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@verizon.net
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

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