Alpacas are fledgling business for Peabody couple
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
A beautiful five-acre farm two miles north of Peabody on Old Mill Road is home to Jeff and Laurie Methvin and their two children, Seth, 12, and Michaela, 10.
It also is home to a budding herd of alpacas. Alpacas are fiber-producing members of the camel family raised exclusively for their soft and luxurious wool. They are sheared once a year.
Prairie Oak Alpacas was established by the Methvins about a year ago with the purchase of two adult females and two cria, or babies. They recently purchased a white male.
The animals run on grass during the day but are penned during the night to protect against predators such as coyotes or wild dogs. They have access to a barn for protection from adverse weather.
This is an exciting time for the family because the two pregnant adult females are about to have their cria, the first time the Methvins have experienced a reproduction of their small herd. A special pen has been prepared in the barn to separate the birthing female from the other animals.
It takes 11 months for a baby alpaca to develop, but mothers can be bred back within two or three weeks of delivery.
Each of the two alpaca youngsters has a different type of fiber. Franz is a Suri, which has a very straight fiber. His coat has a brown tint. Sashu is a Huacaya and has a crimped fiber with a black tint. Orion, the white male, also is a Huacaya.
They are gentle animals but don't like to be touched on the head.
The Methvins said alpacas come in 24 natural colors. The white or lighter colored fibers bring a premium because they can be dyed easily.
The fiber has no lanolin; consequently, people who are allergic to wool are not allergic to alpaca fibers.
At the present time, the couple is concentrating on providing information about alpaca fiber to the general public in this area. They go to craft shows where they sell items produced from alpaca fiber. Items for sale include shawls, sweaters, blankets, and stuffed animals.
They had a booth at Burdick's Labor Day celebration and also at Octoberfest, and are planning to be at Durham's Bull-Durham Festival this weekend, and Goessel's arts and crafts fair the first week in November.
They also had a booth at the Kansas State Fair. They said people have been impressed with the incredibly soft fabric, and sales have been good.
The couple hired an individual this past spring to shear their animals and sent the fleeces east for processing. Jeff hopes to do the shearing himself next spring.
The couple also hopes to eventually spin their own yarn and make their own products for sale. They have a friend in the industry who has offered to teach them the spinning process. They plan to establish a farm store in a sunroom on their house.
The Methvins' interest in alpacas began when they purchased an alpaca rug while on vacation in Florida. They were looking for some way to put their five acres to good use.
After doing research on the Internet and communicating with an alpaca breeder at Sabetha, they decided to join the industry.
Jeff said they want to eventually acquire a herd of about 30-35 head. Then they will sell cria to others. A good female can bring anywhere from $15,000 to $35,000.
He said the animals are easy keepers. They are light-footed, so are easy on grass, and can survive on simple prairie hay. They are given a bit of specially-formulated grain once a day. Feed costs are estimated at $75 per year per animal.
The alpacas are 100 percent insured. All expenses incurred, including construction of facilities, are tax deductible.
Alpacas first were imported to the United Sates in 1984 from Chile and Bolivia. Later, they also came from Peru. They live high in the Andes Mountains and are used for food as well as fiber.
At first, production of alpaca fiber was a cottage industry in the United States, but now a national association has been established to develop a large-scale alpaca processing operation. It also promotes marketing. A national registry exists, with strict criteria for registration. A DNA blood test is required of each animal to prove and maintain a pure lineage and prevent cross-breeding.
Jeff said the United States border has been closed to additional imports of alpaca in an effort to maintain the quality of the animals. From now on, the industry must grow from within the country.
He said the future looks bright for the industry as more and more fashion designers are using alpaca fibers and an ever-growing number of stores are beginning to carry alpaca garments.
The Methvins both grew up on farms and ranches southeast of Lincolnville.
Jeff is a senior computer support specialist at Via Christi hospitals in Wichita. Laurie is a nurse practitioner at Community Health Center in Hutchinson.
"Prairie Oak Alpacas is not a hobby, it's a business," Jeff said.
"It's an investment," Laurie added.
