Paca News

Archive 2004

The perfect arrival !
Ladies Probus Club Visit - 15 December 2004

Flagstaff Alpacas welcomed the Dunedin-Central Ladies Probus Club for a visit to the Farm - and the visiting ladies watched and welcomed a new arrival! The morning sun tempted Carouselle into delivering a male cria (bottom picture). The visiting ladies duly named the young one 'Gladyson' in memory of a departed friend ... and the youngster duly charmed us all as he took his first steps only a few minutes after birth. No stopping him either, despite the return of the rains, as a few hours later he was bounding around the paddock enjoying his ... fresh ... freedom!. No doubt a very perfect occasion to celebrate a new life amongst our visitors.

Right ROYAL Weather
Invercargill - 9 to 11 December 2004

The weather could hardly have been worse at the Southland A&P Royal Show at Invercargill. For all those helping organise the Show it must have been soul-destroying to see horizontal rain on all three days of the Show. But thanks to some great organisation the alpaca section was 'snugishly' housed inside and we welcomed those visitors brave enough to weather the elements ... don't forget it was less than 2 weeks to mid-summers day?

Toledo did enjoy his day in the limelight being judged a right Royal Reserve Senior Champion, and our other two young female exhibits, April (Black Junior Female) and Bravegirl (Fancy Junior Female) getting Firsts in their classes. Our thanks goes out to the organisers of the alpaca section who all should great skill and flexibility in making the Alpaca Show work so well. And the post Show BBQ finished the weekend wonderfully with so many Cantabrians making the effort to come to the VERY Royal deep south!

'Alpacas a Cuddly Bunch' - The ODT
Oamaru - 17 November 2004

Oamaru, and the North Otago Show Ground, should have been a mud quagmire after the heavens opened the night preceeding the Show. But, bless their socks, the only thing that suffered were a few alpaca fleeces ... and they soon recovered on a warm and windy day. Even the Regional Paper, the Otago Daily Times ('paca thanks for the coverage) liked the alpaca (and Andy?) with alpacas featuring on the front page and as the lead item on the Show. But the happiest person was Mitch; shorn by Owen Gould he took 5.75 kgs of fleece off him, a 368 day fleece and still leaving a bonnet on the boy. Otto (middle picture with his hair on) and a few others were .... trimmed ... but none compared to Mitch's stats. Boy he's a happy 'paca now ... bring-on the sun he says!

Manawatu and Canterbury A&Ps
All-over NZ! - November 2004

Big "Roadtrip" for Andy saw several of our boys feature at the Manawatu and Canterbury A&Ps, at Palmerston North and Christchurch respectively, in early November. Great hosting by both organising teams and A&Ps with only Mitch having any complaints as he had to carry his fleece around the country in the heat! But Mitch's efforts were rewarded as he took Senior Champion at Manawatu. Ammers folllowed-up with Reserve Senior at Canterbury behind a 10-year old fawn senior male.

AANZ National Expo
Christchurch - October 2004

What a wonderful celebration of the alpaca industry. Over 220 alpacas in the show arena and plenty of media coverage showing how robust the industry is. And Otago were certainly on the alpaca map of New Zealand; we collected 8 ribbons with 'Ammers' Senior Champion Male Huacaya, 'Otto' Reserve Senior Champion to Ammers, 'Toledo' first in the Senior Mid/Dark Fawn Senior Class, and then only outclassed as Senior Champion to Ammers and Otto, and Phantom (middle picture - with Laura) first amongst the White/Light Fawn Junior Males. Poor old 'Sea Stallion' got soaked in a downpour ... don't get that in Dunedin? ... but still well placed in his class. A really great effort by the Expo organising committee... thanks!

Pascal
20 October 2004

Our latest arrival, the first for the summer, is Pascal. She is a solid white female to mum, Marianna, weighing-in at the press conference at 7.5 kgs, and is already fighting the boys off ... aged 20 hours! The winter cria have given her a 'once-over' and she is already playing tag. Picture right taken aged 1 hour ... another wet day in Dunedin ... damn!

More Arrivals
Escara and Brooky - August 2004

Girl and boy respectively the winter has not worried these two little guys. Escara (lower picture ... arriving!) is a wonderful chocolate brown colour and has already picked amongst the young boys for a play mate. Brooky prefers the company of ... anyone who will talk to him ... 'paca or human!

Arrivals
Millo - May 2004

Our early May arrival was little Millo (middle picture), a fawn male to his Mum, Missy, in mid-May. Unfortunately, mum was very sick in June and Millo moved onto the bottle! Mum's recovered now but Mllo still likes a 'nip' given the chance ... and the other guys are jealous!

AANZ Conference
June 2004

Andy attended the AANZ Conference in Rotovegas, along with over 200 other delegates. A fantastic celebration of the alpaca industry in New Zealand, with plenty of new and old lessons to learn, the industry is in very good order. Looking forward to next year's in Palmerston North.

Alpacamobile
August 2004

The Alpacamobile has been off the road for a few days ... think a few of the cria and girls (chief suspect - see article) got to the cam-belt so as to avoid any winter tours to guesting stud males. But the van is back now ... security is watching for further sabotage.

Autumn Births
April 2004

Our Autumn birthing season saw 7 cria on the ground with the last - a black female named April (see picture left) one of the best. Most mothers were then mated to either Ammeretto or Milagro.