Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Enamored by their stoic personality and versatility within the ranch, owner of Windrush Alpaca Ranch Rosemary Metcalf said she fell in love with alpacas as soon as she saw them in a farm journal.
Metcalf said alpacas are not your everyday livestock, but the adventure in taking care of them is an experience she wouldn’t trade for the world.
“The beautiful thing about alpacas is their gentle and very stoic personalities … They’re very low maintenance and I loved the versatility of the alpaca fiber provided,” Metcalf said.
Windrush houses 38 alpacas, all varying in different sizes and colors. Metcalf said unlike their relatives llamas and camels, alpacas are more gentle with people and other livestock. However, she still encourages future alpaca owners to respect boundaries.
Metcalf offers insight into what makes an alpaca the perfect family livestock and what residents should consider before owning their own herd.
What makes them great for the farm:
• Submissive behaviors - Metcalf said alpacas are stoic by nature due to them being prey animals. She said alpacas share similar temperaments of cats, by being calm and submissive.
• Soft wool - Alpacas’ soft wool can provide a myriad of knitted goods. Metcalf said she often crafts socks, alpaca plushies, gloves and yarn at her ranch.
• Safety - Unlike horses or cows, Metcalf said alpacas have padded feet similar to dogs. She said their kicks are less damaging than most livestock, but for owners to practice caution when handling them.
• Less maintenance - Due to their padded feet, alpacas are not destructive on pastures. Metcalf said they also don’t require a tremendous amount of care, as they don’t require a lot of water and feeding them is about the same price as feeding any pet.
What to know about alpacas:
• Family matters - Metcalf said if residents are interested in owning an alpaca then they should be prepared to own four. Alpacas require companionship of some kind to feel comfortable in their environment. She also discourages adopting baby alpacas as they are heavily reliant on their mother and are difficult to bottle feed.
• It's all in the ears - Despite their similarities to llamas, Metcalf said the biggest difference between the two groups is the shape of their ears. Llamas have banana-shaped ears, while alpacas have spear-shaped ones.
• The price tag - Alpacas are considered one of the more expensive livestock, but the liviness they bring to the ranch is worth every dollar, said Metcalf.
Madison Willis writes about animals for The Eastern New Mexico News. To suggest a story or nominate a “Pet of the week,” contact her at: [email protected]
