February 27, 2007

Alpaca Auction Phoenix Arizona



Last weekend Chris and I went to the Snowmass Alpacas auction.
The Snowmass alpaca ranch is located in Idaho. They held their annual alpaca auction in Phoenix Arizona this year. We stayed at the Legacy Golf Resort pictured above. The resort was only 6 miles from the location of the auction so was a convenient drive back and forth.


The auction was located at Corona Ranch. This is a facility that businesses can use for seminars etc. I liked this pineapple water fountain that was out in the yard.


Here is a door that was kind of off to the side. I just love the detail of the wood carving. It reminds me of Mexico.


This is the viewing tent. All the alpacas up for auction are in this tent corralled in groups with their lot number around their neck. This allows you to take a look at them up close. You can even go into the pens and check out their bite, and fiber and see if that is an animal you would like to bid on.


Basically all of us are walking around looking at them and they are just as interested in looking at us. They seemed comfortable with their bags filled with hay and each coral had a fan to keep them cool.


This cria is Snowmass Bravado. He is lying down beside his momma. Some of the alpacas were a 3 in 1 deal. This was one of those deals. If you bid on this one you got the Momma, the cria at her side, and also she was pregnant so that made it a 3 in 1 deal. Such a sweet boy.

Chris and I went to this auction to take a look at the Snowmass alpacas and to continue to educate our selves on alpacas. These functions always have several classes and seminars on varies topics about alpacas. We did not go to the auction to buy any alpacas; we are set for this year on our purchases. It is nice to go to several different functions to figure out whom you would like to buy from next year. Plus the people you meet that are all in the industry you learn so much from.

There was one alpaca that had me at hello, and it is a good thing we left the check book at home. Thoughts of picking up this alpaca and running off with her raced through my head.


This is Rose Petal.
She stole my heart. I am not sure who bid and won her, maybe it is a good thing. As small of a farm as we are at this time it just is not practical to buy such a young female that would not be ready to breed for another year and a half.

Chris and I did well at this auction we stuck to our guns and did not buy any alpacas. After looking at the Snowmass alpacas we know that we will definitely buy from them in the future. Overall we had a great time and met a bunch of great people.