Alpaca for sale at Kensmyth – 2016 release of outstanding genetics

For those of you with “champagne taste” but Beer money, Alpaca prices can be very off putting as they vary tremendously due to age, quality and progeny not to mention critical genetics.

Folk talk about Phenotype and Genotype but at the end of the day it boils down to simply – “what do you want the Alpaca for?” Are they for Pets, the Show Ring or commercial fleece production?

If you are looking for a PET and pay PET prices, do not expect it to win at the British Alpaca Society National Show!

YOU are the one who has to see to the every day needs and requirements in the wet muddy paddock in freezing temperatures and attend to water etc in the hot burning temperatures – so buy what you like and everything else will follow.

What are you looking for? Do you want to breed for the Show ring, in which case the “look” of the Alpaca is key, along with the fineness of the fleece which must have crimp to please the judges.

Heads with full coverage are key for the Show Ring.

Are you looking to breed for fleece to produce for garments? in which case you need not worry so much about the “look” of the Alpaca or indeed its crimp but need to look at its size and staple length for fleece production. Small bodied alpaca do not produce as much fleece as bigger Alpaca but if the fleece is no good at all, then you will not get very far producing scratchy itchy fleece from poor quality Alpaca.

Big IS really beautiful, IF the fleece matches and is good quality.

Fleece stats (statistics) are helpful but they are only like an “MOT on a car” as they only cover that time for that Alpaca, it does give some indication but only at that time of year at that moment on that particular years fleece.  All too often folk use the “cria” or First fleece statistics which are bound to be the best. FEELING the fleece softness on the Alpaca is far better than reading statistics on paper without seeing the Alpaca it came from.

Ultimately HOW you feed your Alpaca and the weather conditions will change the fleece anyway. For example, it is widely known that the Alpaca in Australia lose several micron if moved to New Zealand – obvious really as the climate and grasses change dramatically.

So put Alpaca in a lush grassy field, overfeed it and you will get a higher micron and poorer quality fleece statistic than the Alpaca is genuinely capable of. simples.

look at the parents, do you like what you see?

Is the breeder keeping back females in their own herd… always a good sign and just selling older females which could thus be a bargain starter herd?

look at the males – are they correct behind?

“Bite” does not mean they physically bite but, like sheep means the teeth meeting the palate in a sensible manner. not too overshot or undershot. if you are looking for a fleece producing Alpaca, this matters less than if you want a “show one”. If bad though, it is not something we would breed from regardless of the quality of the fleece. Likewise temperament, if the Alpaca is unmanageable in its temperament then chances are, its progeny will carry some if not all of that trait.

When you send your fleece to be made into yarn, you get out what you put in but it is still not as soft as natural fleece. make sure you know what you are buying, how to look after it, the fact they must live in herds of at least three (not singly), they can live 20 years plus and you buy from someone who is willing to help and advise!

Nothing is set in stone in the Alpaca world and this is only my opinion based on nearly ten years of breeding Alpaca, without issue and with a longstanding very successful fleece production business!

Kensmyth Stud has Alpaca of most colours to suit all types and all budgets, some are available now, please enquire.

We will tell you honestly what “type” of Alpaca they are and what they are best suited for!