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AlpacaNation Q&A with C2Alpacas
Betty (Christiann) Milne-Schade & Chris Schade
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10825 Hardy Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80908
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719-495-6760
AlpacaNation: What advice would you give to those just getting started in the industry?
C2Alpacas: We both, would strongly suggest that they visit as many ranches as possible. That is the main reason we started a "Bed & Breakfast" on our ranch. We would have loved the opportunity to "LIVE" the lifestyle before purchasing. We have seen some get into the Alpaca business, and then wonder "What have we done?" We want to present the opportunity, to truly understand, what they are getting into. There is a lot more to this than "Farm Days", Shows, and all the other fun stuff. We want new breeders to understand that these animals depend on them. They need daily care, and that means spending enough time to truly "know" your animals and their behavior. It is a "lifestyle change". It is not always fun, but WE do always find it to be rewarding.
AlpacaNation: Tell us about yourself...
C2Alpacas: We bought 5 acres in the country, for solitude and relaxation. Soon, we discovered having 5 acres heavily treed with Ponderosa Pines, was far from relaxing. We loved it! After discussing horses (hay burners & expensive vet bills), cattle (my wife cannot eat an animal that she has met and named), Ostriches (market crashed, don't like eggs, and they are big)we decided that livestock was not for us. BUT THEN, my wife saw a "miniature Llama"? After researching "Miniature Llamas", and determining that they were actually, Alpacas! Then she had to find out, What is an Alpaca? After a couple of near miss auto accidents, when she screamed "Stop, there is a farm", we began our adventuresome, Alpaca research. We spent almost 12 months researching these incredible, gentle, and loveable creatures. We visited several farms, went to Alpaca Events, and talked to the accountant. We bought our first 2 bred females in December 2003. Since then, it has been quite the adventure! We have NO regrets.
AlpacaNation: How did you decide on your farm name? Is there a special meaning behind the name?
C2Alpacas: After meeting several Alpaca breeders, we learned that this was a highly educated group of "ranchers". We both have technical degrees, and with our names Christiann & Chris we decided that most would understand the C squared (C2) concept. We wanted a ranch name that was unique, in that it was not another *&* Ranch.
AlpacaNation: What has been your biggest lesson learned in terms of breeding?
C2Alpacas: We have learned that an expensive breeding does NOT necessarily mean an exceptional cria. Some of our best crias have come from "Herdsires" that others may not even look twice at. For example, we purchased a herd that came with a white male that was OK, nothing spectacular, but 2 of the 3 the crias he produced are incredible, the third is pretty nice. We are very anxious to show them in 2007. We purchased a couple of $2500-$3000 breedings and were not overly impressed.
AlpacaNation: What is your greatest achievement or favorite memory since you started raising alpacas?
C2Alpacas: Our most favorite memory had to be our first cria. That is our Alvin, (Aldebaron Juan). He was born the Monday after our first neo-natal class. We anxiously watched Saturday evening and all day Sunday, nothing. In fact our second girl showed more signs that the first. Monday, Christiann waited until the last possible minute to go to work. She reluctantly left at about 7:30 a.m. Our baby watch partner called me at about 9:30 and said "you have a baby on the ground, and it looks like he has been out a couple of hours. Alvin has taken several blue ribbons and a Color Champ. We learned that Ofelia likes her privacy, she has had 3 total and always waits until we are not there. Oh, by the way the second girl, Arundo, had her cria on Wednesday.
AlpacaNation: What has been the most helpful advice you have received from your veterinarian?
C2Alpacas: We are very fortunate to have one of the top Camelid Vets in the country. Dr. Kim has taught us to sit on our hands and just observe. She has explained that by truly knowing each animal and their behavior, we can determine when we need to call her 911 or drop her an e-mail. So to sum it up, she has taught us patience.
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