Farm Animals

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One of the first in the alpaca business, Ohioan

now a leader in the field.

Mantua, Ohio _Anthony Stachowski has struck

gold with what he calls a "huggable investment."

Stachowski, 52, who retired from his

veterinarian practice this year, was one of the

first people to own alpaca's in this country. When

150 Chilean alpaca's were first imported to

North America in 1984, Stachowski bought 50.

Stachowski w a s raised on a n Arabian horse

farm just across the street from Stachowski

Alpacas on route 44 in Mantua, Ohio. He

practiced veterinarian medicine, mostly horse

care, for 22 years.

Stachowski said he grew up around animals

and owned a few llamas, a cousin to the alpaca,

before he bought the Chileans. "When the

opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance to

bring something wonderfully unique here," said

Stachowski.

Before 1984, it was illegal to import alpacas

into the United States mostly because of the fear

of foot-and-mouth disease. There were only 15

in the United States prior to '84, and they were

all in zoos. "The problem was we just hadn't

discovered them yet," said Stachowski. "These

are animals that had been raised by Indians of

South America for 3,000 years. Only the

strongest survive, so they are a very pure and

healthy animal. They are not wild animals. They

were designed and domesticated for clothing."

It wasn't until 1993 that the Peruvian

government allowed alpacas to be imported to

North America. Prior to that date, a Peru native

could spend 10 years in prison for selling an

alpaca outside the country. Approximately 700

Peruvian alpacas were brought in and are now

the most sought-after. Stachowski owns the

largest pure Peruvian stock in North America.

Chilean alpacas are the most numerous in

the United States. There is also a small number

of Bolivian alpacas. Stachowski said Bolivian

alpacas are believed to be in between the

Chileans and Peruvians in quality. "We now also

have what is known as the American alpaca,

which is essentially a mix of the others," said

Stachowski.

Stachowski was instrumental in writing the

registry for these animals. He insists Alpaca

Registry Inc. (ARI) is one of the purest registries

in the industry. To register an animal you have to

have DNA and blood testing done on both of the

parents and the cria ( a baby alpaca), said

Stachowski. "You don't have to rely on anyone's

word because you have scientific proof that

baby belongs to those parents. It would be easy

to pass a baby llama as a baby alpaca to

someone who doesn't know how to tell the

difference." An alpaca is two to three times

smaller than a llama. Alpacas can weigh up to

160 lbs whereas a llama can weigh 350 lbs.

Their cashmere-like fleece is wavy, similar to

many of the sheep breeds. The Suri's fleece has

no crimp and hangs almost like long, thin

dreadlocks.

The animals are shorn annually or

biannually, and the fleece is sent to Alpaca fiber

Cooperative of North America (AFCNA).

Producers may be paid anywhere from $1 to $6

an ounce for the fleece. One animal gives about

6 Ibs. The fleece is then sent to Peru where it is

spun into garments and blankets or made into

teddy bears and sold back to the producer at

wholesale. "Producers control their own destiny,"

said Stachowski. "We don't let Wal-Mart get into

our business." Stachowski says both the

Huacaya and the Suri fiber is popular amounst

spinners. The fleece is luxurious and strong. It is

easily dyed and is found in 27 colors. Huacayas

make up about 90 % of the U.S. alpaca

population.

Stachowski gives many reasons, other than

the high fiber prices, why he has been able to

stay in the alpaca business. He says the

markets aren't saturated with alpaca therefore

producers are able to keep prices up. There are

about 25,000 alpacas registered in North

America and the registry was closed to imports

in 1998. "These animals are not potbellied pigs

or ostriches. They are not a trend or a fad," said

Stachowski. "I have been doing this for 21 years,

and there will still be a strong market in 10

years." The alpaca's gestation period is 1 months,

allowing her to bear only one cria a year. There

have been no multiple births recorded. Artificial

insemination and embryo transfers have yet to

be successful in alpacas, which also keeps their

numbers down.

Stachowski says most of the money he

makes with alpacas comes from selling breeding

stock. A male can sell anywhere from $1500 to

$20,000. Females start at $8000 and go up to

about $30,000. In fact, a white, male Peruvian

sold for $226,000 in Ohio in 2020.

Alpacas have a 12-to - 20 year lifespan,

and Stachowski says every two years you get a

50% return on your investment. "The market is

so strong that I could buy a pair today for

$20,000 and in two years sell their offspring for

$20,000," said Stachowski. The overhead is low,

too, Stachowski said. You can raise 8 to 10

alpacas on one acre. They need no special diet,

fencing or housing, (depending on the climate

you live in). They mostly graze and eat hay, with

the occasional supplement of a pelleted "ration

balancer," which supplies the vitamins and trace

minerals for bone development and healthy cria.

Stachowski keeps about 600 alpacas on less

than 200 acres of land. He also has 24 llamas. "

They are the perfect animal for the small farmer

with a little bit of money. Or the farmer who

wants to sell a lot of his sheep and buy a couple

of alpacas, " said Stachowski. He sells alpacas

all over the country and ships animals to other

countries as well. "I sell to people who are just

starting out or those who want to upgrade their

animals."

As a vet, ne tound alpacas cost less per

head for vet care than any other livestock. He

also says because they are so hardy, they don't

cost him any time away from his veterinary

practice.

Alpacas are induced ovulaters - once they

are bred, they ovulate. This adds convenience

for the breeder. "You don't have to watch them

come into heat or calculate when they are going

to ovulate. The animals work around your

schedule. You don't work around theirs." said

Stachowski. With so little care needed,

Stachowski employs only three other people to

tend to the animals and housing. There are also

two secretaries who work in Stachowski Alpaca

office. Stachowski spends time away from the

farm a shows and conferences. His animals

have won many blue ribbons at state, national

and international shows.

"These Sui and Huacaya Peruvians on my

farm are the top 20 percent of alpacas in the

United States, " said Stachowski. He is a judge

for the Alpaca Llama show association and a

member for the Alpaca Owners and Breeders

Association, ARI and AFCNA. He recently led a

tour of the Altiplano, or high plains region, in

Peru and was a judge for the International

Alpaca Festival Show and Conference.

According to Stachowski, alpacas are

definitely a niche market - a niche market with

profit potential like no other. "After 20 years, the

prices at their highest ever. The market gets

stronger every year," said Stachowski. "You

don't have to work 14 hours a day like a normal

farmer. What other farmer do you know who

could retire from a veterinarian practice to be

with his animals?