Flying G Alpacas is located on 40 acres just north of the city of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. The ranch is home to a small herd of alpacas, two dogs (both are Gordon Setters), one quarter horse, some great mousing cats and me, Kathleen Gazey. I'm a relatively new addition to the alpaca breeding industry, having bought my first pregnant females in 2007.

 

My alpaca facility is located 10 minutes north of Meadow Lake and 20 minutes from Meadow Lake Provincial Park in a beautiful forested setting.  It's about 3 hours drive to Saskatoon or Prince Albert, roughly 1.5 hours to Cold Lake, 2 hours to the Battlefords and 4-5 hours to Edmonton.

 

I've been a knitter and sewer since I was a kid, and have always enjoyed creating wearable items.  Over the years, my travels and experiences have taught me a lot about natural fibres and the special enjoyment that they give to the wearer. In the 1990's, I was fortunate enough to spend several months in SE Asia travelling through Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong. During these trips, I developed an even greater appreciation for natural fibres, especially silk and the silk industry. I had a few silk items made for me in Hanoi and Bangkok, so that I could enjoy the fabrics when I was back home. I had also brought back bolts of silk to sew myself at a later date.

 

My love of natural fibres, creating clothing, knitting, crocheting and having room for livestock all came together in 2006 when I moved to Meadow Lake and bought my acreage. I decided that alpacas would be the perfect livestock for me. Manageable animals, with an annual harvest of fleece for the creation of end products. I would raise my own quality fibre. In addition to being a spectacular fibre to craft with, alpaca fibre is hypoallergenic, softer, warmer and lighter than wool. It also has none of the itch that wool is known for. All these properties combine to make fabulous clothing items that are warm, light, soft and luxurious against your skin, with no itch and no allergic reactions.

 

Before choosing  my first alpacas, I visited several alpaca farms and learned as much as I could about alpaca husbandry and those incredible fleeces. Although I purchased my first two pregnant females in early 2007, they didn't arrive home until 2008. I had fencing to build, shelters to put up, a waterbowl to get installed. It's a lot to get ready on your own!

 

A key part of growing my herd has been bringing together proven, high quality genetics. My goal at Flying G Alpacas is to make sound breeding decisions that will ensure each generation of my herd is better than the one before it. I make my breeding selections with the goal of producing top quality fleece characteristics (including fineness, density and character) while maintaining correct conformation and good health. Each cria crop I've produced has met these goals.  All the alpacas in my breeding program are registered in both Canada (Canadian Llama and Alpaca Association - CLAA) and the United States (Alpaca Registry Inc. - ARI).

 

Although I'm a newer alpaca breeder, I've been learning as much as I can about these amazing animals. I attend alpaca learning workshops as often as possible, ranging from workshops on assessing individual alpaca quality to what alpaca fibre is all about. I am on the organizing committee for the Lloydminster Alpaca showcase in October each year. My role with the show is largely in the fleece room helping to organize the fleece show. This has been one of my best learning experiences for understanding and quantifying alpaca fleece characteristics. I'm a member of Alpaca Canada (AC) and the Saskatchewan Alpaca Breeders Network (SABN) and find these great learning and networking opportunities.

 

There are exciting times ahead for the alpaca industry--the alpaca fibre research being done at the University of Saskatchewan is a great illustration of how much potential for growth there is in this industry.  In addition to breeding and selling huacaya alpacas, I also sell alpaca products including yarn, socks, hats, scarves, mittens and many more.

 

I attend as many halter shows as I can get to, as well as send my fleeces to at least two fleece shows every year. It's a great way for me to have an objective assessment of my fleeces and alpacas, to see how they compare to the best in western Canada (and they're doing really well!) and to meet other alpaca breeders and their animals.

 

In addition to running the acreage, I have a full-time job with the provincial government as a Forester. It is truly a great job where I get the chance to do a lot of interesting things. I don't have any family around to help me out, so I really appreciate my neighbours and friends who give me a hand with the farm!

 

When I'm not busy on the acreage (which is rare!), I love to fly fish. I spent several years living in British Columbia and became addicted to fishing with a fly rod! What a great way to spend a day. My dear old dog Tanka even had her own dinghy so that she could be with me while I fished out of my float tube. We spent a lot of hours together on the lakes near Clearwater, BC.

 

I have two Gordon Setters, Georgia (SureShot Georgia on My Mind, CGN) and Beau (Moonsetter SureShot Flying G). Or rather, they have me.  These two characters have so much personality that they make me laugh out loud every day! I am working towards finishing a Championship on Georgia--she has a few points and her Canine Good Neighbour title already. Beau has also got some points towards his Championship, but has had a showing set back with his knee surgery last year. I suspect he'll be quite content if he doesn't go in the show ring again.

 

That's a bit about me and my ranch. I hope you'll enjoy browsing through my website, and that you find the perfect alpaca to compliment your herd.  If you're looking for alpaca products, I carry a wide range of items and ship around the world. There are even more alpaca products available than I am able to list on the website, so please contact me if there is something specific you're looking for. If I don't have it in stock, I can usually find it for you. I'm always updating the website, so be sure to drop by on a regular basis and see what's new!

 

All of my alpacas are sold with a health guarantee.  Bred females are sold with a live cria guarantee.  All females (bred and open) are sold with a breed-back of the buyer's choice, to one of my herdsires or junior herdsires. Breedings to my males always include a live cria guarantee.

 

The coffee is always on at home and visitors are always welcome! Drop by and see what I have that will fit into your breeding program. Besides, it's always great to talk 'alpaca'!