Powergrid was the oldest alpaca we entered in the show and he once again brought home a First Place for his 2011 fleece (age 6 years). Bonnie Alice won a First Place at MAPACA for the second year in a row.

Lord Tennyson won a Second Place in his white class as did both Henrietta Ruth (Ruthie) and her daughter June Delight in their respective brown classes.

Peaceful Heart's Hyppogryff

We are most proud of our youngest entry: beautiful gray, junior herdsire, Hyppogryff. Hyppo has an incredible lovely medium silver gray fleece. He won not only First Place in his age group, but also the highest score in the gray color group. His first shearing in 2011, which is what was judged here, tested at an incredibly fine 16.9 microns. The judge commented on how easy it was to prepare and spin and the beautiful yarn that resulted. She also congratulated Hyppogryff on being the highest scoring entry of the entire show.

For those not familiar with alpaca shows, there are three main types of shows: Halter, Fleece, and Spin-Off. The Spin-Off, which is what our alpacas were participating in here, consists of sending in a 2 ounce sample of each alpaca’s prime blanket fiber. It is handspun and evaluated by the spin-off judge. Each sample is judged on fiber criteria focusing on uniformity and cleanliness/preparation; spinning criteria focusing on ease of carding and spinning; and the finished product. Entries receive a numerical score out of a possible 100 and are ranked within color and age groups.

Shearing Lord Tennyson

We are shearing alpacas on the farm all weekend and invite you to come and watch. We started today with several of our boys. Shearing will go on everyday until we finish shearing the herd.

Our regular business hours are Monday-Saturday 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday 1-5pm. Hope to see you.

{Lord Tennyson is pictured here being shorn by David.  “Tenny” was calm and relaxed during shearing, as he always is, and thrilled to be 10 pounds lighter when we finished.  It made our warm weather much more comfortable.}

See our listing for pictures and more details about these wonderful alpacas.

This beautiful soft, sport weight, baby alpaca yarn has a splash of iridescent fiber blended in for a hint of shine. Glimmer is available in eleven beautiful colors. We also have some lovely patterns for this great alpaca yarn.

During the month of May, Glimmer baby alpaca yarns and patterns are 10% Off. Use the coupon code Glimmer when you check out. You can see these beautiful alpaca yarns online or at our farm store.

(Glimmer is the same weight as our Classic Lite Alpaca yarns and patterns for both can be used interchangeably. Classic Lite is on sale for 20% off.)

Alpaca Socks

Our most popular alpaca socks now come in a new color, silver gray!  These wonderful alpaca socks are made specially for our farm by a wonderful Fair Trade Certified company in Peru.  The socks have a small alpaca at the top and our farm name “Peaceful Heart” along the bottom of each sock.  Made from 80% Baby Alpaca, 10% spandex, and 10% nylon, our alpaca socks are soft and comfortable.  They keep your feet warm and dry while not getting overheated.  Perfect for wearing in boots while hiking or hunting, the sock are also comfortable worn with tennis shoes or around the house.

These great alpaca socks are now available in four colors:  black, pearl white, silver gray, and brown.  Each color is now available in four sizes:   Large (Men’s shoe size 11+, that come up mid-calf); Medium (Men’s size 10 or less, Women’s size 8 1/2+, mid-calf); Small-Tall (Women’s shoe size 8 or less,  mid-calf); and Small-Crop (Women’s shoe size 8 or less, that come up to right above the ankle).

Visit our online store or come by the farm to get your alpaca socks today.

During the month of April, Baby Alpaca Worsted yarns and patterns are 10% Off. Use the coupon code Worsted when you check out.  You can see these beautiful alpaca yarns online or at our farm store.

Our herd health sessions are a scheduled time to check everyone’s weight (using one of the most useful alpaca tools we own, our scale), and to check their body score by feeling their midspine region. An extremely prominent spine (an A shape to the back) indicates that an alpaca is too thin. A flat back where you cannot clearly feel the spine indicates that an alpaca is too fat. We are looking for an easily felt spine with a gentle slope to the back. We also check each alpaca over for any visible or hard to see issues.

Each alpaca needs a shot every month to protect them from the meningeal worm, a parasite that white tail deer carry and that can cause debilitating and often fatal complications for alpacas. The alpacas really do not seem to mind the shots at all, and will generally stand still for them, some with just someone holding a halter and lead, most with someone holding them gently around the neck.

The third task we do is to check their toenails. Alpacas have a soft padded foot with two toes on each foot. Alpaca’s toenails grow continuously, though at different rates. We have found that our lighter alpacas tend to need their nails trimmed monthly, while darker alpacas often can go for several months without a trim. This is the part of herd health that seems to make the alpacas the most nervous. We find that for most alpacas a gentle hold and lifting their feet as little as possible makes them feel more secure.

We also give the alpacas vitamins each month. We give them A, D, & E which is good for their fleece growth and bone health. It is an apple flavored gel that most the alpacas seem to think tastes pretty good. Though few (besides Sunny) are anxious to open their mouths to take the gel, most smack their lips afterward.

Our monthly herd health time is an important part of caring for our alpacas. It is a great time to make sure that everyone is doing well, even the shy alpacas or those who really prefer not to be touched, and may not get hands on interaction regularly throughout the month.

We feel this time is so important in keeping your alpacas healthy, that we offer training for those who purchase alpacas from us and ongoing support if any questions arise. Learn more about our alpacas for sale here, and then give us a call to set up an appointment to meet them and talk about their care.