Salt River Alpacas

SALT RIVER ALPACAS DOES IT AGAIN - FIRST PLACE IN THE WHITE CLASS OF THE SURI NETWORK'S 2009 ALL SURI FLEECE SHOW. CHUMANJI RECEIVED A SCORE OF 80 WITH HIS THIRD YEAR FLEECE (highest score in the show for all ages was 83.5)!!

Salt River Alpacas has always believed that if you listen to the fiber market and users of end products, and incorporate this into your breeding program, you will also get show winning alpacas!

This philosophy has allowed us to garner ribbons in the showring while giving us a long range breeding program focused on 1) fineness, 2) uniformity of fiber, 3) luster, and 4) density. While these are all characteristics valued in the showring, we also believe the significance of alpacas is their potential to maintain these qualities well beyond their show years, thereby making them more valuable as fiber producers.

We do not make our breeding decisions by animal ancestory, but rather by quantitative fiber statistics and qualitative traits - such as luster and handle - that we believe will improve the next generation.

The results are starting to pay off! In relatively short order, we have taken home many blue ribbons at top shows, we've brought home a championship from the 2008 Futurity, as well as a reserve championship from the Suri Network Fleece Show - 90 white entries, and we received the 2nd highest score - 83!

We also launched one of the first, U.S. produced, 100% suri yarn products sold into retail stores in the United States using the name Salt River Mills. Today, we are in 15 stores across the U.S. and growing! Then, with that experience underway, Liz took on the position of Chairperson for the Suri Network Product Development Committee to assist in further developing a profitable outlet for the fiber of all Suri Network members. Under Liz's leadership, that committee is one of the most active committees of the Suri Network, today!