After Sales Service

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Most good Alpaca Breeders will sell an alpaca with a after sale service to help the new owner to care for their new purchase. Usually this is by way of follow up communication and/or visit. Some will also offer extra ongoing advice and help such as shearing, or with health care. 

 

I also have full and comprehensive after sales service AND this is coupled with my philosophy of not just giving out advise or help but actual training and educating the new owners to themselves look after and care for their livestock. 

 

My aim is that all new owners whom purchase from us, will after 2 /3 years be able to be non-reliant and self-sufficient in the care and management of their livestock.  

 

But at all times I am only an email or phone call away to offer advice and visit if required.

 

The following is what I offer to all clients:

 

• Booklet on Basic Alpaca Education

• Booklet on Management and Care of your Alpaca

• Halter training – working with new clients on how to fit a halter, how to halter up,

• train and be confident with your alpaca 

• How to manage and control livestock movement on your property

• How to Body Score correctly to maintain understanding of good weights and condition

• Health Check – How to check feet, skin, eyes and what to look for

• Toe clipping and Bonnet trimming – How to do this in a safe and un-stressful way 

• Advise and help on joining AANZ and the registry

• Pre and Post Natal advise and health check for pregnant females and cria

• Organisation of your shearing and help at shearing time

 

Plus

• Our famous Buy Back Fleece Scheme - See below

 

I also have Husbandry Services, Education and Fibre Classes and provide these discounted for our clients if they wish to attend. 

These are as follows:

 

• Husbandry for Health Checks Service

• Husbandry for Ongoing Health Service (injections/drenching) 

• Toe Clipping and Bonnet Trimming Service

• Halter Training Service – Training alpaca

• Halter Training Class – Training owners

• Hand Scouring and Drum Carding Service

• Skirting Suri and Huacaya Fleece Class

• Felting Classes 

 

The Southern Region of the AANZ also has superb workshops for members and we recommend these.

 

As I aim to farm as organically as practicably possible and use herbs in my alpacas general health care and as natural preventative and support treatment, I can offer advise also in regard to this if you wish to gain more knowledge of a greener way to care for livestock. In the future, I will be offering two workshop classes for these. 

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Buy Back Fleece Scheme

 

All Suri Fino and El dos Cadena Alpacas come with my famous Buy Back Fleece Scheme. I was one of the first to offer to my clients the opportunity to sell back to myself, the fleece from alpacas purchased from me. This enables me to have ability to buy fleeces that I have bred and so knowledge of genetic quality, consistency, micron range and colour.

 

This Scheme is offered to buyers of any of my alpacas, and is valid for up to 3 years post sale. Buyers are not under any requirement to take up this scheme offer.

 

Prior to each shearing season, I will determine what prices per kilo will be set and offer this to my clients. The price can fluctuate season to season, depending of stock levels and end use requirements.

 

I only buy back the shorn fleece blanket, although sometimes will offer to buy fine long suri necks.

 

Kilo weight is on raw weight, after client’s skirting of the blanket. I withhold the right to re skirt if I deem that the skirting is not satisfactory for end use. 

 

Each skirted blanket is assessed and graded using our own grading requirements. There is no difference in price for colours. I take any lengths. Fleeces must be correctly wrapped  (cut side in) and stored in either tulle or paper bags in a cool dark place. 

 

Price is paid per raw kilo weight and grade. We pay within one month or less of receiving the fleece.

 

Our prices for the 2024/2025 season for Buy Back offer as follows.

 

Grade A+   Ultra-fine under 22 microns                                          Price $15 per kilo

Grade A     Super Fine under 25 microns                                       Price $12per kilo

Grade B     Fine 25 - 28 micron                                                        Price $10 per kilo

Grade C     Average, lesser lustre/structure over 28-30-micro     Price $8 per kilo

Grade D     Poor or Course over 30 microns                                  Price $5 per kilo

Grade E     Unusable, tender, too contaminated VM, too short    No price offer

 

If re-skirting is required, then there may be a deduction of $15 per hour for the time taken to skirt each fleece again.

I recommend that all our clients attend our skirting fleece classes before shearing or after so that they can maximize their pay out.

 

Any Suri Fino Health charges for injections etc at time of shearing can be deducted of the pay out, so that the buyback offer pays for any health charges.

I also therefore highly recommend that clients learn how to perform the basic health injections and toe trimming themselves so that they can maximize their pay out.

 

Skirting – this is the removal of ALL vegetable matter (VM) such as hay, grass, seeds, sticks etc from the fleece. All short secondary cuts are removed and all brisket/belly/legs courser fibre is fully removed. All urine/dung is removed or staining. Any large clots of dirt removed

The blanket left should be as clean as possible, dirt or dust can be “shaken out” but if some remains this can be washed out so is not deemed to be VM.

It is recommended that fleeces can be lightly groomed/brushed prior to shearing to remove majority of VM. Suri Fleeces can be washed with water as well prior as long as wellbeing of alpaca is taken into account, but must be fully dried prior to shearing and storing.

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​Hand Scouring and Drum Carding Service

 

Available for small batches (up to maximum of 4  fleeces maximum per customer)

 

Hand scouring

Scouring = Simply is the process of washing fleece clean of dirt and dust, any grease

I can hand scour your skirted alpaca fleeces and air dry them for you

I can do Suri or Huacaya fleeces

I use specialised “Fibre cleaner “ suitable for alpaca and fine fibre to remove dirt and dust 

I use a tepid soaking system, so that fine fleeces are not damaged by hot water

Any colours and lengths.

Turn around is 1 -2 weeks (weather dependent) per batch

 

Requirements: Fleeces must be fully skirted, I generally only wash the blanket, but can also if required wash any seconds (such as legs/bellies/necks) if you wish. Recommend attendance to my skirting class. IF I deem that the fleece needs to be reskirted, in order to produce the best outcome for you, I will charge extra for this, but contact prior to check if you wish to proceed. I will also advise if your fleece is not suitable for end use and not economic for you to hand process.

 

Price is $40 per fleece 

Extra Skirting is $15 per hour charge

Freight /postal charge to return fleece is extra depending on delivery address, or pick up from studio

 

Drum Carding Service

Using a 100 mm wide Drum Carder, I can card by hand your alpaca fleece for you ready for spinning or felting. I offer this service only to fully skirted and fully clean dried fleeces.

 

Either Suri or Huacaya fleeces, I can also blend both breeds in together in ratio you prefer 

Also, as well I can blend in your carded wool if you wish (need to provide). 

 

I lightly paddle card or flick card the entire fleece firstly before putting though the drum carder

Fleece is passed though twice, into a batt of around 100 gm. Roughly you should get back 90-100% of your fleece in several batts, loss by hand is minimal compared to commercial carding. 

With each change in colour and/or fleece, the carder is cleaned to minimize cross containment of fibre.

 

Your hand carded fleece is returned, packed up and ready for you to spin or felt with.

 

Price is $30 per hour

Freight /postal charge to return fleece is extra depending on delivery address or pick up from studio

 

Note

One Huacaya fleece of around 2 kilos, will take approximately 1 hour to card start to finish

One Suri fleece of around 2 kilos will take approximately 2 hours to card as locks may need to be opened up by hand firstly, and may require three passes though the carder to produce smoother finish.

 

Bookings are essential for this service, weather dependent for drying time, and availability of our time.

Feel free to call or email contact to arrange time to drop into our studio to discuss your requirements.

I do not take fleeces without booking them in in advance. 

If you are unsure if your fleece is suitable for end use, feel free in an envelope, to send in a sample from mid side, top end and bottom end of the blanket, note age of alpaca, date shorn and I can assess it for you.

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Husbandry Service

 

I offer the following services on lifestyle blocks in regard to the general health and wellbeing of your alpacas. These are offered to owners of pets/wethers, and small breeding herds (Conditions apply) to educate and ensure the ongoing health of these alpacas, especially in cases where a property has changed ownership and the new purchasers have “inherited” alpacas.

 

 

Health Check Service

I will visit your property and do a general health check of the following on each alpaca

• Body Score

• Check of skin condition 

• Check of eyes, ears and mouth to ensure correctly aligned, healthy and fit for purpose

• Check of toes and feet, between toes and under pads

• General check of conformation of body

• Check of fleece condition on the alpaca

 

Requirements: Alpaca to be penned, preferably haltered up and with one handler present

 

Price is $10 per alpaca plus $40 (maximum) for travel to farm site. Discount if travel is under 30 minutes. 

You will receive a report for each alpaca and suggestions for any necessary treatment.

 

Ongoing Health Service

I will visit your property and can perform the following

• Annual and/or bi-annual vaccinations

• Vitamin ADE injection

• Vitamin B1 injection 

• Parasitic mite preventative injection or spray/treatment

• Drenching

 

Requirements: Alpaca to be penned, preferably haltered up and with one handler present

 

Price is $10-15 per alpaca plus $40 (maximum) for travel to farm site. Discount if travel is under 30 minutes.

 

Toe Clipping and Bonnet Trimming Service

I will visit your property and trim back the toes where required and trim back the bonnet if necessary. Toes and pads are checked to ensure that they are fit for purpose. Any treatment needed, suggestions will be made. 

 

Requirements: Alpaca to be penned, preferably haltered up and with one handler present

For very large or stud males, two handlers may be required or a gate system provided for safety and ease of clipping. I reserve the right to refuse if deemed unsafe, and a travel charge may still incur. 

 

Price is $10 per alpaca plus $40 (maximum) for travel to farm site. Discount if travel is under 30 minutes.

 

Full Husbandry Service

Combines all the above services to one visit.

 

Requirements: Alpaca to be penned, preferably haltered up and with one handler present

For very large or stud males, two handlers may be required or a gate system provided for safety and ease of clipping. We reserve the right to refuse if deemed unsafe, and a travel charge may still incur.

 

Price is $30 per alpaca plus $40 (maximum) for travel to farm site. Discount if travel is under 30 minutes.

You will receive a report for each alpaca and suggestions for any necessary treatment.