Our philosophy is not only to give our customers the best possible guidance and support with every question about alpaca breeding, but also to provide them with truly good animals – the foundation of a healthy, long-term alpaca market. We have already provided over 100 customers with breeding mares, and many of them achieve great success at breeding shows with these animals or their offspring.
Our breeding goals are healthy animals with correct conformation, Suri and Huacaya alpacas in every color – especially the rare ones – and of the highest fiber quality. For us, fineness and handle rank above density and pure fiber yield in importance.
Our Vision
Our vision is to build up an alpaca market in Europe that is strong and, in the long term, produces enough high-quality fiber to make wonderful, natural clothing here in Europe. We manufacture our own end products from the raw fiber of our animals and sell them through our own company.
The alpaca truly is a gift of the gods, and we believe that we Europeans may make use of it too. It finds optimal conditions here – aside from the sometimes very long winters. Thanks to good husbandry conditions, and the fact that the animals generally do not enter the food chain, we achieve far higher growth rates than in South America.
Through targeted imports and careful selection, we European breeders are continually improving the quality of the herd. With our direct imports from Chile, we have proven that a great deal can be achieved with carefully selected animals, and that both new and experienced customers can reliably be provided with high-quality alpacas at fair prices.
SRS Breeding Methodology
Anyone who speaks of quality cannot ignore the findings of modern science. Dr. Jim Watts from Australia, whom we invited in 2009 for our farm's 10th anniversary, developed the SRS breeding method – a system that applies to all fiber animals: cashmere goats, Merino sheep and alpacas. Australian Merino breeders have used it to breed the diameter of the primary follicles to be almost as fine as the secondary hairs.
That is our goal too: in most alpacas today, the average primary follicle is at least 12 microns larger than the secondary hairs. A homogeneous fleece in beautiful colors, with high density, high luster, very good handle and long staple – that is what we strive for. Animals selected according to SRS criteria retain their fineness longer and decline less in fiber yield as they age.
Suri Alpacas
In our own modest way, we want to help preserve the rare and highly valuable Suri alpacas – especially the colored ones. Suris also have primary and secondary follicles, just like Huacayas: each alpaca has exactly three primary hairs per follicle group and a varying number of secondary hairs. Because there are many myths surrounding alpaca breeding, part of our philosophy is also to offer training courses and pass on our knowledge and experience.
From Fiber to Fashion
Our long-term motto is: from producing high-quality natural fiber all the way to refining it into luxurious products made from this fleece of the gods. As early as 2005, Katharina Kraft von Wedel designed her first alpaca fashion collection and had it made to her own patterns – jackets and hats for women and children, made primarily from alpaca plush fabrics of 75% alpaca and 25% mohair. For years, we have also had our own yarns and alpaca blankets made from the fiber of our animals.