Alpacas of Niagara is owned and operated by George and Diane Schena who moved to this address for the purpose of creating a lifestyle change which would bring them closer to animals and a more natural lifestyle. Diane grew up in Queens, so for her this was a bigger move than for George who had grown up on a farm in the southern part of NYS. They began by renovating a 150 year old farm house, creating organic gardens and building one New England style barn. This was closely followed by the 1994 purchase of 2 bred females and the building of another barn. At that time, they were the third farm in New York State and the first in the Western New York area. Since that time, they have expanded to over 75 animals, assisted many new breeders with their startup and built two more barns. AON was one of the founding farms in the Empire Alpaca Association and the Alpaca Breeders of Western New York. George served on the first EAA Ethics Committee, which was the first of it's kind in the nation. They were also founders (George is current president) of the Alpaca Breeders of Western New York. Please ask them for references as they encourage potential customers to speak with their clients. They are proud of their farm operation and the quality of their animals.

Getting Started... know your breeder!

An important part of getting to know the seller and the animals begins with a farm visit. Please call for an appointment to tour the farm and discuss the wide range of issues you may have concerning animal husbandry and selecting quality animals. With over 14 years experience with alpacas and many generations of animal breeding in the family, George has extensive experience to offer and is more than willing to share his expertise. If this is your first time, you may want to walk an alpaca.

Selecting Breeding Animals... know your breeder!

Alpaca quality is determined by scores on confirmation and fiber on a 50-50 basis. Alpacas run the full gamut of quality so please purchase animals you know, or buy from a breeder you trust so you have peace of mind. Animals may be evaluated by how they look (phenotype), or their genetic background (genotype). It's also important to understand that some characteristics, such as fiber coverage, are easier to correct than others, such as fiber fineness.

Assistance for New Breeders... always there to help

Alpacas of Niagara has assisted many new farms in getting started in the alpaca business. A sale of an animal is only the beginning of a long term relationship where the buyer is comfortable to seek support on even the smallest of details... and the seller is always there to help. AON organizes cooperatives among breeders for the purchase of materials, continuing education and transportation/shearing of animals. The new breeder never has to feel alone when they purchase their animals.

Breeding

All bred females sold on the farm are entitled to one free breeding. AON believe that you should only breed to the best male available. As an example, AON gelds almost 90% of the males so that only the top quality males enter the gene pool. Each year we bring one or two nationally known males to the farm to improve our herd genetics and make those genes available to other breeders and our customers.

Animal Quality... show quality animals

George and Diane are very proud that virtually all the animals for sale at AON are show quality, have show quality genetics and/or have produced show quality cria.

Animal Health

AON works closely with Dr. Jean Feldman, the first camelid vet in the Western New York area to maintain the highest level of herd health. Our herd is TB free and BVD negative . All boarders are kept in separate areas to reduce the possibility of spreading disease. Since hygiene is the single most important thing in preventing disease, we ensure clean facilities and keep animals in small groupings.

Sales Incentives and Financing

New breeders are entitled to a one time 20% discount on the purchase of two or more breeding animals in addition to the free board. With as little as 10% down, new breeders may purchase animals with contracts up to 5 years. Interest is currently set at 7%. Ask for more details.

Our Philosophy of Animal Husbandry

AON believes in maintaining the highest level of animal hygiene/health and breeding only to the best males available.

Business Ethic

George and Diane are committed to treating their customers with honesty and fairness. Their motto is to be ever vigilant of the impact daily decisions have on the broad, long -term alpaca industry.

We hope you've enjoyed your visit

Note: the New Buyer Special for 2008 is free board for one full year!