Evolution of

Heart of Dreams Alpacas

ev·o·lu·tion

A gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form. See Synonyms at development.
1. The process of developing.
2. Gradual development.
Biology.
1. Change in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations, as a result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation among individuals, and resulting in the development of new species.
2. The historical development of a related group of organisms; phylogeny.
A movement that is part of a set of ordered movements.

Which one of these best describes our adventures in alpaca farming? All of them actually. Evolution is what our farm is physically going through and it most definitely applies to our breeding program. We started with the fences that would protect our animals, our investment. When we moved in in 1996 our perimeter fences were isolated sections of decaying barbed wire interspersed with huge lines of blackberry brambles.

as can be seen in this 2002 aerial photo, there are brambles everywhere and that yellow dusting in the fields are nasty, nasty buttercups.

As compared to this stage, our 2005 incarnation. The brambles have been cleared from around the backyard and around the barn. The fence line has also been cleared and most of the New Zealand high tension fence in place. We're still missing the cross fencing for the individual pastures, but those were in place soon after we brought our first alpacas home in late 2004. Fences are the single most important investment, after the herd, a farm can make. They have to keep your animals in and keep the predators out. The remains of a stand of cedar can be seen in the above picture.

The picture below shows how those piles were made - from some pasture clearing we had done. The answer to the question, "How do you prepare fleece for shearing?" prompted the pasture clearing.

The answer is, "You don't prepare the fleece, you prepare the pastures."