They aren't llamas - they're alpacas - and they can be found within a 20 minute drive of Muncie.
Shannon McConnell raises them at The Shepherd's Oak, his family's farm, located approximately six miles north of state Road 3. McConnell's family bought the farm from banker Oliver Storer in 1947.
"My grandpa built this house," McConnell said. "And I've always loved this place."
In 1996, McConnell purchased the farm from the family trust after his grandmother's death. A graduate of the Ball State entrepreneurial program, McConnell knew he wanted to run his own business.
"I went looking for something to make some money with the farm and encountered the alpacas," McConnell said.
McConnell researched alpacas for two years before deciding to start his herd. He decided they would be a good investment due to the existing market for alpaca fiber. The animals are costly, and McConnell did not want to spend thousands of dollars on an animal that would not yield a high profit.
Mainly, McConnell chose the alpacas because they are easy to take care of.
"They're not something new or wild, just new to this country," McConnell said. "The fiber's been around for a long time, since the Incan empire."
McConnell started with two alpacas in 1998. Now there are approximately 80 alpacas in his herd. Some are imports from South America. Most were born on his farm, with him present. He said he hand-breeds the animals, meaning he knows when they were bred and basically knows when they are due.
"They're a nice animal. They only have one birth at a time so you don't have a population explosion," McConnell said.
In addition to the alpacas, McConnell also raises Shetland sheep and Polish rabbits.
The farm led McConnell to start an Alpaca Club for 4-H members of Delaware County. Members can lease an alpaca, teach it tricks and compete at the fair with it. McConnell is also an alpaca judge for different shows around the country.
After everything McConnell has done in breeding alpacas, he is just beginning to move into the fiber aspect of the alpaca business.
McConnell said this is stage two for him, after being involved in the breeding and selling aspect for five years. Reflecting on his college goals, he laughed.
"They don't teach you how to shovel [dung] in college," McConnell said.
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