Failure to Post--No excuse!!

As you can see it has been three and a half months since we have posted to our blog.  Is there a reasonable excuse--no.  So we are not going to bore you with one.  Babies are on the ground and more on the way; shearing is over; this year's cut is at the coop (thanks to Carrie); farm visits are scheduled (including Alpaca Farm Days at the end of September) and we are gearing up to open our farm store with all the beautiful products from the coop (NAAFP). 

We'll be adding posts over the next few days.  But to get started here are a few photos taken during our shearing weekend by a very talented local photographer, Jennie Kendrick.  It is a great shot of the farm--but all the critters are in the barn patiently (or impatiently as the case may be) waiting their turn with the clippers.

And I just loved this shot of Sun Tzu . . . what more can we say . . . he's got it all . . . and he is just plain cool. 

So, check back soon.  Several of the topics have surfaced because of questions we have received recently via email or the phone from soon to be alpaca breeders; others are just updates on what is happening in the realm of Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation (will they or won't they be extended for 2010 or future years); and of course, there will be the photos of this year's cria. 

Alpaca Farm Days 2009

The last weekend in September you will find alpaca farms all over the United States and Canada opening their gates to welcome the public. This annual event is a great opportunity for us to share information about the breed and for you to get a better look at these wonderful animals. Alpacas at Tucker Creek will be open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on both Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th.

During the weekend you will have the opportunity to see the daily activities involved in working with alpacas including cleaning the barn and pastures, feeding, toe nail trimming, shearing and breeding--depending on your time of arrival. There will also be farm tours and fiber spinning demonstrations. We are fortunate to have local fiber artist, Peggy Boisvert, joining us for part of the weekend. Alpaca yarn and finished products are available in our farm store--a great way to start your Christmas shopping.

Please join us as we love sharing these wonderful animals with visitors. Refreshments will be served and there will be drawings throughout the day. The only cost for admission is a nonperishable food item for the Clatsop Community Action Regional Food Bank or the Clatsop County Animal Control Shelter. Look forward to seeing you there. Please follow this link for directions.

Alpaca Farm Days--Two Days of Fun

Alpaca Farm Days are over for another year. What a great weekend. Our friends, Clara and Dan Clifton from Alpacas at Dairy Creek in North Plains, OR, and our assistant, Korynn Greisen, joined us for the weekend. There was a steady stream of visitors both days--there wasn't even time for us take a break for lunch.

Here is a photo of Dan Clifton allowing Jumpin Jack Flash to enjoy a hug from a very happy little visitor.

Our incredibly talented fiber artist, Peggy Boisvert, joined us and shared her skills with our visitors. She is very willing to explain the process involved in turning fiber into yarn and was wonderful with the children who found her spinning fascinating (they are not the only ones--Peggy just watched in amazement when she wasn't answering alpaca questions).

Sunday was the first day we put a halter and lead on Wilson Jr. He

certainly did his father proud. We

allowed him to walk around with Jumpin Jack Flash for a while and he was a natural. Here he is getting some hugs from Peggy's sons, Nikolai and Gabriel.

There was a great deal of interest and we thank our friend Denise Ness at Farm House Funk for sending a steady stream of visitors. We were also very fortunate in that the newspaper thought our event worthy enough to feature us in two sections of the paper--this one was especially fun as it was perfectly centered on the front page of Friday's Daily Astorian section where they highlight what is happening around town.

Lots of ideas for next year's event are being noted and follow-up calls being placed. This weekend is just such a great opportunity to share these critters with the community. More than once we heard people say they drive by all the time and were thrilled to get the chance to meet them and learn more about them.

Alpaca Farm Days Package #8

Three Late Term Pregnant Females--these ladies are all scheduled to deliver by the end of October--Athena and Lola should deliver any day. If purchased individually their current list prices would total $44,250.

Price: $39,000

Alpacas included in package: (3 alpacas)

Chelsea's Athena - Huacaya, Bred Female, White

Chelsea's Athena is a pure Peruvian, bred female. She has head-to-toe coverage of absolutely gorgeous fiber, dense, crimpy and bright. She is an excellent and attentive mom, giving trouble-free births and producing plenty of milk. She has been bred to Moore Brook Apollo with an anticipated due date of 9/11/08.

HA Skyla - Huacaya, Bred Female, Medium Brown

Skyla's fiber is very uniform throughout her fleece. She has a very soft handle. To date even when bred to white her cria have been a shade of brown or beige.

Moore Brook Lola - Huacaya, Bred Female, Medium Fawn

Lola is a very sweet tempered female with dense crimpy fiber. Her lineage includes every color from white to true black and she is currently bred to Greybeard's Molokai who is a dark rose grey.

Alpaca Farm Days Package #7

Get October Fest and 1/2 interest in her male cria at
side for the current list price of the dam. This includes full possession of the male cria. At his current age it is too soon to tell if he will have a future as a herdsire. This is a great opportunity to get some wonderful genetics for your future herd development at no financial risk.

Price: $10,750

Alpacas included in package: (2 alpacas)

October Fest - Huacaya, Female, Medium Rose Grey
October Fest is stunning with soft handling fleece. Interesting mahogany/coffee roan gray with beautiful profile. She has given us a beautiful female cria in Tucker Creek's Zafiro so she is priced to sell so she can do the same in your pasture. Buy her soon so you can

select this year's breeding.

Rocky Road - Huacaya, Male, Medium Fawn
Another gorgeous Sun Tzu male--vigorous and curious.

Alpaca Farm Days Package #6

Get Mia and 1/2 interest in her male cria at side for the current list price of the dam. This includes full possession of the male cria. At his current age it is too soon to tell if he will have a future as a herdsire. This is a great opportunity to get some wonderful genetics for your future herd development at no financial risk.

Price: $17,750

Alpacas included in package: (2 alpacas)

Mia - Huacaya, Female, Light Rose Grey
Beautiful little lady will make a classy addition to your herd. She has a wonderful disposition. Her heritage includes a wide variety of colors ranging from white to fawn to dark silver grey so if you are looking to add some color to your herd she would be a wonderful choice.

Buckeye - Huacaya, Male, Pattern
Tucker Creek's Buckeye is a very dense crimpy energetic cria born of a beautiful rose grey dam and MSA Hemingway's Bogart--who is doing a wonderful job of following in his famous father's foot prints.

Alpaca Farm Days Package #5

Get Loki and 1/2 interest in her male cria at side for the current list price of the dam. This includes full possession of the male cria. At his current age it is too soon to tell if he will have a future as a herdsire. This is a great opportunity to get some wonderful genetics for your future herd development at no financial risk.
Price: $14,750

Alpacas included in package: (2 alpacas)

Loki - Huacaya, Female, Medium Fawn
Loki is a beautiful fawn greatgranddaughter of Peruvian Hemingway. She has a bit of color in her background including grey. She has a nice soft handle with ample staple length.

Heath - Huacaya, Male, Dark Brown
Heath is SNF Loki's first cria and he demonstrates all the characteristics you would expect with Peruvian Hemingway and Peruvian Alpamayo in his ancestry. As we have found with all of Sun Tzu's cria--they are dense with great color.

Alpaca Farm Days Package #4

Combine Packages 1 through 3 for a combined price of $60,000.

Six females, (5 of them Studmaster bred females). If purchased separately current combined list price $87,500; current combined package price $65,750.

Price: $60,000

Package #1
Elana - Huacaya, Female, Dark Brown
Toffee - Huacaya, Female, Medium Brown

Package #2
Bugaboo - Huacaya, Female, White
Luna - Huacaya, Female, Pattern

Package #3
Franchesca - Huacaya, Female, White
Bliss - Huacaya, Female, Beige

Alpaca Farm Days Package #3

Tucker Creek's Franchesca along with her female cria at side, Tucker Creek's Bliss. Franchesca is a first generation Studmaster female out of VIAC Karoline bringing the fineness of Acero Marka's Rockamundo matched with Studmaster MSA Hemingway's Bogart. Incredible fineness on both sides of the family tree.

Price: $28,750

Alpacas included in package: (2 alpacas)

Franchesca - Huacaya, Female, White
Wonderful female from award winning impact herdsire, Studmaster(tm) MSA Hemingway's Bogart! Mom is a Rockamundo daughter and consistently throws fine fleeced beauties

Franchesca has an incredible fleece ... 21.0 microns at three years of age. She is solid, strong and has beautiful comformation.

Franchesca has given us two beautiful female offspring in Tucker Creek's Lollipop and Tucker Creek's Bliss--so she is priced to sell so she can do the same in your pasture.


Bliss - Huacaya, Female, Beige
Bliss is part of a long line of females. Her granddam has only had one male and each of the female offspring who have been bred have only had female cria. She is strong and curious demonstrating the genetics of Sun Tzu. Her mother's line brings fineness and Sun Tzu's density and crimp.

Alpaca Farm Days Package #2

Oar's Bugaboo along with her female cria at side, Tucker Creek's Luna. Luna is a first generation Studmaster female out of a breeding with Studmaster EC Sun Tzu.

Price: $14,250

Alpacas included in package: (2 alpacas)

Bugaboo - Huacaya, Female, White

Bugaboo is a pretty blue eyed white with good conformation and coverage. We were so pleased with her 2008 cria she will again be bred to EC Sun Tzu for 2009.

Luna - Huacaya, Female, Pattern

Tucker Creek's Luna is another wonderful example of a Sun Tzu progeny. She has wonderful dense crimpy fiber. She has a wonderful curious disposition which is another trait found in Sun Tzu cria.

Alpaca Farm Days Package #1

Faiks' Elana along with her female cria at side, Tucker Creek's Toffee. Elana is a first generation Studmaster female out of Faiks' Athena and Studmaster El Toro. Elana has only had female cria to date. Toffee is the result of a breeding with Studmaster MSA Hemingway's Bogart.

Price: $22,750

Alpacas included in package: (2 alpacas)

Elana - Huacaya, Female, Dark Brown
Elana is a beautiful chocolate brown female. Fantastic coverage with a gorgeous head and a dense fleece. She is a wonderful proven mom having delivered four incredible females to date . . . one dark chocolate and two perfectly white and the fourth a lovely toffee color. Elana is sold with a breeding to MSA Hemingway's Bogart . . . we have had such great results the last two years we are repeating it again.Elana has given us four gorgeous female cria--how lucky can we get--she is priced to sell so she can do the same in your pasture next year!

Toffee - Huacaya, Female, Medium Brown
Lighter brown cria out of a gorgeous dark brown female. Toffee's grandsire is El Toro and her sire is Hemingway's Bogart. She is an incredible second generation Studmaster female capable of bringing color, density, crimp and great conformation to your herd.

Alpaca Farm Days - September 27th and 28th

During the last weekend in September you will find alpaca farms all over the United States and Canada opening their gates to welcome the public creating a great opportunity to share information about the breed and a chance to get a better look at these wonderful animals.

Alpacas at Tucker Creek will be open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on both Saturday, September 27th and Sunday, September 28th. During the weekend you will have the opportunity to see the daily activities involved in working with alpacas including cleaning the barn and pastures, feeding, toe nail trimming, shearing and breeding--depending on your time of arrival. There will also be farm tours and fiber spinning demonstrations. We are fortunate to have local fiber artist, Peggy Boisvert, joining us for part of the weekend. Alpaca yarn and finished products are available in our farm store--a great way to start your Christmas shopping.

Please join us as we love sharing these wonderful animals with visitors. Refreshments will be served and we will have drawings for male alpacas and alpaca products. Look forward to seeing you there. Please follow this link for directions.

Way behind on telling you about babies!

It has been very busy on the farm and we suddenly realized the last seven cria had not yet been officially presented to the world via the blog--so here they are.




August 18 - Khani (named after Khani Cole one of our favorite female vocalists) out of Tucker Creek's Chandra and Hemingway's Bogart. She may be a light fawn or beige--only time will tell--but she is dense and crimpy and conformationally perfect.




August 19 - Lollipop (named after the late 50's hit of the same name) out of Tucker Creek's Franchesca and MFI Peruvian Glacial Storm. We realized she is, much to our dismay, our only Glacial Storm cria this year as all the other Glacial Storm bred females sold last year. Not that we are complaining! She is just as gorgeous as her cousin--Chandra and Franchesca are 1/2 sisters out of our incredibly fine Karoline (now owned by Alpaca Woods Ranch in Snellville, GA). Karoline had a male this year out of MFI Peruvian Impact--Alpaca Wood's Augustus--if you are looking for a future herdsire--he should be worthy of your time and interest.

September 9 - a mother and daughter delivery duo - Faiks' Athena and Faiks' Elana presented us with a male, Tucker Creek's Creedence (medium fawn), and a female, Tucker Creek's Clearwater (white), each sired by Hemingway's Bogart. We had been hoping for a trio for the family as Athena's other daughter, Victoria, was also due at the same time--but the R component of CCR did not appear until several days later.

September 14 - the arrival of Tucker Creek's Revival to finish off the three memorable names of the 60's group by the same names commonly referred to as CCR. He is the gorgeous result of a breeding between Tucker Creek's Victoria and EC Sun Tzu.

September 19 - Tucker Creek's Jewell out of El Bello's Eloisa and EC Sun Tzu--what a gorgeous little doll. To date Eloisa had only given us males--Tucker Creek's Spenser from last year is still on our annual watch list. Only one or two males make the list each year. So far he has not disappointed us. And we are certainly not disappointed with the results of this breeding!

And before leaving the pasture we found that Cazie's Octavia was delivering the first cria born to Rising Moon Alpacas out of Preston, NV. Another gorgeous EC Sun Tzu male named Rising Moon Eclipse. We are thrilled to add them to our group of affiliate farms and look forward to many years of mutual alpaca fun and success.

Our breeding season is almost over. Only three more cria to come--all belonging to clients--and all out of Sun Tzu. To say that we have been thrilled with the results of our first breeding season with Sun Tzu would be an incredible understatement. He is doing a magnificent job with crias on the ground ranging in color from white to black--every single one displaying his dense and crimpy fiber as well as his friendly dispostion. Many thanks to Mike Safley at Northwest Alpacas for his personal selection of this outstanding herdsire standing stud exclusively at Alpacas at Tucker Creek. Limited breedings available for 2008.

Don't forget National Alpaca Farm Days are next weekend. Take part in whatever way you can. These unique critters have afforded us a wonderful lifestyle and the industry has only scratched the surface. If you are not already involved--check them out--there is probably a farm near you!

National Alpaca Farm Days - September 29th and 30th

Sun Tzu is at the fence to meet every visitor as they come through the front gate! And he will be anticipating your visit next weekend as Alpacas at Tucker Creek is happy to be one of the many farms throughout the country recognizing National Alpaca Farm Days. It was a program designed by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association to increase public awareness regarding these wonderful animals and the satisfying and rewarding lifestyle they afford.

If it is not convenient for you to drop by our farm please check the list and find an alpaca farm or ranch near you. http://www.alpacafarmday.com/farmlocator/index.asp

Hours will run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Saturday and Sunday. Please come to enjoy refreshments, demonstrations, and lots of alpacas all in the beauty surrounding the Oregon coast. There are lots of babies to see and you might even get to see a birth--Sun Tzu still has more babies scheduled to arrive any day. Dave Drury will be performing on acoustic guitar Saturday. There will be many prizes including 50% ownership in one of our incredible junior herdsires!!!

Sun Tzu and the rest of the critters and staff at Alpacas at Tucker Creek look forward to seeing you!