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AlpacaNation Q&A with Rock'n D Ranch,LLC
Kelly & Rusty Deman
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7547 Tiger Road, Pierce City, MO 65723
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702-494-7770
AlpacaNation: Tell us about yourself...
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: Kelly & Rusty Deman of las vegas nv. Two children, a son 12 and a daughter 6 enjoying the ride.
AlpacaNation: How long have you been in the alpaca business?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: The ROCK'N D RANCH,LLC: has been alive for 3 1/2 years.
AlpacaNation: How did you become interested in alpacas?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: My husband saw a commercial and showed them to me on the internet. I fell in love. From there the research began.
AlpacaNation: How did you decide on your farm name? Is there a special meaning behind the name?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: Last name is Deman, my husband drew me a picture of what a brand for cattle would look like. My son liked it very much so the ROCK'N D was born.
AlpacaNation: What sets your farm and herd apart from others in the industry?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: We truely are living the dream. My husband left a 80-90 hour a week job. I was being a single parent of two children with a husband truely married to his work.To now living on a 100 acres in southwest Missouri watching my husband able to go to all school and sport activity's. My 4 year old daughter out riding on the tractor with her dad and falling asleep in his lap. My husband and I married 14 years have never been happier. We do project's together, we go hay our fields together and we now enjoy everything together. The reason is we depend on one another to do the work on the ranch. Now truely he is married to his work which is the Rock'n D.
AlpacaNation: What is your greatest achievement or favorite memory since you started raising alpacas?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: Over coming my fear of a very stubborn and determined female alpaca.Watching the birth of our first cria now after 4 it sill brings tears of joy and shock of the miracle of life to me and my family.
AlpacaNation: What steps did you take to prepare for raising an alpaca herd?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: Scared myself to death by reading every posting put up on alpacasite! Information about sickness, injury and death.What's funny is by reading all the postings I learned the reason for the postings was for the poster to either share an experiance or find an answer to thier problem from everybody. So my fear is less now due to the fact that I know I can ask a question from everybody. The last time I had a child my husband and I were not given an instruction guide. We relied on our parents and on friends so to me this is no different accept I don't have a face to go with the name that's helping me but that's ok because I can ask questions in my pj's right at the computer. : )
AlpacaNation: What advice would you give to those just getting started in the industry?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: Not to worry about all the things out of your control. The one constant in life is change so enjoy the ride where ever it might take your idea's and dream's.
AlpacaNation: How do you see your farm and alpaca business growing over the next 5 to 10 years?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: The best natural setting of enviorment and health that we can provide. Our business will grow do to the fact we are farm that offers it all. Truth, understanding, integraty and LOVE. I think we will look back in 10 years and laugh and say what were we worried about. We have a goal of not fogetting were we came from and staying intouch with our animals.
AlpacaNation: What has been your biggest lesson learned in terms of breeding?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: So many choices and so long to wait for the out come of choice made. So I have learned to be patient and pray for health of cria and dam. All else is a bonus, we pick our boy's to breed to our dam's just like everybody else. The thing that's different is the fact we just want healthy. That's the platform which to build a strong farm.
AlpacaNation: Describe your first alpaca purchase... would you do anything differently today?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: Scary,nervous and fantastic all at the same time. The farm we got our animals is great. I can only describe it as the first day of our new life, with new animals and new friends to help us. Thank you to Hemlock Brook farms. Anything differently? NO, because there are no bad choices when you go into something with openness and willingness to learn. Just like children.
AlpacaNation: What do you tell prospective buyers who look at the small profit the alpaca fiber produces compared to the daunting prices of alpacas?
Rock'n D Ranch,LLC: Daunting prices? HA-HA go racing! My husband raced car, bikes and virtually anything that he could. He still does just in different ways. You ask about profit? Buy a motor, tires and a chassie, heck just the trailor & truck to go to the race was $$$$ then add the danger and your left with a lot of stories and a bunch of pictures of your husbands inside's. So by my nearest figures my feed & vet bills to date haven't even come close. Oh ya, and I could not insure him or the car's. So to my husband and I money is relative. Atleast there is a market for the fiber, it maybe small but so was nascar once apond a time!
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