Scott Shelhart feeds grain to a group of the alpacas that he and his daughter, Abby, raise on their farm near Claypool. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

By Lilli Dwyer
Staff Writer

The alpaca, a South American animal, can now be found close to home at Shelhart Acre Farms near Claypool.

The idea of raising alpacas came about when Scott Shelhart’s daughter, Abby, learned about them from the now closed Mishler Farms in Pierceton. Shelhart purchased his first two alpacas in 2020 and now runs a fiber and breeding stock operation with the help of his daughter.

Along with the practical uses, the family also appreciates the uniqueness of having alpacas on their farm along with the goats, chickens and rabbits.

“It’s something different that not everybody has,” said Shelhart.

When it comes to taking care of such a unique animal, he said they are actually fairly low maintenance.

“You’ve got your typical grain, which is a specific blend just for alpacas, which helps with their fiber growth,” he explained. “At the end of the day, that’s what alpacas are for, is their fiber.”

The alpacas also get grass hay, fresh water and some minerals as most livestock do.

A Huacaya alpaca almost seems to be smiling for the camera. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

The farm has two different kinds of alpacas: five Huacaya and six Suri. Suri alpacas are the most rare type. According to Shelhart, only about 10 percent of alpacas in the world are of the Suri variety. Suri have a coat of dreadlock-like wool, which is different from the Huacaya.

“Where the Huacaya has a brightness to the fleece, the Suri has more of what they call a luster,” Abby explained.

Alpacas are sheared every spring, much like sheep, and their wool is used in products such as socks, scarves, hats and blankets. Shelhart Acre Farms sells some of these products, as well as the raw wool.

Two of the females have never had their wool cut. These alpacas will be in the show circuit this year as part of the never shorn class.

The show season, which takes place from October to April, is important to alpaca farms all across the U.S. The lack of a show season in 2020 created some challenges for Shelhart Acre Farms while it was trying to establish itself.

“You want (alpacas) to be multiple time champion winners because you can make huge profits off of just one animal,” said Abby. “When the shows shut down, a lot of animals people wanted to sell had no show history and people didn’t want to buy them because they wouldn’t know what the quality was.”

Things have improved since then, however. The environment has been very welcoming.

“I never knew there was this much alpaca stuff until we started to get into it,” Shelhart remarked. “Everybody is so nice in the whole alpaca community. If you’ve got a problem or a question you can ask and they’ll help you.”

Shelhart Acre Farms’ alpacas took both first and second place in the Suri Network Fleece Show last year for the quality of their fiber. The farm also ranked fourth in the nation for the new Suri farm category.

On top of that, Abby is active in youth performance competitions, with challenges ranging from costume contests to obstacle courses and has taken home several prizes.

Shelhart Acre Farms will be bringing some of their alpacas to Fall Family Fun in Warsaw’s Lucerene Park from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6.

To learn more about the farm, visit shelhartacrefarms.com or find it on Facebook at shelhartacrefarms.

Abby Shelhart and Oliver, a Suri alpaca, participate in the costume constest portion of a youth competition. Photo provided by Scott Shelhart.

A group of Huacaya and Suri alpacas gather in the barnyard. Photo by Lilli Dwyer