Thanksgiving - In March???

Well, not in the true sense of the Holiday, but we're sure our boy alpacas were giving many thanks for our latest hay delivery. 

Stacked, briefly, within their reach, our boys made full use of the short amount of time they had unlimited access to the sweet tasting hay.  The girls looked on with jealousy as they were unable to reach the bounty.

Lined up, as if they were at table, the boys were munching away and oblivious to their photos being taken. 

All was calm until two of our stud males decided they needed it all!  Needless to say, everyone else ignored them and kept on eating.  The punch up didn't last long as the sweet smell of freshly delivered hay soon got both boys back to eating their fill.

Shooing everyone out of the barn, to get ready for dinner time, was more of a challenge than usual.  Our alpacas certainly love their food - whether it's fresh grass, treats from our visitors, sweet hay or their daily dinner.

Guest Photographers

We've had the pleasure of receiving the gift of photographs from a number of photographers who have been kind enough to share their work.  We would like to take this opportunity to display some of their shots so you can enjoy them as much as we have.

These first three photos were taken by Beamie Young and I'm sure most of you recognize Fiona - our distinctive suri baby from last spring.  Her baby friend is Jujuy and, although Fiona looks much the same - just bigger - Jujuy is hardly recognizable from her baby photos.

Britney seems to be enjoying having her picture taken and is always inquisitive - especially if there may be the chance of food coming up. 

Lewis Grandstaff took a beautiful shot of Mattigan.  He's one of our most handsome boys and can usually be counted on to put his best face forward.  Lewis used his photography skills to really make Mattigan stand out and it seems our guardian dog, Otis, is keeping an eye on things.

Loretta seems to have a lot to say about Juan Zambado taking her picture, or maybe she's asking for some extra treats.  She seems to have a pretty determined look in her eye, so maybe she's keeping the young cria in line.

Juan also captured Prima Donna, the star of our fall advertising last year.  She is still showing the fine good looks she was born with and is a very friendly alpaca.

Nella Farley is the last, but certainly not least, of our featured photographers.  Nella captured Jujuy right after she was born, and her artistic abilities let us see how fine her fleece is as it's standing out around her ears.  It seems Jujuy captured a lot of photograpic attention last year. 

As we look forward to our new crop of babies, due starting the end of next month, we're excited to see the talents of our visitors.  With our Photography Contest just beginning, it's a great time to come out and see what's going on in the barn.

 

Spring is ALMOST here

Spring is in the air down at the farm and our alpacas are enjoying the few nice sunny days we've been experiencing lately.  Even the birds are seeming more plentiful, as they take shelter in the barn, from the wind and freezing temperatures that remind us that we're not yet done with winter.  I'm sure word gets around in the avian community that an alpaca farm is the best place to be when it's nest building time.  With a plentiful supply of soft, warm, alpaca fiber, our lucky baby birds stay warm and dry and, this year, we've been able to recreate the experience for you to take home.  Our nesting balls are made from grapevines and stuffed full of huacaya and suri fiber, ready for you to pamper your backyard friends.

We've also been busy carding and dying our fiber, ready for all your spring felting and spinning projects. Bright, vibrant colors are now available and we're carding and dying as fast as we can.

There are also a host of vibrantly colored yarns for knitters and crochet artists to enjoy. Superior softness and pleasing color combinations allow our artisans to create items of exclusive beauty. We've really enjoyed showing some of the amazing projects folks have created - usually on our facbook page - and hope to have many more to display as winter turns into spring. 

                                    

As we're about to get a reminder that winter is still here - check out our Alpaca Shoppe and Fiber Studio as we're changing with the seasons.  Brighter, lighter, colors and styles, make wearing and working with alpaca fiber a year round pleasure.

Our products can now be found at our Alpaca Nation website at http://www.sugarloafalpacashop.com

If you see something you like, come in and take a closer look or call us at 240-500-0007 and we'll be happy to take a telephone order.  We can ship anywhere in the world and we're excited to be taking this next step in customer convenience as move toward full ecommerce.  If there is a way we can help you that we haven't thought of yet - just let us know.

 

 

Don't Look So Worried .....

..... My Name is Nala!

Thanks to one of my good friends, Nina, who comes to visit me regularly and feeds me treats.

It's a very regal sounding name and actually has a Tanzanian origin, meaning queen.
I can see already, it's going to be tough to live up to the high standards set by my namesake.

Nala is the name of the fictional lioness character in Disney's popular 1994 animated feature film The Lion King.

I know I can do it though because I'm growing into a beautiful young alpaca with crimp and density to spare. 

I get my beautiful fiber from my Sire, Charmer and my color from my Dam, Black Pearle. 

Although I've only been here since October - the 11th to be exact - it's easy to see who is the belle of the barn (at least in my opinion).

I'm also super friendly and love to have visitors come visit me.  I very much enjoy the treats, now I'm old enough to eat them, but will also eat hay off the others backs if I get hungry.

Of course, I have my creep feeder at my disposal should I need snacks inbetween visitors - but I much prefer the alfalfa.

Piggy in the Pen

Visitors to our farm, lately, have noticed a rather dominant personality in the nursery pen.  When treats are being handed out, Loretta is making her presence known in a rather forceful manner - leaving no one in any doubt as to who is the Queen of the Pen.

In her defense, Loretta is still nursing Cinna, is constantly hungry  and, the larger Cinna grows, the more she eats.  We are especially enjoying visitors to the farm at the moment because it means everyone gets to enjoy some treats.

To make sure our babies are getting enough nutrients, we now have a creep feeder in the nursery pen.  That is a special mini-pen with an entrance large enough for the little ones but too small for the adult and weanling alpacas to squeeze through.

It took our babies a few days to work out how to get to their food but they soon got it all figured out.  Ziggy, the largest of our babies, had the most difficulty getting in and out because he is taller than the width control bar.  He soon got the hang of it though and is now a pro and getting in and out.

With the colder days and nights we are expecting, it is important to make sure everyone is well fed.  The babies still have heated pads to lie on at night (if they want to) and, if it gets really cold, you can expect to see our younger ones with their coats on.

Although our Alpaca Shoppe and Fiber Studio are open until 5pm, we ask visitors to arrive before 4pm if they'd like to feed the babies some treats, so it doesn't interfere with their dinner.

We look forward to seeing you.

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.