Based in the Manawatu we have been breeding alpacas since 2005. We are a brother and sister team, with Ros managing the property and brother Andy providing valuable advice from Singapore. We have built up our herd to approximately 70 animals and have invested in and bred what we hope to be some fantastic studs males and breeding females. Coming from a dairy farming background our knowledge in pasture management and animal husbandry has been a huge asset over the years and we are of course more than happy to share what we know with others.
We are focused on both coloured suri and huacaya alpacas with our primary goal to breed top quality greys. We find that due to the greys being the rarest coloured alpaca that they are becoming an increasingly popular breeding choice. Our goal is to continually improve the quality of these animals, increase the numbers in the industry and start to see them truly competing with their lighter coloured counterparts. Along with our focus on greys we also have built up a small herd of fancy or multi coloured alpacas. We think these guys are just gorgeous and certainly stand out in the crowd.
Our initial focus was on breeding and understanding the animals and we are now turning to gain a more in-depth knowledge in the fibre side of business. We have started producing some stunning home spun and hand knitted garments, which seem to sell themselves. This has given us the opportunity to gain a real appreciation as to why these animals are so special as their fibre is incredible to work with and wear.
We are a proud member of the Alpaca Association of New Zealand and have been involved at National Council and committee level. This has allowed us to feel like we are contributing to the industry as a whole, and also meet some fantastic people along the way.
We are always keen to meet existing and new breeders to share our experiences and knowledge as well as learn from others, as we feel that that's an important part of being involved in this industry.
We are very much committed to the future of alpacas and are looking forward to continuing our involvement in the promotion of the alpaca industry in New Zealand.