Breeding decisions do not just affect the next years crias!

This is a great article that was in the most recent issue of The Coarse Broads Newsletter and I felt it very appropriate to share it at this time of year when many of us are shearing.   

Every time you make a breeding decision, you are affecting how alpaca fiber is perceived in the minds of not just the textile industry but also the minds of the consumer. Over the course of this year, we have seen a rather large increase in the size of primary fibers in relation to the size of the secondary fibers. Which is a step backwards in uniformity.

Why does that matter? When the primary fibers are 3 and 4 grades above that of the secondary fibers, it creates all sorts of problems in the end product.

This is what we call "hairy" and unfortunatly so does the majority of the consumers who are currently buying alpaca yarns commercially.


Bottom line, it makes an undesirable product that the consumer will never buy again.


We have the perfect storm brewing with Alpaca United generating an enormous amount of press about North American Alpaca Fiber. We need to do our part as breeders by making the best commercially viable fiber we possibly can. This is an opportunity we will not probably ever see again. If we don't step up, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.


We do this by breeding for more uniformity in the fiber. Specifically the primary and secondary fibers closer in grade and character. The wool industry is leaps and bounds ahead of alpaca in this catagory already. Check out the photos.

 Suffolk wool which is very uniform. The primary fibers are almost indistinguishable from the secondaries.

Alpaca fiber - You can see how much bigger the primary fibers are in comparison to the secondary fibers. This sample histograms at 20.4 microns. Even thought that falls within the grade one catagory, it would result in a "Hairy" product.

I challenge you to have 3 or 4 alpacas fiber (neck and blanket fiber) sorted by a sorter in the Certified Sorted® System. When the sorter is finished you will have 2 things you can get no where else.


1. An inventory sheet that outlines what these 3 or 4 alpacas produced by grade and also the amount of profit you stand to make at both Wholesale and Retail thru NAAFP. As well as a way to calculate what it cost you to grow your fiber, so you know just what you need to make off of it. (It cost me $21/ lb this last year)


2. The Alpaca Dating game. A way to use the sort records to make breeding decisions for improving your fiber.


Make 2 breeding decisions using The Alpaca Dating game. Next year you will be amazed at the results.

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. 

Seminar & Shearing Weekend Update

The last weekend of June is shearing weekend at Alpacas at Tucker Creek. It will start out with a seminar presented by Carrie Hull from Coarse Broads entitled "A Good Yarn--Essential Yarn Basics That Every Alpaca Breeder Should Know" on Saturday, June 27th starting at 9:30 am. Click on the title to get more details on the seminar. A continental breakfast (being served at 8:30 am and lunch (being served immediately following the seminar) are included with your seminar registration. Serendipity Caffe of Warrenton will be catering our weekend again this year. Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements. The cost of the seminar is $50 per person paid via check or credit card. Click here to register. As always, seminars are free to client farms.

Following the seminar from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm will be an "Open Barn" for seminar participants, family and friends only. (The public will be welcome to attend the shearing activities on Sunday and Monday.) This will be a great opportunity for you to see Carrie in action as she sorts fiber from area alpaca farms being brought to Tucker Creek for her expertise. Also available will be spinning and other fiber demonstrations along with tours of the barns and pastures and a great chance to check out the new cria.

Then shearing begins on Sunday afternoon, June 28th. Armando Victoria and his crew are scheduled to be here mid-day as they will be shearing for Pat and Rhonda Green at Alpacas at Bear Creek in the morning.

Carrie Hull will be our resident certified sorter again this year. Several of the individuals who attended her seminar last year have started the two year apprenticeship program and will be sorting beside her.

If you wish to help on either day please contact us no later than Friday, June 26th, so we can finalize our duty roster in advance of the event. Shearing on Sunday will begin at 1:00 pm (or whenever Armando arrives). Shearing on Monday will begin at 8:00 am and will be over whenever Armando is. Note the overriding theme here--it all begins and ends with Armando Victoria.

If you wish to watch the event but not get dirty (and we do tend to get dirty) the cost of 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. It is a lot of work but it is our harvest and it is the culmination of all our year long efforts. And from the alpacas' point of view--they are just thrilled to get rid of all that fiber. Even little ones get shorn--here is a shot of Candy and her mom, Queen Amidala, after her tips were shorn at six days of age--you should come back this year just to see what she looks like now.

It is absolutely gorgeous on the Oregon Coast this time of year. Why not make it a nice long weekend--check out some of the hotels listed below and the link to the Chamber website to participate in some of the other wonderful activities available in our little part of the world.

Cannery Pier Hotel - right on the Columbia River, incredible views, day spa available by reservation. Be sure to ask for Ally Stevens when you check availability. ally@cannerypierhotel.com - email

Hotel Elliott - in the center of downtown Astoria--recently restored, beautifully historic.

Holiday Inn Express - also located right on the Columbia River-a little less expensive but still breathtaking views.

Check out the website of the Astoria Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce for a more detailed list of hotels and other activities happening on the coast.

If you are coming in via Portland International Airport, you will be happy to know there is now an air shuttle service available. It is called Seaport Airlines and their service cuts a two hour drive down to a 25 minute flight. To further simplify your weekend planning there is a Hertz Car Rental office at Astoria Regional Airport. Click here for directions to Alpacas at Tucker Creek.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us--we would love to visit with you. Hope you are enjoying the wonderful spring weather and will be able to join us for the seminar, or shearing or both. Enjoy!

Snow River Alpacas Annual Shearing

Tomorrow Peggy is traveling to Colfax, CA to help Snowy River Alpacas with their annual shearing day. Robyn Kuhl from Coarse Broads will be there to sort the fiber.

And don't forget on Saturday, June 27th Carrie Hull from Coarse Broads will be presenting the seminar "A Good Yarn" at our farm in Astoria, OR. The cost is $50. As with all seminars presented at our farm, the cost is waived for clients of Alpacas at Tucker Creek. A continental breakfast will be served at 8:30 am with the seminar scheduled for 9:00 am. We will be shearing the following two days. If you would like to help please contact us on or before Friday, June 26th so we can include you in our duty roster (our email and phone numbers are in the box to the right). If you wish to watch the event but not get dirty (and we do tend to get dirty) the cost of admission is a nonperishable food item for the Clatsop Community Action Regional Food Bank or the Clatsop County Animal Control Shelter.

If you are near Snowy River Alpacas this weekend through Tuesday and would like to learn more about the Certified Sorted™ method please contact Hailey at 530-346-6885 so she and Robyn can be expecting you.

Annual Shearing Days

Alpacas at Tucker Creek will be shearing on Sunday, June 28th and Monday, June 29th. If that seems a little late in the year to be shearing, check with anyone who was at the farm last year. They will share that Mother Nature did not care what the date was when she scheduled the weather for our very important weekend--it was very reminiscent of winter. So, the executive decision was made to shear later--don't know how much later we can go if this weekend doesn't work out but we are going to try the end of June.

Our annual fiber seminar will be held on Saturday, June 27th--see previous post for details.

Carrie Hull will be our resident certified sorter again this year. Several of the individuals who attended her seminar last year have started the two year apprenticeship program and will be joining her this year.

If you wish to help on either day please contact us no later than Friday, June 26th, so we can finalize our duty roster in advance of the event. Shearing on Sunday will begin at 1:00 pm (or whenever Armando arrives). Shearing on Monday will begin at 8:00 am and will be over whenever Armando is. Note the overriding theme here--it all begins and ends with Armando Victoria.

If you wish to watch the event but not get dirty (and we do tend to get dirty) the cost of 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. It is a lot of work but it is our harvest and it is the culmination of all our year long efforts. And from the alpacas' point of view--they are just thrilled to get rid of all that fiber. Even little ones get shorn--here is a shot of Candy and her mom, Queen Amidala, after her tips were shorn at six days of age--you should come back this year just to see what she looks like now. Absolutely gorgeous!