[Alpacasite] Re: getting into any industry/work efficiency

Lori,

As the years go by and you learn "the tricks of the trade" you will
really be amazed at how easy it is to take good care of even a large
group of alpacas. Much easier than caring for horses!

We currently have about 90. Routine poop scooping, feeding and
watering takes 1 person about 2 hours, including using stall dry and
adding to bedding.

There are many ways to increase your efficiency (read that as "taking
less time to get through routine chores"). As you visit different
farms pay attention to how folks make life easy on themselves.

Neil
A Paca Fun Farm
Mt. Airy, Maryland
Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland
www.apacafunfarm.com

--- In Alpacasite@yahoogroups.com, "Lori Dzingala" <leolvr@l...>
wrote:
>
> Ok I was starting to get worried that I was not doing something
right with
> my Animals. I thought 50 hrs a week!! What in heavens name can you
be
> doing. I thought you meant the day to day stuff. I have had
horses for
> most of my life and been breeding showing and selling for more then
20 years
> of this.
> We have 6 Alpaca's now and I feel guilty that it seems to take no
time at
> all to look after them. I spend more time watching them then
doing any
> real work :-) My horses take way more time so this seems to
easy :-) They
> don't like to eat all the hay I give them. they prefer the leaves
and the
> horses don't mind the rest. Every couple of days I rake up the
uneaten hay
> and give it to the horses. They have only just started to use the
inside of
> the barn to go to the bathroom, so only had to do pasture clean up
ever few
> days. they have 2 big grass paddocks to roam in. the boys have an
acre of
> grass.
>
> Now I need to work on a webpage for them I just have them added to
my dogs
> webpage but have started their own. So yes now comes the marketing
part:-)
> I am in no rush but I know it takes awhile to get known in a
business. My
> worry is I love the ones I have now how will I ever sell them!!!!!!
>
> Lori
> www.heronview.4t.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Patricks' Pastures Alpaca Ranch & Habitat"
> <patrickspastures@v...>
> To: <Alpacasite@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 8:33 AM
> Subject: Re: [Alpacasite] getting into any industry
>
>
> > OK....50 hrs a week might be high for 4 animals....a thousand
pardons.
> >
> > Everyone does it differently....but to do the right sure the hell
isn't a
> > 2 hour a day or 14 hours a week program.
> >
> > We have 17 animals (alpacas and guard llamas). We have a full
time ranch
> > manager working 7 hours a day, 5 days a week.
> >
> > Additionally, we spend about 4 - 6 hours the other 2 days a week
in order
> > to keep our pastures immaculate. I also spend 1 - 2 hours a day
on
> > developing programs, promotion and marketing.
> >
> > This includes:
> > a.. feeding
> > b.. cleaning
> > c.. making repairs
> > d.. watering (pastures and animals)
> > e.. health care
> > f.. maintenance on equipment (tractors, gold carts, mowers, weed
eater,
> > sprayers etc)
> > g.. new projects related to the animals
> > h.. running errands for animal related items and feed
> > i.. vet visits
> > j.. marketing
> > k.. web
> > l.. promotion
> > m.. ranch visits
> > n.. poop mulching
> > o.. mowing pastures
> > p.. just being with the animals
> >
> >
> > Jim Patrick
> > Patricks' Pastures Alpaca Ranch & Habitat
> > 3030 N. Trinity Rd.
> > Denton, TX 76208
> > 940-323-1011 (Ranch Office)
> > 214-505-0754 (Jim Patrick's Mobile)
> > patrickspastures@v...
> > www.patrickspastures.com
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Cathy Drennan
> > To: Alpacasite@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 6:13 AM
> > Subject: [Alpacasite] getting into any industry
> >
> >
> > Whether it is alpacas, or any other industry you have to feel a
passion
> > for it. It isn't a means to an end, figuring out on paper how
soon you
> > will be a "gziollionaire". I think that 50 hours for 4 alpacas is
a little
> > over the top. I bought my first 2 bred females and 1 maiden in
2003. I now
> > have 7 females and 4 males (well 1 of them is a gelding)
hopefully four
> > are in the early stages of pregnancy for the fall 2006, and I
still do
> > most of the work myself ( I'm 52). I spend about 45 minutes
morning and
> > evening out there. My vet told me that compared to the rest of
his alpaca
> > farms in terms of cleanliness ( 0 being cleanest - 10 being
filthy) mine
> > would be somewhere in the decimels. I wouldn't trade it for my
former 2
> > hours on the beltway lifestyle for any amount of money. There are
certain
> > projects that may be time consuming and unpleasant - e.g. digging
out the
> > pens in the spring - but it's not a perfect life and you have to
take some
> > of that. It doesn't break the bank to get some help for those
things. For
> > the most part I get a charge out of it, find it spiritually
uplifting to
> > watch the way they interact and bond with their young. My only
regret was
> > taking 10 years to think about it and research it before I
actually took
> > the plunge. With the exception of one preemie who required round
the clock
> > care at home after spending 9 days in New Bolton, I find I have
plenty of
> > time to stop and enjoy my life. By the way, the work was well
worth it, my
> > little preemie is thriving and probably the feistiest one of all
of them.
> > If you work, it might behoove you to have someone part-time to
come in
> > during the day. I wish you the best and hope you enjoy your new
animals.
> > Cathy Drennan, My Lady's Manor Alpaca, Monkton, MD
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
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