alpacas: [AlpacaTalk] Re: on getting our first alpacas

Hi Caryn, you mention you are looking for fiber animals, just some
observations for you to think about.
Young animals may be finer that the older ungelded male. Gelding seem to
stay finer for many more shearings.
Fleeced if you are handspinning you may find fleece that has a bolder
crimp nicer to spin. If processing commercially a more high frequency
crimp may be more wanted. Suri well the less locks the easier it is for
all processing. The less guard hair the better in the blanket part of
the fleece and when you do get your new family members home or even
before find a good shearer it will help make your processing steps much
nicer and less time consumming.

See if the animals owners have done histograms on the stock, and do take
samples from the animals that interest you so you can compare the part
of the animal that sounds like your interested in. Conformation may not
be too important but just for bites that aren't too much forward in the
lower jaw and also . There has been much concern about mites in the
alpacas as of late. Alot of skin issues are being caused by mites. see
the Alpacas Magazine article written by Drs., Ed and Ruthann McCaslin,
DVM. These little creatures can do major damage to your fleece
production and to your animals health.

Mary Jane Fox
Up-Close-and-Personal-Alpaca-Shearing
Kirtland, OH
216-272-8887
--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, Caryn Law <law.caryn@...> wrote:
>
> So I've been prepping now for a long time to own alpacas (fiber boys),
doing
> as much research as I can, reading a lot, having the pasture
evaluated, and
> talking to alpaca owners. So my next step is to actually buy them!
>
> I'm scheduling a few visits to local farms over the next month to see
> potential alpacas to buy, talk to them about their animals, animal
care,
> etc. Now, here's the thing: I've tried to prep as much as possible
with
> research, but I'm feeling like at a certain point I have to actually
OWN
> alpacas to actually learn how to have them. Learning on the job, so to
> speak. There's only so much you can learn from a book or from someone
else
> sharing their experiences, right?
>
> So, alpaca experts, I'm ready to buy my alpacas over the next month or
two.
> I plan to get three or four to start. What are the absolute key things
I
> HAVE to know before I put them in a vehicle and drive them home?
>
> This month some very kind alpaca owners will be talking to me about
basic
> care that I need to know, and teaching me about trimming toe nails and
> giving shots. Obviously these require hands-on experience with the
alpacas,
> so I'll be visiting their farms. Is there anything else that you can
think
> of that I absolutely, positively HAVE to get hands-on experience with
BEFORE
> I bring home animals?
>
> Thanks for the advice, and I'm really looking forward to actually
joining
> the ranks here instead of just enviously watching from afar as I've
done for
> a couple of years now.
>
> - Caryn
> Issaquah, WA
>

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