Heavens Gate Alpacas

NEWS FLASH!!!!

2011-08-18T22:34:00.002-04:00

Our girl, Angel Eyes had a beautiful cria on Monday
(8/15/2011) 3:00 P.M.
Angel was bred to Raymond, a very handsome guy
with wonderful fiber,
great conformation plus a very good temperament.
O.K. I have been holding off long enough, We named our little
gal, Raymond's Rebekah, AKA Bekah.
Here is a picture of her.
Please leave us your comments.
Thank You,
Bonnie K
Heaven's Gate Alpacas

Dark Knight Templars Joshua

2011-08-18T22:08:00.003-04:00

Hi to all of our wonderful followers!
First I want to Thank You all for the thoughts & prayers for our Hannah.
She is doing well now and she didn't have to have Surgery! Praise the Lord!
Things have been busy here at the farm.
Our man, Dark Knights Templar had a son!!
The cria, (Baby Alpaca) belongs to a couple dear friends of ours.
The name of their farm is Heavenly Sunset Alpacas.
Here is a picture of him, oh by the way his name is Joshua.
Isn't he a fine looking boy?

Our Little Hannah

2011-07-30T21:13:00.005-04:00

Dear Friends,

I have a problem with our 1 yr. old gray girl. It all started around July 20th, I saw Hannah standing over the Poop Pile, as I watched her she looked like she was having trouble going. I kept my eye on her as my husband & I did the morning chores. She kept going back to the pile and nothing happened.
Leonard & I thought she needed something to help her so we gave her some fresh hay right out of the field, Bounce Back in her water & so on.
She started going fine after the fresh hay. Then I noticed she started going back to the poop pile
again & again. I knew something was wrong so I really kept a close eye on her. Then I saw what the problem was, SHE was having trouble PEEING!!
I called our Vet right away and he said bring her over to my office (Which is an hour & a half from our farm).
When we got there the assistant was able to get a urine sample, they also took a blood sample.
Hannah's temp was fine but the Urine test showed crystals in her Urine.
She was started with Naxcel & Banamine. Naxcel was 2 shots for 7 days and Banamine 2 shots for 5 days.
Needless to say that medicine didn't take care of it. After talking to our Vet. he said the best thing to due was take her to Cornell University where the had the thing to tell them what was going on. Dr. B thought the crystals had formed a stone & if that is the case Hannah will have to have surgery to get them out! :( She is going to Cornell on Tuesday but if things take a turn where she can't pee at all then we call them & rush her to Cornell!
"So if you could please keep Hannah in your prayers!"
I will keep you informed about our Beautiful Hannah.

God Bless us everyone,
Bonnie Klingman
Here At Heaven's Gate Alpacas

Follow Up on Veryls Puppies

2011-07-30T20:28:00.003-04:00

Hi All,
I just wanted to report to you that all Veryl Simmons puppies have all been sold but 1 little guy. I'm sure Veryl won't be upset if he doesn't sell because she already had a name for him.
He was the smallest of the litter so she always called him Peanut!
Thank You all for checking out our blog.
Feel free to ask me any questions. I'll be glad to answer them!
Take Care & God Bless!!
Bonnie

LIFE IS GOOD WITH PACAS & PYRES!!

Veryl Simmons Great Pyrenees Puppies

2011-07-09T19:49:00.011-04:00

Click on picture to enlarge

Hi Everyone!!

I apologize for not posting anything for sometime, I'll try to keep up with posting more often.

I have a dear friend that has an Alpaca Farm, plus two working Great Pyrenees, Autumn & Whisper. They are the proud parents of 10 puppies, 2 girls & 8 boys. The 2 girls have been sold but the boys are all available. They are 9 weeks old so they are ready for their new forever homes. The boys are all white, the parents are all white also. If you are looking for a Handsome male just call Veryl Simmons at (814)367-5217 or email her at vsimmons@verizon.net or you can call me at (570)376-4026 or email me at blazinbonnie@epix.net. I've attached a picture of these awesome puppies. The price for these boys are $400.00 each. I'm sure these boys will go quickly at this price. They can be registered also.
Thank You for looking.

God Bless,

Bonnie Klingman

Heavens Gate Alpacas ... thawing out

2011-04-09T18:47:00.001-04:00

Well, we have certainly had our share of snow this year .. and although the alpacas don't mind ... we are so READY for spring!! Here are some pics to share with you.

The first one is our uncle Raphael (gelding with buttery soft black fleece) and his buddy Warrior (our friendly public relations paca who is GREAT at obstacle courses).

This is Zechariah (with such soft, dense white fleece and some gray background from his mama Faleeen). He has such a nice disposition, good confirmation and overall charm.

This photo is of two of the pups from last August (about the same size as their mom now), and

just as sweet in demeanor as she is but great protectors of the herd.

Hope spring is arriving soon at your home. Stop by and visit us again soon!

Puppies at 10 weeks of age

2010-11-11T23:14:00.001-05:00

There are still puppies available ...

2010-11-08T20:32:00.000-05:00

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?

2010-09-26T08:29:00.000-04:00

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

2010-09-16T08:35:00.004-04:00

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

2010-08-29T21:42:00.000-04:00

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?!

2010-08-26T14:42:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-15T14:15:00.000-04:00

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!!

2010-07-15T03:11:00.000-04:00

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!!

2010-04-21T11:43:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-04T20:25:00.000-05:00

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

2010-02-22T21:48:00.000-05:00

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?

2010-02-13T15:30:00.000-05:00

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!

Empire's Photo Contest Submission

2009-11-17T15:53:00.000-05:00

Well, although we didn't win, I just wanted to share with you some photos that Kelly shot and submitted for the Empire Photo Contest last month. Even though they didn't get an honorable mention, we are very proud of them . . .

The caption for this one was "Alpaca See . . . Alpaca Doo."

Lazarus was only a few days old, and after following mom across the field she stopped and showed him what he was supposed to do near "the pile"

(at first I thought if only they had wings they looked like they were ready for take off).

This one was called "Precious and Few (are the moments)," and it had been printed out in black and white for the contest. Cody had sat down by Amber in the field and was talking to her when she put her head over almost on his shoulder like she was wanting a hug. She is such a sweet gal, you can't help but love her!!

This one is my all time favorite! It was named "A Mother's Love."

It is another picture of Serena and Lazarus (the cuter end).

So . . . leave us a comment and let us know what YOU think of them.

Our DSG, Dark Knight's Templar, took 2nd place!

2009-11-02T17:07:00.000-05:00

Well, the competition was tough again at the Empire Alpaca Extravaganza. We took 3 alpacas this time, Templar, Neveah and Noah. Templar did very well and came home with a second place ribbon (the judge said the alpaca above him in first place had fleece just a little brighter and finer than Templar so we feel pretty good about that).

We also showed him in the Herdsire Showcase and are hoping other farms see the wonderful dark silver grey (DSG) potential that his blood line could produce in their crias too. He is a definite night in shining armor on our farm.

Templar has started breeding, and we are really looking forward to seeing his first cria late May or early June 2010.

Western New York Alpaca Show and Praise!!

2009-07-13T08:34:00.000-04:00

We have lots of photos and ribbons from the Western New York Alpaca Show, but I have limited time the next couple of days, so hang in there to see more!!

Here is HGA Noah's photo with his blue ribbon, his handler Cody and one of his owners Bonnie.

Here is Dark Knight's Jumpin Jehoshaphat and his handler, Cody, received a third place ribbon
(The color is wrong on the ribbon though in case you were wondering).

We also want to thank you ALL for your wonderful prayers! Lazarus started nursing from his mama, Serena, over the weekend, and he seems to be doing much better. He lost a little weight at first, but the last couple of days, he has remained steady now. Praise the Lord!! :D

Here he is . . .

2009-07-09T10:07:00.000-04:00

Our new boy on the farm . . .

Serena finally gave birth Tuesday morning to this little sweetie. We decided to name his Alonzo's Lazarus. Please say a little prayer for our little one though, as he hasn't been nursing from his mama and we are getting ready to go to the alpaca show in Cuba, New York. Bonnie has been bottle feeding him, and unfortunately Leonard will have to take over that job if little Lazarus doesn't soon get the hang of his "mama" has the goods. :)

Thanks for all your well wishes,

Anxiously awaiting

2009-07-05T06:45:00.000-04:00

OH my goodness,

Has it been that long since we blogged?! Wow, sorry, gals. Life and work (ok mostly work of some sort) just seems to get in the way.

This fourth of July weekend, we are anxiously waiting for the arrival of Serena's cria. She was due on June 30th, but she still hasn't given up that little one for the rest of us to seeeeee. (can you tell I am mostly the one anxiously waiting?)

Yesterday morning, no signs of labor except a little bit of nostril flaring but maybe that is just because she is uncomfortable and can't stand any of the other alpacas getting too close. Then this morning I peek out at 5:30 a.m. and all the girls are moving about ALREADY, so I don a jacket, head on up to the barn to see "nothing" really going on again. They all look at me like why are you up here so early in the morning?! lol So, I am still patiently waiting (not so patiently). lol

Hugs from Kelly :) for

enjoyin MAPACA!

2009-04-24T23:32:00.000-04:00

We, Kelly, Cody and myself are having a great time here at MAPACA! There are sooo many wonderful looking Alpacas here and the competiton is very high. We will be adding more pictures and letting you know how Warrior, Templar & Noah do. Wish you were here Deb T. :-)
Thanks to all for your comments on our farm and our loves of our life, "OUR ALPACAS!"
God Bless,
Bonnie

EDITED to ADD:

Templar came home with a 5th place ribbon at MAPACA (although first place at other shows, the competition was definitely high in our state capital of Harrisburg with many BIG farms and BIG names in the alpaca business there).

MAPACA Jubilee

2009-04-24T22:31:00.000-04:00

Alpaca Hugs and kisses from MAPACA Jubilee, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania! Here are a few photos until I can explain more. :) Kelly

Spring is here?

2009-03-22T08:36:00.000-04:00

Some photos for your enjoyment . . . taken 03/21/09

Shiphrah after a roll in the hay . . .

Warrior disgusted that Noah is getting more attention than he is (Noah giving kisses in the background to Bonnie)

Kelly with Noah . . . awww

Amber

Ariel, Warrior, and Noah watching our min pin on the farm (look at their attentive stance)

Crias Then and Now . . .

2009-02-07T14:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, yesterday I posted the crias in review from this past year, and their photos were mostly the day of their birth or within the week of their birth. Here are some photos of the crias now. :)

This first one is really blurry (sorry for that). It was bright and sunny outside of the barn roof area, but dark here underneath. This is Noah from early January. He is now over with the "big boys," and picks on them now, although not quite as much as he did the smaller crias. I think he was kinda put in his place by Warrior and Rafael's grumble. *wink*

This one is a picture of Nevaeh. She is getting quite a bit bigger than she was just a few short months ago. Hard to tell she was a preemie now. She is actually quite a bit taller than Zack, and she looks to be a little bigger than Joey (but the fluffy fleece can fool you). When they are shorn late spring, we will be able to really tell their size better.

Here's our little Shiphrah. When she gets out, she runs and runs and runs circles around the pasture getting everyone riled up. :) It is really funny to watch. Of course, you see she is more interested in the camera than where her mom is going.

Here are the "partners in crime." Well, not too much they can get into really, but where one is the other is sure to follow. This is a photo of Zack and Joey who were probably just nipping at one another's feet, if I know them.

And lastly, I just had to show you a newer photo of the "pups!" From left to right, Sophia now weighs in close to 90 lbs and Ariel is about 20 lbs behind her in weight. They are really doing well with the alpacas, bonding with them and learning they are there to protect and guard them. Sophie does her rounds around the perimeter while Ariel sits back and seems like she says, "I got your back, sis. Howl if you need me." lol They are sure beautiful dogs when they aren't wet from the snow, and Sophie can stand right up on her hind legs and put her paws on your shoulders, she is that tall already (although this is not encouraged for obvious reasons).

Hope you have enjoyed the newer photos of the little ones. I am sure there will be more photo opportunities in the spring when the frozen "tundra" we call Tioga county thaws out a bit.

We are also looking forward to another alpaca show towards the end of April in Harrisburg, and we will keep you informed if/when we go. Thanks for stopping by!

2008 CRIAS IN REVIEW

2009-02-06T22:57:00.001-05:00

Wow, we have been such BAAAADDD bloggers lately. I am so sorry. I have been wanting to get some photos of a year in review on here for the past month and just have not found the time to do so.

This was our first year raising alpacas, and there has been quite a bit to learn with surely more to learn still. All in all, it has been a very productive year for our crias. The herd has doubled, and I wanted to show you some photos of proof. :) So here goes . . .

First to be born on the farm was Noah (shown here with his mama, Serena). Noah was born June 13, 2008. He had an easy birth and hit the ground running. He was up and moving around in no time. Such an easy birth for both his mother and midwife, Bonnie. Nice way to start off the birthing season.

Then came another white cria, but this time a little female -- Nevaeh (we pronounce it Nee-Vah) August 10, 2008. She was a bit premature and had to grow into her long neck and had such pink skin that showed through her fleece, around her nose and eyes. Her mama is Angel (one of the newest adult females to the farm).

Then on August 29, 2008, along came Jumpin' Jehosaphat aka Joey from an all white dam (Amber), he surprised us with a dark to medium grey face and medium to dark fawn body. His name was the exclamation Kelly thought of when she heard "we had another boy!"

Next was Zechariah aka Zack who was another white male born to Faleen. He was born September 3, 2008. Zack and Nevaeh were hard to tell apart once they grew a little bit (Nevaeh caught up to Zack's size pretty quickly) and unless they were with their mamas, you had to be close enough to see their eyes. Zack has dark skin around his eyes and a dark nose, unlike Nevaeh's pink.

The last cria of the year was born on October 16, 2008 a pretty little black girl that really has quite the personality. We named her Shiphrah (shif-rah). Not sure if she is a true black or bay black yet, but I think we will let that up to the judges. She has to be the most "vocal" of the cria that we have heard so far. She grunts (not really a hum like most alpacas but more like a grunt and groan), and boy does she carry on when you are holding her still to get her cria coat on when it is cold. She is also so inquisitive and tips her head to the side and watches you when you are near her stall or near her mama. Shiphrah's dam is Honey (one of the newest adult females to the farm).

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I hope to have some newer photos of the crias to show you how much they have grown.

Feels Like Winter on the Farm

2008-12-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

Although the calendar doesn't say it's winter . . . the chill is definitely in the air in Tioga County! We have had snow off and on for the past month, and as you can see some is still lying on the ground. The pups (Sophia and Ariel-- left to right) have really gotten big (about doubled in size since we brought them home), and they are wanting Cody to come in and play here in this photo.

The alpacas don't enjoy being kept in the barn much, but they have a little bit of space to move around out in front of the barn.

Next you can see Bonnie lovin' up on Amber who usually is right by your side come feeding time and any touching, petting, or sometimes kisses from Amber herself are free for the taking. She looks like she was thinking, "okay, okay where's the grain?"

Here you can see them at feeding time when everyone was getting in their "assigned areas" for feed.
There are two females who like to get as much as they can from the others(Angel and Amber), so they are penned up alone, and then Honey and Shiprah are separate because Shiphrah is still little. Another spot is for two of the other females, and the bigger crias get to eat together as well. This seems to be the best plan to keep everyone fed well without too much spitting or squealing at the dinner trough/pans.

Last, I leave you with a "Got Milk" photo of Joey after he rinsed down his oats and grain from a trip to the milk bar. *wink* See the milk under his lip? It was all white and drippy. So cute! :)

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you too are staying warm.

More photos soon

2008-12-02T03:14:00.000-05:00

It will surely be a COLD day at the farm, but I hope to show you some more pictures really soon! Kelly will be visiting the farm today, and she is sure to take a few photos. :D

Stay tuned!!

Empire Alpaca Extravaganza

2008-10-30T20:49:00.000-04:00

The Empire Extravaganza in Syracuse, New York was definitely interesting and a new experience to all of us from HGA. There were over 1000 alpacas entered, and many of the big name farms were there. So the competition was steep.

It was rather cold and rainy on Saturday, so we were happy to be inside yet a bit soggy going from one building to the other for the shows. Cody showed Wonders Peaceful Warrior in the halter show and a performance class, but the competition was good in the bay black class, and in the performance shows Warrior just was not in the mood to perform. He seemed to be more interested in other alpacas than doing what was required at the time. Hence, no ribbons were won at this show for him.

On the other hand, Dark Knight's Templar stood true to his bloodlines and brought home a first place ribbon in his dark silver gray class. He truly made us proud. He was handled by Bonnie again at this show, and you can see Templar, Bonnie and Cody in the photo above.

Thanks for stopping by!

Shiphrah take 2

2008-10-25T21:06:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more pictures of Shiphrah from the farm. Kelly had the pleasure of helping with this little cutie this weekend and was able to get some photos to share with you on line. Shiphrah is doing well and is seen here with her mama, Honey. She has gained almost a pound since Thursday, as she weighed in at 20 pounds 10 ounces this morning (10/25/2008).

She is really looking forward to playing with the other crias, as she is very curious as to what goes on outside of her stall. She has been out off and on, but it was rainy and nasty here today, so she and Honey remained inside all day. Hopefully sunshine will help to dry up the mud, and tomorrow will be a more enjoyable day for everyone.

Thanks for stopping by, and leave us a comment if you would like on our newest addition to the farm.

Busy week

2008-10-22T13:56:00.000-04:00

Wow, it has been busy at the farm. Leonard has shoulder surgery. Then while he was recooperating, we had our last birth of the year last Thursday when little Shiphrah was born. Here is a picture of her, but the color is off quite a bit, as she is really pretty dark (like a bay black). She was rolling in the dust/dirt earlier with her mama, Honey, so maybe that made her look more brown than black as well. We are planning for the Empire Alpaca Show in Syracuse, New York this weekend, so things are still quite hectic. We hope to be back with pictures soon of some ribbons from the boys again (say a prayer for us, as this is a bigger show than last) :D

Ariel and Sophia

2008-10-11T18:03:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of the newest editions to the farm. They are two Great Pyrenees pups (actually sisters). We chose to name the all white one Sophia, which stands for angel whose name means wisdom and the other little girl with gray ears, Ariel, which means Lion of God, angel of protection. Sophia, the one to the right in the first picture is very loving, energetic, and doesn't seem to stay still long enough for a picture. Ariel is more laid back and watches to see what her sister is going to do first (I guess a bit of a follower).

Pics from Farm Day

2008-10-01T13:15:00.000-04:00

The fall colors were out and coloring the countryside beautiful shades of reds, orange, and yellow. Although last weekend was a bit of a washout during Open Farm Day, we did have 9 visitors on Saturday between showers, and a couple of phone calls on Sunday asking to stop by and visit another weekend. Since the alpacas were pretty soggy and the dusty the usually adorn themselves with to keep the flies away had turned a bit muddy, we thought that was a good idea, too.

Typically the alpacas do not like to be out in the rain and will head to the barn, so having them away from the barn and the rest of the herd was a little bit distressing to them as well. We started out with Templar and Warrior in the first kennel out of the pasture and in the fresh green grass where it was more level for visitors to see them, but Raphael just was not happy that his buddies weren't in the pasture with him. So we had to bring him along too. They like to be together for sure (herd survival instinct I guess).

Then we brought Angel and Naveah down so the visitors would be able to see a cria and dam up close and possibly feel how soft her fleece is.

We had a table set up with raw fleece and some handmade items, and the other table to show the different grain, supplements, and feed that the alpacas are fed. There were hot dogs and drinks for refreshment and balloons for the children.

All in all, it was a great day for our family to get together and teach others a little bit about an alpaca farm. We can't wait to do it again!!

The picture above looks to be the crias playing tag. (Left to right) Noah, Joey and Nevaeh. They like to run around the tree and stop there like they are hiding from one another.

The bottom picture shows Zack and Joey. These two pal around together a lot. You don't usually see one without the other unless they are both nursing at the same time. Ironically, Zack is the white one with the brown mama in the picture. Joey is the brown one, and his mama is Amber, our white female.
Below: A little grazing and playing in the afternoon after the rain.

National Alpaca Farm Day Open House

2008-09-08T22:54:00.000-04:00

Event Name:
National Alpaca Farm Day Open House

Date:
September 27, 2008 - September 28, 2008

Location:
Please see our map/directions page
159 Wormer Hill Road (Rt. 249)
Westfield, PA US

Description:
Come join us at our farm to meet our alpacas and our 4 crias, that are only a few weeks old! You will see what heavenly creatures they are. We have only been in the business a year, but what an awesome year it has been. We have doubled our herd and have enjoyed every minute of it. So come check out their shorn fleece,put your hands on them and learn how to care for them and so much more.

Cost: Free

Expected Event Size:
# alpacas: 12 # attendees: 500

Event Website:
www.heavensgatealpacas.com

Contact:
Bonnie & Leonard Klingman
(570) 376-4026
blazinbonnie@epix.net

His name is Zechariah

2008-09-05T19:37:00.000-04:00

It's official! Leonard decided we are definitely naming our newest male cria HGA Faleen's Zechariah (but we are calling him Zack). He is named Zechariah after John the Baptist's father.

I failed to mention in the last post that Zack's dam (shown here in the picture) is Faleen, and his sire is Fleecy Dale Captain Courageous.

Thanks to everyone for the replies and suggestions for the name. We will keep them in mind if we have another little boy. We have one more maiden to have her cria this fall. Honey is due in October, and although we are hoping for a girl (a happy, healthy cria will be just fine too).

Thank you all and God Bless!

Busy times on the farm

2008-09-03T23:54:00.000-04:00

Well, Joey came along this past Friday, and then today . . . we have another little cria to add to the HGA family.

This morning (Wednesday) Faleen had a male cria too. So all of our original girls (Amber, Serena, and Faleen) have had boys this year.

Well, we are at a loss for another boy name, and Leonard wanted a turn at naming a cria . . . so we are waiting on a name for this cute little guy.

There is only one rule -- it has to be related to Christianity and/or The Bible. Any suggestions?

Meet Joey!

2008-09-02T18:49:00.000-04:00

We had a new addition last Friday, August 29th on the farm. Here are a couple of photos of Dark Knight's Jehoshaphat (as in Jumpin' Jehoshaphat we had another boy!) LOL We are calling him Joey for short, but we think he will be a terrific little male for the show ring. His sire is Dark Knight, and his dam is Amber.

The first photo was right after he was born, hence the wet, curly look to him, and the other picture shows you his true color after he has dried off a bit in the sunshine. It was also the day after his birth. He is weighing right around 21 pounds now (fairly good sized for only a few days old), and he and Nevaeh are getting along well. She is just now his size, so she seems to be doing well for a little preemie. I hope to have more pictures of the two of them to show you soon. Thanks for stopping by.

Nevaeh, how do you say?

2008-08-15T10:55:00.000-04:00

Well . . . a few of you have asked me how do you say that? We had heard of spelling heaven backwards for a pretty little girl's name by a church friend of ours, and although we loved the way they said it we wanted our little girl (okay, really our little cria) to have a unique name of her own, so . . . we decided to pronounce her name as Nee-Vah. This keeps it shorter in the 2 syllable range like Hea-ven itself is. We also thought it was a little more unique and still keeping with our Heavenly names we are planning for all of the crias born on our farm.

While Nevaeh seems to be doing well and looking just adorable, she is having some difficulty gaining weight. Please keep her in your prayers that she continues to nurse well from her mama and put on weight so that she grows up to be just as beautiful as she is to us right now.

Blessings to all of our readers,

Welcome, baby!!!

2008-08-11T16:19:00.000-04:00

Look at what we were surprised to find last night around 10 p.m. Angel gave birth to her first cria, HGA Angel's Nevaeh. She weighed in at 13.9 pounds, but she is about 2 weeks earlier than expected. Crias are usually born with their teeth, and they are considered a preemie if they don't have them. Well, this little girl doesn't have hers through the gums yet. She is one little sweetie though, but what babies' aren't, right?! :)

Still a little wobbly, but trying to lay down like her mom does.

Ooh, oohhhh, I think I am standing. Yep, she found her footing and was standing on her own. Go little, Nevaeh, we are all cheering for you, little one!!

Some photos of the girls

2008-08-06T13:15:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple of photos I found of the girls from the farm where they are being purchased (SunRose Alpacas). Bonnie and Cody are bringing them home as I type. :) We are all very excited to see them.

Honey is a 2-year-old light brown maiden with very dense fiber, great coverage and a super brightness in her crimp. Her conformation is excellent and is shown to it's best advantage with the regal presence she exhibits in every move. She is always standing tall and square with a curious but confident expression.Honey's pedigree is literally a Who's Who among the alpaca elite. Her sire is a Dom Lucilio son, and her dam is a Curly Calib daughter and Pisco Sour granddaughter. Her paternal grandfather, Royal Fawn would be proud!

Angel (Eyes) is a dark fawn daughter of Maple Brook Bravado. Both her parents are multiple show winners. Her grandparents include Peruvian Bueno, Hemingway, Peruvian Chocolateer and Peruvian Fuego, all elite bloodlines. She has dense crimpy fleece, nice luster and a nice square frame with correct conformation. Angel has a wonderful personality, frequently sidling up against me when she wants her back scratched, and once you find the spot you're stuck because she'll stand there until your arm falls asleep! A beautiful girl with a beautiful disposition and expecting what will have to be a beautiful cria by Snowmass Casanova's Zorro in the next couple of weeks!

Two new females

2008-08-04T13:10:00.000-04:00

Two maiden females will be added to the farm this week, so stay tuned for some pictures of our new additions. We don't have any pictures yet to show you, but Bonnie and Leonard went to see them on Saturday, and they will be bringing them home this week. One is Angel and the other Honey. Angel is due by the end of August, so we will have another cria on the farm as well. Won't Noah be happy to have someone to play with. Poor little guy has been picking on his mom and Aunt Faleen (maybe I should say poor girls), so a new little someone to romp and play with will probably be a fun addition for him as well. Then Faleen and Amber will both be giving birth the beginning of September, and then I believe Honey is due in October. So stay tuned for more pictures . . .

Thanks for visiting!

Professional photos from the CNYAC

2008-07-16T22:05:00.000-04:00

Here are the two professional photos that were taken at the Central New York Alpaca Show in Weedsport, NY.

Central New York Alpaca Classic (our 1st show)

2008-07-07T12:08:00.000-04:00

I have some terrific news from our first show at the CNYAC (see full name in title above) from Weedsport, NY. Our gorgeous boys, D. K. Templar took first and W. P. Warrior third place in the Halter shows. W. P. Warrior also took first place in the Junior Performance show, second place in Junior Public Relations show and third place in Gambler's choice with Cody as his leader/trainer. Cody was a little disappointed at only receiving third place, but Warrior did a terrific job trusting Cody and going through the obstacle courses in the performance shows. The third place ribbon was even in a class of teenagers and adults that had shown many times before. We are VERY PROUD of all of our boys and their ribbons. (I am missing a few from Saturday, i.e. Warriors picture with winning ribbons, so stay tuned for updates).

Thanks for stopping by!

Alpaca pics

2008-07-03T00:36:00.001-04:00

This is the newest addition to the farm. This little guy's name is Noah. He is Serena's new cria. He was born on June 13, 2008. We are very proud of him. He weighed in around 15 pounds at birth. Behind Noah is his dam (mother) Serena and behind him is Faleen. She is so gentle with Noah and gives him hugs by wrapping her neck around him and holding him next to her side. Of course, Noah doesn't stand still very long for this, but it is cute to see. A great picture taken by Cody of Noah and Serena heading across the pasture. Noah, very inquisitive. The picture below was taken earlier in June when it was really hot here in PA around the low 90s. We found out that Warrior really enjoys the hose. He danced and pawed at the water until there was a pretty good puddle that he could lie down in. Ahhh, helps to keep the flies off that way don't ya know?! LOL

I thought I would start this blog for a place for us to share our knowledge, excitement, and experiences about raising alpacas on Heaven's Gate Alpacas. I hope you enjoy it and come back again soon. I will try to update at least weekly or more often if there is a lot to talk about. In the picture below, Warrior is on the left, and Templar is on the right (not their full names just what we call them). Their full names are below.This weekend we are going to an AOBA Show in New York. We are excited to be showing two of our future herdsires (as they are only yearlings right now), Wonder's Peaceful Warrior and Dark Knight's Templar. I will keep you posted on how things went when I return.

Glad you could join us for a look around. Stop by again some time.