Why do we raise alpacas? First and foremost, we fell in love with them! One visit to an alpaca farm and we were hooked! Gentle by nature, there is a peacefulness about alpacas that brings a calmness to those nearby. Each alpaca with their own disposition brings pleasure to observers, to watch how they interact with each other and meander about during the day. We enjoy the alpaca lifestyle and all that living on a farm has to offer. We are grateful to have taken the plunge into alpacas when our children were young. It was a wonderful experience that we all could share, and we now enjoy with our grandchildren!
We spent time in the show ring in the early days of raising alpacas, learned so much, and met many, wonderful people. Today we don’t do much breeding, maybe two or three each year, because we love the crias. Our focus is on fiber production, the end product, and exploring the many uses of this fabulous natural fiber.
Herdsires
What is a Herdsire? A Herdsire is a male Alpaca that is kept primarily for breeding to female alpacas on the farm, and oftentimes other farms as well. Only the best of the best are used to sire offspring in order to produce high quality crias and expand the herd. Large farms have a handful of herdsires so that they can continually expand without crossing bloodlines. We have just two on our farm at this time, Derecho and Sam.
Huacaya Females
Most people visualize huacayas, when they think of alpacas. Huacayas look more like fluffy teddy bears and are the more common of the two types, accounting for about 90% of all alpacas. We have just two on our farm at this time.
Suri Females
Suris are the rarer of the two types of alpacas. The Suri alpaca has unique fiber characteristics that distinguish the Suri from the rest of the camelid family. Unlike the soft fuzzy look of the Huacaya alpaca, the Suri has long, separate, distinctive locks that drape down the sides of these elegant animals.
Our Cria
There have been many crias (babies) born at Alpaca Meadows over the years, and there’s nothing more fun than watching them race around the pasture together! Enjoy pictures of some of the many crias born at our farm over the years.
More Alpaca Info
Thinking about raising alpacas? Check out this video produced by the Alpaca Owners Association, Inc. to learn the basics about alpacas and the alpaca industry. The Learning Center on their website has lots of helpful information.
Find out The Facts about Alpacas, click here for alpaca related posts on our Farm Blog, and then learn more about The Fiber. Be sure to spend some time in our Online Store and see the wonderful items made from the alpacas’ luxurious fiber. If you’re in our area, hope you’ll visit us and enjoy shopping in our Farm Store.
Alpaca Photo Gallery
Be sure to see our Alpaca Photo Gallery for more pictures of alpacas at Alpaca Meadows.