Avenica, aka "Mom", has been a blessing to us while getting both the farm and the animals settled, as well as making future decisions for both. While no livestock should ever be considered "bomb proof", "Mom" is as close to that as we'll ever come to on the farm. She is our proud matriarch of the herd with a long history behind her and an upright head and go attitude
Despite her age, her fantastic bloodlines still show what good breeding decisions can do. Her bite continues to hold, her toes are thick and require little attention, and her fleece is always consistent. Mom has held her fiber quality well, and passed on her fiber genetics to her granddaughter, Heartbreaker, whose little black eyelashes have been passed on for three generations now, and to her only female cria, Gracie, who has those same black eyelashes
Mom is proof that age is a number, not a state of mind, & good breeding results in animals that hold their numbers & create better ones. Despite the 2019 challenges of the summer's drought and heat, Hurricane Dorian which took so many local crias prematurely and being 'confirmed' open three times, the last ultrasound being at the end of September, Mom dropped a 'surprise' cria on Black Friday, her first female cria
Mom has been retired from our breeding program as of January 2021 and has deserved her spot on the pastures to graze to her content. We are retiring her to live out her years as the matriarch of the herd and to teach the young crias with dignity and grace that she deserves after her years with the alpaca industry, as well as to enjoy her remaining life here on her fourth & final farm. She's still got a massive presence to her, even at her age, and moves with a dignity & smoothness that we hope will carry on in Heartbreaker & Gracie in their later years
As of April 18, 2020, despite the mileage of years & several crias, Avenica STILL has a fantastic micron count of 24.6 (done on a private micron machine)