Babies Everywhere

I visit to the farm this weekend will be especially fun. Both Malea and Percy had their crias. From the pictures Rick posted on http://www.allamericanalpacas.com/, they are beyond cute. This is the problem with alpacas, they're all cute. I can't wait to have a farm.

I finalized my herd plan portion if my business plan. At the end of year 5, if everything goes according to plan, I will have 19 alpacas. That plan involves my starting with Keona, Michael Jackson and Sir Ewok, buying a breeding female and herdsire when we move to the farm. After we get settled in, I will add a breeding female every year until year 5 which will give me my desired 6 breeding females. Michael and Ewok will be old enough to breed by then and hopefully will have grown into herdsires. Michael, being the grandson and great grandson of award winning star herdsires, has an excellent chance of this. As for Ewok, Rick thinks "pet". I'm thinking for a fiber program, he'll be okay.

I realize there are objections to buying animals as fiber animals when one will get them naturally from the breeding process, but I still plan to acquire a pair of fiber animals at the end of the second year. Between my acquistions and my girls having crias, (I plan to sell every other cria) I should have a nice size herd. With six breeding females, and everyone staying healthy, I'll add six crias a year and if I sell at least three, in Arkansas, the girls will be paying for the farm. Of course, the fiber sales will be very helpful in putting me over the top and allow me to build savings.

*deep sigh* Plan complete. Now on to implementation, by the time I'm 50, I'll be able to retire to my farm. YEAH!