I'm Adopted!

 

I'm adopted, just in time for the holidays, and I'm planning on spending lots of time with my new owner, Mary Marsten.  My name is Gunston and I'm thrilled to receive the special attention that keeps coming my way.  My new owner comes to visit me regularly and, as she brings treats in her pockets, I'm always glad to see her.

I even dressed up so I could be the star in a couple of newspaper adverts that are being published locally in Frederick.  If you missed my debut, ask to see copies when you drop by my farm and Shoppe.


I thought some other readers might be interested in knowing what attracts a person into adopting an Alpaca, and Mary was very kind and willing to answer my questions.

What made you decide to buy an alpaca?

I knew the first time I saw the alpacas that I would want to have one (or more) in my life...their cute faces and gentle demeanor drew me to them right away. I don't knit so really was looking for a pet-quality alpaca with a sweet temperament. It was just a matter of finding the right one...it didn't take long!

What was it about Me that attracted you?

You caught my attention on one of my earlier visits to the farm.  You're the one that comes right up to the gate to greet visitors, is friendly with the right mix of curiosity and caution - I didn't really care what your fiber quality or color was...it was really your personality that I am drawn to. 

                                                       Do you have land or a farm to take me to?

I do have enough land but am not currently set up to house you...plus I would need at least two so you wouldn't be alone. Since I'm only 3 miles away from the barn I board you there and come out as often as I can to work with you - halter training and earning your trust.



Do you have long term plans of where I will be staying?

I am currently living in, and restoring, an older home.  When the time is right I will look at what it would take to bring you (and at least one more) to my house -you're happy with your buddies at the barn and it's easy and inexpensive for me so we'll see....

How many alpacas can you see in your future?

 

I see A LOT of alpacas in my future but don't plan on owning all of them. I know I will adopt at least one more since I plan on taking you for walks outside of the pasture areas.   Having a buddy with you has already proven to be a plus when working with you inside the barn and pasture areas.

                               

                               What do you intend to do with my fiber when I'm shorn?

I will have your fiber processed but will wait until Sugarloaf Alpaca Company opens their spinning mill. I hope to learn more about the process and if all goes well I'll be able to sell the fiber. I'm still learning so much about alpaca ownership and Nancy, Kevin, Delaney, Parker, Carson AND YOU are all getting me trained - you and they are great mentors!

Meet Zanzabar

All is quiet on the farm this week so we'll take the opportunity to spotlight some of our alpacas while we have the chance.  As the holiday shopping gets underway, our alpacas are enjoying the increased traffic to the farm and are very inquisitive each time a visitor stops by to say hello.  Of course, the complimentary baggie of alpaca food provides some of the interest!  They are loving the cold weather and can be seen sunbathing in the weak rays of a winter sun.

Zanzabar is one of our more social alpacas and, in fact, enjoys having his ears rubbed and his back scratched.  Most alpacas don't like having their heads touched but Zanzabar doesn't seem to mind. Born on the 6th May last year, everyone's favorite alpaca is classified as a "Juvie" at 18 months old.  His Dam, Glacial Storms Opal of Sugarloaf, is known for producing super sweet cria who grow up keeping their friendly personalities. 

To show his submissiveness to anyone approaching him, Zanzabar will lift his tail - quite dramatically.  If you didn't know him, you would think he may be timid or people shy but, in fact, the exact opposite is true.  Getting a photo of Zanzabar is quite a challange becuase he sticks his nose on the camera lens at every opportunity.  Although he is full grown, he is not yet mature, so he is kept seperate from the big boys with the other Juvies.  However, he is usually one of the alpacas that goes on off farm adventures, so watch our website for when our alpacas are out and about and take the opportunity to meet this super friendly young animal.

Brrr - Great Weather to be an Alpaca!

Somebody is really enjoying these cold winter mornings - and it's only the beginning of November!  Promises to be a cold one this year but, dressed in their snazzy winter coats, even the babies are loving being out in the pasture for most of the day.

While it stays below 50º our babies will be wearing their coats, to make sure they stay warm enough as the temperatures drop.  Their baby fleece is so fine that, although they could survive much colder conditions, we like to give them a healthier and more gentle start on life.

This week, we can also be found at the MMMF International Arts and Crafts Fair being held at World Bank in DC on November 6th, 7th and 8th.  15% of all vendors sales go to providing educational grants for women in developing countries. So not only will you be able to take advantage of finding unique gifts, you will be helping women in need while you shop.  It is held in the World Bank main building, easily accessible for vendors and customers!

Do come and say hello if you stop by.  For more information, Click Here.

Maxwell and Zanzabar's Alpaca Day Out!

We're so excited. My pen mate - Zanzabar - and I are off to Leesburg this weekend to spend time with all the visitors going to  Lucketts Store and Design House Holiday Open House.

We're expecting to meet many new people and Zanzabar and I will be all spruced up and on our best behaviour so newcomers can feel our soft fleece and experience how friendly we are.

Lucketts Store and Design House Holiday Open House is an annual tradition to kick off the holiday season.  We will be there Friday November 2nd til Sunday November 4th from 9am until 5pm all three days

We are expecting to see lots of unusual gift ideas as well as the many new people we have yet to meet.  We will be bringing along some of our alpaca giftables for those who would prefer to shop closer to home or who have been unable to get out to our farm.  

So drop by and pay us a visit if you can.  We'd love to see you.  If you'd like more information on directions and such, click here, and you will be directed to Luckett's Website where they have more information about their event.

We look forward to seeing you there

Maxwell and Zanzabar

Britney's Boy is Growing Up!

Thanks to Christy Osowski, my name is Cusco.  I think it suits me!

Cusco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range.  Located in the Southern Sierras, Cusco is a fascinating city that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. 

 

Happily, even though I'm growing up and will enjoy having my own name instead of being known as Britney's Boy, I still get to stay with my mom (Britney) and all the other moms in the barn.  I am now eating solid foods but still get most of my nutrition from nursing. 

 

We are loving the cool fall weather and enjoy spending most of our days out in the pasture.  The grass tastes particularly good at this time of year it seems and we want to make the most of it before it gets covered with snow! 

 First there was One......

 

And then there were Two!                                        



Born at 7.30am on Thursday October 11th, our new baby obviously takes after her Dam, Black Pearle as she is chocolate brown.  Although, color wise, she is nothing like her Sire, Charmer, who is white, her super soft fleece looks like it has been passed down from her dad. 

Always inquisitive, Pearle's baby actually followed me to the back of the hay barn, just to see what I was doing.  Pearle made sure she was not far behind and is keeping a careful watch on her baby.

Both babies wear jackets during the cold autumn evenings but enjoy playing in their pasture during the day.  They enjoy company when visitors come to the farm and the shoppe and we hope you'll come see them. 

I Have A Name!

My name is Yuki, courtesy of Mary Marston who named me.  This fine sounding name suits my personality down to the ground and I am very pleased with its sound.  Yuki means "snow" in Japanese which is doubly appropriate due to the whiteness and density of my fleece.  My Dam is Tre'J and my Sire is Charmer so a regal sounding name was needed to fit my fine features.

My pen mates are a little jealous as they don't have names yet, except for Cinna, but I'm sure that will soon change.  We spend our days playing in the pasture and visitors can see us running up and down the field, sometimes playing tag and other times just enjoying the grass beneath our hooves and the sun on our backs.

 

 

I'm going to be having a new pen mate soon - should be arriving any day now and I'm excited to discover if it's a girl or a boy.  Black Pearl is due very soon and it's always fun when we get a new face in the barn.

New Cria At Sugarloaf Alpaca Co, LLC

Look who I found in the Nursery Pen when I arrived at work today.  Born Sunday, at 6pm, Cinna is our newest addition and is doing well.  At only 11 lbs, Cinna is tiny but she is strong and feeding well.  She will have to wear a brace for a while on her front leg as the tendon is too loose, but that's a minor issue and won't stop Cinna exploring her world.

Mom, Loretta, is very protective of her new cria.  She obviously knows Cinna needs a little more care and attention.  Loretta is a great Mom and stands patiently whilst Cinna feeds for as long as she needs to.

Cinna's bay black fleece is super soft and she's very vocal.  It's a little early to tell how much of dad Charmer's traits have been passed on but for now, we're very happy with her progress.

Big Yawn

As she's so tiny, she can only be allowed out on the pasture for an hour at a time and she really enjoys the comfort of the grassy field. 

Nap Time

Cinna is the first of our fall babies, so don't be caught napping, drop by and pay us a visit to check them out.  Our Open Barn is coming up soon, on 29th and 30th September, and maybe we'll have one or two more new arrivals by then.  If you can't make that weekend, don't forget we are open daily from 10am.  We look forward to seeing you.

Feels Like Fall Has Arrived!

 

Wow.  Amazing what two weeks, or even two days, can do to the weather.  Of course, our alpacas are loving the cooler temperatures and are enjoying being back out in the fields.  They can be seen from the roadway grazing in the pasture, and it's funny to see them follow cars up the driveway when visitors arrive.  Our alpaca boys learned during the hot summer months, when they rarely ventured far from the barn during daylight hours, that visitors often meant treats and attention were coming their way. 

Although the alpacas love the cold weather, you could say that they're dressed for it!  The rest of us have to make do with conserving body temperature the best way we know how (covering up with alpaca wear is the comfiest way, of course).

One of our clever artisans designed and knitted this beautiful cap.  Judy Murgia was kind enough to bring it by for our review and allowed us to post a picture to share with our followers.  The cap is double knit and uses 100 yds colored yarn and 100 yds of white yarn.  Judy has also stated that she will make the pattern available, if someone would like to replicate her design.

As the weather turns cooler, we look forward to seeing, and sharing, other projects completed using our luxurious alpaca fiber and roving.  Bring your accomplishments by, or send us a photo, with a brief description and we'd love to showcase your talent.

Meanwhile, enjoy the gradual shift from summer to fall, as warm sunny days transition into cooler evenings and nights, and those distant blistering hot summer days become just a memory!

Dog Days of Summer!

Phew.  Will these long, hot days ever end?  I'm sure we'll look back at this summer with fondness in the dead of winter but, for now, a 15°- 20° drop in temperature sure sounds attractive.

Otis spends his days behind a big fan and was too hot to get up and say "hello".  What better activity is there than sleeping through another steamy afternoon, waiting for the coolness of night to take over from the heat of the day.  I'm sure Maggie and Otis are extremely glad that they were shorn too, ridding them of their long, hot, shaggy fur.  Although neither one enjoys the experience, they would have been miserable if they'd been allowed to keep their coats.  Otis, especially, is mortified when he's shorn, but this year he didn't even run away and hide, like he has done in the past.  I guess even he knew it was for the best!

Spongebob seems to agree although he prefers to keep an eye on his pasture whilst resting his eyes.  Staying inside the barn provides shade, along with cool air from the fans, but there must be a slight breeze at ground level judging by how the alpacas are sleeping.

Britney's Boy still enjoys lying out in the pasture and he is also showing off his new haircut.  He was shorn just a couple of weeks ago.  Cleaning his fiber will be much easier next year as his birthing coat has now been removed. 

When a cria is born, amniotic fluid coats the fiber and it acts as a magnet for dirt, sticks, hay and anything else in the baby's environment.  Coupled with the fact that young alpacas, like young humans, like to roll around in the dirt (and anything else they can find) it will now be much easier at shearing time to sort his fiber ready for processing into yarn.

Fairly soon, it'll be time to start the barn chores but, until then, it seems a nap is in order.

Hot Mama

Poor Opal.  Every mother can appreciate how hot Opal must be feeling as Jujuy drapes herself across her mother's neck.

Whether human or alpaca, it seems, little ones are most comfortable when draped around a parent, and Jujuy is no exception. 

Fiona, however, is out in the pastures and is very interested in smelling the pretty flowers scattered throughout.  Ever inquisitive, Fiona loves to explore her world and is fascinated by any new experience that comes her way. 

Both Jujuy and Fiona, our female babies, are very curious and come to find out what's going on if they spot us around their pasture.  They love being around people and want to know everything that's going on.

Our lone boy baby, however, prefers to spend his time sleeping in the sun.  He'll get up if he has to but pays little attention to things going on around him.  He also has little appreciation of personal space and flops down wherever he feels like, even if an adult alpaca is already there.

Feels Like 113°!!!

Kevin is very popular amongst the ladies in the barn today.  I'll bet you'll never guess what he's doing!

Current temperature is 102° but feels like 113° , as per Weather.com - and that's without the fur coat.

Alpacas can tolerate a fair amount of heat, and we have many fans blowing in the barn, but even the fans couldn't compete with Kevin's cooling therapy.

Give up?  OK.  He's spraying their bellies with cool water.  Did you guess right?

As you can see, these alpacas are very eager to feel the cool water stream on their legs and bellies but we must be careful to make sure no water hits the backs of any alpaca - or they could die. 

Alpacas are amazing animals and this is another insight into the care and wellbeing of their animals that Kevin and Nancy provide on a daily basis.  I learned how it works today, tried it for myself, and I'll share it with you. 

The veins on an alpaca's legs are very close to the skin so running cool water over them is similar to running your wrists under a tap to cool down.  Also, wetting their bellies allows them to cool off, but we have to be careful the water doesn't get too high on their backs.

If water accumulates on their back during high temperatures, whether it's from a hose - which has strong pressure - or a heavy rain, the water gets trapped in their fleece and starts to heat up as their backs bake in the sun.  Black fleeced alpaca are especially prone to heatstroke if they get wet.  Therefore, keeping the hose down and making sure no alpaca cush behind the one being sprayed is mandatory.

As you can see in the pictures, they REALLY like it.

Sweetie's Baby Gets Named

Fiona would like to thank Kim Ketcham for her new name.  It was chosen from the many suggestions we received at our open barn during the Barnstormers Tour. 

Naming the alpacas can be a difficult task, especially when there are 90 of them!  It seemed easy in the beginning, but finding a name to suit has become harder as the herd has grown.

Sweetie's name didn't lend itself to a fitting lead in for her offspring, as she was named due to her being a surprise when she arrived.  Sweetie's full name is "Bruxo's Sweet Suri-prize of SAC", and when her dame was purchased, the pregnancy was unknown.  Imagine the surprise when Sweetie arrived.

We thank everyone who took the time to suggest a name - we don't know until we see it what fits and feels just right.  Without your suggestions we'd have a lot of  ******'s Cria, which is how they're identified until they are named.

Hot Days in the Barn

A blown back Top Knot has been the favored look in the barn during the last couple of days.  With the sweltering heat reaching almost 100 degrees yesterday, and it not being much cooler today, the alpacas are doing their best to keep cool.

Multiple fans are end to end throughout the barn, keeping the air circulating and giving some relief from the intense heat.  The fields are noticeably empty during the middle of the day as all the alpacas are lying in the shade of the barn and the most coveted spots are in front of the fans. 

Everyone out there, including Otis and Maggie our Watchdogs, are too hot to do anything but lift their heads, and even that is an effort.  At least we always have a breeze - even if it's a warm one - but you have to feel sorry for anything living   outside this week in a fur coat!

We're making everyone as comfortable as possible and cool water is freshly pumped into the barn for the alpacas to drink.  Staying hydrated is just as important for them as it is for us, so we make sure it is good and fresh and plenty of it.  Opal is definitely enjoying her cool drink in the heat of the afternoon.

As the sun goes down and the temperatures cool, everyone will be out in the fields again - at least until tomorrow.

It's a Girl

Our Newest Cria - a beautiful baby girl arrived last Tuesday and, although it took her a little longer to "find her legs" than those I've seen so far, she was soon playing in the pasture and making friends with the other cria.

Dam, Bruxo's Sweet Suri-Prize of SAC (Sweetie), hovered anxiously over her and shows every sign of being a wonderful Mom. 

Sweetie's Baby was the main attraction in the barn as the other females were very interested in her arrival and jostled for space up front where they could see her.

Sweetie is a gorgeous Suri and dad, Pucara's Sur-Real Mad Max is known for producing beautiful babies with intense luster.  The combination of the two, along with the already apparent twist seen in her fleece, looks like a promising future breeder. 

Mad Max has multiple show ribbons to his name, including show champion, and maybe Sweetie's baby will follow her Sire into the showring.  She is also displaying the proud royal head that is a distinguising characteristic of Mad Max's offspring so we are excited to she her develop.

Barnstormers Tour

We had an exciting weekend - Sugarloaf Alpaca Co was one of the featured barns in the Barnstormers Tour 2012.  Organized and sponsored by Frederick County Landmarks Foundation, the tour featured 10 barns in the Buckeystown area and ranged from our modern pole barn to another featuring one of the last remaining wooden silos still standing.  History was seen by modern visitors who took time to admire the hardware - long left behind - and the faded markings found within these impressive structures.

Trained Docents were available at each property to give visitors information about what they were seeing and experiencing.  Without them, guests wouldn't know that the pleasant breeze blowing through one of the barns was an intentional design of the original builder.  Comfort was not the reason for the breeze - although it was certainly appreciated by visitors on this warm summer day - it was to help separate the chaff from the grain during threshing, before more modern machinery did it for us. 

Of course, our alpacas were very excited to see so many visitors stop by.  We didn't tell them our guests had come to view the barn (not them), so they stayed happy all day!  Naturally, few could resist their big brown eyes and shaggy overcoats, so our four legged friends were fed many bags of treats throughout the event. 

Alpacas are such social animals.  They love to see visitors and are very nosey, jostling each other for a good view, if anything is happening inside or around the barn.  Maggie and Ottis, our Guardian Dogs, managed to keep most of their opinions to themselves and only expressed their displeasure when other canine visitors approached the barn.  Luckily, all species were well behaved so a pleasant experience was had by all.

It was an honor to be included in such a well run and enjoyable event.  We would like to extend many thanks to Frederick County Landmarks Foundations for an extremely interesting and fun filled day.

Opal's Baby Named!

Opal's Baby has a name.  Jujuy (pronounced hoo-hooy).  Can anyone guess why this name was chosen and what the reasoning behind the name is?  She's a pretty girl with a hopefully spectacular breeding future ahead of her so her name is important.  It states who she is and where she came from, as well as our hopes for her future.

Jujuy is a province of Argentina located in the extreme northwest of the country, at the borders with Chile and Bolivia.  Pre-Columbian inhabitants, who later mixed with the Incas during their expansion period, practiced agriculture and domesticated the guanaco. They had huts made of mud, and erected stone fortresses to protect their villages. Alpacas and Vicuñas are a part of the Jujuy Landscape.

Also located in Jujuy are Salinas Grandes (vast salt flats) which cover almost 8300 km2 of land.  At only 1300 m above sea level, the incredible Argentine salt flats stretch from northern Argentina into the south of Bolivia. The area can be described as looking like a vast white desert of completely flat land, where the air is fresh, the view bright, and the only sound is from the winds flowing through area

So, back to our Jujuy.  Mom, Opal, is herself a beautiful white animal and dad, Charmer, is our prize stud with his beautiful white fleece, outstanding coverage, solid bone, and perfect conformation & bite. 









And that's how we named Jujuy at the suggestion of one of our farm visitors.  Jujuy is already showing signs of having beautiful white fleece of her own and with the grandness and white beauty of the salt flats of her grandsires, it seems a fitting name for such a beaty.

Jujuy loves to be out in the pasture frolicking in in the grass and enjoying the sunshine.  She loves to sunbathe and we have to be careful she doesn't stay out too long in the hot sun.

Jujuy loves to follow her mom and is also showing her own mothering instincts toward the younger cria.  She is very interested in the other two and loves to nose them to get them moving.