Big Rock Alpaca Farm

On June 13, 2009 Big Rock Alpaca Farm will be showing off some of our alpacas at The Mannings Annual Spinning Seminar.? The two that we’ll most likely have there will be Gaston and Silver Ray.

Silver Ray has already been shorn, but since Gaston will be getting back from Nationals earlier in the week we’re planning to still have him in full fleece and to hand shear him on Sunday.

The day makes for a great family outing.? There is no admission fee or pre-registration required and lunch can be purchased there in support of a local church.? There will be lots of different demonstrations going on for everyone to experience and learn from.

Kelly showing Frankie

Kelly showing Frankie

We’ll have a couple of our alpacas there and will also have some of the their raw fiber and fiber in various stages of being processed.

We look forward to seeing all of you there!

Tags: Events, Products, Shows by Allen
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I’ve been meaning to post this introduction since soon after MAPACA as that’s when we purchased him.? Currently we’re only breeding suris but there are some huacayas that you just love to look at, and Silver Ray is one of them.? He actually took fouth in a class of ten at MAPACA so others think he’s a nice boy too.? His personality seems to lend itself more to the obstacles than Gaston’s does, so we’re planning to have the boys work with him and they can do the obstacles with him next show season.

Hillside's Silver Ray

Hillside's Silver Ray

His fiber is so soft and fluffy that Kelly is really looking forward to getting to spin with it.? And of course his grey color is a great benefit.? Who knows, if he does good at the shows next year maybe we’ll have to get some huacaya females to use for breeding.

Tags: Alpaca Male, Cria by Allen
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This year’s shearing day has come and gone.? It was May 13, 2009, and we sheared 52 alpacas at Paso Ligero Alpacas.? We had all ten of our alpacas there, but only nine were shorn since Gaston is going to Nationals.

The shearer did an excellent job.? I wasn’t paying real close attentetion but I don’t think he even knick one of the alpacas.? There were some alpacas though that were not particularly happy about the process, some screaming and spitting was going on.

Shearing a suri alpaca

Shearing a suri alpaca

We completed the shearing around 3:30 in the afternoon, after getting started at 7:30 in the morning.? The guy that did the shearing took the early end of the day as an opportunity to sharpen a bunch of his blades.

Sharping blades at the end of the day

Sharping blades at the end of the day

Tags: Events by Allen
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Gaston takes 2nd in class at 2009 PAOBA

Gaston takes 2nd in class at 2009 PAOBA

Sir Gaston ROX recieved a second place in his class at the 2009 PAOBA Breeder’s Showcase in York, PA.? He was placed in the medium fawn class at this show.? The class had six other nice suri alpacas in it for a total of seven in the class.? The judge liked his fineness, density and consistency of lock over the third place.? In fact that only thing that placed the first place alpaca above Gaston was the bone structure.? The first place alpaca was a little more heavily boned.

After the cl;ass a much more experienced suri breeder stopped us with the first place alpaca and felt that Gaston had more density than the first place alpaca.? His comments confirmed a lot of what we think about Gaston.

His last and final show of the season will be the 2009 National Show in Cleveland, Ohio.? He’ll be remaining in full fleece until then and we’re planning to hand shear him soon after he returns home.

Tags: Alpaca Herdsire, Alpaca Male, Events, Shows by Allen
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