To say that I have been lax in updating our blog is truly an understatement. But, that is about to change. There have been lots of changes over the last couple of years for us personally as well as the alpaca industry. And where has the alpaca industry traveled . . . right to where David and I felt it should have been from the beginning . . . it is now a fiber business . . . imagine that.
When we started raising alpacas in 2003 we were frustrated by the lack of quality alternatives to process the fiber (there were not sufficient mills that knew what to do with the fiber . . . even the co-op we first joined was sending the fiber to Peru bringing back a product with the words “made in Peru” on the label); and what was fiber supposed to look like when it was ready to be sent to the mill for processing (no one really seemed to be able to define what sorted fiber should look like until NAAFP came along). Now I know these are all issues that would probably not be issues unless you are anal like me . . . and thank heavens there were plenty like me who came up with answers to these questions.
So, here we are . . . 2012 is about to start and alpacas for the most part are selling for a fraction of what they were selling for when we started in the business. So wise breeding decisions are still a huge issue maybe even more so. Back then just about any female could sell for over $10,000 . . . that is no longer the case. Today's breeder needs to be even more aware of what they are creating as the fiber has become so much more important. Maybe more members of your herd should be retired or removed from the gene pool as the dollars no longer can justify compromised members of the herd. Years ago a trip to the nearest veterinary hospital could easily result in a $5,000 bill with no guarantee as to the results (we were in that position and were thrilled when our female returned home three weeks later). Those days are gone. Today we need to have a reality check and truly analyze what we are trying to accomplish with each breeding (one of the areas where the certified sorted method and EPD's (expected progeny differences) come in so very handy . . . each year you can review your reports to see how their current yield compared to prior years and other members of your herd, how do their offspring look . . . was it better than the mom? Is it what you were looking for. If you are just getting year after year of texas rug grade fiber then there is no point in continuing to breed that female . . . unless of course your goal is rug making.
So, before you get the wrong idea on where I am coming from, let me cut to the chase. The alpaca industry is not dead . . . just finally realistic. If you are an existing breeder, use all the tools at your disposal to make educated breeding decisions and be ready to make some hard decisions. If you are new to the industry, then you can start using all the available tools as part of your buying process. The price of entry is much more user-friendly than eight years ago when we started.
So get ready to see a whole lot more action on our blog . . . a lot more fiber related, a lot more conversations on what to do with the fiber and what we are doing with our fiber. If you have questions, please feel free to send them our way and we will post your answers online so we can all learn. Our farm store is now open on Friday and Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and, as always, by appointment and online. Hope you can drop by and see what we are working on.
Wish you all a successfull and enjoyable 2012!
When we started raising alpacas in 2003 we were frustrated by the lack of quality alternatives to process the fiber (there were not sufficient mills that knew what to do with the fiber . . . even the co-op we first joined was sending the fiber to Peru bringing back a product with the words “made in Peru” on the label); and what was fiber supposed to look like when it was ready to be sent to the mill for processing (no one really seemed to be able to define what sorted fiber should look like until NAAFP came along). Now I know these are all issues that would probably not be issues unless you are anal like me . . . and thank heavens there were plenty like me who came up with answers to these questions.
So, here we are . . . 2012 is about to start and alpacas for the most part are selling for a fraction of what they were selling for when we started in the business. So wise breeding decisions are still a huge issue maybe even more so. Back then just about any female could sell for over $10,000 . . . that is no longer the case. Today's breeder needs to be even more aware of what they are creating as the fiber has become so much more important. Maybe more members of your herd should be retired or removed from the gene pool as the dollars no longer can justify compromised members of the herd. Years ago a trip to the nearest veterinary hospital could easily result in a $5,000 bill with no guarantee as to the results (we were in that position and were thrilled when our female returned home three weeks later). Those days are gone. Today we need to have a reality check and truly analyze what we are trying to accomplish with each breeding (one of the areas where the certified sorted method and EPD's (expected progeny differences) come in so very handy . . . each year you can review your reports to see how their current yield compared to prior years and other members of your herd, how do their offspring look . . . was it better than the mom? Is it what you were looking for. If you are just getting year after year of texas rug grade fiber then there is no point in continuing to breed that female . . . unless of course your goal is rug making.
So, before you get the wrong idea on where I am coming from, let me cut to the chase. The alpaca industry is not dead . . . just finally realistic. If you are an existing breeder, use all the tools at your disposal to make educated breeding decisions and be ready to make some hard decisions. If you are new to the industry, then you can start using all the available tools as part of your buying process. The price of entry is much more user-friendly than eight years ago when we started.
So get ready to see a whole lot more action on our blog . . . a lot more fiber related, a lot more conversations on what to do with the fiber and what we are doing with our fiber. If you have questions, please feel free to send them our way and we will post your answers online so we can all learn. Our farm store is now open on Friday and Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and, as always, by appointment and online. Hope you can drop by and see what we are working on.
Wish you all a successfull and enjoyable 2012!
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