Money
(Roger Waters)
After John and I heard the answer to that question we managed to pull ourselves up off the floor, treat our concussions and then listen to why alpacas cost what they cost.
The current alpaca industry is based on the sale of quality breeding stock, which commands premium prices. Female alpacas usually begin breeding at between 15 months and 18 months of age, while most males can successfully impregnate (or "settle") a female at about three years. The females produce one baby per year during a reproductive life about 10-12 years or more.
Factors that influence individual alpaca prices include color, conformation, fleece quality and quantity, age, and gender. Females sell for more money on average than males, but herd sire quality males have historically commanded the highest individual prices. Breeders often prefer one alpaca color to another; however the parents' color does not necessarily guarantee a cria of the same color. There are many accepted theories regarding alpaca color heritability, and more research is needed to further our understanding of this issue. Of more importance to most breeders is the overall physical soundness, or "conformation" of the animal. In addition to color, fleece, density, uniformity, fineness, luster and staple length will also affect value. Well-conformed alpacas with superior fleece characteristics sell for higher prices. Alpacas are much like diamonds. The market pays a premium for the finest examples of the breed, and a beauty is also in the eye of the beholder.
The range of value for females has remained fairly consistent during the two decades that alpacas have been available to the public in North America: generally between $12,000 and $25,000. Females with unique attributes and top-notch genetics have been known to sell for $50,000 or more! (Breathe….Breathe…) A Proven top-quality herd sire will typically sell for $20,000 to $50,000, and the very highest quality males with unique characteristics and or exceptional offspring on the ground have sold in excess of $750,000 and more.
Another benefit of owning alpacas relates to the concept of compounding. Savings accounts earn interest, which if left in the account, adds to the principal. Alpaca breeders also witness the effects of compounding over time. Alpacas reproduce almost every year, and about one-half of their babies are females. When you retain the off-spring in your herd, they begin producing babies. This is referred to as "alpaca compounding."
Tax-deferred wealth building is another "alpaca advantage". As your herd grows, you postpone paying income tax on its increasing value until such time as you begin selling the offspring. Most breeders elect to sell all or some of the annual offspring production for practical reasons, such as recovering their initial cash flow, acreage and building limitations, and time constraints.
Alpacas are also fully insurable against theft and mortality. Insurance can be purchased for your stock regardless of age. Average insurance rates are 3.3% of the value of the animal, or $325 for every $10,000 of insurance.
This boy is the perfect example of what Super Nova gives his offspring. Nelson has large bones, is well balanced and is growing in very good proportion. At 10 months since shearing his fleece is 5″ long with very good density and bright shine.
2010 National Elite, Halter, 1st.
2010 LA Deep South, Halter, 1st.
2010 Hi-Plains, Halter, 1st.
ARI: 31861748 Beige
DOB: 4/7/2010
Sire: Super Nova
Dam: Angelica
For Sale $449 SOLD!
John’s Lennon solid bone structure allows him great balance and poise. His long length of staple combined with fineness make him a very attractive package.
1st place National Elite Alpaca Show
1st place LA Deep South Alpaca Show
ARI: 31861793, Bay black
DOB: 11/16/2009
Sire: Goden One
Dam: Chavah
For Sale $449 SOLD!
Ibanez just oozes genetics, especially from his sire, Isaac. Isaac is a son of the great Poseidon and their traits show in this junior herd sire. At the 2010 TXOLAN show Ibanez was awarded a blue ribbon! Judge Hibbit said “This alpaca has good bone structure and exhibits consistency throughout his fleece” Come sink you hands into his long, structured, dense fleece and see for yourself. Ibanez is ready to breed!
2010 TXOLAN Halter 1st
ARI: 31478861 Medium Fawn
DOB: 4/21/2009
Sire: Poseidon’s Isaac
Dam: Angelica
For Sale $2,500
Ironman possess strong lineage including his sire Orlando Cloud (Light Silver Gray) and PPeruvian Victor on his sire’s side and PPeruvian Felix on his dam’s side. His dam, Lindsey, is an AOBA Nationals blue ribbon winner herself! Ironman is a tall male with great bone density and dense fleece. He was only shown once and placed third at the 2011 A-OK Blastoff show against some very stiff competition. Ironman deserves a close look by those looking to add the highly sought color of gray to their herd. At 19 months he was exhibiting the instinct to breed. Since his GWAS color champion half brother Triumph is in our breeding program, we can not use Ironman’s genetics.
What a problem to have: Two herdsires from the same dam!
ARI: 31344517, Light Silver Gray
DOB: 6/9/2008
Sire: Emerald Cloud’s Orlando Cloud
Dam: Lindsey
For Sale $2,700
Triumph’s breeding career is well under way with over 2.5 years of breeding behind him. Triumph’s lineage speaks for his prepotency. With Absolute, Don Julio, Felix and Kathryn The Great running through his veins we have witnessed the results in his cria. His fleece consists of meticulous fine bundles. Judges have commented that breeding trends amongst gray alpacas has improved greatly in color consistency. Triumph is proof of this. Fiber stats for his first fleece reveal: AFD 16.8, SD 3.5, CV 20.8, CF .6. Triumph’s body score is a 5 (On 1-10 scale) when he weighs 150#s. This makes him slightly smaller than Super Nova and by no means a small or compact male.
2006 GWAS Color Champ
2008 GWAS 1st.
2008 Alpacapalooza 2nd.
2008 Heart of the Valley 1st.
2008 AWE 2nd.
2007 GWAS 2nd.
ARI: 30858817 Light Rose Gray
DOB: 9/23/06
Sire: Premier’s Absolut
Dam: Lindsey
Stud Fee $2,500 $1,749
For Sale: $17,990
Super Nova has been a staple of our breeding program with ribbon winning offspring to his credit. In the fleece department, at his age as a working male, he continues to hold superb fineness. Holding a low micron fleece at a very mature age is a sign of a great breeder! At nearly ten years old his shearing yielded over 11#s total weight. His fiber stats at 9.6 years reveal: AFD 25.0, SD 4.6, CV 18.4%, CF 88.2%. At 164#s his body score is 5 (On a 1-10 scale), which categorizes him as a large male. He is considered large boned and possesses great balance and conformation. He has a correct bite to boot. Super Nova’s progeny exhibit fineness in their fleece, great bone structure and hit the ground strong and healthy. The fawn spot on his neck is why we suspect his offspring are all over the color chart. Since he was not shown, he is considered a “sleeper” in the alpaca industry.
ARI: 822891, White
DOB: 8/31/2000
Sire: PPeruvian Demetrio
DAM: CL9 Chelsea
Breed Fee: $2,500 $1,749
Andean Pride will bring dynamic genetic traits to your females. Andy is very gentle and easy to handle. As an alpha male he is a great breeder. Andy is proudly co-owned with Hummer’s Homestead Alpacas. When we purchased him from Copper Hill Ranch, Debbie Presley said “Andy is responsible for putting density in my herd” Andy is very dense and has a lovely crimp style. Full Peruvian Huacaya, Andy is a son of Dracula! Available for Fall 2011 breedings. Call for schedule.
Update: Since we can no longer use Andy’s genetics in our herd, we made the tough decision of making our half interest available for only $600
ARI: 185303, White
DOB: 11/9/1996
Sire: PPPeruvian Dracula 6016
Dam: PPPeruvian Julia 4756
Breed Fee: $1300 $600
Sable is a well balanced female with a correct bite and great conformation. Her fleece is very dense. This is the kind of female alpaca to keep in your herd as the rock of your breeding program. She is currently bred to Super Nova for a fall 2012 birthing.
ARI: 31069588 Bay Black
DOB: 9/14/2007
Sire: Okanagan’s Valafras 15EGK
Dam: 6PERUVIAN KAMELLA 6234 IMPR98
Service Sire: Super Nova
For Sale $1,850 2 in 1
Olivia exhibits very dense fleece with a good length of staple. Her large bone structure has set a great breeding career. Look closely at the photos and you will see gray fibers in her chest area. Her sire, Calypso Cloud, has many award winning offspring. Unfortunately for Olivia, she was not shown due to the previous owners changing priorities. We believe she would have done well in the show ring had she been shown. Olivia is bred to Abolut Rose Triumph for a cria in late 2012.
ARI: 1328745 Black
DOB: 8/26/2005
Sire: Emerald Farm’s Calypso Cloud
Dam: Muhagaw
Service Sire: Triumph
For Sale $1,950 2 in 1
Nellie has been a wonderful member of our herd. Her crias have always been great self starters. In the fall of 2010 we had 2 crias born within 2 hours, Nellie’s was the second. Just for grins we were wagering which cria would be suckling first.
Nellie’s cria won!
Nellie’s cria can out run two leggers in just a couple of days.Her latest silver gray male cria, sired by Triumph, comes with this package.
ARI: 1243253 Dark Brown
DOB: 10/5/2004
Sire: Westward Durango
Dam: Blanco
Service Sire: Super Nova
For Sale $1,900 3 in 1
This girl is poised to produce winners. With Snomass Red Hot Cognac on her sire’s side we are excited about her breeding career. At this spring’s shearing, her fleece was over five inches long! Mirimba has been bred to Super Nova for a late 2012 cria.
Take Mirimba home to dance across your pastures today!
Take Mirimba home to dance across your pastures today!
ARI: 31861755 Medium Brown
DOB: 12/1/2009
Sire: Snowmass Red Hot Cognac
Dam: Blanco’s Nellie
Service Sire: Super Nova
For Sale $1,950 2 in 1
By breeding Muhagaw to Triumph there was a very good chance of having a gray cria. Sure enough, on 12/14/2010 Mahagaw gave us Selena who looks to be a dark silver gray female! Breeding Mahagaw and Triumph brought such great results that we repeated the match up. Mahagaw’s fleece is very dense and she passes this trait on to her cria. Her bone structure and conformation are stellar!
Perhaps Muhagaw will have another gray cria come December 2011!!!
ARI: 835547 Medium Silver Gray
DOB: 4/14/2002
Sire: Benny Goodman CO14
Dam: Capilla 8927 IMPZ98
Service Sire: Triumph, due 1/31/2011
For Sale $4,900 2 in 1 SOLD!
Magi, as we call her, is a magnificent production dam who is well balanced with a very good frame. She is a great mother with plenty of milk. This offering is for Magi bred to Triumph. Magi’s projected due date is 1/27/12.
ARI: 825284 Light Brown
DOB: 7/14/2000
Sire: Mielo S177
Dam: BV217 Bolivian Carol
Service Sire: Triumph, due 1/27/2012
For Sale $2,950 2 in 1 SOLD!
Lindsey has produced many multi-ribbon winning offspring. She is an AOBA Nationals blue ribbon winner herself! She is worth basing an entire breeding program on. Three out of four times she was bred to gray, she has produced a gray cria. She produced GWAS color champion Absolut Rose Triumph who has been putting some wonderful crias on the ground for us. She is currently bred to Snowmass XXXtreme, the only male alpaca to twice be named herdsire of the year at the Futurity.
Lindsey is very deserving of a top notch breeding and we are sure she will produce another champion!
2002 AOBA Nationals 1st
ARI: 822389 Medium Fawn
DOB: 5/22/2000
Sire: Peruvian Felix G4562
Dam: Kathyrn The Great
Service Sire: Snowmass XXXtreme, due 2/28/12
For Sale $5,500 2 in 1
Lilly has a straight frame and is well balanced with very good bone density. Her last cria, Victrola, is a great all around package. Lilly has given us two gorgeous females sired by Triumph. It was an easy decision to once again, breed Lilly to Triumph.
ARI: 846938 White
DOB: 5/26/2001
Sire: Pip IMPR98
Dam: PPeruvian Tucuy Rock
Service Sire: Triumph, due 5/3/12
For Sale $2,950 2 in 1 SOLD!
Klezmer is the product of one of our “solid as a rock” dams. Her fleece exhibits a tight crimp style and is medium in density. This is a great opportunity to acquire genetics which include PPeruvian Camilio and Royal Fawn. Klezmer has bred to Triumph for a late 2012 cria.
ARI: 31861786 Light Brown
DOB: 11/1/2009
Sire: Microsoft Midas
Dam: Abi
Service Sire: Triumph
For Sale $2,250 2 in 1
Emma is literally the complete package. Her dense bones, correct bite, and overall very correct conformation make her a very sought after alpaca. To top it off her fleece is rose gray!!! We have bred her to Triumph who is also a rose gray and yes, you guessed it, we are aiming for another rose gray. Emma’s fleece is very dense with outstanding coverage to her extremities.
ARI: 1445190 Dark Rose Gray
DOB: 10/2/2006
Sire: Quincy
Dam: Charisma
Service Sire: Triumph, due 12/4/11
For Sale $4,990 2 in 1 SOLD!
Queen is a Triumph daughter. Her great length of staple, medium density, large bone structure and correct bite make her the complete package. We are offering her unbred to allow another breeder to put their own stamp on her offspring. She is ready to breed now.
We are very proud to have Queen grace our pastures.
ARI: 31871396 Light Fawn
DOB: 12/23/09
Sire: Triumph
Dam: Easter Lilly
For Sale $2,550
