Puppies at 10 weeks of age

There are still puppies available ...

Here are a couple of the little ladies from about 2 weeks ago ... aren't they sweet?!  There are still 8 females left and one male.  A few people coming this weekend to take a look.  If you are interested in getting some for your farm or home.  Contact us soon at BlazinBonnie@epix.net 

Having trouble with Blogger and adding more photos.  I will update as soon as I can with more.

More puppy photos?

I sure hope no one is tired of seeing more puppy photos.  I just can't help but show you how big they are getting.  It happens so quickly, especially when I have only seen them once since the day they were born.  Hoping to go up to the farm again next weekend so I can play with the little rascals before they go to their forever homes.  It won't be long now until they are ready (4 more weeks).  :)  Kelly

" Sweet Dreams"

 "On the Move"

(hence the blurry photo)

"Hey, wait a minute. I wanna tell you a secret."

Great Pyrenees pups for sale - Photos at 2 weeks of age

We have 11 Gorgeous Great Pyrenees puppies, 8 girls and 3 boys. They are from our beautiful girl, Ariel. The sire is a very handsome well-known male, White Face, from an Alpaca farm in NY. Both have wonderful temperaments, both live and work with Alpacas. The puppies should be ready for their new homes by Oct.25. The price is $600.00 for breeding rights $500.00 without breeding rights. They will have their first shots & health guarantee.


Here are some photos of them at two weeks of age ...

Three of the pups at 2 weeks of age

Feeding time with Ariel and Bonnie

A closeup of a couple of the pups

Bonnie with a badger-faced little girl

Mama Ariel was
making sure her pups were okay.

If you have a farm that needs some protection for its herd or would love a guard dog that is gentle with its owners and children, this it the type of dog for you.  For more information about the breed click here.

Contact Bonnie or Leonard at Hvnsgatealpacas@epix.net for more details and to hold YOURS today!!

(You may double click on the photos to get a better look.)

Great Pyrenees -- Ariel and her Puppies

Ariel had her puppies today.  Wow, it was a long day, but well worth it! :)  Look at these little cuties.  They will be available for new homes around the end of October (just in time for the holidays) and would make a wonderful addition to any farm or family.  They are excellent guard dogs, and great with people and children.

We are currently taking deposits on the pups, so . . .

Contact Bonnie or Leonard  at blazinbonnie@epix.net for more details and to hold YOURS today!!

(Double click on the photos to enlarge them)

 

 

Six weeks old and where are the other babies?!

Hey there, readers!  Here are a few more photos for your enjoyment.  I am up at the farm again today to "alpaca sit" just in case Serena or Ariel go into labor . . . nothing exciting happening currently, so I thought I would just show you some photos.

Hannah August 26, 2010

Hannah and Hezekiah Aug 26, 2010

Serena - a little standoff-ish at this point in time

Ariel w/a big belly -- 8/26/10

Well, that's all for today, ladies and gents!  Have a GREAT afternoon and evening!!

Kelly for  

Cria #2 -- King Hezekiah is his name

Bouncing around already is his game! : )  Busy, busy today, but we just had to post a picture of this sweet chocolate boy.  This is Angel's cria . . .

Here she is . . . firstborn this year on the farm!!

Hey there, everyone!  It has been WAAAAYY too long since I have posted here.  Life, farm chores and Kelly's job have been getting in the way of all kinds of fun stuff.  :)  What's a girl to do?

Well . . . she can run off to the farm on her day off and see sweet little cria-tions like this!  Aww, isn't she cute?!  This is Faleen's cria, born this morning (I think around 11 a.m. but don't hold me to that cuz I wasn't here then).  Either way, I promised a few friends pictures, so here she is . . . no name yet as we are still debating . . . but she sure is Pretty!  Her sire is Caleb from Flying Pony, and as mentioned above her dam is Faleen (shown here on the blog in other photos too).

So leave us a comment and let us know what ya think?!

Edited:  We have decided to name her Caleb's Hannah.

We were FEATURED!!

Hey there, Readers and Freinds!

We were featured this past month (April 7th to be exact) in The Marketplace, a special publication within the Wellsboro Gazette for local farms/businesses like ourselves.  What an honor it was to have Natalie Kennedy at our home and business asking how we got started raising alpacas.

Here is the article Ms. Kennedry wrote:

For a Westfield couple, raising alpacas is a little bit of Heaven on Earth.  Leonard and Bonnie Klingman own and operate Heaven's Gate Alpacas.  "We're both Christian people and thought to name it something that would honor God, " explained Leonard.  Both Leonard and Bonnie survived car accidents, he when he was 19, and she at age 44.  "We came close to Heaven's gate once, and this way, Heaven's Gate is here, and these are God's creatures, " added Bonnie.  Even the names of the alpacas born on the farm are derived from Biblical sources.  There's Zechariah, Jumping Jehosephet, Lazarus (he nearly died several times), Noah (who was born just before a severe summer storem), Nevaeh (Heaven spelled backwards) and Shiphrah.

The 80-acre farm is home to 14 alpacas with 5 more due to arrive this summer.  It all began in 2007, two years after the Klingmans relocated from central Pennsylvania to Westfield.  "When we originally moved, my idea was to raise black Angus but somebody," said Leonard, with a significant nod towards Bonnie, "didn't want little calves being ground up."  Instead they started to research alpacas after seeing them during a visit to the Harrisburg Farm Show.  The animal's intelligence and gentle nature intrigued them, and their large, liquid brown eyes sealed the deal.  In July 2007, they purchased two females, both with crias (young alpacas) and a gelded (neutered) male.  A third female was offered to them soon after, and they purchased that one as well.  The next few months were spent clearing a locust grove - the trees were eventually used for fence posts -- for the animals' arrival in late September.

Alpacas are members of the camel family.  Indigenous to the Andes Mountains in South America, the alpaca is raised for its fleece.  The fleece has several unique qualities.  It is hypoallergenic, soft rather than itchy like wool, and is both warm in the winter and wicks moisture (like perspiration) away from the skin.  The average alpaca yields about four to six pounds of fleece.  The fleece is then spun into yarn or felt and then turned into clothing, hats, scarves, socks, gloves, etc.  There are two types of alpacas:  the huacaya (wah-KI'-ya) and suri (surrey).  The only difference is the fleece.  The huacaya has a crimp to the fleece, giving it a fluffy, teddy bear-like appearance.  The suris have no crimp in their fleece, thus the fibers cling together, similar to dread locks.  The huacaya fleece is shorn annually; the sury every two years.  The Klingmans raise huacaya alpacas.  "The funny thing when you shear them is they have to figure out all over again who the dominant one is,"  Bonnie said.  "It's like they lose their ego.  Sometimes, the dominant one ends up being different, at least for a while."

Alpacas come in 16 colors, ranging from white to various shades of fawn, brown, grey and black, and several patterns.  The color preference varies among breeders.  "Some people have a color preference for white because you can dye that," Bonnie noted.  "The color people are trying to find now is grey,"  Leonard added.  "Grey seems to be the top value animals."

One of the Heaven's Gate herdsires, Dark Templar, is a dark silver grey.  At the shows, alpacas are judged on their conformation (body structure) and their fleece.  Templar has won several ribbons at alpaca shows, which increases his value as a sire.  His current breeding fee is $2,000.

Alpacas are herd animals and generally do not do well alone.  They need the companionship of other alpacas.  Most farms keep a gelding or two as companion animals for both males and females.  Care of alpacas is simple, but not fool proof.  They cannot eat leafy hay like alfalfa or clover.  Instead, they dine on orchard grass hay.  Food, water and shelter are necessary as well as some regular venerinary care like de-worming.  The timid animals also need a good protector; the Klingmans use two Great Pyrenees to guard the herd from marauders like coyotes.

And the reports of alpacas being spitters?  Well, admits Bonnie, that's true although it's usually only when they are pregnant and more irritable.  Normally, alpacas make a humming sound to communicate.

The future of Heaven's Gate is in God's hands, but the Klingmans hope to increase and improve their herd and start a retail shop in their basement.  They currently take their woven items to local farmer's markets.

For more information, call or visit http://www.heavensgatealpacas.com/

Veterinarians

Hi All!

I usually don't like airing my troubles but I hope you all will understand and maybe have some idea that I haven't thought of already.

O.K. here goes.......I DON'T HAVE A VET. THAT WILL COME TO MY FARM.

I do have 2 wonderful vets, 1 in New York (Dr. Grant Seaman) and Dr. Bob Fetter man (here in PA), they both are very knowledgeable of Alpacas . and very caring also, sounds like NO PROBLEM right, WRONG.

Dr. Seaman's practice is in Canisteo, New York approx.35 min. from us. Sounds good right...wrong. He can not come to our farm because he is not licensed in PA. So we take our beloved Alpacas to him if need be.

DR. Bob Fetterman's practice is in East Smithfield,PA approx. 1hr. & 40 min.from our farm. If we are going to show an alpaca & we need PA health certificate papers or something that is not life threatening we take our alpacas to him. By now you see what the problem is ....DISTANCE! It's to far for Dr. Bob to come here.

I'm so concerned, God Forbid, if I have an alpaca that is having a problem giving birth or one that is down & I can't get it up I DON'T HAVE A VET. THAT WILL COME TO MY FARM!

I have tried every Vet. in our area that takes care of large animals but none will take care of Alpacas.

Today my hubby saw a Vet. that has her own mobile farm truck & her practice is only 15 min. tops from us.When he asked if she would be interested in taking care of our Alpacas, her reply was a very quick NO and she finished with "If they aren't black & white and don't moo" she won't take care of them. I know that was not completely true because she takes care of my neighbors horses which is only 2 min. from our farm.

By the Grace of God, we haven't had anything such as I described earlier but it would be great if I had a Vet. that would come to our farm if we were in a situation that we could not handle, like a prolapsed uterus, inverted cria in the womb, or an Alpaca that is so ill that it needs attention NOW.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest, if you can think of anything else that I haven't PLEASE feel free to let me know.

In Christ Our Savior Love

Bonnie

P.S. -- Cornell University Hospital is approx. 3 hrs. from our farm also. :-(

Snow Time

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to drop you all a line to say "Thank You" for being followers of Heaven's Gate Alpacas! I wish you all could come and spend sometime with these wonderful Alpacas. Believe me, there is never a dull moment.They are having a ball now that the snow is here. From pronking to Rolling in it.

I thought you might enjoy some pictures of Shiprah ( the black one) & Lazurus (Cha Ching) playin tag in the snow. As you can see his fleece is growing back just fine now. Hope you like the pictures.

God Bless,

Bonnie & "the pacas"

Are you looking for a Knight in Shining Armor?

That is for your maiden or seasoned female . . . ? Well, then no need to look any farther. We have a gorgeous dark silver gray male that would be the perfect addition to your bloodlines on your farm, too. Check out more information on Dark Knight Templar's page at AlpacaNation or contact Leonard and Bonnie from there.



We are booking dates and times now for May. Get your maiden a sweet Valentine deal today!