Brett and Jen Pauley bought a 1940s-era farm in southeast Rochester. Brett talked about how a running joke turned into the Pauley Alpaca Company, a popular destination and business.
How did you get started running an alpaca farm?
Things got started kind of as a joke between my wife (Jen) and me. We always talked about moving to the country and we used to tag on the line, “and raise alpacas.”
After we moved out here and with all the mowing (it hadn’t been a working farm for years) we decided to get alpacas.
Some of our friends, co-workers and other people really wanted to see the place so we decided to have an open house. It kind of grew from there where we would have an open house every fall and winter to having one regularly every month.
How did you go about getting alpacas?
Well, when a mommy and daddy alpaca love each other very much, you can get them quite easily. We found a breeder and got our first alpacas from them.
Now you raise your own?
The last few years, we raise our own.
What are some of the more memorable or silly things you’ve seen your alpacas do?
We have one in particular who loves attention — Eleanor. She’ll stick her neck out for hugs, or for selfies. A couple summers ago, we started doing alpaca yoga and that’s been fun to watch their reactions.
How did they react to alpaca yoga?
They were a little confused at first. They didn’t know what to think of it. But once we put buckets of grain in there with participants, they don’t mind.
What kind of grain is a treat for them?
They eat all kinds of grain, but we’ll add some corn and molasses for sweetness.
What’s next for Pauley Alpaca Company?
We’ve expanded into goats, horses and chickens. This was our first year to be open year-round — to hold open houses each month year-round, I mean. The new gift shop really helps and gives us more room. So we’re looking forward to having more people come out and learn about a critter you rarely see.
March 23, 2021 at 06:06PM
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Asked and Answered: Raising alpacas goes from a joke to a business - PostBulletin.com
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