Alta Vida Alpacas

So in our first year of alpaca ownership one of the highlights has definitely been the new babies! I can still remember vividly the first delivery and my sense of awe, wonder, terror for the unknown and hopes for the future...wait we are still talking about alpacas, right? It really has been a fun summer/fall with some highs and lows, the learning process never ending. We have experienced some hard lessons, and I continually bemoan to our amazing vet (Dr. Signe Balch, DVM) "I don't know, what read more...

So today is Contessa's due date! She is bred to a GRAY champion, Juan Spectacular Guy. Check him out over at www.grandviewsurialpacas.com Talk about a big handsome sire! We are so excited as this will be our first cria (baby alpaca) at our ranch. Some have been noticing a number of later deliveries this season so far in Colorado, possibly due to the quality of hay that was available throughout the winter is one theory. It is not uncommon for alpacas to take an additional 2 weeks, even up to read more...

Wow, what a great month here at AVA...our first shows, the Great Western Alpaca Show (GWAS) and the AOBA Nationals, welcoming Fabuloso of PVA to our ranch, Peter graduating from High School, making many new contacts in the special needs world, adding 2 new Alpaca Partners...is it just me or is the earth spinning faster these days? June looks to be just as exciting...it all kicks off with shearing day and a new cria (baby alpaca) on the way. Ladies and gents, get stocked up on tissues, cuz you read more...

So today, we practiced haltering a zebra! Ummm...excuse me? Yes a zebra! Inflatable anyways :) Zeus is our inflatable pool toy zebra that we use to learn, teach and practice putting halters on with, so that when we are doing it with a real live alpaca, we have some skills in place and are less fumble stumble fingers. Alex, one of our Alpaca Partners got his first taste of how tricky Zeus can be in avoiding the halter :) He did great and it is a critical basic step in being confident and co read more...

So at the core of all this fuzzy goodness is the desire to connect with special needs persons in a unique and real way that helps build community, communicates compassion and supports competence in their everyday lives. How in the Sam Hill are lil ole alpacas gonna accomplish all of that you might ask? Well, we have 2 intentional avenues that we hope will help us pursue these goals. The first is our Alpaca Partners and the second are Alpaca Camps. Alpaca Partners is a one-on-one time where w read more...

So over the next few posts, I will be updating pics of our herd. Feel free to ask questions, comment, schedule a visit, but beware, you might just fall in love! As we stand right now, we have 12 alpacas, 2 llamas and 1 livestock guard dog (Molly). Of these animals, the bulk were chosen for their fiber and companionship abilities, though we do have a 1 pregnant female, Contessa. She is bred to a 2 time grey color champion and we are excited for her lil cria to arrive around the beginning of J read more...

On a day that celebrates new life, Alta Vida Alpacas celebrates the first full day of having all the animals on our own property. Yesterday we made 5 trips to various friends around central Colorado and collected 1 livestock guardian dog: Molly, 2 llamas: True Grit and Snapple, 6 girl alpacas: Contessa, Adoncia, Sierra, Missy, Ricky Lee and Cinnamon, and 6 boy alpacas: Heso, Batiste, Ringo, Steppenwolf, E.B. and Forrest. Some of these animals are amazing breeding stock, some are slated to be co read more...

What does your 2013 look like? What are you hoping to accomplish, experience, learn and enjoy?

Well, here at Alta Vida Alpacas, LLC things are about to get crazy for a little bit!

Closing on the new ranch is scheduled for Jan 10th, some minor house remodeling and updating to follow on the 11th, move in the 12th and then get the other house ready to sell, tentatively on the market by end of January. Once our current house is listed, then the ranch setup begins with pro read more...