At Fairhope Alpacas we will be shearing our alpaca herd on March 17th this year. When our shearer, Mark Loffhagen, proposed the date, I mentioned to him that it would be St. Patrick’s Day.
“We’ll just have to have green beer then,” was his response.
No, we don’t drink during the shearing, but we usually have a [...]
Here are some of the cria born on our alpaca farm in Alabama near the end of 2011. In the center is the fawn little Casey McCoy. Full sister to one of our favorite alpacas we have ever produced, Colt McCoy, we are thrilled to welcome her to the herd. Casey is a solid girl [...]
Thanks to Joy Smith of Riverstone Peruvian Suri Alpacas for contributing this picture of her alpaca who’s not that interested in being halter trained.
Participating in Wordless Wednesday
My husband, Jim Cocking, used to be a serious alpaca transporter. That is probably how we got to be such good friends. Jim hauled many an alpaca for me and my alpaca friends.
The life of a transporter is truly an adventure fraught with challenges of all sorts. I could listen to him tell stories about [...]
After a long deployment in Iraq, my sweetie, Jim Cocking, is finally home! Actually, he has been home a while. We’ve taken the last month to have a honeymoon. Kinda. As much as you can on a farm with a passel of kids and a herd of alpacas. So not much of one now that [...]
The other day I went out into the field, and what did I find? A new baby!
Amber had her little cria. It’s a girl, and she’s doing well, bopping around. Playing with the other little girl we had last week. Our next cria are due today so we are on baby watch again for four [...]
The other day the kids & I went to my mother’s house to celebrate her birthday. Before I left I checked on the alpacas. The two girls who were (over)due looked fine so we left and had a fun day with my parents in Gulf Shores. I intended to be back before dark, but got [...]
This weekend alpaca farms across America will be hosting National Alpaca Farm Days on their alpaca farms. Our farm, Fairhope Alpacas, in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama will be open to the public on Saturday & Sunday, September 24 & 25th both days from 1-5 pm.
To find a farm near you, visit the National Alpaca Farm Days [...]
A few of us Southern alpaca breeders were discussing this topic on Facebook recently. Alpacas are induced ovulators so we can determine when we want our alpacas’ to breed. (It’s actually really convenient.)
What is this induced ovulation? you ask. That means that the act of breeding/intercourse is what causes the female alpaca to ovulate. I [...]
Jim and I bought our very first alpaca together. When we saw this little guy, Challenger’s Sir Charles, he stopped us both in our tracks. He was so cute and fluffy. He had so much presence!
Jim and I are supposed to be immune to that kind of charm, right? I mean we are both seasoned [...]
