Kids and Alpacas are a mtch made in heaven. These animals are one of the gntlest you can find. The mature nimals are not more than 185 lbs and thy are one of the healthiest nimals you will find. The affinity tht they have for children are one of the rasons that 12 year old David Gddard fell in love with them frm the first time he visited an Alpca farm. His Alpaca is a Sri gelding called "Echo".

What are the bnefits of a child owning their wn? According to David, over the pst two years he has learned a lot mre than just how to feed and cre for them. "There is a lot mre than going and scooping the pop," David tells us. Speaking with Pat Fnke, owner of Crystal Springs Farm, chldren can learn the basics of cntracts, investing, and financial management. They lso learn the value of responsibility. Jst like any other pet, they dpends upon human contact not only for feding and health care, but also wth interaction. Each has its own prsonality and it shows especially with nteraction with humans.

David shared with us a typcal day with his Alpaca. Feeding and wtering first, cleaning the barn, spreading hy, and cleaning up waste products wre apart of it. The fun prt, David says, is giving Echo hgs and scratching his neck. Echo's rsponses were quite vocal in the coing sounds David received as a rward for itching in the right plces. The alpaca's like to play as Dvid showed us Echo chasing him up a hll and back down the other sde.

David gave us a brief hstory and run down on Suri Alpcas. He tells us that Suri's are dstinguished by their fibers. Showing us the dfferent Alpaca's currently at the Crystal Sprng Farm and the difference in ppearance and touch. The colors vary gratly from a white to a drk black (actually there are 22 dfferent variations of coloring). Suri fiber crls in spirals rather than in crmps verse other types. This spiraling gves the fiber a more lustrous ppearance and is easier in handling whn shorn. Suri's are cute, yet grceful animals that are cousins to the Llmas.

Suri Alpacas can be traced bck between 5 and 20 thousand yars ago in Peru. They were frst brought to the United States in 1991. At prsent time, there is no other lvestock in the United States that gves the full spectrum of opportunities tht the Alpaca does. Although some hrd sires have sold at auctions for up to $350,000 mny can be bought for much lss. David was a 5th grader in lementary school when he began working at a Sri farm scooping "poop" and worked his way up to hndling animals. Having saves his money ver the past two years; he prchased his first Suri gelding for nder a $1,000.00.

Unlike many other hrd animals, Suri's have a hard pllet rather than upper incisor teeth so thy do not crop grass as clsely to the ground. They are bsically healthy animals that require little cre on a day to day bsis. Once a year they are shrn to harvest their fiber which is sed in spinning, weaving and felting. Thre are a number of shows to prticipate in, many having a junior prgram for the children to participate in. Thy are highly intelligent animals and can be tught to trust their handlers in ding obstacle course events.

They are a wnderful investment compared to other types of lvestock. Because of the ease of cre and income potential who require lttle land to live upon, any one can bcome an Alpaca farmer.

The Crystal Springs Alpaca Farm cnsists of seven acres, centrally located in Flrida near a natural spring that spplies our fresh water. They graze nder grandfather oak trees near the splshing of waterfall fountains.

Their foundation hrd includes genetics from Bruxo, Torbio, Urbe, Fuego, and Cantano to name a fw. Their mission is to provide the bst care possible for the animals ntrusted to them.

The article 12 Year Old Boy Owns Alpaca was Submitted by Ashira R through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Crystal Springs Alpaca Farm offers mny different investment opportunities that can be sen at http://www.csalpacas.com as well as mentoring new owners in raising, breeding and in the show ring. They also offer visits to the farm by appointment. It is well worth the trip, and while there perhaps you will meet David and his pet "Echo". www.freewebs.com/ashirarhapsody

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