Showing posts with label Buying alpacas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buying alpacas. Show all posts

Friday, April 16, 2010

AlpacaLease - a division of Alpacas at Tucker Creek

Today's economy is causing us to carefully watch how we spend our money but even more carefully how we can save money.  Let's face it, the cost of entry into the alpaca business or any business can be down right daunting.   AlpacaLease is designed to make entry into the alpaca business much more user-friendly.  But it is also designed to make herd diversification a lot less costly as well. 

AlpacaLease does not require any long term commitments--you select the time frame.

AlpacaLease has no monthly payments--just one payment at the start of the lease period based on 15% of the selling price of the animal--male or female.

Should you decide to purchase the alpaca you leased, every dollar you paid in lease payments will be applied to the purchase price.

So if you have been hesitating to enter into the alpaca business but were concerned about taking that step because of the cost of entry--consider leasing.  If you lease a bred female, at the end of the lease term you own the cria. If you are leasing a male you can breed as many females as you wish (including outside breedings) for one flat fee.  You treat the animal as if it were your own.  You are required to maintain mortality insurance based on the selling price of the animal.  The males must also have fertility insurance. 

If you are an experienced breeder and have considered herd diversification but have been procrastinating in this economy this could be the answer--whether you lease a male or female you could add the diversity you have been wanting for a very economical cost.

Any of the animals listed for sale on our site are eligible for the AlpacaLease Program.  So whether you are new to the industry or an experienced breeder with AlpacaLease you can bring flexibility and diversity to your breeding program.  If this interests you, please feel free to contact us at 877-915-0522 or peggy@alpacalease.com.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

What Does a Herd Dispersal Sale Mean to YOU?

This topic was created out of a question asked by a new breeder in the midst of creating his business plan. To be perfectly frank, I hadn't given it a great deal of thought until he posed the question. AATC currently has room for more alpacas but buying alpacas doesn't fit in our current business model. We are currently fortunate to be agisting 35 alpacas for our clients, are planning on 17 more cria (about half of those for clients) for the 2009 birthing season, have 17 members of our foundation herd and 23 alpacas for sale.

So, I sincerely had to give it some thought. Bottom line there is no simple answer. Dispersal sales are designed to sell off an entire farming operation or group of livestock in an expeditious manner generally brought about by an event such as retirement, health issues, death of an owner, financial necessity, market fluctuations--the list can be endless. Whether it is a good opportunity for the buyer remains to be seen. Nothing can take the place of your own due diligence. A great deal is no deal at all if you have registry problems; if the herd has health issues; if you can't get them bred--and there is no one left at the farm to honor the contract. The dispersal sales you see on-line and in your mail box are an opportunity and a risk. You are the only one who can define what level of risk you are capable of withstanding. As with any purchase of breeding livestock you must make sure the animal is registered, that the seller you are buying from has a right to sell the animal, and that the breeding animals come with live birth and reproductive guarantees. If there is a guarantee will the seller be in a position to honor that guarantee after they retire from the business?

Do not get me wrong--there are many reputable alpaca breeders out there selling their herds--and you can be comfortable in buying from them. But be sure to do your due diligence. Being a retired CPA, I like a good deal. But a good deal could be the purchase you make from a breeder who is not going out of business; who may be charging a bit more than the dispersal farm; but will still be in business after you have taken the animals home. That is a decision only you can make.