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Texas ranch "Alpacas By Choice" had a new baby cria.
ALPACAS BY CHOICE
BANNING OPERATION NO ORDINARY RANCH
BY MIKE SACKETT DAILY LIGHT CORRESPONDENT
ABOUT FIVE MILES WEST OF WAXAHACHIE IS SAM AND COOPER BANNING'S FARM-HOME TO A HERD OF ALPACAS.
"THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALPACAS AND LLAMAS IS THAT LLAMAS ARE LARGER AND ARE USED AS PACK ANIMALS. THE ALPACA IS A SMALLER ANIMAL USUALLY WITH A BUSHY HEAD AND BRED FOR IT'S FLEECE." SAM BANNING SAID OF THE BREED.
"THE FLEECE IS GAINING MARKET POPULARITY AS IT IS FINER THAN CASHMERE AND NON-ALLEREGENIC,"HE SAID OF THE ANIMALS COAT QUALITIES. ALPACAS COME IN 21 COAT COLORS RANGING FROM SOLID WHITE TO BLACK AND CAN BE MULTI COLORED.
COOPER BANNING SAID THE BEST FLEECE IS WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE BLANKE, WHICH IS THE WOOL GATHERED FROM BETWEEN THE SHOULDERS AND THE RUMP AROUND THE BARREL OF THE BODY. SHEARING IS GENERALLY DONE ONCE A YEAR.
THE BANNING BEGAN BUILDING THEIR HERDIN 2006. THEY HAVE 22 OF THEIR OWN AND WE ARE BOARDING ANOTHER 12.
"WE GOT INTO THIS FOR AN ESCAPE FROM OUR REAL ESTATE BUSINES. WE NEEDED A REST AND A LITTLE PEACE OF MIND. WE NEEDED TO GET BACK TO OUR COUNTY ROOTS," SHE SAID. THE BANNINGS HAVE SHOWN THEIR ANIMALS AT THE HOUSTON STOCK SHOW AS WELL AS TXOLAN, AN ASSOCIATION OF ALAPCA BREEDERS. ONE OF THEIR BREEDING MALES W.A. MONRE, HAS RECIEVED TWO COLOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, A RESERVE CHAMPION AND SEVERAL BLUE RIBBONS.
SAT AFTERNOON, THE BANNING OPENED THEIR FARM TO THE PUBLIC TP DISPLAY HTEIR ANIMALS AND THE PRODUCTS THAT ARE MADE FROM THEIR FLEECE. ON A DISPLAY TABLE,THERE WERE SOCKS,GLOVES,SHAWLS, STUFFED QANIMALS AND SKEINS OF ALPACA YARN- WHICH CAME FRON THE BANNING SHEARING. THE ANIMALS ON DISPLAY WERE A VARIETY OF MALES,FEMALES AND OLDER BABIES. ANSWERING THE QUESTION ABOUT SPITTING, "THEY USUALLY WILL NOT SPIT UNLESS YOU GET BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR FOOD. USUALLY THE WILL ONLY SPIT AT EACH OTHER,: COOPER BANNING SAID.
"ALPACAS ARE TYPICALLY SHY ANIMALS. IN THEIR COUNTRIES OF ORGINATION, THEY ARE THE PREY.THEY HAVE NO DEFENSE MECHANISM. THEY ARE UNDER ATTACK FROM WOLVES,COYOTES AND OTHER ANIMALS OF PREY,"SHE SAID." SAM BANNING NOTED THAT ALAPCAS ARE NOT HIGH MAINTENCE AND TOLERATE THE COLD WELL. THEY HAVE A TOLERENCE OF THE TEXAS HEAT WITH DAILY WATER BATHS AND FANS IN THE BARN. OTHER THAN THAT, THE ANNUAL SHEARING AND CLAW TRIMMING ARE THE MAJORITY OF CARE THEY REQUIRED.
THE BANNING'S OPEN HOUSE WAS HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER ALPACA BREEDERS WHO HOLD SIMILAR OPEN HOUSES THROUGHTOUT THE COUNTRY ON THE SAME DAY OF SEPTEMBER.
