Our alpaca adventure began in 1999 when Greg was introduced to alpacas at an agricultural products show. He fell in love with them and we soon purchased our first three animals -- two females (Chilean Bright White and Peine) and a male, our premier herd sire, Xixo.
While this was a big step forward for us, we had 10 years of livestock behind us, raising our herd of 35 cashmere, meat and dairy goats. Still, Greg had just retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel and was beginning a new career as a defense contractor and I was deep into my career as a newspaper reporter.
We named our farm Checkered Flag Fibers after our mutual interest in auto racing and chose to name our alpacas after those noted race tracks on the NASCAR circuit. The names of llamas born on our farm will reflect my continued interest in journalism.
After a few years, our herd grew to 14 alpacas and 5 llamas, concentrating on Huacayas with great personalities, even better conformation and fiber. Seven years later, sales were strong and the demand for boarding even stronger, so Greg handed the reins of the entire operation to me and in 2006, Checkered Flag Fibers, LLC was born.
We believe that a poorly conformed animal isn't as comfortable moving and everything that animal's body does goes toward relieving that discomfort, whether that be in a poor top line, knocked knees in the front, bad pasterns or cow-hocked back legs. Those faults can take away from what could potentially be better fiber production and a happier animal.
We also believe that a well-trained animal is also a happier animal, as is any animal (or person!) that has clear expectations on their behavior. An untrained alpaca or llama is a danger to itself as well as the handler and we work extensively with all animals (not just our show string) to make them comfortable with being handled.
This concentration on conformation and training has led to a number of championship and ribbon winning animals at local, regional and national shows.
We also believe that education goes a lot farther than marketing and to that end, lead Clark County's first and only llama and alpaca 4H club. This pilot program has brought the joy of camelids to children and families, many who come from other counties to show in our program. In 2004, the Clark County 4H program awarded me its highest honor, the Innovator Award, for development of this program and is currently a pilot program for the state of Ohio.
We also believe that small farms provide the best opportunity for diverse genetics, financing and hands-on customer service.
In 2007, Checkered Flag Fibers, LLC will begin construction on a new boarding facility. Our plans are to board up to 30 animals. We will be taking reservations once construction begins.
Please consider stopping by to see us and making your next alpaca or llama purchase -- or boarding arrangements from Checkered Flag Fibers.
Boarding: $75/month/animal- Includes basic grooming, 'room and board.' Vet charges for routine and emergency care additional
Training: $60/hour/animal - We'll train your animals to help make your alpaca ownership less stressful and more enjoyable-- for you and the animal. We'll also prepare your animal for the show ring using humane, non-stress methods. Free to boarding clients who come work with their own animals!
Showing: $100/show/animal - Can't make it to the show, but want the world to see your little winner? We'd gladly show your animal for you. Show and stall fees are the alpaca owner's responsibility. Transportation costs also apply.
Transportation: $50/animal+ 35 cents/mile - Will transport your animals within the Midwest states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Kentucky.
Other services $60/hour/animal - All other services not mentioned above will be billed at the above rate.
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