My wife got her first glimpse of alpacas on animal planet's "That’s my Baby" and fell in love with them. Since that time we have visited multiple farms in Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, and Ohio and perused the internet to gather as much information as possible about them. We attended the National Convention in Louisville, KY in 2004 and took an alpaca 101 course. At the end of 2004 we purchased three pregnant females from different championship blood lines. As a part of the package the broker gave us a what was thought to be a no-name herd sire. Within six months the broker notified us that the herdsire's grandfather "4Peruvian Legacy" had just become the first million dollar alpaca having sold 1/2 interest at auction for $750,000. Needless to say we were very pleased and he has been an excellant example of his grandfather. He shears over 6 pounds in his prime fleece and when we breed him with our girls he imparts that fiber and conformation to their crias. In 2005 we attended the Southern Select Show, in Shelbyville, TN and entered Nicholai's fleece in the spin-off that year. He won a blue ribbon as has many of his offsprind. In July 2005 in preparation for our first crias we attend the neonatal clinic in Harriman, TN by Dr. Toni Cotton. If that clinic doesn't scare you, nothing will. Fortunately we have since had 11 crias born on our farm with no problems. Duering the clinie Dr. Cotton told us that she mainly sees the problems and that generall the there aren't any. That has been our experience a well. When our first cria arrived my wife was in attendance and took 63 pictures so I could experience the birth when I returned from a business trip to Washintgon D.C. We have since see a couple of other born but generallyy we have found the other new crias already standing and nursing doing fine.
In October of 2005 we attended a Llama parasite clinic in Cartersville, GA and learned that we must attempt to restrict our use of deworming by pasture management and individual farm testing. Every day we seem to learn more and get more attached to our "pacas".
I have been working in the Defense industry in Huntsville in April of this year decided to try a little time off in retirement to see what will happen on the farm. We don't expect to get rich at alpaca farming but it allow us to us a small part of our almost 40 acres outlined below for an ecofriendly product that in the U.S we don't eat. They eat alpaca in South America. and hope to retire in a few years.
This is a picture from 2004 and thereforfe doesn't show the improved facilities use for the Alpacas. We have approximately 5 acres fenced off just behind the house for the Alpacas. That 5 acres is fenced and cross fenced into 5 separate areas with a small three sided shelter in each field.
About Us
PECAN LANE FARM
716 Ardmore Highway
Taft, TN 38488
Home: (931)438-2791
Ray's Cell: (256) 656-3272
Wynna's Cell (256) 508-1488
E-Mail: wynnasew@aol.com or eraybo@aol.com
