[Alpacasite] Re: Getting More People into the Alpaca Industry

Jim,

My post was definitely NOT directed at you, very sorry if you got
that impression. I was just trying to say that along with the
financial pitfalls of ill-informed owners comes the very large
problem of poorly cared for animals who may end up as rescues. It was
a general caveat, not directed at you or anyone else.

Best regards,

Sue Zelazny
Andes Dandies, LLC
http://www.andesdandies.com
Middleport, NY

--- In Alpacasite@yahoogroups.com, "Patricks' Pastures Alpaca Ranch &
Habitat" <patrickspastures@v...> wrote:
>
> Sue,
>
> I kind of feel like your last email was directed at us....let's set
the record straight.
>
> We concur with you that not everyone needs to get into the industry
if they can not handle the long term financial requirements.
>
> Further, we are offering prepaid courses as part of our packages we
will be offering to ensure that the new ranches are set to enter the
industry with the right understanding.
>
> We believe that all new breeders should attend courses taught by
experts like Steve Hull and Norm Evans. Each of the members of our
team have attended classes at Louisville and other locations.
>
>
> 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: andesdandies
> To: Alpacasite@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 8:14 AM
> Subject: [Alpacasite] Re: Getting More People into the Alpaca
Industry
>
>
> Judith,
>
> I concur, but will go one further. There is an equally large
problem
> of animals being cared for by people who are not experienced in
large
> animal care and breeding, who buy from people who don't give them
a
> realistic orientation, and who don't back up the sale with
support.
> These buyers get in over their heads financially, true, but also
the
> animals end up paying the price for the disreguard and
irresponsible
> actions of the seller.
>
> We, the collective 'we' as an industry, have a moral and ethical
> obligation to make sure the buyers are informed consumers. In our
own
> business, we have declined to sell to people who were there with
cash
> in hand, but who could not demonstrate that they understood the
full
> responsibilities - the handwriting was on the wall that things
were
> not going to go well down the line, and we weren't going to risk
the
> health and perhaps life of our animals just to make a sale. Not
to
> mention the bad publicity for us as well as the industry as a
whole
> if people get into the business unprepared and have bad outcomes.
>
> We have also sold to new breeders who need support, we give it,
and
> the animals do well as do the buyers. There are also the
investment
> buyers who know they don't know about animal care, and don't want
to,
> so they let the seller continue to manage the animals, which is
> another very good option for a lot of people. Someone mentioned
the
> Thoroughbred horse industry, there are a LOT of investors in the
> horse world who do not own a farm and don't know the first thing
> about the daily care of animals, they pay the farms to manage the
> animals, that is not a new concept at all.
>
> Just a little rambling,
>
> Sue Zelazny
> Andes Dandies, LLC
> http://www.andesdandies.com
> Middleport, NY
>
> --- In Alpacasite@yahoogroups.com, Judith Korff/Ladysong Farm
> <judithkorff@y...> wrote:
> >
> > I know this will not be a popular view, but I want to add a
> cautionary about the need to bring increasing numbers of people
into
> the industry. We have to be very careful in our marketing not
> to "oversell" our industry. There are many people who would be
> interested in owning/breeding alpacas but who are not really
suited
> for the job, whether by temperament, economic situation, family
> issues, etc. but who could easily be sold alpacas. These are the
> people who will definitely go under! Talk about the statistics
for
> divorce -- imagine if one spouse were sold into the industry and
the
> other was hesitant/skeptical or worse, outright opposed. It sets
up
> a situation where divorce, and probably the dissolution of the
herd,
> inevitable. Also those with very restricted economic resources;
we
> need to be very honest and upfront about the expenses of being
in
> this industry, and the willingness of an owner to "go hungry," if
> necessary, for the benefit of his/her herd. Long-time farmers are
> > aware of the need to put the needs of their business before
their
> own; very few new alpaca owners are long-time farmers (although I
see
> that changing in some regions). Let's be very cautious about how
we
> go about bringing new people into the business, and not let our
own
> need to make a sale drive another person into something he/she is
> not, in the long run, suited for. Please!
> >
> >
> > Judith Korff
> > LadySong Farm
> > 2473 Bunker Hill Rd.
> > P.O. Box 33
> > Steamburg, NY 14783
> > (716) 354-6355
> > A Holistic Management Farm
> > Conducting a Symphony of Quality, Value and Customer Care
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > Yahoo! Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs. Try it
free.
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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