Cooke County —
It happens. People at any stage in life can take on a new hobby or business when they come across something that seems to fit with their lifestyle.
That’s what happened with Charles and Debbie Ashley, who now own an alpaca ranch in the Woodbine area.
Alpacas are cousins to the larger llamas and come in two breeds: Huacaya and Suri. The Ashleys raise huacayas and have been in the business/hobby for more than a year.
Charles said that alpacas were bred and raised 6,000 years ago by the Incas.
“Llamas were bred to carry heavy weight, but alpacas cannot,” Debbie noted. “They were raised for their fleece.”
Over the weekend the Ashleys participated in the Mid-America Alpaca Show in Topeka, Kan., where they showed two of their alpacas and entered three fleeces (alpaca coats).
Debbie said they came across the idea of investing in alpacas when they saw a story about them in The Dallas Morning News. In February 2009 they started researching the venture and in October 2009 purchased their first alpacas. Since then, the Aubrey Oaks alpaca ranch has grown to several of the herd animals and this spring will see the first crias (baby alpacas).
“We’re the first (alpaca ranch) that we know of in Cooke County and that the tax office is aware of,” Charles noted of their ag-exempt property.
The Ashleys are interested in enlarging the number of alpacas in the United States and stressed they do not use the animals for meat.
The price of an alpaca may not be cheap. The highest selling alpaca this year went for $675,000.
“The average price I would think, would be in the vicinity of $5,000-$10,000,” Charles said. “An average is about $7,000, but that one animal often comes bred to produce a cria and the rights to breed the female again. So, I’m basically buying three animals when I buy one.
“It’s all about the breeding and genetics,” he continued and added that the breeding route will make the investment feasible.
Unusual facts about alpacas include they have three stomachs, come in 22 colors, and they “hum.” The fleece of an alpaca is sheared once each year and sold. Monthly checkups for herd health include checking eyes, teeth, trimming toenails, weight and shots if necessary.
Both Charles and Debbie were born and raised in Texas.
He works full-time in the music industry in Denton and she works in Dallas three times each week as a registered nurse.
What brought them to Cooke County?
“A two-line ad in The Dallas Morning News in 1985,” he said, “land for sale and a phone number. We were looking to buy land. Her parents always had land, a piece of property called ‘the farm.’ We looked at a bunch of different pieces of property. We came up here and found this section and bought it in 1985.”
In 2001 the Ashleys built their home on their land.
Charles emphasized that their ranch is a business.
“We are in this business to make money,” he said, “and to get a return on our investment.”
The Ashleys said they are enjoying the alpaca lifestyle.
“It is a lifestyle,” Charles noted. “Generally the lifestyle is for folks my age (57) who are looking for something for pre-retirement on through the retirement years. We had some disposable income.”
For more information about alpacas and the local ranch, visit their website at www.aubreyoaksalpacas.com.
Features
Related Photos
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Cooke County is home to at least one alpaca ranch. Pictured are Charles (right) and Debbie Ashley of the Woodbine area with one of their alpacas, Cameo. Photo by Pamela Robinson
Guest Book
Cooke County Spotlight: Woodbine couple living the alpaca lifestyle
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