Re: [Alpacasite] Re: Llama in car...

Cathy,
Nothing dumb about the question as it is one that will become
increasingly important as alpaca numbers increase and the fiber
market matures.
There will come a time for many people when an alpaca's productive
life has a use by date and that will be long before a natural death.
When that time arrives, owners will be looking for ways to recoup
additional income from these animals and so will seriously look at
byproduct income sources.
Meat is unlikely to be one of any consequence as the meat will not be
prime and the carcass will not yield enough quantity to make
slaughter and processing economically attractive.
There will also be problems with slaughter chain design and health
issues that may well limit meat processing options for the next
twenty years or so.
However, what do we do with animals that are not bred well enough to
be viable premium fiber producers as geldings?
These animals will be the pelt providers and could be processed
through pet food lines to economically realise the pelt value.
These pelts will, I suspect, find a ready market for car seat covers.
slippers, soft toys, hats, handbags ........
You have probably recognised a distinct emotional response from many
when you broach this subject.
That is to be expected in the current market and industry structure.
I, for one, believe that this will change in the future as the sheer
force of numbers of geldings and unsuitable sire males will force a
much harder look at options other than holding on to animals until
they die naturally.
In fifteen years time there will be somethi8ng like 200,000 males
born to add to a national herd of somewhere in the vicinity of
350,000. These animals have to live somewhere. If we do not look at
them as a farm animal like cattle and sheep, I wonder just who will
be looking after them as they age?
But you are correct in that this is a delicate question although i
sense that more and more people are now prepared to at least
acknowledge and discuss it that say several years ago.
Cheers,
Ian Watt

On Dec 7, 2005, at 10:13 AM, Cathy Stephenson wrote:

> Your last paragraph is of interest to me about sheep. You have a
> use for the
> end product in the way of pelts and meat. What becomes of an
> alpaca? I
> have tried to ask this question delicately and have not got the
> answer I
> have been looking for except " thats why there are so many geldings in
> rescue" Where are we going with these animals? I am new and maybe
> this is
> a really dumb as well as delicate question. Cathy
> StephenOakes Farms
> Chester, SC
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ian Watt" <alpacaconsult@earthlink.net>
> To: <Alpacasite@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 5:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [Alpacasite] Re: Llama in car...
>
>
> Susan,
> I think Gary may have overlooked the context in which you referred to
> the $50 per wether (gelding).
> This is a sum that I had been quoting for many years when I was the
> National President of the Australian Alpaca Association and it is a
> figure I still stick with today.
> It is not really rocket science to work the figures backward to
> understand why $50 is a fair, average price for a fair, average
> quality fibre producing wether/gelding.
> And, for the record, merino wethers do not sell in the $200 bracket
> but they are worth more because they have a meat, pelt and byproduct
> value when their productive wool producing life is ended at about 6
> years of age.
> Cheers,
> Ian Watt
>
> On Dec 6, 2005, at 11:17 AM, Susan Gawarecki wrote:
>
>> Gary Epp asked:
>>
>> <<Where did you get that figure of $50 for a fleece
>> grade alpaca in
>> Australia? Even Marino sheep cost $200 and up
>> worldwide.
>>
>> Are you trying to say a fleece alpaca is worth 1/4
>> what a Marino
>> sheep is?>>
>>
>> That was published in Llama Life II in a report on the
>> Australian alpaca industry. It was a GOAL for a
>> mature national alpaca herd--obviously the reality is
>> currently far different.
>>
>> Susan Gawarecki
>> Pathfinder Farm
>> Andersonville, TN
>>
>>
>>
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