Tending the herd ... The ABCs of alpaca ranching
Story and photo by Roland Micklem

'I needed something to do ....'

When her nine kids grew up and left the nest, Loraine Rice found herself with time on her hands and no outlet for her somewhat boundless energy

So she got into the alpaca business. Influenced by a TV commercial, she turned to the web to educate herself about these exotic animals, and the rest, as they say, is history.

That was five years ago. Today, when Loraine walks to the fence which encloses the herd, Sir Black, Kasey, Chamberlain, Felipe, Pretty Girl, and others of her four footed charges crowd around for strokes, nuzzles, words of kindness, and other kudos which their mistress is only too happy to dispense.

And unlike other domestic livestock, which are raised solely for meat or dairy products and are terminated once they've outlived their usefulness, alpacas can be said to truly lead the Life of Riley. In addition to their sunny and friendly dispositions, they are walking wool gardens, and each spring are relieved of their shaggy coats to yield a high quality wool superior to that of sheep.

(A by product of the alpaca industry is manure, which makes excellent fertilizer).With no demand for their flesh, they live out their lives in their peaceful pastoral surroundings, often as not forming strong bonds with their human owners.

Perhaps the only drawback to being an alpaca is lack of a love life, as most males are neutered, and breeding carefully controlled. At present, however, Loraine is anticipating an addition to the herd of 20 by the approaching birth of Pretty Girl's offspring. The father is Sir Black, and to make sure the pregnancy is progressing normally, a veterinarian/pediatrician checked out the developing fetus with ultrasound.

Owners have to play cupid now and then, in order to maintain herd numbers. And for the information of crossword puzzle addicts, a baby alpaca is known as a cria.

Loraine's alpacas are not just curious, long necked beasts which have motorists slowing down and ogling as they pass the ranch on the adjacent road. When an alpaca comes into this world in the USA, it is registered in the official alpaca headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska, and given a name as long as your arm.

Sir Black, for instance, bears the formal title of 'R-Alpaca Black Onyx Knight,' and the monikers of his pasture mates are just as long. Blood samples of the newborn are sent to Lincoln, and an ID chip inserted behind the left ear.

Like purebred race horses, and other purebred domestic animals, their pedigrees are as extensively monitored as those of Europe's royal families. But unlike dairy cows, each of which is considered just another head whose IDs are impersonal ear tags with four digit numbers, each alpaca is regarded as an individual, and every one, says Loraine, has its own distinct personality. According to the record books in Lincoln there are 100,000 registered alpacas in the U.S.

Despite the carefully controlled blood lines, alpacas come in a broad spectrum of colors and hues. There are at least two shades of black - true black and bay black - and there's one known as Fawn, an off-white that also is also represented by more than one shade.

In the course of its life, an alpaca may suffer the minor indignity of appearing in a show. There it is poked , prodded, measured and carefully inspected from nose to tail by a cadre of judges, who are experts in determining what the ideal alpaca should look and feel like. Loraine makes it clear that regardless of its show potential, she loves each of her alpacas for its own quirks and idiosyncrasies. (A show is scheduled for July 4 at the Cayuga County fairgrounds in Weedsport).

Thanks to a tiny, parasitic wasps which Loraine purchases through a biological control firm, her herd is noticeably free of flies and other parasites. With their short tails, alpacas are less able to fend off pests than their long-tailed counterparts. Also, by periodical rotation of the pasture lands the animals are allowed to use, the flies that normally pester livestock are kept to a minimum.

The Rices eschew the use of pesticides and other chemicals that might harm the environment. In addition to the forage available in the pastures, a minimum of other types of feed are purchased to round out the diet.

Maintaining a healthy herd entails a certain amount of maintenance. Aside from being fed, the animals must be shorn, their toenails regularly clipped, and their teeth trimmed.

A member of the Lighthouse Community Fellowship in South Butler, Loraine views her avocation as a kind of mandate from God 'to watch over the animals.' Also, she adds, by observing alpacas, 'you can learn a lot about people.'

I was totally impressed by the R-Alpaca Ranch and its proprietor's empathy with the creatures under her care. In these few acres along the northbound lane of busy Rte. 414 a few miles south of Rose, there is a pervading serenity suggestive of the Garden of Eden. Being with the animals is a soul-satisfying experience.

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