A GROUP SHOT of alpacas at Ken Slye's farm in Ridgefield includes (from left) Serenade, SiSi, Marionette, Cumbia, Electra and Amelia.
For the second year in a row, a most unique animal event will be taking place at the Clark County Fairgrounds. The animals are alpacas, critters who have been appearing more and more frequently in fields and on farms around Clark County and Southwest Washington. And, the event is the tongue-tangling Alpacapalooza.
When the animals were first allowed to be imported to the United States, there were about 400 farms across the country. Today, there are more than 4,000, with more than a dozen local breeders in Clark and Cowlitz counties.
An alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid, and yes, they are related to camels. They resemble small llamas in appearance but oddly enough it seems they were first found in North America and actually migrated to South America over the pre-historic land bridge scientists think connected the two continents.
Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, but unlike llamas, they were not bred to be beasts of burden, but were bred specifically for their fiber, which is used for making knitted and woven items, similar to wool. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, ponchos, sweaters, socks, coats and bedding.
Alpaca fleece is a lustrous and silky natural fiber. While similar to sheep wool, it is warmer, not prickly, it is also soft and luxurious, and has the quality of wicking away moisture. In physical structure, alpaca fiber is somewhat akin to hair, being very glossy. The preparing, carding, spinning, weaving and finishing process of alpaca is very similar to the process for preparing wool.
Most of the domestic alpacas are raised for their fiber (or fleece), but some are raised as pets, and a scant few are starring as therapy animals. Lori Gregory, of Mountain Peaks Therapy Llamas, has trained two alpacas along with three llamas and has made hundreds of visits to children’s hospitals, hospices, senior communities, schools and facilities for adults and kids with disabilities.
“By offering friendship and warm touch, our llamas help alleviate loneliness, lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Their presence brings a sense of normalcy to institutional settings,” says Gregory.
“They are incredibly touchable and very people-friendly, and their gentle temperament and calm nature make them perfect animals,” says Ken Slye, the co-owner, with wife Laura, of Ridgefield’s Compass Rose Alpaca Farm.
Like purebred racehorses, some of the animals have pedigrees that stretch all the way to Peru, with the average animal costing between $1,500-$2,000 dollars, but those with purer bloodlines can go from between $20,000-$30,000, championship lineage can make a few animals valued at between $300,000 to $1.2 million.
Slye, an affable rancher, who also excels in the production of various fruit brandies (his blackberry-raspberry blend, aged in French toasted oak is legendary), has a current herd of 22 alpacas and these days has kept the boys and girls apart on his five-acre Ridgefield farm.
“Their gestation period ranges from 11-12 months and we wanted a break so no babies this year,” he shared.
He has several championship line stud animals and provides stud services for a fee (depending on the animal it can be a hefty fee), but makes most of his money either selling young animals to local farmers, or by harvesting anywhere from 8-15 pounds of fiber from each animal yearly.
Slye brings in local folks to shear the animals, then sells the harvested fiber to alpaca co-ops, cottage industry hand spinners, and a few “mini textile mills” to spin into yarn and make into the various items of clothing.
“But they’re not just fleece machines,” he offers. “In addition to their use as therapy animals, alpacas are great as pets (but you need two as they are herding social animals), and many of the breeders donate fiber or animals to silent auctions, donate stud fees to charitable organizations, and they are a great teaching aid for 4-H kids.”
One year, Slye donated all his stud fees, which can be substantial, to the building of an orphanage in Ghana in partnership with Microsoft and Boeing.
One organization, The SockBrigade, receives donated alpaca socks from owners and breeders around the country and ships them to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. They solicit contact names for various military units in the field and will ship socks to keep their feet warm and dry.
Firefighters and soldiers, like skiers, snowboarders, and snowshoers, like the socks, for their moisture wicking properties and their cashmere-like softness.
For more information on raising alpacas, finding a breeder anywhere in the U.S., and on the SockBrigade campaign go to: www.alpacanation.com/farmsandbreeders/03_viewfarm.asp?name=12335; www.purelyalpaca.com; www.bentstarproject.org/images/Mag08SockBrigadeArticle.pdf; or www.americasalpaca.com.
Alpacapalooza 2012
Fri., March 30-Sun., April 1
Clark County Event Center
17402 NE Delfel Road, Ridgefield
Sponsored by
The Alpaca Association of Western Washington.
Schedule of events
Fri., March 30
9 a.m. - noon — Volunteer check-in
noon - 6 p.m. — Health certificates will be verified
at check-in
noon - 6 p.m. — Compliance/color check of alpacas in
Halter Show Ring
noon - 6 p.m. — Check in fleeces
noon - 6 p.m. — Deliver Fiber Arts & Photo
Contest entries
noon - 6 p.m. — Silent Auction items, Herdsire Fiesta,
Photo’s and Promotional Materials
dropped off
noon - 6 p.m. — Breeders & Vendors set up displays
Sat., March 31
8 a.m. — Mandatory Exhibitor Meeting
8:30 a.m. — Halter Show begins/Fleece
Judging begins
9 a.m. — Photo contest judging and fiber
arts judging
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. — Seminars
5 p.m. — Show closes for Day
5 p.m. — Silent Auction closes
5:30 p.m. — Happy Hour/Social & Herdsire Fiesta
Sun., April 1
8 a.m. — Halter Show continues
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. — Seminars
10 a.m. — Results of fiber arts judging on display
and results of photo contest on display
2 p.m. — Estimate: Fleece awards in halter ring
3 p.m. — Pick up fleeces
5 p.m. — Pick up photos/Fiber Arts entries
5 p.m. — Halter Show closes
