Alpaca Investment Is Shear Joy MICHELLE KUNJAPPU Lancaster Farming Staff DELTA (York Co.) It all began with a desire to raise “something that would prance around in the pastures” of the green hills of Nicky Roth and her husband Chris Neumann’s farm in Delta, York County. Roth, a part-time psychothera pist, and Neumann, a transporta tion planner for Lancaster Coun ty, “wanted to raise something here,” she said. The couple own nine alpacas at Alpacas of Will ow Spring Farm. Although sheep was the cou ple’s original thought for filling the farm’s 30 acres, when the couple attended the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival they no ticed alpacas and sent for inform ation. “We read about how they were really an investment,” she said. “We have horses, so we know Nicky Roth, Delta, describes alpacas as sweet, clean, attractive, and curious. “They are just very huggable.” Alpaca History Watching the solemn, un ruffled, soft-eyed expression of the alpaca, one would never guess that the animal has weathered such a tumultuous history. Alpacas are indigenous to South America, with concen tration of animals in Peru, Bo livia, and Chile. Native people groups consumed their meat, spun their fiber into clothing, and burned their manure as fuel. The animals’ story is full of close calls. In the early 1500 s the Spanish Conquistadors ar rived, bringing with them Eu ropean livestock that de stroyed pasture lands and brought new diseases to the al pacas, drastically reducing the alpaca population. Also, as more Conquista dors arrived, they noticed how the native people especially in the rural areas were de pendent on the animal, so the Spaniards, intent on control ling the people of South Amer ica, killed alpacas by the mil lions, according to information from the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA). Peruvian historians estimate that as many as 90 percent of the entire world’s population of alpacas were killed by the Conquistadors. Consequently, this resulted in the death of approximately 80 percent of the human population in rural areas. what it’s like, having large ani mals. We thought that alpacas would be ideal.” Their first animals came from a small, established farm in Vir ginia “willing to help with ques tions,” said Roth. The couple purchased one herd sire, a gelded “buddy” for the sire, and two fe males in 1997. “They’re sweet, clean, attrac tive, and curious. They are just very huggable and they don’t bite or spit at people. They have a soft pad on their bottom of their foot, so if they kick and they don’t, really it doesn’t hurt.” The animals have a strong herd instinct and are usually “more interested in other al pacas,” however Roth has found them to be fascinated by strollers and children. Alpacas are easy keepers. The females take one pound of alpaca food a day, and the males receive one-half a pound a day. Several groups of native South Americans, however, took their animals to a remote, high mountain desert area of the Andes Mountains. Fortu nately for the alpaca, in the mid-1800s, an English wool mill owner named Sir Titus Salt acquired a package of raw alpaca fleece. Recognizing its potential, he developed a cloth that became popular with the British royal family and spread into the aristocratic cir cles of continental Europe. This eventually led to the im portation of animals to not only England but also Austral ia, New Zealand, Canada, Is rael, and the United States. Alpaca fiber is lanolin-free, so it is ready to spin right from the animal and is prized by handspinners. They are sheared once a year, which produces roughly five to ten pounds of fiber per animal. Also contributing to the wool’s popularity is its spec trum of natural colors 22 distinguishable hues from white, lawn fawn, and light gray to brown and black. The fiber is unique in that it is considered “hypoallergenic” since the fiber’s scales lie against the shaft of each hair follicle. There are North American commercial spinning mills available to process alpaca fiber. “You can have a few alpacas on very little acreage five to six on one acre,” said Roth. They are also given free choice hay, besides the offerings of the pasture. “You can have a few al pacas on very little acreage five to six on one acre.” The couple feeds their alpacas a specially-formulated pelleted food, “basically a sweet feed,” she said. They make gentle 4-H projects for students around the country. In addition, their shelter needs are simple, with a small lean-to sufficient for their needs. They also do not challenge fences and can be kept in with minimal fenc ing. As a result of their experience with caring for alpacas, the cou ple works to pass on their knowl edge. “We like to educate people about alpacas,” said Roth. Consequently, the couple has conducted seminars twice a year to educate those with interest in investing in these gentle crea tures. Basic care, breeding, shear ing, and fencing are just a few of the topics that the couple has worked hard to teach themselves and now offer to teach others. An Investment “Alpaca prices are high com pared to other livestock,” she said. With the animals’ fiber and breeding and selling opportunity, the couple considers them an in vestment. The easy-going ani mals can be cared for in the cou ple’s retirement years while still providing an income with fiber and offspring sales. More importantly, said Roth, “raising alpacas is a peaceful, en joyable lifestyle. We just enjoy working with animals that’s a big part of it.” The average male costs be tween $5,000-$20,000. A preg nant female will run $15,000-$23,000, and weanlings $lO,OOO-$12,000. However, pack age prices of alpacas from the same farm can be considerably lower. Females are generally bred at 18 months of age, however males “vary widely in maturity,” she said. The animals can be shown year-round. Shows are conducted in Ohio and Harrisburg, for ex ample, and the national show is rotated between Seattle and Lou isville. Colorado, Washington, Ohio, California, and Oregon have concentrations of alpaca populations. The animals are divided into two species: the Huacayas and the Suris. Huacayas are much more populous, with more than 28,000 in the country. Suris num ber approximately 6,000 in the U.S. Both Suris and Huacayas lack sufficient bone structure to be pack animals. The animals were New addition “AWS’s B.J.’s Alexander” tries out his wobbly legs soon after his springtime birth. ' i Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 15, 2002-815 primarily used for fiber produc tion in South America. Suds yield fiber that is “very fine and lustrous and a little more challenging to work with,” said Roth. The fiber is “used for evening things shiny, glittery, and lacy” pieces which “cost a good deal more money” than fiber from Huacayas. Suds are characterized by little pencil locks that look like dreadlocks. Fiber Belly and leg hair from al pacas, formerly thrown away, is now used for socks, scarves, and gloves. Baby alpaca fiber, consid ered hypoallergenic, is used for baby things. (Turn to Page B 16) >s * * < * •£>
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