http://encorealpacas.com Huacaya Alpacas in Marshall, Michigan Sun, 18 Apr 2010 13:41:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en In February I attended a Fiber Sorting class. I had no idea how that class would change the way I think about the alpaca business and fiber. It is so clear to me now that not sorting out the different grades of fiber in a fleece before putting ... http://encorealpacas.com/2010/04/the-secrets-in-the-sorting/ It is cold outside and quite frankly I hate winter and cold.  That being said I can put aside all that dislike for the weather once I get out in the barn and have one of these wonderful animals run up to me as if to say "What have you ... http://encorealpacas.com/2010/01/again-and-again/ Mikayla grew up to be everything we thought she would.  Structurally you could not ask for more.  Her look is striking and her confidence is evident.  Mikayla has beautiful fiber that has a great deal of crimp.  When you put your hands on her it is impossible not to notice ... http://encorealpacas.com/2009/12/ae-peruvian-mikayla/ Marrisa is a girl out of the foundation herd.  She is one of the original girls here on the farm and is in no uncertain terms the leader of the herd.  She recently returned from being bred at Avalon Alpaca Farm who co-owns her.  In their herd of 80 or ... http://encorealpacas.com/2009/11/stubborn-with-an-attitude/ Shooter is a young male alpaca who was born last summer on the farm.  From the very beginning he was the kind of independent cria that would drive a mom crazy.  No matter how much humming or clicking Lilly would do Shooter had his own thoughts about how his life ... http://encorealpacas.com/2009/11/i-am-my-brothers-keeper/ It is almost winter here at Encore and we have begun to prepare for the cold winter winds.  Even the animals seem to know that the warm sunny days are numbered and they try to enjoy every moment that they can.  Do they really have a sense of what is ... http://encorealpacas.com/2009/11/almost-winter/ This is my blog to write about alpaca stuff but tonight I must make an exception.  Today I said goodby to my first French Bulldog, "Boomer".  He had been with me 13 1/2 years.  I have joked with many that he was that parinoid son I always wanted.  Now that ... http://encorealpacas.com/2009/10/part-of-the-family/ It's all  in the eyes.  If you have every really looked at an alpaca you know what I am talking about.  I don't know if its the way the eyes sit in the skull or if it is those long flowing eye lashes but alpacas eyes have a way of ... http://encorealpacas.com/2009/10/its-all-in-the-eyes/ I am an alpaca farmer.  I believe that this is the best thing I have done in years.  No, not just because of the money but because raising alpacas is different than than raising any animal I have ever had.  Yes there have been a few other animals.  There were ... http://encorealpacas.com/2009/10/242/ This summer one of our major purchases was a Greystone Pasture Vac.  We had look at this over the past two years trying to decide if the benefits would justify the cost.  Well, we have had our Greystone for about four months now and it has been wonderful.  It has ... http://encorealpacas.com/2009/10/greystone-pasture-vac/