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The Attraction
“Love at first sight” is the phrase most often used to describe a first encounter with alpacas. They are like giant Teddy bears, just as soft and cuddly, gentle, with kind eyes, yet each has a distinctive personality. Every alpaca is referred to by name. (Luna is our matriarch, she keeps everyone in line; Tiara is a little lady; Regina loves to pig out! And Heatwave is such a stud!!!). Every alpaca at out farm is also ARI registered. That is, our animals are individually DNA tested to check parentage, given a number and registered with The Alpaca Registry, Inc., under their given name and number.
At Alpacas of Marble Ridge, it is our goal and our commitment to raise a healthy herd of the finest quality alpacas. Our herd consists of 26 alpacas and is growing. We have bloodlines from various prize-winning herdsires and dams. These include: Hemingway, Snowmass Invincible, Augusto, Matador, Shaquille, Michelangelo, Timoteo, Millenium, Simba, Inca Accoyo Star, Jericho, and others.
We strive to keep our alpacas healthy by keeping our barn clean and comfortable and our pastures large and lush, with plenty of room for our alpacas to run and “pronk” to their hearts’ content. We stay up-to-date with regular immunizations and veterinary check-ups. Good nutrition is a priority: plenty of forage, good hay and premium feed and supplements, and clean fresh water. We also practice bio-security by quarantining visiting and returning alpacas.
My husband and I keep abreast of changes and advances in alpaca husbandry and veterinary care with frequent attendance at alpaca educational seminars. We never tire of learning about these wonderful creatures.
We love the alpaca lifestyle and love to show off our precious creatures!
Come visit us and join us in this great adventure that is Raising Alpacas!
Fiber
Alpacas produce one of the world’s most elite natural fibers.
Alpaca fiber is beautiful and soft, warmer than cashmere, lighter yet stronger than wool, and prickle-free. Alpacas come in a total of 22 natural colors and about 250 variations and blends of these basic colors. For us it is a goal to support the rising Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America, and the infant American-made alpaca-clothing manufacturing industry.
We shear our herd once a year in the spring to harvest their luxurious fleece. This causes little discomfort to the animals while helping them to withstand the summer’s heat. By the following fall they are again covered with a substantial coat, ready to protect them from the winter’s chill.
The fleeces sheared in the spring are referred to as the “clip”. We send this clip to the cooperative, which will in turn have it processed into yarn to be used in the manufacture of alpaca clothing. All this is done right here in the U.S. from American alpacas.
Part of our fiber harvest is sold as raw fleece to hand spinners, and some of it is spun into yarn to be sold to knitters. Beautiful works of fiber art are created with this fleece.
We have a farm store on the premises. Come visit us and take home some of this soft and warm farm produce.
Email us with any comments and questions or to request a catalog.
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