MADISON, Wis. — After a two year pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wisconsin Alpaca and Fiber Fest made its return to Madison this weekend.
During the festival, many alpaca farmers from across the U.S. brought their livestock in to be judged by expert breeders.
Steve Clemons, owner of Double S Alpaca farm in Princeton, Minn., said this judging process plays a crucial role in the breeding process.
“It helps value your animals as well as lets you know what you have to do to breed up that animal to a better quality animal,” said Clemons.
Clemons said many larger farms will take their livestock to alpaca shows throughout the year in different parts of the U.S. but for small breeders like himself, the Wisconsin Alpaca and Fiber Fest is their only option.
“Having this show locally has drawn in quite a few people locally that have not gone to shows in this environment and, being so close, a lot of these small farms can afford to come,” said Clemons.
Judging focuses mainly on the fleece of the alpacas, as well as the overall posture and bend of the knees.
When farmers like Clemons leave events, they take the information they gathered and use it to figure out which alpacas they will breed together to make a more suitable animal in the future.