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Looks like 2017 is coming in the same way 2016 left: snowy and cold. But we are here and open, so if anyone needs a new pair of cute gloves or warm alpaca socks, just give us a call! We'll turn the heater on in the store for you.  Come meet the alpacas at the Lewistown Chokecherry Festival. As always, we are teaming up with our friends Randy and Rhonda Morrow from Rs Alpacas. We've got some new alpaca products to show off, too. Find us in front of the Rising Trout coffee house on Main Street, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016.  Thanks to Marty Hoffman of Integrity Shearing, all our alpacas are sporting their summer haircuts! Alpacas are sheared once a year. Timing of that depends on the climate where they live. Here in Montana we shear at the end of May or early June, and even then we can have snow or cold days. If that happens after shearing we keep the alpacas inside until things warm up. We hate to see animals shiver! But we also know being too hot can be lethal for alpacas, so they have to get that long fleece off before the summer heats up.  We are holding our first-ever production sale for the entire month of July, 2012. Over 20 alpacas are offered for sale, at ridiculously low prices. From foundation females to show-quality offspring and proven herdsires, there's something here for everyone. Take a look at our sales list and take advantage of our too-full barn!  May 26 is shearing day on the ranch this year. We and the alpacas are looking forward to it! Well, the alpacas don't really enjoy shearing but they DO enjoy being cool and comfortable as the weather warms up. We enjoy getting all that lovely fleece. Shearing starts at 8 a.m. and lasts most of the day -- visitors who want to help out are most welcome!  We're proud to announce our winnings from the 2011 AOBA National Alpaca Show! Cinnamon Twist took 3rd place in the bay black juvenile female class and Sweet Summer took fourth in a large class of white juvenile females! Both showed under Judge Tim Lavan, against some of the best alpacas in the country!
Stay tuned...we are working up a great set of 2011 classes for alpaca enthusiasts, both new and experienced. When we get the instructors' confirmations, we'll post the dates!
Another year of fiber has been harvested! We sheared 34 alpacas with the help of Marty Hoffman and his crew, on May 26th. Many thanks to helpers Chris Pratt and Shana and her family from South Dakota!
We spent the weekend of March 13 & 14 at the Southwest Regional Alpaca Show in Phoenix. The show was a bit smaller than some years, no doubt due to the effects of the economy. But the exhibitors, as always had a great time. Our show experience was outstanding: Reserve Color Champion Black Female Huacaya, Reserve Color Champion Brown Male Huacaya, and Color Champion Fawn Male Huacaya...and some other nice placings also. Good friends, good fun, good competition...it's a great event!  Well, the best laid plans and all that...the alpacas are back in Arizona for the winter! We could not get enough completed on our Montana property to make it safe for me to stay there by myself through the winter, so here we are back in Arizona until spring 2010. The alpacas and I are staying at Heartland Ranch in southeastern Arizona, about 30 miles north of Mexico. We definitely will enjoy NOT shoveling snow this winter. Come visit if you are in Arizona - our phone here is (520) 455-5126.
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AuthorWe are Deb Hill and Don Sanfilippo, owners and chief barn cleaners at Cloud Dancer Alpacas in Lewistown, Montana. We've been raising alpacas since 1996 and we still love it! Archives
January 2017
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