Alpaca Farmgirl

Our first two alpacas were scheduled to be delivered soon. I wasn’t sure how we would keep them safe from predators. Our fences were new and strong, but I knew I needed to find some livestock guard dogs.

Enter Beverly Coate. This wonderful old country woman had been raising and breeding Great Pyrenees for dozens of years. Since I was 8 months pregnant at the time, I told Beverly I didn’t really want a puppy. Instead I was looking for some dogs that were already trained and ready to work.

“Well”, she said, “I’ve got two rescue dogs…” Red flags went up in my head. Rescue equalled untrustworthy to me. Not what I wanted guarding my precious, expensive investments. But I listened to her story.

Rusty and Joy were two dogs she had rescued. They had been found wandering on somebody’s front porch out in the middle of nowhere. They tried to find their owners, but had no luck. Beverly kept them, and after a while she gave them a chance to guard her sheep and goats. “They came to me already knowing how to work. They are really good guard dogs.”

Beverly told me that I could return Joy and Rusty to her if they didn’t work out. I trusted her judgment and agreed to take Joy and Rusty to guard our herd.

It was the week of Christmas. Super cold temperatures were causing air traffic delays all across the country. The morning Joy and Rusty were supposed to be flying in from Oklahoma, I mentioned to my husband, “Beverly says that Rusty has a habit of putting his paws up on your shoulder. She says that he knows not to, so if you just tell him to get down - he will.”

“Can’t we get one without that option?” Steve asked, thinking about his very pregnant wife getting knocked down by this huge 100+lb. dog.

“No, we’re getting Rusty,” I said with conviction.

The dogs’ plane had been delayed by several hours due to the frigid temperatures at the Dallas airport. When they finally arrived at the airport it was close to midnight. It was pitch black outside. We had to meet them at a remote part of the airport since they were “cargo”.

By this time, the poor dogs had been in their crates so long that they had gone to the bathroom in them and were dying to get out. They rushed out of the crates and were wildly excited to see us. They fell in love with us immediately as we freed them from those cages! We clipped on their leads and went outside to let them relieve themselves.

Steve walked one dog, and I walked the other. In all the commotion of getting them out of their crates and with it being so dark, we couldn’t tell which of these big white dogs was which. As we walked along, the air was crisp and cold. The stark white of the dogs’ coats contrasted sharply with the black of the night. The stars were shining brightly overhead, and there was a sense of peacefulness. The kind that can only be felt on a winter night where nature is still, as you walk with a friend without speaking.

The silence was broken when I said, “I wonder which one is Joy and which one is Rusty?”

At that moment, the dog I was walking turned towards me. Very gently, he lightly put one paw up on my left shoulder, then the other paw came to rest on my other shoulder. The weight upon me was no more than that of a butterfly resting upon me. I looked into his eyes. Mine were filled with tears as I said, “Oh, Rusty, it’s YOU!”

Since that night, I have known that Rusty was meant to be my dog. I don’t know where he came from, though I have fantasized about it countless times. But I know he is a treasured soul and over the years our bond has only gotten stronger. Rusty is an amazing guard dog with a ferocious bark and a steadfast heart. He is protective of me and my alpacas. He would lay down his life for any of us, of that I am sure.

Thank you, God, for helping Rusty and me to find each other.

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After one of my Twitter friends said that “Pronking” sounded dirty, I figured I’d better explain what it is. Pronking is a verb that describes the alpacas’ version of skipping. Most of you are familiar with PePe Le Pew doing this when he’s in love. It is like hopping around with all four feet hitting the ground at the same time. There is a kind of “Boing! Boing!” feeling to it. Alpacas do this when they are happy, most often around dusk. Cria (baby alpacas) are most likely to pronk. But it is really heartwarming to see the older (even very pregnant) alpacas pronking in the fields. Truly a joy to behold.

Alpaca pronking pictures above and just below were taken and shared with us by Carolyn Hitchcock of Cameron Mountain Alpacas. Thanks Carolyn!

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Alpacas are certainly a hot trend in investing right now. In the past two weeks, we have entertained no fewer than 7 groups of farm visitors interested in investing in alpaca breeding stock. So yes, the market for alpacas is still great and the number of alpaca farms is growing!

Traditional farmers are finally coming around to the benefits of raising and breeding alpacas. They already have the land and the animal husbandry knowledge. Those already in cattle or horses are coming around to the benefits to having alpacas as a way to diversify their operations. The Washington Post’s story, Old MacDonald Wouldn’t Recognize This Farm, documents one farm’s move into alpacas and away from hogs and cattle. As the suburban sprawl continues and the price of acreage increases, it is more difficult for cattlemen to justify the huge amount of land it takes to have a profitable operation. John Underwood chronicles some of the problems cattlemen face in our region in his article, Urbanization Impacts Residents Engaged in Animal Husbandry.

With their cute faces, minimal land requirements, and the tax advantages that come with them, alpacas are an attractive investment. More and more people are falling in love with them every day.

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The United Nations designates International Years to draw attention to major issues and to encourage international action to address concerns.  The objectives of the International Year of Natural Fibres 2009 include:

1.    Raising awareness and stimulating demand for natural fibers and improving  the lives of those growing natural fibers.

2.    Encouraging innovations in natural fibers and they way they are used.

3.    Fostering an effective and enduring international partnership among the various natural fibers industries.

4.    Promoting the efficiency and sustainability of all the natural fibers industries.

The UN defines natural fibers as “those renewable fibers from plants or animals which can be easily transformed into a yarn for textiles”.  Since the 1960s, the use of synthetic fibers has increased, and natural fibers have lost a lot of their market share. The main objective of the International Year of Natural Fibers is to raise the profile of these fibers, to emphasize their value to consumers while helping to sustain the incomes of the farmers.

Natural fibers contribute to a greener planet. They are healthful, comfortable, renewable, high-tech, and most importantly, NATURAL.

In a letter to AFCNA members, Dianna Jordan, President of AFCNA (The Alpaca Fiber Co-0p of North America) writes, “These are exciting time for alpaca fiber producers.  The alpaca industry is beginning to experience a shift in focus from strictly breeding and selling to exploring new ways, and expanding existing ways, to grow the fiber industry.  Current economic conditions have shown to be an incentive for many breeders to take a closer look at the fiber end of the business.  There appears to be an increased interest in utilizing fiber production as a means to offset expenses.  More and more alpaca breeders are discovering what AFCNA members already know…the future is in the fiber.”

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