Blackgate Lodge Alpaca Stud

Back in 1994 Kate offered to give up smoking if we bought alpacas. Then the average price was $20,000 for a rough Chilean female alpaca. They were almost all coloured. Colours ranged from white, fawns, browns, greys,black and multi (big spots). Their legs were bare and a lot of primary hairs protruded an they were in fact hairy.
A few years later, better fleeced alpacas were allowed from Peru as quarantine protocol had overcome the problem of foot and mouth disease that may be found in Peru and not in Australia.
One of our early alpacas was our Jolimont Sollocotta Girl, and she came from the
Sollocota Herd in Peru. They were know for their fine fleeces. From her line of breeding, we managed to win the most valuable fleece awards 5 times in 8 years.
We have concentrated on breeding white, super-fine alpacas with crimpey dense fleece coming down the legs, turning a saddle fleece into a blanket fleece.
Why white? Because although many jumpers etc. are sold in natural colours, due to public demand for red, pink and blue, white alpaca is needed for dying these colours. The alpaca fleece is warmer, has a higher tensile strength and has a more silky feel than sheeps wool. Alpaca is far less itchy against the skin than wool.
Now at 76 years of age, we, Kate & Robbie are retiring again, and will sell by On-Farm Auction on 20th October 2013, all but 6 of our alpacas. about 30 Coloured alpacas from daughter Joanne's Rainbows End Alpaca Stud will be added to our auction. Blackgate Lodge alpacas are Q (Quality) Assessed under the C'lth Marketing Assurance Program Cert. Q-05/0214. Rainbows End are non-assessed.