Baarrooka Alpacas, Stud Male, Suri, Alpacas, Alpaca Farm, Baby Alpaca, Alpaca Stud, Strathbogie, Australia

Baarrooka attended the Wangaratta Show – this was the first year it had an alpaca competition and as it is one of the closest shows to us, we thought we should support it. It was very well run and had a great response by exhibitors – especially suri breeders.

We were also very pleased with our results. Baarrooka Sade, a gorgeous fawn female was awarded the Junior Female Champion, three older boys took firsts in the Adult class: White – Skyhooks; Fawn – Wham! and Brown – The Style Council. Skyhooks went on to be awarded Adult Champion and Supreme Champion. Fleece results were also very good with all firsts and seconds.

By Julie Filed under: Our Animals, Show Results

Baarrooka participated in an Alpaca Open Day trail, which involved four Alpaca Studs in the Strathbogie area. The Trail was held in conjunction with a regional promotion weekend on 4 and 5 October and was advertised regionally through newspapers, radio and television.

The weather for the weekend was perfect and a good number of people visited to find out more about alpacas and their fibre, have a pat, feel some fleece, taste some wine and buy some yarn. We were very pleased with the response and hope to hold additional Open Days in the future.

By Julie Filed under: Our Farm, Strathbogie

Baarrooka Lethal Weapon has taken out Supreme Brown Suri at the Colourbation Spring Carnival 2008. This young male has spectacular greasy, lustrous and locky fleece. He has taken more than one judge by surprise on opening up his fleece. This is one that you have to put your hands on to appreciate such a magnificent fleece – and in a rich dark colour.

Sired by Surilana Omar (SW), his dam is Baarrooka Queen Juliana (SLB), an Arequipa King daughter of Baarrooka Queen Wilhelmina, so there are some special genetics there, with lots of colour.

By Julie Filed under: Colourbration, Our Animals, Show Results

I have been looking for a quality coloured male for the past 3 years, both in Australia and the US. I have also been purchasing matings to various coloured males at other studs. However, I was not able to find a male that had very strong colour genetics as well as being proven homozygous that I was happy to put over a large proportion of my herd.

While talking to various coloured suri breeders and looking at the best producers in my own herd, the name of a well known suri kept popping up – Cedar House Desert Prince. Older genetics, but proven genetics. He is homozygous suri and, importantly, he also has the ability to throw coloured cria from white dams (72% c.f. 11% white from coloured dams). Knowing that he was for sale, I approached Ian and Angela Preuss from Surilana and purchased their share. I propose to use him over my top white females with the hope of producing some quality coloured females (and males) to breed on with. Drive-by and on-farm matings will be available to other coloured suri breeders.

By Julie Filed under: Our Animals, Our Farm, US Animals

The past few months have been very busy in the sales department, particularly sales of coloured junior herdsires. The following junior herdsires have been sold and will be starting their herdsire duties in the near future:

• Baarrooka Dire Straits (SLF) - a very dense and lustrous male with very good locking and a very typey look – coverage from nose to toes. Almost full Accoyo, he is an ET boy from Baarrooka Cordela (SW) who won Supreme fleece awards for both her first and second fleece and Surilana T-Pito who has enhanced Cordela’s already impressive fleece stats to produce this male with a great breeding future ahead of him. His co-owner is in NSW.

• Baarrooka Mellencamp (SLF) – a great example of what can be done with ET, his dam is the incomparable Baarrooka Queen Wilhelmina (SLB) who was still winning broad ribbons over whites at the Melbourne Royal when she was 3 years old! His sire is the well-regarded Jingana Ra. This male has spectacular relocking in tight, fine corkscrews evenly across his body. With Desert Prince, Royal Russet and Senator also in his pedigree, this boy will be used in a coloured suri breeding program in Queensland to great effect.

• Baarrooka Master Ike (SMB) – another coloured boy set to ramp up the coloured breeding in QLD, Master Ike is from a beautiful MF Desert Prince female (dec.) with a top quality female line from US Peruvian genetics. His sire is Somerset Arequipa King, who has produced numerous stud quality coloured males. Master Ike has been certified and begun his career as a herdsire.

• Baarrooka Simply Red (SLB) – another ET boy from Baarrooka Queen Wilhelmina, this one was sired by Pinjarra Gold Rush, who has been assessed as a Wool Sire under the SRS breeding system for his fineness and density. This male has very solid colour and Peruvian genetics and should make a real impact on suri breeding in his new home in Tasmania.

Congratulations and thankyou to their new owners.

By Julie Filed under: Our Animals