I’ve just returned from the MoPaca Invitational in Kansas City. As always after a show, normal life now feels a bit surreal. It’s hard to return to reality after total immersion in a single venue. This was a particularly hard earned show. We had a wet spring storm hit the day of travel. The snow [...]
Archive for March, 2009
Insanity, Lunacy, and other Bad Habits
Posted in Alpaca Life and Musings on March 31, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Reflections as a New Show Season Begins
Posted in Alpaca Life and Musings on March 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Although the 2009 show season has started for many breeders already, my first show of the year is this weekend in Kansas City, MO – the MoPaca Invitational. I’m always torn between anticipation and reluctance when it comes to getting back in the show swing. When I first started in the alpaca business, it was [...]
Handlers Without Faces
Posted in Alpaca Industry and Business, Information for Alpaca Breeders, tagged alpaca, Blink, handling, IAT, judge bias, judges, judging, Malcolm Gladwell, showing on March 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
One alpaca breeder’s answer as to whether judges of alpaca shows are biased by recognition of the handlers. How IAT plays into judging.
Thoughts on Linebreeding
Posted in Breeding and Reproduction, Genetics, Information for Alpaca Breeders, tagged alpaca, breeding, genetics, inbreeding, linebreeding on March 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Thoughts on the benefits and drawbacks of linebreeding for an alpaca breeding program.
Cool to Know: How Is Soy Yarn Made?
Posted in Cool to Know, Fiber Arts on March 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
There’s been a whole flood of new cellulose-based yarns on the market. They are often marketed , rather loosely I think, as either organic, sustainable, or eco-friendly. Of these terms, only “organic” really has an official definition. It would take a lot more research from seed to end product to determine just how sustainable or [...]
Things We Love: Warrior High Performance Crew Sport Alpaca Socks
Posted in Alpaca Life and Musings, Things We Love on March 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
There are some sure signs that you have, indeed, become your parents. Grumbling over how easy kids have it nowadays, looking forward to going to sleep more than getting up, noticing and caring if your steak order is perfectly cooked and , yes, getting pure tinglelicious delight over a really good pair of socks. I’ve [...]
Charities for Alpaca Lovers
Posted in Alpaca Industry and Business, Alpaca Life and Musings, Information for Alpaca Breeders on March 13, 2009 | 1 Comment »
I am very thankful. With all the worse news on top of bad about the economy, it’s easy to get pessimistic. But amidst the stories of unemployment, foreclosures, and crumbling industries, it’s easy to forget one thing. This is still a country of incredible opportunities that people in many other parts of the world can [...]
Alpaca Reproductive Technologies: Embryo Transfer
Posted in Breeding and Reproduction, Information for Alpaca Breeders, tagged alpaca, breeding, embryo transfer, reproductive technologies on March 11, 2009 | 2 Comments »
A summary of embryo transfer for alpaca breeders, plus pros and cons.
Alpaca Reproductive Technologies: AI and IVF
Posted in Breeding and Reproduction, Information for Alpaca Breeders, tagged AI, alpaca, artificial insemination, breeding, in vitro fertilization, IVF, reproductive technologies on March 11, 2009 | 1 Comment »
A summary of AI and IVF use for alpaca breeding: current feasibility and obstacles.
The Elephant in a Room Full of Alpacas
Posted in Alpaca Industry and Business, Information for Alpaca Breeders on March 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
There’s an elephant in the room and it’s the fear people have about the future of alpaca sales. Sure we talk about it in private and among “ourselves” (people already in the biz). That doesn’t mean we voice our concerns to potential buyers in today’s economic climate. But I think we are doing ourselves and [...]
