What's ahead in 2023 While it may not be a white Christmas on the farm this year
were are still full of holiday cheer The alpacas are nestled inside their barn nice & warm growing next year's yarn They are still and quiet, waiting for eight pairs of tiny hoof beats, hoping Santa will fill their stockings with their favorite treats (carrots, apples, & alfalfa hay) Amity, Ace, Baxter, Genny, Lady, Melody, Olly, Pepper, Sparrow, Summer, Razzie, Thea, Stormy, and Tia wish you a joyous holiday filled with alpaca kisses and nose boops. Thank you for being on this paca adventure with us!  Winter is settling in on the farm as we received our first blanket of snow this week. I've been curious to see how Baxter and Ace would react to the change in weather even though the transition from summer to autumn has been gradual, and their coats have been growing longer. I did not witness Baxter or Ace's reaction to the first fallen flakes since it happened overnight, but neither seemed phased by it.  Baxter & his mom, Summer, and their holiday bowls We've watched the boys walking around with a light blanket of snow on their backs - likely they don't even know it's there since they are so well-insulated. And it was a surprise to already see the boys eating snow. I saw them eating it, but I wish I had been there when the baby boys took their first tastes. Did their moms teach them? Did they see their aunties eat it first? Did they wonder what it was and decide to take a taste? I am simply left to wonder.  Baxter eating snow Last Holiday Market for 2022Is it me or are the holidays closing in fast? If you have a little more shopping to do, we will be in Portsmouth on Sunday at Cisco Brewery for their holiday market as one of 30+ vendors offering an assortment of local and handmade items. Live holiday music, food, and beverages are provided by Cisco Brewery. Cisco Brewery Holiday Market 35 Corporate Drive Portsmouth, NH Sunday, December 18 12:00 - 5:00 pm  Can't make it to the event or you don't live locally? Visit our online store to view all our products.
  I hope this email finds you well, among family and/or friends, with warm smells coming from the kitchen and gratitude in your heart. If you've just subscribed to my newsletter - welcome! I'm glad you're here. If you've been reading my emails for a brief time or longer - I'm sending you a big smile and waving at you. I want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to you -- yes, YOU! To all of my email subscribers both new and long-time readers: THANK YOU! Thank you for being here, for reading, following, your friendship, and your love for alpacas. Happy Thanksgiving! Sandy Alpacas Meet TurkeysIn honor of today's holiday, below are videos of our alpacas encountering turkeys over the years. How would it end?... We didn't know. For the most part, everyday life with the herd goes along swimmingly, yet suddenly, one of our alpacas was on the ground. Did she trip? Did she get bumped while jostling for food and knocked off her feet? We didn't see what happened. It occurred while we walked with the herd to feed them their evening meal and then we heard the thud. We both looked back and found Amity on the ground, struggling to get up on her feet. With a little help, she did. We thought the situation was odd and tucked it into our minds to keep watch in case it became more than just a coincidence. The next day we noticed Amity favoring her right rear leg and limping. We also observed her struggling to stand up from a cushed (lying down) position. We checked Amity for any signs of an injury, but there wasn't any noticeable swelling, sensitivity, or pain in her leg, although it was clearly weak. Our thoughts went directly to the possibility that she had a parasite: the meningeal worm (a/k/a "brain worm" or "deer worm"), which is the worst of the worst parasites to get because it attacks the central nervous system and has a high mortality rate if symptoms are not caught early enough. One of the first and most obvious signs is posterior weakness, and that may be what we saw in Amity. While it is possible that it could have simply been an injury, we weren't taking any chances, and immediately began a de-wormer treatment for five days of fenbendazole (a/k/a safeguard) to kill the parasite and ten days of Banamine for inflammation. We checked her body temperature (it was normal) and her eyes for signs of anemia (saw healthy pink hues) and called the vet to discuss the situation. Our vet confirmed that our first response was correct as she would have advised us to take all the steps we were already doing. Two days into Amity's de-wormer treatment, I was able to collect a poo sample from Amity and conducted a fecal test. This confirmed that no intestinal parasites were evident. While that was good news, it did not confirm that she was parasite free because the meningeal worm is the only parasite that would not show up in a fecal test. We scheduled a farm visit with the Vet the next day to examine Amity to ensure we weren't missing any symptoms or conditions that the Vet's skills and knowledge may detect that we would not. The Vet examined Amity's leg and, like us, found no swelling, pain, or discomfort and also confirmed that Amity's leg had a full range of motion - Amity demonstrated that she was using her leg, but it was clearly weak. The Vet concluded that all physical signs were likely pointing to the meningeal worm but she would not rule out that it could be a soft tissue injury. There is no way to diagnose meningeal worm except by necropsy, and at this point, that wasn't an option. Time and care would tell. We continued with Amity's treatment and careful daily monitoring for any physical or behavioral changes that would indicate improvement or decline. Cue the lyrics from The Police: Every breath you take, every step you take, I'll be watching you A couple of weeks have passed and we're happy to report that Amity is doing much better. We still don't know if it was a meningeal worm or soft tissue injury; Amity still favors her leg but much less so from a couple of weeks ago. Before we treated her, her leg was clearly weak, and she could not rely on that leg/foot for stability, but now she is putting a lot more weight on her leg, is far more stable on her feet, and is acting more like herself - confident, herd leader. When Amity fell, we noticed that she became cautious and quietly stayed closer to the back of the herd with the shy girls (Genny & Razzie). By the end of Amity's de-wormer treatment, we could tell that she was feeling much better because not only was her leg improving, but her outgoing personality had returned as well as her place near the front of the herd, greeting us happily whenever we were in the barn. Crisis averted - phew! So what tips can I offer from our experience?
Farm ToursIt's been a busy Autumn. Our weekends have been full with a steady flow of visitors under the slowly evolving backdrop of changing leaf colors, temperatures slowly dropping, and alpaca coats getting thicker. We've had a great time with everyone and look forward to seeing new and familiar faces when self-scheduling tours resume in 2023. While our farm tours may have ended for the season, we captured some great moments. Here is a collection of some of the smiling faces and great moments that the alpacas generated. Shopping Extravaganza!On November 19 and 20, Granite State Alpacas will be among 150 of New England's finest Artists, Craftsmen, and Specialty Food creators. It is a destination you will want to visit with:
311 Winnacunnet Rd Hampton, NH $5 tickets at the Door (valid both days) Ages 14 & under free To purchase advance tickets (no processing fee) and skip the line, visit www.gnecraftartisanshows.com Can't make it or don't live locally? Visit Granite State Alpacas online shop www.granitestatealpacas.com .  Okay, they can't do ALL your laundry, but they can help you spend less time doing laundry. I know this sounds like a pitch, but would you like to know that your clothes are clean, dry, static-free, pet hair-free, and odor free without using fabric softeners or dryer sheets? Would you like to feel like you're helping the environment just by using your dryer? Would you like to save money? Did you know that you can do all of the above just by using alpaca dryer balls? By nature, alpaca dryer balls:
Not only will you have clean laundry that was cleaned with alpaca, but you'll also feel good about what you're doing for the planet. Available now in our online store! It's been three weeks since Thea and Olly went away. Who noticed? Having 14 alpacas, it might seem easy to lose sight of who is not there. In general, that is true, but we noticed. We brought them to a farm in Maine recently to meet herd sires so that we'll have more cria running around our pasture next year. But that wasn't the only reason; both Thea and Olly are half-sisters, have sweet personalities, good conformation, and beautiful coat characteristics -- all the qualities we would like to see passed on to the next generation. We chose herd sires that we believe would compliment Thea and Olly with color, body conformation, coat qualities, and good personalities. The hope is that we made good decisions and the cria next year will be beautiful with wonderful personalities and gorgeous, colorful, crimpy coats for making yarn, dryer balls, and the softest birdnest fluff EVer! RAINED OUTThe Hampton Falls Farmer's Market has been canceled today due to the weather. It was the last one of the season, so it is a little disappointing that this weekly event is now over for the season. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet new faces and make new friends with both vendors and customers. That is also how we met some of you! =) You can count on us to be back at the farmer's market in 2023.  YARN ON SUNDAY!Our yarn is here! Yes, our own herd's skeins are in da house! Whether you knit, crochet, or weave, working with 100% alpaca is a joy, and wearing it is a luxury. Alpaca yarn is lightweight, and you will be surprised how warm your finished project keeps you without overheating. Its breathable properties and soft against your skin feel, make it comfortable to wear during high-energy outdoor activities by pulling moisture and odors away from your skin. It's also water resistant and will keep most of the wetness away as well. Come see and feel the soft, squishy softness of the YARN FOR YOURSELF at our next event:located at: 17 Lafayette Road, North Hampton, NH There will be more than just alpaca yarn. Plan on finding lots of socks, hats, headbands, dryer balls, and other alpaca-made products both hand-made on the farm and from farms in Peru with all the same benefits as our yarn.  Plans are underway with preparing the farm for winter. I'm sure you're doing the same already for your home, collecting the last of the harvest from the garden, pruning plants that are past blooming and preparing the lawn for its dormant season. We are too, and also making plans to put the alpacas in their winter pen. We do that by fencing off the pasture so it has a chance to rest for the winter. But before we do that, we wanted to move the alpacas' outdoor shelter. It is 12' wide, 10' high, and 24' long, and we set it up last year. It took some time to assemble with its many pieces, parts, and hardware. But we made one error. When we assembled it, we decided not to secure it to the ground knowing we would do it another day. As luck would have it, the very next day, a strong wind blew the shelter off its feet, tumbling it over the fence and inside the paddock. Ugh! We didn't want the shelter inside the paddock, but we didn't want to disassemble the frame and start over, so there it stayed.....for almost a year. Now with our minds set on preparing for winter, we took the time and moved the shelter back to the original location and are happy we did it. Though it took us most of the day to move the shelter, click on the video below to watch us complete the task in 3 minutes Farm tours on hiatusIt's exciting to see the calendar filled up quickly with farm tours this fall, and if you already have a visit scheduled with us - awesome! -- we're looking forward to seeing you! So, between scheduled visits and needing to dedicate time to winterizing the farm, the self-scheduling calendar on our website is on hiatus. The schedule will be opened again soon, and you'll be the first to know. In the meantime, if you're in need of alpaca products for those on your gift list or for yourself, visit our website or find us at one of the upcoming events. Upcoming Events We're out and about and can be found at these upcoming events for a wide selection of alpaca scarves, socks, hats, dryer balls, pet toys, yarn, and more!
Hampton Falls Farmer's Market Hampton Falls Common 1 Lincoln Avenue, Kingston NH Wednesday, October 5 2:00 - 6:00 pm Seacoast Harley Market Seacoast Harley Davidson 17 Lafayette Road, North Hampton, NH Sunday, October 9 10:00 am - 3:00 pm We've collected a handful of videos filmed this summer and put them in a collection right here for you to enjoy. Come visit Granite State Alpacas at Seacoast Harley Davidson
During their Ride For Veterans Event 17 Lafayette Road, North Hampton NH Saturday, September 24, 2022 9:00am - 12:00pm In need of socks, hats, dryer balls, or other alpaca products? We will be one of several vendors on-site during the event It's done! Our second pasture is completely fenced in now. We've been dreaming of this for five years, and in just a couple of days - it's finished! Our new pasture abuts our main pasture, which means we can transition the alpacas from one field to the other pretty easily. Because one side of our main pasture fence divides the two areas. We replaced that span of fence with a new one. It was old, rusty, and wonky -- it zig-zagged across the field to take advantage of trees that were used as gateposts, which we addressed by installing new gateposts and replacing the rusty old gate with a new one. That fence is now a straight line and the entire area is enclosed to keep predators out and the alpacas safe.  the old fence zig-zagged across the field & used 2 trees for gateposts The new fence has straight lines, new gates we can actually use and offers lots of new space  While the fence itself is done, the second pasture is not complete....yet! The felled trees need to be cleaned up; the area needs landscaping, and seed needs to be planted. But that didn't stop us from introducing the alpacas to the new area. Upcoming EventsWhile Autumn hasn't officially started, we've been lining up our fall schedule to bring our farm-made and Peruvian products to you! Find us this month at these locations for a wide selection of alpaca scarves, socks, hats, dryer balls, pet toys, and more! East Kingston Farmer's Market East Kingston Public Library 47 Maplevale Road, East Kingston, NH Sunday, September 18 10:00 am - 2:00 pm VFW's Charity Ride for Unmet Needs Program Seacoast Harley Davidson 17 Lafayette Road, Hampton, NH Saturday, September 24 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Farm tours continue through FallBefore long, the leaves will start to turn color and the alpacas' coats continue to grow thicker. It's a great time to meet these majestic animals against one of nature's beautiful backdrops. Schedule your farm tour here We have been working on a second pasture for a few years. Always picking away at the area we designated that would eventually give our alpacas another area to graze in. Because our field has been sufficient for the girls, it was not something we had to do, but knew it would be beneficial one day. But Baxter and Ace are now making it a reality. We hired a company that will install the pasture fence this week and prompted us to prepare the area.  We've been walking the fence line and removing all unnecessary brush and debris to make the job easier for the crew. Weed trees are coming down, rocks are being removed, ground leveling and grading are in process. There is much more to be done once the fencing is complete: more land grooming, fertilizer, and pasture grass need to be sown. This project was initiated from the coming need to separate the boys so that they are not cohabitating with the females when they are mature. But Baxter and Ace won't be moving into this space for several months. I can't imagine the two boys being by themselves now anyway. They are still quite young and need their moms.  When the time comes to move the boys into their own space, they will be ready to be on their own with room to run around, wrestle, and graze in -- Baxter and Ace will have their own bachelor pad. This will benefit future generations too. With more cria potentially arriving next year, if there are more boys born, Baxter and Ace will be able to assist with weaning and teach young male alpacas how to grow up into mature herdsires and be ready to move on to other farms. alpaca fiber is back from the millTime with alpacas is time well spentWe opened our farm to visitors for the first time this year, and it's been a wonderful experience for all (including the alpacas). Many of you knew about us already through social media, some were recommended to visit, and others just happen to find us on the internet. Here is a collection of some of the smiling faces that the alpacas generated, and more visits are already scheduled for the fall. If you have been meaning to schedule your farm tour or want to schedule a return visit, simply click here We are delighted to have Sparrow & Stormy back from “sleep away camp”. After three weeks at Libertas Farm visiting their "boyfriends", we brought them home Saturday night, and now "The band is back together". If you missed their welcoming reception, or just want to watch it again, you can see it here Whenever any of the alpacas are away from home, we never know how the herd is going to react when they return. They all know that when we back the big gray van up to the embankment in our field, it has something to do with them. Maybe it's hay, maybe it's a new friend, or in this case, the two girls returned from summer camp. We knew that Amity would be happy to see Sparrow because they are bonded half-sisters, but we didn’t expect both Amity and then Summer to jump into the van!! That was a surprising and sweet demonstration of their happiness. The alpacas don't normally volunteer to jump inside a vehicle! Melody also jumped around with excitement at the sight of Sparrow & Stormy’s return; this made us smile and laugh too. Amity, Sparrow, & Melody have been together all their lives, so to see how happy they were to be reunited like this was a joy to witness. The reason behind Stormy & Sparrow's visit to another farm is that we want to have more cria next year and begin to offer alpacas available for sale. Whether buyers are experienced with alpacas or not, and whether buyers prefer show quality or pet quality, our goal is to find happy and loving homes for the animals. Got a question about this blog post? Send us an email.
We're happy to talk with you. alpaca fiber that is... I surely don't! Until I started raising alpacas, I never thought much about where my yarn came from or how much I would love working with it. Years ago, I taught myself how to crochet using the most economical yarn to learn with: acrylic. Now that we have our own herd of alpacas, a manufactured synthetic product seems like sacrilege, but synthetic yarn has its value. It comes in a variety of weights, textures, and colors, is durable, washable, and very forgiving to work with; but I'll never forget the first time I purchased alpaca yarn. I bought two skeins of forest green and mustard yellow twisted together in a tweed design to make a blanket for my sister. At the time I didn't know what I was buying. I had heard the term "alpaca" before but didn't take the time to understand what an alpaca was or its fiber properties. I just knew the skeins were squishy and incredibly soft to the touch -- softer than any other yarn I had felt before and I could tell it was something special. The blanket came out beautifully and I was hooked. Jump ahead 15 years and here we are, raising our own alpacas and making my own yarn. I know other farmers feel pleased with the products their livestock, produce, but I discovered that it is also very personal for me. How I feel about my herd's fiber and finished products is similar to the feeling you get when your child brings home their art project from school - in love with what they created -- and proud too. Turning alpaca fiber into yarn & dryer balls When shearing is done, what do I do with all that fiber??  Bags of freshly collected alpaca fiber ready to be cleaned The first step is cleaning all that raw fiber. The main part of an alpacas fleece comes from around their midsection and it is called the blanket. It is the area that has the highest quality fiber. Each shorn blanket is laid out on a skirting table so that I can evaluate it for consistent staple length, and remove any vegetable matter, dirt, and small clumps of fiber that are too small to use (called "second cuts"). I also remove the guard hair (coarse fiber) that surrounds the perimeter of the blanket -- this helps prevent an itchy/scratchy end product. As I clean their coats, I can already imagine the final result...  ... and it makes you want to hug it! Next, I take the fiber that won't become yarn (this comes from the neck, head, legs, and tail called "seconds and thirds") and do a similar process: I sort by staple length, remove vegetable matter, and dispose of any unusable bits.  Tia's seconds and thirds Once all the fiber is cleaned, I label each bag with its contents by name and grade (1st, 2nds/3rds) and what I want made (yarn, roving and/or batting). I compress as much air out of the bags as possible, and pack it all into a box (or two) & ship it to the fiber mill. A few months later, when my order comes back, I make personalized tags for all my yarn, so you know who's yarn is who's when you're knitting, crocheting, or weaving into a hat, scarf, sweater, blanket, etc. The seconds & thirds will come back to me as roving or batting that I will shape and felt into dryer balls by hand so you never have to use commercial dryer sheets ever again. So, this is how I get my daily dose of fiber!
I love all the beautiful and useful products alpaca fiber lets me create. That was the question we asked ourselves when we brought home our first alpacas. I'm sure you've asked yourself the same question when you brought home your first pet or even your first child. No matter how much you prepared for their arrival, it's still a shock of reality that you just brought something home that will change your life forever. When we made arrangements to bring our first two alpacas home, we did as much preparation in advance as we could:
 It wasn't until we brought our first two alpacas home (Tauri & Fiona in December 2014) that we realized there were still many shortcomings that we didn't know we had.
 In hindsight, these issues seemed monumental at the time, because we were new to keeping alpacas and didn't know the answers - and that's okay! It is absolutely okay to not know because how will anyone know unless they develop experience.
 Over time, there were changes we wanted to make on our farm and figured out the best solutions for us:
These are a few basics from our experience to think about if you are wondering if you could have alpacas. Every farm will have its own unique circumstances and challenges. Here are a few other things to consider:
How many alpacas should you get?
If you're wondering whether alpacas might be right for you, consider scheduling an alpaca 101 farm tour with us to get an in-person understanding of what's involved in an alpaca's day-to-day care. You can also schedule a "meet the alpacas" farm tour or simply shop our farm store.  As April flows into May, we are still in that period of weather transition. You know the window I'm talking about where it's cold in the morning, warm during the day, and cold again at night. It's also the time of year on our farm that we're waiting for the grass in the pasture to grow tall enough so the alpacas can be released from their winter pen for grazing. We can feel the anticipation building as the field slowly turns from brown to a lush shade of green. The alpacas wait at the fence... Is it ready yet? How about now? or Now? Can we go? Now? Now? We did actually let the alpacas out early for a day last weekend -- shhh! Don't tell anyone. We cycle our alpacas in and out of the pasture twice a year. They have free reign to graze from mid-late May through October before we close the pasture for rest and recovery until spring returns. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Spring and summer are ahead to be fully enjoyed before we start thinking of fall arrangements again. Shearing Day is Coming! June 6 is just a few weeks away and the alpacas will be so happy to be free of their winter coats. People marvel over how skinny the alpacas look after shearing. It still surprises us every year! As the alpacas' fiber grows slowly throughout the year, it maintains the contours of their bodies and makes us think their skin is just below the surface when it's actually 2-4" deeper. We have a couple of volunteers joining us on shearing day to help with fiber collection; they are interested in learning more about alpaca farming and are super-excited about participating in this annual event. I'll give them an overview of what their jobs will be, the purpose of their work, and assist them with collecting fiber from the first alpaca being shorn. Thereafter, they should be able to operate on their own with minimal assistance from me.  Sorting alpaca fiber
Alpaca fiber is sorted into three categories: Prime (also known as 'blanket' or 'firsts'), Seconds and Thirds ( we combine seconds and thirds into one collection). Prime- this is the area of the nicest and softest fiber that alpacas grow that is used for yarn and apparel. Seconds & Thirds - these fibers are more coarse to the touch than Prime depending on where on the body they came from, and are used for rug yarn, roving for felting, dryer balls, and bird nest fluff. Fiber from the neck and head areas are still quite soft, but fiber from the legs will be shorter and feel coarser. Once all the fiber is collected, bagged, and tagged (by alpaca name and type), it will be set aside until I am ready to begin skirting (cleaning) in preparation for the fiber to go to the fiber mill where it is processed into yarn and roving. Speaking of yarn and roving, I sent a large order of black and brown alpaca fiber that I bought last summer to the fiber mill for processing and it should be arriving soon as yarn and roving - yay! When the shipment arrives, you can have "first dibs" on yarn and dryer balls, if you're interested. Stay tuned!  We've been waiting a long time for Baxter to arrive, and it's still a little surreal that he is here! He is the very first cria (baby alpaca) to be born on our farm. We know you enjoy watching his activities and antics as much as we do! He is so much fun to have around and he can't wait to have a friend close to his age to play with (he can't seem to get his aunties to race around the paddock with him. He'll have a new playmate soon since we are expecting our second cria in early June with Amity. Being the 1st cria for us, the night of Baxter's arrival was both exciting and nerve-wracking, yet it turned out to be a textbook perfect birth. Based on that experience, it gives us a baseline for when our next cria arrives. Our hope is that Amity's cria delivers as easily as Summer's did. Alpacas generally don't have birthing issues, but that doesn't mean things cannot go wrong. The birth itself could be difficult, the cria could be breech, etc., but the key is to prepare for anything and hope you need as little intervention as possible. Here are some of the things we have ready and waiting:
There are also certain actions that need to happen within the first 24 hours for cria to start off life successfully:
One of the most challenging things to do when all you want is to pick up that cute new baby alpaca, is to be as hands-off as possible. This way, mother and baby bond with each other instead of you. You may have to step in briefly since alpacas don't lick their cria once they're born. I found it necessary to dry Baxter off and keep him warm with a hairdryer since he was born on a chilly April day. Amity is due in a little over a month (June) with our next cria, so the temperature should be less of an issue. We are ready and looking forward to his/her arrival. Baxter will not have long to wait for his playmate to arrive.  What is an alpaca show? In the simplest terms, it’s similar to a dog show where an alpaca’s features and characteristics are evaluated by a certified judge and ranked against their peers in the same class. I went to the North American Alpaca Show (NAAS) & Northeast Alpaca Show (NEAS) in Springfield, MA to learn about the show’s process without the added pressure of competing. One alpaca owner I spoke with said attending just to learn was a smart approach rather than “baptism by fire” in the show ring. You don't have to own alpacas or be a competitor to attend an alpaca show. You can attend as a spectator or contact the organizer and volunteer to help (they LOVE volunteers) or contact a farm and ask if they would like assistance at the event (as I did). I met a woman at the event, Julia, who wants to own alpacas one day and learns all she can while volunteering at the show. One year she spent time in the ring accompanying the judge and captured all the notes given by the judge - talk about an inside track! The show consists of a half-day for arrival/check-in, followed by one or two days of competition (depending on the number of entrants). Registration and check-in are relatively low-key. Trucks and trailers arrive throughout the afternoon. Health papers are submitted, microchips are scanned, and then the alpacas are led to their assigned pens and settle in with fresh hay and water while fans hum to keep them comfortable. Owners connect with long-time colleagues, make new connections, and admire (and size up) each other’s herds. This is a very friendly community that enjoys talking and sharing information about their animals and operations. The next morning the organizers host an exhibitor meeting outlining the day's events and schedule, introduced the judges, and encouraged everyone to be supportive of their fellow competitors - if someone looks like they're struggling, step up and offer to help. The rest of the day is spent with judges occupying their own show rings for NAAS and NEAS who conduct halter shows. These judges examine all the animals in each color and class (juvenile, yearling, two-year olds, etc.,) and look for particular conformity in the alpaca’s body (legs, gait, head, etc.) and uniformity, density, fineness, in their fleece by examining three areas (middle of the back, above the shoulder, and the flank). Based on what they see amongst the entrants, the judges will consider the qualities of the entrants and determine the rankings of the animals before them and award ribbons accordingly (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) -- but it doesn't end there. When all the color class competitions (white, brown, darks, and grays) are completed, all the first and second place winners of each class category by color are invited back to the ring for championship judging against their peers. As above, each is examined for its appearance and fleece qualities and two winners are chosen: Champion (1st place) and Reserve (2nd place). Of all the entrants who have competed, these two have risen to the top as having the best qualities of all the entrants in their color class. But wait, there's more! After all the competitions in the various color classes are completed, all the Champions in all the color classes return to the ring to be judged and select a "Judges Choice" (comparable to best in show). I learned the above not only by attending but also by being invited to be a "handler" for an alpaca who was there to compete (his name is Archer). Archer is a member of Alpacas of New Hampshire at Sleeping Monk Farm, and his owner asked me if I would like to bring Archer into the show ring. After viewing a few of the judging events, I felt that, yes, I could do that with Archer. My responsibilities were not complicated, but first, I needed to get along with Archer. If he didn't like me, then why would he want to spend 15-20 minutes with me in the show ring? I went to his pen and introduced myself to him as I clipped the lead to his halter. I spoke with him as we walked across the arena and let him know what we were going to do; after all, it was his first time in the show ring too. All we needed to do was walk across the show ring when instructed, stand where we were told to stand, and stand still while Archer's fleece is being examined. Overall, it's simple enough, unless you have an alpaca who isn't willing to do any of that. Archer was agreeable to walking with me and standing with me throughout the judging process. Archer was so agreeable that he was comfortable with standing right next to me while my arm was around his shoulders like you would with a best friend. In the moment, I felt like he was my best friend. He did wiggle a few times while the judges parted his coat to take a close examination, and also while they briefly grabbed his testicles (I don't blame him one bit for that!). After the judges completed their initial evaluation of Archer and the other competitors, the judge asked us handlers to have our alpacas stand in profile and then face forward so they could be visually evaluated for their overall body conformation. After more consideration, the judge might reexamine an alpaca's coat and then make notes on a scorecard. He would then ask each competitor to step forward in order of our award ranking (1st, 2nd, 3rd place, etc.) and hand out award ribbons congratulating each handler/alpaca for their placement. The judge would then take a moment and summarize to the competitors and audience the reasons behind his decision starting with first place and why that particular alpaca's qualities qualified for their award and reviewed each subsequent alpaca accordingly. Archer and I competed in two halter competitions and placed second and third respectively. For our first time in the ring, I was pleased with our results and so was Archer's owner. And if that isn't enough to keep you busy, while the above is going on, there is a "walking fleece" show happening in a third ring. Each alpaca can compete in its color class for fleece assessment only. Unlike the halter now, the judging is purely based on fleece qualities and scored accordingly. These qualities are given scores on a scorecard and -- you guessed it -- the best score wins. Archer and I entered that competition, and he took fifth place in his class. Overall, it was a great experience and a lot of fun. I met a lot of nice people who were kind and generous with their time and information about their farms. I'm glad I went without the anxiety of needing to compete with my own alpacas. It broke the ice for me, and now I feel more comfortable knowing what's expected at these events so that I can bring members of my own herd to enter the show ring. Here is a short video of my experience: |
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