CHICKEN WINGS THREE
DIFFERENT WAYS THAT'S
TOMORROW ON "LIVE IN THE D."
SO DO YOU KNOW, DO YOU
KNOW WHAT AN ALPACA IS?
I BETCHA YOU DO.
SOME OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW
THAT THEY'RE RELATED TO
LLAMAS AND CAMELS WE HAVE A
FEW OF THEM HERE.
THERE'S AN ALPACA FARM
NOT FROM DETROIT THESE
ANIMALS ARE BEING RAISED
RIGHT IN OUR OWN BACKYARD.
SO VIDEO JOURNALIST ALEX
ATWELL TRAVELLED TO
GIBRALTAR BAY TO FIND OUT
MORE ABOUT ALPACAS FOR THIS
UNIQUELY DETROIT.
YOU GUYS READY, COME ON.
COME ON.
IS GIBRALTAR BAY
OH, YOU GUYS.
OH YOU GUYS.
MY HUSBAND AND I RUN AND
OWN THIS.
WE LOVE WHAT WE DO.
WE'RE LOCATED ON THE
GROSSE ILE IT'S A BEAUTIFUL
LOCATION.
YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IF YOU'RE
UP NORTH MICHIGAN SOMEPLACE.
THESE ARE ALPACAS.
WELL, AN ALPACA IS LIKE A
TEDDY BEAR THAT HUMS.
THEY HUM.
YOU CAN HUG THEM YOU CAN
GIVE THEM A KISS ON THE
CHEEK OR FOREHEAD.
THEY'RE FROM SOUTH AMERICA,
PERU, BOLIVIA AND CHILE.
WHAT'S APPEALING ABOUT THEM?
OH, COME ON THEY'RE SO
SWEET
THEY JUST HAVE SIX TEETH ON
THE BOTTOM THEIR MOUTH IS
JUST DESIGNED FOR CUTTING
GRASS.
THEY HAVE SIX TEETH ON THE
BOTTOM THERE'S NOTHING ON
TOP IT'S JUST A HARD RUBBER
PAD ON THE TOP.
COME ON GIRLS.
THEY ARE IN THE CAMEL
FAMILY.
IF YOU FRIGHTEN THEM THEY
WILL SPIT.
THAT'S CLARISSA.
SHE'S LIKE A LITTLE SPITTER.
SHE WILL SEE HERSELF AND
SPIT AT HERSELF.
WE HAVE 58 ANIMALS ON THE
FARM HERE.
THAT WHITE ONE THERE.
THEY ALL HAVE NAMES.
THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT
PERSONALITIES.
YOU WOULD RECOGNIZE THEM
JUST LIKE THEY'RE YOUR OWN
KIDS.
WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT
AND WHO THEY'RE ARGUING WITH
AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
THEY ARE SMILING.
THEY'RE THE HAPPIEST ANIMALS
AROUND.
THEY HAVE AN EXCELLENT
LIFE HERE.
WE RAISE THEM FOR THEIR
FIBER AND SHARE THEM OUT
ONCE A YEAR.
HE HAS THIS NICE RED HEU
ABOUT HIM.
THREE QUALITIES OF FLEECE
THAT COMES OFF THE ANIMALS
IN THE PRIME ARE THE BEST
FLEECE COMES FROM BEHIND THE
FRONT LEG UP TO THE BASE OF
THE NECK RIGHT HERE AND FROM
THE TOP OF THE TAIL RIGHT
HERE THAT'S THE BLANKET.
THAT'S THE BEST FLEECE ON
THE ANIMAL.
ALL OF THESE YARN COMES FROM
OUR ANIMALS.
YARN, THREAD, ANYTHING
THAT THEY MAKE OUT OF WOOL
YOU CAN MAKE OUT OF ALPACA.
ACTUALLY OURS IS SOLD BY THE
ANIMAL NAME.
THIS IS PRESTIGE.
IT IS RATED FINEST FIBER IN
WORLD.
BETTER THAN CASHMERE, BETTER
THAN SILK.
SOME OF ALPACAS.
WELL, IT'S NOT LIKE WORK.
WE LOVE WHAT WE DO.
MY WIFE AND I WE HAVEN'T
REGRETTED IT A DAY WHAT WE
GOT INTO HERE.
IT'S A GIFT FROM HEAVEN
THAT HUMS AND LOOKS FORWARD
TO SEEING YOU AS DO YOU
THEM.
WE JUST TRULY ENJOY IT.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF
BUSINESS GOING IN THE
STUDIO.
NEXT WEEK IT'S SHEEP HERDING
RIGHT HERE ON "LIVE IN THE
D."
IN OUR STUDIO GAIL AND
RICHARD ALONG WITH STORM AND
A.J. AND THEY ARE HERE YOU
JUST MET THEM ALL IN THE
PIECE AND YOU TRAVEL WITH
THESE GUYS, RIGHT?
YES, WE DO.
Chuck: SO TELL US ABOUT
AN ALPACA WHAT ARE THE FACTS
WE WOULDN'T KNOW.
THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE IS
ABOUT 102 DEGREES.
THIS IS PRETTY WARM FOR THEM
IN HERE RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE DESIGNED FOR COLDER
CLIMATES.
SPRINGTIME WE SCHEER THEM
ALL OFF AND PUT THEM IN
THEIR SUMMER SHORTS.
THEY PUT IN ABOUT FOUR TO
FIVE INCHES OF FLEECE DURING
THE WINTERTIME.
WHEN DO YOU A SCHEERING ON
AN ALPACA THERE'S --
SHEARING ON AN ALPACA
THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT
GRADES FROM BEHIND THE LEGS
TO THE BASE OF THE NECK
THAT'S YOUR PRIME FIBER THE
BEST FIBER THAT WILL BE ON
THE ANIMAL.
THEN THE SHOULDERS AND THE
NECKS AND THE HIPS THAT'S
ALL SECONDS AND THE TOP OF
THE HEAD THAT'S CURTAIN
FLEECE.
Chuck: I WILL COME THIS
WAY WITH STORM.
STORM IS LIVING UP TO HIS
NAME TODAY.
I'M OVER HERE WITH A.J. AND
GAIL.
STORM HAS SIX TEETH ON
THE BOTTOM.
THEY DON'T REALLY BITE.
LOOK AT THAT.
YEAH.
AND THEY JUST CHEW THEY PULL
ON GRASS.
THEY JUST TAKE GRASS AND
NIP IT OFF WITH THEIR BOTTOM
TEETH.
Chuck: WHY WOULD SOMEONE
HAVE ALPACAS YOU HAVE THEM
BUT YOU ALSO TAKE CARE OF
HOW MANY FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
18 OTHER FAMILIES.
WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 58 ON
OUR FARM RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN TAKE THEM FOR A
WALK LIKE YOU CAN A DOG.
ANY.
WHERE THEY'LL GO ANYWHERE.
MOST OF THEM.
Tati: FULL DISCLOSURE I
HAVE BEEN SCARED RIGHT GAIL,
THAT'S WHY I RAN OVER HERE
FOR HER FOR SAFETY PURPOSES.
BUT A LOT OF THE OWNERS ARE
KNITTERS SO THEY HAVE THEIR
OWN SOURCE OF FIBER.
ALPACA IS KNOWN TO BE THE
FINEST FIBER IN THE WORLD.
NATURALLY HYPOALLERGENIC AND
NATURALLY WICKS PERSPIRATION.
Chuck: SO WE'RE JOINED BY
MICHELLE PAPPAS GOOD TO SEE
YOU.
SO THEY TAKE CARE OF ONE OF
YOUR ALPACAS OR YOUR ONLY
ONE?
I ONLY HAVE ONE.
Chuck: WHY DO YOU HAVE
ONE?
JUST WELL, IT'S FUN.
AND I'M A KNITTER SO I GET
ONCE A YEAR WE SHEAR THE
ANIMALS AND I GET MY FLEECE
FROM MY ANIMAL.
THIS SCARF HERE I KNITTED.
THIS IS AMAZINGLY SOFT
STUFF.
MY ANIMAL IS ALSO WHITE.
I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW SOFT
THIS IS.
IT'S REMARKABLE.
OH, YEAH.
VERY REMARKABLE.
Chuck: DO DO YOU THIS AS
A HOBBY TO KEEP OR GIVEAWAY
TO FAMILY OR IS THIS A BIT
OF A BUSINESS FOR YOU?
WELL, I TEACH CLASSES AT
THE FARM.
OH, I SEE.
KNITTING INSTRUCTION.
AND EVERYTHING FROM
BEGINNING LEARNING TO IT IN
TO ADVANCE KNITTING,
WHATEVER.
THESE ARE SAMPLES OF THE
SOME OF THE THINGS YOU CAN
LEARN TO KNIT.
Tati: COULD I CROCHET
WITH THIS YARN?
OH, YES.
IT'S VERY STURDY.
Chuck: HOW MUCH WOULD
SOME OF THESE ITEMS BE.
TYPICAL PRICE RANGES FOR
ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD
NORMALLY SEE?
WELL, ACTUALLY WE ONLY
HAVE A COUPLE.
THEY PROBABLY BE A LITTLE
HIGHER THAN --
Chuck: BECAUSE IT'S A
PREMIUM WOOL, RIGHT.
IT'S DIFFERENT.
SO WHAT WOULD BE SO
SURPRISING TO MOST OF US.
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT
ALPACAS WHAT WAS SURPRISING
TO YOU WHEN YOU HEARD FIRST
ABOUT THIS IDEA.
NOT EVERYBODY SAYS MY NEW
HOBBY WILL BE GET AN ALPACA
KEEP IT ON THE FARM AND I'LL
START KNITTING.
WELL, ACTUALLY I WAS
TEACHING AT THE FARM FIRST
BEFORE THE IDEA OF HAVING MY
OWN ALPACA CAME UP.
THEY'RE JUST SO SWEET.
I'M THERE QUITE A BIT
THEY'RE JUST FUN TO HANG OUT
WITH.
Chuck: TOO FUNNY.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
WE CAN TAKE THEM FOR A WALK
COULD THEY MOW MY YARD?
THEY JUST EAT THE GOOD
GRASS.
EVEN WITH OUR PASTURES WE
STILL HAVE TO MOW THE
PASTURES THEY EAT EVERYTHING
OUT BUT THERE'S LIKE A LOT
OF GARBAGE.