Given that every business needs a business plan, how do you write one for alpacas? We don't want to manufacture millions of widgets or raise thousands of cattle no matter how well these business models are documented. There are some books and web sites that give you the outline of an alpaca business plan, but I found them lacking. I am a technical writer by trade, so I dived into those dry books on how to write business plans and applied it to my alpaca business.
I took home the message that you need goals. What gets managed, gets tracked. What gets tracked, gets done.
I acknowledged the need for a financial plan, if not actual financials. Not only answering the question of am I making money, but how will I make money.
Detailing where my alpaca business is today and where I want it to be in the future opened my mind to more possibilities. How many acres do I want, how many alpacas, do I want machinery or material goods to help . In an ideal world, what do I see as my end goal? Now how do I get there?! What are the risks?
Business Plans are the roadmap to success. Once you have the goals set for your one year and 5 year plans, it is easy to make day to day decisions. Should I put in the new pasture, or buy a new alpaca is transformed into the question "Does buying this new alpaca fit into my business plan, does putting in a new pasture fit into my business plan?" I have passed up many alpacas because they do not fit into my business plan. I raise black alpacas, with some brown and fawn sprinkled in. Fawn does not always cover black... But I digress. Even though the alpacas were quality and were well priced, I saved my money for the new pasture because my 5 year goal is to have 10 production black females. To do that, I need more room. Fencing is the priority.
Deciding on which breedings to do is easier with a business plan. Which male will drive my business forward towards my goals? If you have the 20/20 goal of 20 pounds of fiber at 20 microns, then you would want to look at the males that will add density and fineness to your females instead of say color.
The business plan is the way to tell the IRS you are serious and not a hobby. It is one of the criteria for a business, along with stationary, and a bank account. :)
A business plan helps you budget your expenses and income.
Given the scarcity of business plans amongst alpaca breeders, I think there must be a reluctance about writing them. They can be a long or short as you want. They can include financials or just a general goal. The can be involved or simple. It really is up to you. I thought it might help for me to walk you through the steps of a business plan with an alpaca slant on the information. Many of the books that are out there are thinking along different lines of manufacturing or production of one item. Farming and ranching have their own unique issues.
Follow along with me for the next couple of weeks as I rewrite my business plan and talk about the steps involved.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Mollie's Cria Finally Arrived!
The cria I have been waiting so impatiently for finally arrived last Thursday. 15.6 pounds of bouncing baby boy.
Day 1
Mollie delivered him like a champ and other than a bit of misunderstanding on nursing, things went smoothly. Oh, it was my misunderstanding. I am supposed to stand waaaaay back and observe. Not participate. Was worried when she would not let him nurse, so got more involved which made things more bungled. Left them alone in a small pen - and low and behold, nursing. Get close, stops nursing. Got it, she is shy:) Or, she doesn't want the silly humans meddling with her precious cria. She is the most nurturing of any alpaca mother I have seen, actually licking his face and nuzzling him.
Day 2 - 4
He lost weight - not a big surprise, most lose about 1/2 pound, but he lost a little over a pound. That is worrisome. The second day he lost weight too. Not as much, but I tried him on a bottle and he spit it out. He tongued it out. He protested quite vigorously. So, I got a 3 cc syringe (minus needle) and filled it with yummy whole milk. He would take about an ounce that way, then would dramatically choke and spit out the milk. He stayed the same weight , on the 3rd, and 4th day.
Day 5
Off to the vet we go. He is a vigorous drinker, says Dr Jackie. And sometimes those are the ones that are difficult to supplement because they want mom's milk. He drinks from all 4 teats and is stripping her dry. She stands patiently while he nurses. The two of them have it figured out, but still no weight gain, because Mollie is not producing as much milk as he needs. We are approaching this from a couple of angles. Baby is getting tubed with milk 3 xs/day with 4 ounces each time to make up the difference between maintaining weight and gaining. Herbs and medicine are on order to stimulate milk production.
The crazy thing is that Mollie will sometimes bring him to us when we come in the field to tube and sometimes not. At least she has decided I am not going to do unmentionable things to him. She accompanies him on each weigh in and we tube in the field with her.
Day 6
No weight gain. He doesn't like it when we get to the end of the third ounce. We are working on technique to make it more comfortable for us and him. He takes the tube well and stands still for the first 2 ounces just fine. He needs all 4 ounces though, so it is a conundrum.
Today, Day 7, we finally have a weight gain. A very modest 0.1 pound. However, he is more active and feisty now, so I think the supplement is doing its job.
Oh, by the way, that shyness she had, it is all gone. At the vet's office she stood and nursed while everyone was wandering around admiring the baby.
The take home message from this would be to weigh each cria for the first 10 days. See, I was listening Dr Scott.
Day 1
Mollie delivered him like a champ and other than a bit of misunderstanding on nursing, things went smoothly. Oh, it was my misunderstanding. I am supposed to stand waaaaay back and observe. Not participate. Was worried when she would not let him nurse, so got more involved which made things more bungled. Left them alone in a small pen - and low and behold, nursing. Get close, stops nursing. Got it, she is shy:) Or, she doesn't want the silly humans meddling with her precious cria. She is the most nurturing of any alpaca mother I have seen, actually licking his face and nuzzling him.
Day 2 - 4
He lost weight - not a big surprise, most lose about 1/2 pound, but he lost a little over a pound. That is worrisome. The second day he lost weight too. Not as much, but I tried him on a bottle and he spit it out. He tongued it out. He protested quite vigorously. So, I got a 3 cc syringe (minus needle) and filled it with yummy whole milk. He would take about an ounce that way, then would dramatically choke and spit out the milk. He stayed the same weight , on the 3rd, and 4th day.
Day 5
Off to the vet we go. He is a vigorous drinker, says Dr Jackie. And sometimes those are the ones that are difficult to supplement because they want mom's milk. He drinks from all 4 teats and is stripping her dry. She stands patiently while he nurses. The two of them have it figured out, but still no weight gain, because Mollie is not producing as much milk as he needs. We are approaching this from a couple of angles. Baby is getting tubed with milk 3 xs/day with 4 ounces each time to make up the difference between maintaining weight and gaining. Herbs and medicine are on order to stimulate milk production.
The crazy thing is that Mollie will sometimes bring him to us when we come in the field to tube and sometimes not. At least she has decided I am not going to do unmentionable things to him. She accompanies him on each weigh in and we tube in the field with her.
Day 6
No weight gain. He doesn't like it when we get to the end of the third ounce. We are working on technique to make it more comfortable for us and him. He takes the tube well and stands still for the first 2 ounces just fine. He needs all 4 ounces though, so it is a conundrum.
Today, Day 7, we finally have a weight gain. A very modest 0.1 pound. However, he is more active and feisty now, so I think the supplement is doing its job.
Oh, by the way, that shyness she had, it is all gone. At the vet's office she stood and nursed while everyone was wandering around admiring the baby.
The take home message from this would be to weigh each cria for the first 10 days. See, I was listening Dr Scott.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Easy Like Sunday Morning
Summer is upon us. We've been advised that the weather may reach as high as 90 degrees today, and all of the alpacas are taking the day off. It's their humorous (and sometimes concerning) tendency to lay like death itself when they're napping in the sun. About the only thing that can interrupt their lazing is the promise of being hosed down. Being very formal animals, they don't submit to being indiscriminately sprayed, but rather stand patiently while you wet their legs. If they're feeling particularly warm they love to have their belly sprayed with water, and will submit to awkward positions to make it easier for the hose to get under them.
Buttercups have displaced the spring-time dandelions, and the grass grows so quickly I think if you looked closely you could see it happening before your eyes. Cottonwood hangs lazily in the air, and I can't imagine doing hard work of any sort. The alpacas need tending, true, but at this point that is an excuse to experience the weather, then retreat back to the air-conditioned house.
Things will pick up soon. We are due for a baby, and once the first comes they will all no doubt be popping out like popcorn in a kettle, and there will be much work to be done. But today, today is to be savoured.
Buttercups have displaced the spring-time dandelions, and the grass grows so quickly I think if you looked closely you could see it happening before your eyes. Cottonwood hangs lazily in the air, and I can't imagine doing hard work of any sort. The alpacas need tending, true, but at this point that is an excuse to experience the weather, then retreat back to the air-conditioned house.
Things will pick up soon. We are due for a baby, and once the first comes they will all no doubt be popping out like popcorn in a kettle, and there will be much work to be done. But today, today is to be savoured.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Conspiracy Theory
The pregnant ladies and Cappuccino stayed in the front pasture while all the rest moved next door. This is the first time I have separated the females, but as I was watching the new game of "sniff the pregnant lady and wake her up, then run", I decided that it would be in the best interest of all concerned to move the young whippersnappers out of there.
The pregnant ones have a new game too. It is called "lay around and watch Mom go crazy". I am going out and checking on Mollie, who is due any minute, about every hour to see if she looks like she is in labor. They all cush together and don't even bother to get up when I wander over, oh so casually, to check out fetal movement and behavior of the dam. I expect they are taking notes to give at the next alpaca symposium on how to drive your caretaker stark raving bonkers. What symposium, I hear you asking - You thought the alpaca shows were for us? "Look relaxed, chew your cud, see if you can get the cria to show her a foot or something, that is always good."
Cappuccino is the master of not showing labor. In the nine years I have had her, I have been present at 2 births, she literally waits until I leave - usually in the car- before she pops the cria out. When I return, there is a happy healthy cria. I think the next trick they will pull, is hiding the cria until it is a couple of days old. "What, this old thing? I've had it for days."
The pregnant ones have a new game too. It is called "lay around and watch Mom go crazy". I am going out and checking on Mollie, who is due any minute, about every hour to see if she looks like she is in labor. They all cush together and don't even bother to get up when I wander over, oh so casually, to check out fetal movement and behavior of the dam. I expect they are taking notes to give at the next alpaca symposium on how to drive your caretaker stark raving bonkers. What symposium, I hear you asking - You thought the alpaca shows were for us? "Look relaxed, chew your cud, see if you can get the cria to show her a foot or something, that is always good."
Cappuccino is the master of not showing labor. In the nine years I have had her, I have been present at 2 births, she literally waits until I leave - usually in the car- before she pops the cria out. When I return, there is a happy healthy cria. I think the next trick they will pull, is hiding the cria until it is a couple of days old. "What, this old thing? I've had it for days."
Friday, May 29, 2009
Blackberry 1, Mower 1/2
We are clearing the last field so that we can fence it for pasture. It has been left for three years, which in the Pacific Northwest means it is over run by blackberry. It may not be as quick as Kudzu, but it gets points for tenacity and those thorns! Rented a brush mower to clear just the new fence line. That is not going to happen. The canes wrapped themselves around the wheels and the blade to bring the mower to a halt. Now to rent a guy with a tractor to brush hog.
The alpacas love the blackberry leaves and in their pastures they keep the blackberry under control - eaten to the ground. Thought if I could just get the thing fenced, I would let the pacas out to clear the rest. They did not read the book that says they are grazers. Mine are browsers, they eat anything they can reach with those long necks and prehensile lips. Everything except thistle. But that is another story.
Blackberries try to take over my back yard every year too. I chop it back to the fence line twice a year. So far it has not advanced, but if one takes their eyes off it, it will take over the house.
This is a view of the back of the property - we have blackberry - anything that is not a tree and is green is blackberry.
Looking at one of the 5 foot posts being overrun by the blackberry.
The alpacas love the blackberry leaves and in their pastures they keep the blackberry under control - eaten to the ground. Thought if I could just get the thing fenced, I would let the pacas out to clear the rest. They did not read the book that says they are grazers. Mine are browsers, they eat anything they can reach with those long necks and prehensile lips. Everything except thistle. But that is another story.
Blackberries try to take over my back yard every year too. I chop it back to the fence line twice a year. So far it has not advanced, but if one takes their eyes off it, it will take over the house.
This is a view of the back of the property - we have blackberry - anything that is not a tree and is green is blackberry.
Looking at one of the 5 foot posts being overrun by the blackberry.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Ranch First Aid Kit
First aid kits are nice to have until you have someone bleeding or broken and then they are indispensable! I like to be optimistic that injuries will remain rare on the farm. We rarely have them, so it is not at the top of my "to do" list to plan for them. Most of what happens around here involves the bumps and scrapes known to most mothers of five year olds. Sad to say, the bumps and scrapes are mine!
After attending a first aid class for alpacas, I got to thinking about the things I use or might need in case of an injury. I put together a kit from what the vets recommended plus a bunch of stuff that I use.
Needles and syringes. I stock 1/2 inch 20 gauge and 1 inch 18 gauge needles with 3cc syringes.
Stethoscope. I bought a Littmanns because I can't hear a thing out of the cheap ones.
Thermometer. I like the bendable ones, never can tell when the alpaca will jump around.
Gloves
Garbage bags. These are great for transporting a placenta or heating up a cria in the bath. Put cria in the bag - head out- immerse in warm water until temp comes up. Also good for a prolapse.
Lubricating gel. Goes with the thermometer or if you need to help a cria being born.
Chlorhexidine (Novalson) scrub and solution. Cleaning wounds or disinfecting navels.
Gauze sponges. Looks like a small gauze square, but really soaks up liquid.
Telfa. This is a non-adherent dressing. Put on raw spots that you don't want the bandages to stick to.
Cotton rolls. Used for bandaging.
Cling. Used for the outside of a stiff bandage.
Vet wrap. Used for bandaging or wrapping tail when breeding. This stuff can be wrapped too tight. Practice on yourself to get a feel on how tight is tight enough.
Towels and blankets. Many uses: wrapping up wounds, breaks, cleaning wounds, drying off crias.
A sheet, preferably waterproof, that has emergency info on it: Vet name, phone number, address, and normal info. Think of your ranch sitters when making this out. They may not know what is normal.
Any medications that your vet feels is good to have on hand. Check to make sure that it has
not expired and that you are storing it porperly.
Bandage scissors. Can trim bangs as well as cut off bandages. These are the ones with the rounded ends.
Paper and pen to write down the info for the vet.
Human first aid kit. I use a Red Cross one.
Duct tape. Can use for a great variety of things, but it wraps nicely around a towel if you need a third hand on something, it can hold bandaging in place if you can't get the hang of vet wrap or cling. Don't wrap too tight!
Paper tape, or white tape. The stuff the hospitals use to tape everything down.
Cell phone
Waterproof container to put everything in. This keeps the dirt as well as water out of your supplies.
I bought most of my supplies at Valley Vet, but I am sure there are many other places to get these things.
After attending a first aid class for alpacas, I got to thinking about the things I use or might need in case of an injury. I put together a kit from what the vets recommended plus a bunch of stuff that I use.
Needles and syringes. I stock 1/2 inch 20 gauge and 1 inch 18 gauge needles with 3cc syringes.
Stethoscope. I bought a Littmanns because I can't hear a thing out of the cheap ones.
Thermometer. I like the bendable ones, never can tell when the alpaca will jump around.
Gloves
Garbage bags. These are great for transporting a placenta or heating up a cria in the bath. Put cria in the bag - head out- immerse in warm water until temp comes up. Also good for a prolapse.
Lubricating gel. Goes with the thermometer or if you need to help a cria being born.
Chlorhexidine (Novalson) scrub and solution. Cleaning wounds or disinfecting navels.
Gauze sponges. Looks like a small gauze square, but really soaks up liquid.
Telfa. This is a non-adherent dressing. Put on raw spots that you don't want the bandages to stick to.
Cotton rolls. Used for bandaging.
Cling. Used for the outside of a stiff bandage.
Vet wrap. Used for bandaging or wrapping tail when breeding. This stuff can be wrapped too tight. Practice on yourself to get a feel on how tight is tight enough.
Towels and blankets. Many uses: wrapping up wounds, breaks, cleaning wounds, drying off crias.
A sheet, preferably waterproof, that has emergency info on it: Vet name, phone number, address, and normal info. Think of your ranch sitters when making this out. They may not know what is normal.
Any medications that your vet feels is good to have on hand. Check to make sure that it has
not expired and that you are storing it porperly.
Bandage scissors. Can trim bangs as well as cut off bandages. These are the ones with the rounded ends.
Paper and pen to write down the info for the vet.
Human first aid kit. I use a Red Cross one.
Duct tape. Can use for a great variety of things, but it wraps nicely around a towel if you need a third hand on something, it can hold bandaging in place if you can't get the hang of vet wrap or cling. Don't wrap too tight!
Paper tape, or white tape. The stuff the hospitals use to tape everything down.
Cell phone
Waterproof container to put everything in. This keeps the dirt as well as water out of your supplies.
I bought most of my supplies at Valley Vet, but I am sure there are many other places to get these things.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Thoughts upon Winding up the Shearing Season
As we wind up the shearing this year, I realized that we have accumulated quite a bit of specialized stuff that goes with the shearing process and owning alpacas.
We have used the shearing table for at least 9 years. Hundreds of alpacas have been sheared on this table as we sheared for others. It has a couple of dents and scratches, but it works every year. It allows us to shear with as few as 2 people. More are preferred, but in a pinch, 2 can do it. The ability to do toenails without a fuss and trimming teeth makes this a must have in my book.
The chute is invaluable for weighing the alpacas or shearing them if you are alone as I was last year. Most of our alpacas know the drill and will walk on, wait a bit, and then back up. It is comical to watch them when I wasn't quick enough to get the weight and have them get back on the scale. "What, I just did this!" is the look I get. You can also do toenails and teeth in the chute.
MSA makes the chute and the shearing table we use. The customer service has been great. When we loaned out the shearing table one year, the belly band was cut. No problem, they sent us a new one right away with instructions on how to uninstall the old one and put on the new one.
Heininger shears have stood up to many years of shearing. No problems, they always work. While they are heavy, they are workhorses.
The tooth-a-matic is a new item we bought last year. This tool is a fast and easy way to trim teeth. The dremel tool is handy for fighting teeth, but on the larger teeth, it is easy to overheat the tooth. You can find it here: http://www.thealpacarosa.com/toothamatic.html
Those orange toenail snips. Doesn't everyone have those?
First aid kit. I recently attended a class on alpaca first aid. The kit has some handy items in it, and you can buy them from most of the alpaca stores. I added a flashlight among other things. Emergencies seem to happen when you are least prepared. I also added a bunch of stuff that I found while looking at the horse first aid kits. A human first aid kit is a must have too. I will talk about this more in length in a future blog
A blower is nice for a couple of reasons. It blows out the fiber and gunk from the cutter/comb between shearings. You can blow the fleece while still on the alpaca to get out some of the dirt. If you have sand, the shearer will love you if you do this. Do not blow out show fleeces!
We have used the shearing table for at least 9 years. Hundreds of alpacas have been sheared on this table as we sheared for others. It has a couple of dents and scratches, but it works every year. It allows us to shear with as few as 2 people. More are preferred, but in a pinch, 2 can do it. The ability to do toenails without a fuss and trimming teeth makes this a must have in my book.
The chute is invaluable for weighing the alpacas or shearing them if you are alone as I was last year. Most of our alpacas know the drill and will walk on, wait a bit, and then back up. It is comical to watch them when I wasn't quick enough to get the weight and have them get back on the scale. "What, I just did this!" is the look I get. You can also do toenails and teeth in the chute.
MSA makes the chute and the shearing table we use. The customer service has been great. When we loaned out the shearing table one year, the belly band was cut. No problem, they sent us a new one right away with instructions on how to uninstall the old one and put on the new one.
Heininger shears have stood up to many years of shearing. No problems, they always work. While they are heavy, they are workhorses.
The tooth-a-matic is a new item we bought last year. This tool is a fast and easy way to trim teeth. The dremel tool is handy for fighting teeth, but on the larger teeth, it is easy to overheat the tooth. You can find it here: http://www.thealpacarosa.com/toothamatic.html
Those orange toenail snips. Doesn't everyone have those?
First aid kit. I recently attended a class on alpaca first aid. The kit has some handy items in it, and you can buy them from most of the alpaca stores. I added a flashlight among other things. Emergencies seem to happen when you are least prepared. I also added a bunch of stuff that I found while looking at the horse first aid kits. A human first aid kit is a must have too. I will talk about this more in length in a future blog
A blower is nice for a couple of reasons. It blows out the fiber and gunk from the cutter/comb between shearings. You can blow the fleece while still on the alpaca to get out some of the dirt. If you have sand, the shearer will love you if you do this. Do not blow out show fleeces!
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