Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
MILFORD - Just a dozen days old, the curiosity of Turkey Creek Alpacas' newest addition is already evident. Hurricane Lili, born Oct. 3 as the tropical storm whizzed over Cuba and headed up the Gulf Coast, approaches her owners, Lee and Liz Clark, without any apprehension.
Her mother, Fayzah, and another female, Little Tess, graze nearby, unconcerned about this visit to the pasture.
Dressed in a brown coat, white mask and stockings, Lili's enormous eyes don't miss a thing. The cira, Spanish for baby animal, doesn't stay in one place for long, returning to her dam's side after a short investigation.
Members of the camelid family, closely related to the llama, Lili and the other females were exhibiting the characteristics of their species - intelligence, loveable dispositions, gentleness and herding instincts.
When the Clarks purchased several acres northwest of Milford, they pondered what to do with the property.
Lee grew up on a farm; Liz was a city-raised gal who loved animals. A field of wildflowers for the land? - Too simple. Sheep? - Lee wasn't interested.
While deliberating, they saw a television advertisement on the Discovery Channel about alpacas that made them both sit up and take notice.
"Raising the animals as a small business was appealing to us because the end product from the animal, soft and luxurious fiber, is obtained without harm," Liz said. "We see the alpaca business as a two-fold opportunity - the first being the breeding and sales of animals and the second the start of a cottage business from the fiber."
The animals were originally raised in South America. Clothing made of alpaca yarn was reserved for royalty, with good reason.
A garment made of alpaca is probably the softest and most luxuriant, warm and durable piece of clothing anyone can own.
Sheared once a year, usually in spring, an adult fleece can weigh five to 10 pounds.
The Clarks belong to the Alpaca Fiber Co-operative of North America Inc. along with about 700 other alpaca producers in North America. The co-op, established in 1998, markets alpaca yarn on a national level under the label "America's Alpaca."
The international demand for the product always exceeds the supply.
The Clarks contribute half their fleeces in return for reduced pricing on roving (unspun fiber) or yarn.
Lili is the second baby born on the Clarks' farm, following "3's A Charm," who was born in April. Called "Tres," the young male is now separated from the females in a pasture with "Damn Yankee," and a new arrival, "Hoosier."
A third adult female, "Cookies and Cream," is being bred on another farm.
The Clarks' herd grazes on about one-third of an acre, an area they plan to expand. The alpacas' diet is supplemented with hay, the main staple of their diet. Young animals taken an interest in grain, but usually give it up after a while.
They survive well on different kinds of low protein hay or pasture grass, having evolved in harsh conditions.
Although they're not extremely vocal, the alpacas hum, and, Liz says, let out an Indian war cry as a warning sound. She demonstrated the yell, with Lee saying it was a good imitation.
The alpacas were unimpressed.
Like horses, alpacas express their moods with ear positions - forward for interest, flat back if disturbed and a range of attitudes in between.
The Clarks' alpacas are huacaya types, the most common, with thick, fluffy fiber giving them a teddy-bear-like appearance.
Suris, the other type of alpaca, have pencil-wide curly locks, which have a high sheen.
At shows, alpacas are judged on the quality of their coats as well as uniformity of color: a range of whites, fawns, browns, blacks, silvers and rose grays.
"Yankee" placed first at the national show and received a second place in full fleece.
Liz is amazed at how supportive the alpaca community is. She used to show small animals and thought the competitions was a little rough.
"I had reservations about showing, but everyone was so nice," she said.
While Liz is learning hand-spinning, Lee is developing light-weight panels and designing trailers to haul the alpacas.
"Instead of coming into the house after work," Liz said, "now we head straight to the barn to be with the alpacas and find things to do to be with them."
On the Net: The Clark's Web site is www.turkeycreekalpacas.com which has links to other alpaca sites.
