'They have brought us so much joy' Alpacas have been apart of one area family for 15 years

A woman moved to Poplar Bluff from Colorado and brought alpacas with her, Marilyn Taber explained, adding, “My husband Gary took care of her land, so that is how we were acquainted.”

When the woman decided to return to Colorado, she asked the Tabers if they would be interested in taking over the herd of four.

“We knew nothing about alpacas,” Marilyn admits with a smile, “but I am an animal lover, and we quickly fell in love with them.”

Buddy nuzzles owner Marilyn Taber. Buddy was lost to the barber pole worm infestation. Photo provided

It has been about 15 years since the family opened their hearts to the alpacas, and Marilyn says it has been both rewarding and heartbreaking.

“They have brought us so much joy,” Marilyn said, adding that at one time the family had as many as 13 of the friendly, docile animals. “All of the originals have died of old age, but we have three descendants from them.”

“We lost several from our herd due to a barber pole worm infestation,” explains Tammy Taber.

Tammy Taber holding 5-day-old alpaca Ryker. DAR/Nancy Nelson Vines

“We’re not sure, but I think it may have come from an addition I purchased and brought into the herd.”

Tammy and her sister, Lori Baker, share in the day-to-day care of the alpacas.

“It was devastating,” recounts Marilyn. “They suddenly were weak and losing weight, and we had no clue as to what was happening.”

Alpaca fleece is sent to Memphis where it is made into wool yarn. DAR/Nancy Nelson Vines

Suspecting worms, the family tried a standard de-worming treatment, but that did not help. In desperation, they reached out to a major alpaca research center located in Wisconsin.

“We would watch them poop,” Marilyn recalls, “then we would collect a sample; label it as to which animal it had come from; and then, mail it to the center.

“The diagnosis of barber pole worm was heart-wrenching.”

Baby Ryker spends supervised outside time with his mother. DAR/Nancy Nelson Vines

Tammy explains that the worm, which is prevalent in goats and sheep but can also be carried by deer, gets its name because of the red and white coloration on the female.

“They attach to the inside of the stomach and feed on the host’s blood,” Tammy adds. “The eggs are passed out of the body and hatch in only a few days. The larvae then move into the pasture.”

Marilyn says that once they received the diagnosis, they administered a powerful de-wormer that an animal can only receive one time. Then, they burned the entire grazing area, and hoped for the best.

“There has been no recurrence,” Marilyn said, “and for that we are very grateful.”

Raising alpacas is merely a hobby for the family, according to Marilyn, and not a money-making venture.

“Their fleece is prized for wool because it is so soft. It also is hypoallergenic,” she reveals, “because it contains no lanolin. However, we keep it for our own use, and do not sell it.”

The alpacas are sheared every spring, according to Marilyn, and then the fleece is sent to Memphis to be made into wool yarn. The yarn is then returned to the Tabers.

“The white wool is the most highly sought after,” explains Tammy, “because it is easy to dye. The natural colors are also popular because they require no dye.”

The Tabers hire a shearer from Illinois who visits each spring.

“The weather has to be just right for shearing, though,” Marilyn explains. “If it’s cold or rainy, like it was this spring, it is dangerous for them, so we have to wait for a day that is suitable.”

In addition to the annual shearing, the alpacas also get a yearly dental check-up.

“All alpacas have two bottom teeth,” says Tammy, “and unless they are really, long, we don’t do anything to them. The males, however, have two back fighting teeth, and we have those ground down — for their own protection.”

While shearing day is much-anticipated, another exciting event on this alpaca farm is the birth of a baby. Birthing a cria (baby alpaca) is usually pretty routine, and the mothers rarely require any assistance, according to Marilyn.

“Normal gestation is about 11 to 12 months,” Tammy explains, “but the cria born two weeks ago was about a month-and-a-half early.”

Tammy goes on to say that because of the early delivery, both baby and mother experienced problems.

“Normal newborn weight is usually 15 to 18 pounds,” she relates, “but this little guy only weighed 6 1/2. In addition, his muscle strength was not fully developed so he could not get around and did not have strength to nurse.”

Consequently, according to Marilyn, Ryker (named by Lori) was taken into the house for protection. Though he is being bottle fed, he does get supervised outdoor time with mom. Once his strength and weight are up to normal range, he will join the herd.

Tammy says that because raising alpacas is not common in this area, the family relies on the Alpaca Owners Association when there are questions or concerns.

Marilyn adds, “Though there are no veterinarians specializing in alpacas in our area, our local family vets have been very helpful when we have had medical issues.”

She goes on to say, “Even though we raise alpacas as a hobby, it still takes the entire family to run the operation. Everyone contributes in his/her own way.”

Prior to retirement, Marilyn worked as a computer programmer, and Gary was employed by Union Pacific Railroad. In addition to Tammy and Lori, a third daughter Michelle Taber lives in St. Louis.