Alpacas, rabbits and sheep -- oh my!

Sunday, June 1, 2003

Local agrarians interested in finding out more about alternative forms of livestock have been heading out to the Missouri Natural Colored Wool Growers Heart of America Sheep Show and Fiber Festival this weekend. Producers interested in a larger fiber producing animal that offers a good return on their investment visited the llama and alpaca barn. Alpacas normally are about half the size of llamas, and llamas have traditionally been bred for pack animals, while alpacas are strictly fiber-producing animals. Lyn Simuns, owner of Takara Ranch of Collins, Mo. raises alpacas, Angora goats and sheep. She said that alpaca have many features that make them an ideal animal for a 4-H project, or for someone who's interested in getting into the field of agriculture. She noted that alpaca are often more tame because they are handled more by their owners. In addition, they are small enough to allow a handler to control them without being in danger of having the animal overpower the handler as a 1,200-pound cow might. Since alpacas are also relatively easy to train and easy for kids to manage. Simuns said that the animals are growing in popularity amount 4-H groups. An alpaca needs one shearing a year, and Simuns said that the animals pay for themselves every year with their fiber. Simuns did say that parasites, like lice or worms, can become a problem but as long as a producer follows a strong regiment of wormers and dipping, the parasites are easily kept under control. The high temperature during the fiber festival was hard on both spectators and livestock. While animals that had been recently shorn appeared to be relatively comfortable, the ones with longer hair were constantly panting. Carolyn Parry of the Missouri Natural Colored Wool Growers Association said that as long as the animal is not stressed, the heavy wool helps to keep the heat out. However, she warned that most woolly animals can't be hassled, exercised or stressed or they will overheat and die. The fiber festival also drew a large number of goat producers. Indian Springs Farm, in Potosi, is one of the two oldest breeders of natural colored Angora goats in the state of Missouri. Avelene McCaul, co-owner of Indian Springs said that the greatest reward in raising the Angora goats is harvesting the fiber that they produce, known as mohair. McCaul said that the farm's breeding program stresses color and texture but that the texture is more important. The average Angora goat can be shorn two times a year and shearing will produce around five pounds of fiber One of the problems with the raising of specialty livestock, like Angora goats, is that there is not a ready market for the product. "You just don't go out and say 'Here I am.' You have to establish yourself and build a reputation for integrity," said McCaul. The Karakul sheep is relatively rare in the United States, there only being about three thousand in the whole country, but they are the pride and joy of Judy Vaughn. "I'm really into rare breeds," she said. Karakul are unique for several reasons. This breed has a tail that is about the size of a loaf of bread. Vaughn reports that this is a fat deposit, like a camels hump. She also said that the horns of the Karakul are attached to the sinus cavity. In warmer climates, the horns grow farther away from the face than in colder climates. Vaughn theorizes that this is a form of temperature control which keeps the blood cooler and prevents the overheating that is deadly among most sheep. The problem with a rare breed like the Karakul is that the gene pool is relatively shallow. Vaughn said that all the Karakul sheep in the United States and descended from four or five bloodlines. The Supreme Champion Fleece of the Missouri Natural Colored Wool Growers Heart of America Sheep Show and Fiber Festival was a Shetland sheep fleece, owned by Terri Gardner, of Adrian, Mo. Gardner was very enthusiastic about her chosen breed. "It started out as a hobby and grew to a flock of 21," she said. The Shetland sheep is a small, hardy breed originating on the Shetland Isles of Scotland. According to Gardner the Shetland Isles were a fishing community and the smaller sheep were an asset because women and children could care for them while the men were away at sea. The fiber festival offered a cornucopia of animals used in making clothing. From undergarments to rugs, there is a breed to fill every niche.

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