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AlpacaNation Q&A with Nyala Farm Alpacas
Andy & Ann Merriwether
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104 Rockwell Rd, Vestal, NY 13850
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607-785-8226
AlpacaNation: Tell us about yourself...
Nyala Farm Alpacas: We are University professors who love farm life. Andy is a geneticist studying human and animal population histories, evolution, and migration. Ann is a developmental psychologist with a back ground in biology. Kenny and Helen love all animals, are avid horse women, train and show alpacas for our farm and other farms. Ann, Kenny and Helen are fiber enthusiasts and make lots of things out of alpaca fiber.
AlpacaNation: How long have you been in the alpaca business?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: We started in 2002 with the purchase of five animals.
AlpacaNation: How did you become interested in alpacas?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: We saw alpacas in a Parade in Dexter, Michigan and were immediately intriqued. Andy studied the origins of domestication of camelids as part of his research. Starting a farm combined these two interests (love of alpacas and research). We wanted to do something as a family. We started farming and gave up TV. Its been the best move we ever made.
AlpacaNation: How did you decide on your farm name? Is there a special meaning behind the name?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: Andy's family farm was called Nyala Farm. It stood for New York and Alabama (where my paternal grandmother and grandfather were from respectively). That farm is now gone, sold and covered with Pasture Palaces. We established the new Nyala Farm in Vestal, New York in a scenic location overlooking a farm and wooded valley that invokes the original Nyala Farm in Chester County, PA.
AlpacaNation: What sets your farm and herd apart from others in the industry?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: Our knowledge of genetics is unique in the Camelid industry in the USA. We used our genetic knowledge and research of pedigrees to create a unique foundation herd. Our animals are all full peruvian and most are full or part accoyo as well. Our genetic knowledge will allow us to reach our breeding goals more rapidly than many other farms, and to help our client farms reach their goals. Our goal is to make show winning colored and part accoyos. We are unique in our herd of 40+ full Peruvian alpacas in that over a third of them are full accoyos of legendary bloodlines which has given us, as a small farm, great success in the show ring. We are unique in that we as a family are scientists with genetic training, fiber artists with great knowledge of textile arts, and psychologists with advanced study in animal behavior This combination of skills is unique and means we can offer our clients help with many very important aspects of the industry.
AlpacaNation: What is your greatest achievement or favorite memory since you started raising alpacas?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: We love to see our kids show especially at the Empire Extravaganza Alpaca show. They have such a good time. Both Kenny and Helen have taken reserve championships at the Extravaganza.One of our first babies took a color championship and that really made us proud. We sold our first seven animals at the end of our second year in the business. It was very gratifying to see the results of our breeding program, (and of all the money we spent building our herd) and to see others enjoying what we produced. We love to see our clients do well in the ring!
AlpacaNation: What steps did you take to prepare for raising an alpaca herd?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: We bought a farm, had the land cleared of brush, had it tested, then limed, fertilized and seeded with 40:40:10:10 Broome Grass:Orchard Grass: Clover: other grasses. Then we had it fenced, perimeter in 6-wire high tensile, interior girls pens in 5' no-climb. We also bought two mini barns in addition to the 7 stall horse barn on the property. We applied for a federal fencing program (and recieved funding for fencing and a water source for the fields).We have since done a lot of updating to the original barn to make it more alpaca friendly.
AlpacaNation: What advice would you give to those just getting started in the industry?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: Be patient. Visit as many farms and shows as possible.We went to over 30 different farms in our quest for our foundation herd. Find a good vet and good sources of grain, minerals and hay (ask the other farms around you). Relax and enjoy your animals.Buy the best alpacas that you can reasonably afford. We think one of the biggest mistakes new breeders make is buying quantity rather than quality alpacas.
AlpacaNation: How do you see your farm and alpaca business growing over the next 5 to 10 years?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: We are already more successful than I envisioned we would be at this point. I am very optimisitic about the industry and our place in the industry.
AlpacaNation: What has been your biggest lesson learned in terms of breeding?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: It is more "hands on" than they usually tell new people. The first breeding we did at our farm was a real learning experience for all of us. Be very vigilant on cria watch weve never missed a birth.
AlpacaNation: Describe your first alpaca purchase... would you do anything differently today?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: We bought a package of three black full peruvian girls (two maidens and a pregnant female). I love the animals we bought and would probably buy the same package again today. The pregnant female we bought lost the cria 5 months into the pregnancy, so in effect we ended up with all maidens. I might be able to find a little bit better deal in terms of price paid, but not much.
One of those "black" females actually was a dark dark silver gray and has since gone on to have two lovely gray cria and a fawn color champion.
Another of those orignal girls has since had two babies a blue ribbons winning boy and a champion girl. The last has made us 3 girls in a row, one that has taken 3 blue ribbons. Would we buy them again you betcha!
AlpacaNation: What has been the most helpful advice you have received from your veterinarian?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: Our vet is fantastic, she is our partner in the health of our herd. She tells us so many useful things.
AlpacaNation: What unique challenges do you face as a small, mid-size, or larger breeder?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: As a small breeder it is challenging on many fronts. First, it is hard to beat the big farms in the show ring when you have a small show string each year to pick from. Second, it is hard to compete with mid-size and larger farms if you don't have enough animals to create packages or enough variety to attract a wide range of buyers. As a small farm pick a niche and specialize in something (a
color, certain bloodlines, suris something). We chose to specialise in full peruvians and colored accoyos. Its worked really well for us. Other farms we know have chosen a color (rose gray) or alianza bloodlines and that has worked well for them too.
AlpacaNation: What do you tell prospective buyers who look at the small profit the alpaca fiber produces compared to the daunting prices of alpacas?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: We use our fiber and love it but you have to have a strategy for merketing it. We learned how to wash, card, spin and even dye it. We also really got into felting and enjoy making things from our clip. The fiber is just lovely and it really is rewarding to learn to do things with your own fiber.
AlpacaNation: If you could change one aspect of the Alpaca industry what would it be? Why?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: I would allow an judged import of 200-300 animals every 5 years to improve the gene pool, otherwise we need a protected closed registry.
AlpacaNation: How do you see the industry developing as the U.S. market grows rapidly?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: I see rapid growth for another 15 years, and eventually it will have to taper off into more of a fiber industry.
AlpacaNation: Do you have a favorite Alpaca? Why is it your favorite?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: On our farm we love them all but if I had to pick favorites.... Well.. There is Pistol our dark silver gray. She was the first alpaca we decided to buy she is so regal and stands like a queen. She's made 4 show stopping cria for us. She trusts me and lets me stroke her neck and when she has a baby, she always brings the cria over to vist with me at the fence. We bought a mother daughter pair Elsa and Peruvia. Elsa is an import but so gentle and sweet. She has a cute face and honestly looks just like a Starwars wookie. Peruvia is really feisty but sweet and loves to have her chin scratched. Elsa has made one stunning show winning cria after another. Then there is Patriot our best performance guy he loves everyone and is a great PR paca. He will actually do obstacle by himself for fun. Then there is Princessa our Caligula daughter she is very aloof and proud but if you get our the hose she loves to be sprayed right in the f
AlpacaNation: Any embarrassing moments you would like to share?
Nyala Farm Alpacas: We have family Christmas cards of us and our menagerie of critters, including some alpacas in the photo every year. In 2004 Andy was holding a cria (Nyala's Peruvian Apparition) in his arms, Ann had our Newfoundland pup on a leash, my daughter Helen had our performance wizard Patriot with halter and lead, and my other daughter Kenny held one of our large male Angora rabbits. It only took 58 shots to get the one we used on the card. The best outtake was a three shot series where I got kicked in the groin by Appi while everyone rolled with laughter. Certain lucky relatives got to get the special blooper version of our christmas card.
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