Rob's Blog

Please check back soon to view commentary about popular Alpaca topics.

AlpacaNation Q&A with Osage Alpacas

ALPACANATION: What advice would you give to those just getting started in the industry?

Osage Alpacas: Learn how to identify favorable alpaca traits and qualities as best you can, as quickly as possible. Don't try to raise alpacas by yourself at first ~ find a mentor or consultant for your operation, or board at a farm that you can frequently visit. Ask stupid questions. Learn to recognize the difference between being sold an alpaca and being offered an opportunity. To borrow a saying from Dr. David Pugh, "Watch out for anyone that calls themselves an alpaca expert, because they'll lie to you about other things." As a matter of courtesy, please don't inadvertantly insult breeders by judging the quality of their alpacas ~ it takes time to develop a quality herd given the cost of investment. Keep in mind that not all alpacas are of breeding quality by virtue of being reproductively viable. Buzz terms like "Accoyo" & "full-Peruvian" insinuate quality, but don't ensure anything. Join your local AOBA affliate ~ meet the breeders in your area. Visit many ranches before building your own.

ALPACANATION: What sets your farm and herd apart from others in the industry?

Osage Alpacas: The strongest qualities of Osage Alpacas, in my view, are the superior alpaca-dedicated boarding facilities, especially well-maintained forage pastures and my personal dedication to raising quality alpacas with great attention to detail. I have the alpaca community to thank for this, as it was through visiting over 20 farms that I developed my vision of the ideal alpaca ranch and received countless bits of advice from experienced and knowledgeable breeders.

ALPACANATION: How do you see your farm and alpaca business growing over the next 5 to 10 years?

Osage Alpacas: With 77 million baby-boomers reaching retirement age, as well as an ever increasing number of working families seeking to escape to a semi-rural small-acrage ranching lifestyle (both part- and full-time), I believe the greatest area of expansion in the alpaca industry will continue to be in the establishment of small operations. Building on this backbone of the alpaca industry, many existing farms will grow into "medium" farms which specialize in supporting the small farmers. Scores of "medium" farms will become large, and dramatically boost the quantity of quality fiber available for alpaca textiles. In ten years, I suspect alpaca farmers will begin shifting their focus from producing breeding animals to producing fiber. I further believe that given the continued improvement of alpaca fiber in the U.S. herd, revenues from fiber production will increase, even if the price of breeding animals declines. Osage Alpacas seeks to be a medium farm that supports the small to medium producer.

ALPACANATION: How do you see the industry developing as the U.S. market grows rapidly?

Osage Alpacas: The continued development of the U.S. herd depends on the small farmer. There is no getting around the need for the grassroots production of breeding stock. I doubt if any profitable business plan can be made for an alpaca farm that does not focus on or have a strong component of breeding stock sales. Therefore, I feel that providing new farmers with the tools and knowledge to succeed will be crucial. This interdependency will continue to encourage unity and cooperation among alpaca farmers. There is an institutional morality that is derived from the need for us all to serve the greater good of the alpaca industry. When we help one another, we help ourselves, as we ensure our own continued existence and profitability. This atmosphere of cooperation, in conjunction with the inherently attractive lifestyle of alpaca farming, will spur the development of a huge, nationwide community of alpaca lovers. This movement will publically legitimize the alpaca as a viable production livestock.

ALPACANATION: What is your greatest achievement or favorite memory since you started raising alpacas?

Osage Alpacas: There are many milestones to choose from, but the most satisfying sense of achievement came to me when the first cria out of MY actual breeding program hit the ground. Misty's Penelope, a large boned, medium silver grey girl with nice fiber and great coverage, further pleased me when she took 3rd place in a very tough class of six grey yearling females at her first show.

ALPACANATION: What do you tell prospective buyers who look at the small profit the alpaca fiber produces compared to the daunting prices of alpacas?

Osage Alpacas: Keep in mind that alpacas are frequently living into their 20s, and new generations may live longer with improved nutrition and vet care. Although fiber quality does diminish with the age of the animal, fiber income can add up to $3000-$5000 or more over an alpaca's lifetime. Considering the potential to further improve fiber quality in the U.S. herd, I believe the price of fiber will stay steady or increase. For this reason, I believe that there is a "basement" below which prices for breeding alpacas will not fall ~ the theory is that an alpaca is essentially worth it's lifetime of production in fiber plus breeding production, minus the cost of caring for it. This, in my view, justifies the current prices of alpacas when looking at the industry in terms of basic supply and demand principles. But strictly in terms of comparing fiber prices to alpaca prices, I think that the disparity is still greatly diminished when you consider fiber production over a lifetime, rather than annually

ALPACANATION: What has been your biggest lesson learned in terms of breeding?

Osage Alpacas: We often employ the phrase "our breeding program" as a reference to our production goals, whether that be for certain colors, improved fiber, larger animals or so on. But what is a "breeding program" in actuality? Essentially, its having both a breeding objective for each alpaca in your breeding herd and having an idea of which offspring should be kept in order to meet long-term breeding objectives. Planning breedings from year to year is just breeding. Unlocking genetic potential with a "breeding program", I believe, requires planning a couple of generations ahead. Once you have long-term objectives in mind, you must come to terms with something that can be frightening... realizing that your herd doesn't have everything to meet those goals! That's my biggests lesson: to make good on your breeding program, seek outside breedings to herdsires with the traits or characterists that your herd are missing.

ALPACANATION: Do you have a favorite Alpaca? Why is it your favorite?

Osage Alpacas: That's an easy one... Penny and Ari were born the day before Mother's Day. First time I ever felt a bit like a mom. Ari was premature, and Penny's mom acquired an infection. Both had to be hand raised. After all the effort to bring them back from the brink of death, they have a special place in my heart. Its doubtful that I would ever part with them. They might as well be conjoined, as those two live their entire lives in one another's shadow. I would never have such a cruel streak in me as to consider seperating them!

ALPACANATION: Describe your first alpaca purchase... would you do anything differently today?

Osage Alpacas: When I first purchased alpacas, I had been influenced to believe that Accoyos were the very best, that quality alpacas meant full-Peruvians, and that Chileans were only valued because of their color potential. What would I do differently given the benefit of hindsight? I would have been more open-minded. Although each of those original assumptions held some element of truth, I couldn't see past my own misconceived definitions of "quality". I passed on many excellent opportunities early in my herd gathering due to this ignorance.

ALPACANATION: How did you become interested in alpacas?

Osage Alpacas: I became aware of a developing alpaca industry in 1996 while researching topics for an Environmental Studies thesis project. This developed into a deep appreciation of the species and its potential. I finally purchased three alpacas in May of 2002. One year later, I bought land to establish a dedicated alpaca ranch. In 2005, my alpaca ranching became a full-time endeavour. Now, ten years after my introduction to them, and four years into breeding alpacas, I'm pleased to announce the openning of the Osage Alpaca Ranch.