The results came back from the skin biopsy which are very favourable: Below is a write up from Jim Watts, MV. Sc, Ph.D: He is a rather special male!!! Jim Watts analysis: The 14 month old alpaca, FDA Rembrandt, has high levels of fiber density and fiber length. The density reading of 67.7 follicles per square millimeter will be lower when the animal reaches mature body size, but not sufficient to alter the fact that it is a high density animal. This view is supported by the high level of secondary follicle development that has occurred - a secondary follicle to primary follicle ratio of 13.5 to 1 is exceptional for an alpaca. The primary fibers and secondary fibers are fine in diameter (means of 24.5 microns and 17.6 microns respectively) and very uniform in diameter (standard deviations of fiber diameter of 2.9 microns respectively). Note the low level of medullation (13%) in the secondary fiber population - a feature that is sought and only accompanies alpacas with a very fine and uniform fleeces. The fibers are growing in length at the fast rate of 0.55 millimeters per day.

Patriot's Promise was our oldest son's first alpaca. The 'Patriot' in her name refers to her sire's name, but also conveys our pride in our country and its soldiers. The 'Promise' represents our commitment to our farm values and the alpaca community, as well as to our son and his goals. Promise has great confirmation and looks, with a friendly and inquisitive nature. She carries herself with pride, alert and erect, on a balanced frame that is solid and proportional. Her fiber is a rich, deep chocolatey-black, offset by black legs and a black face that is set with deep black eyes. Promise produed a beautiful DF girl by (MF) Sunset Hill's Golden Thunder that our son named "Navy Rumble" -- a memorable name. Navy has very nice fineness and uniformity and ratio of micron. At four years old, Navy still had 18 micron fleece! Next, Promise produced a MF cria boy sired by (white) Rembrandt, famous for his lasting fineness and crimp. We hoped for color and got it in our medium fawn AutumnSun's American Lancer. Lancer had spots of color that detracted from his show career (the famous Accoyo spot genetics from his sire) but had wonderful character. Promise then produced Betelgeuse, typey DF male by our stylish (white) Orionn, who has lots of coverage and crimpy style. Betelgeuse was well received for his uniformity, softness, staple and handle, and has lingering fineness! His challenge was that he was competing at the same classes as Val d'Sere and Mucho Macho, so he was usually 3rd. He is now breeding in another program at another happy farm. For her recent cria, Promise produced a lovely black female, sired by our 13x champion Maelstrom! Mokkuro is so soft and silky, with a fine tight frequency crimp. Mokkuro went on to make a fantastic TB male with Stradivarius; unfortunately Mokkuro passed away before he was 6 months old so his growing slowed. We are giving him the time he needs to fully mature to his potential. Then, Promise made a another black girl by Stradivarius that we have planned to breed to Maelstrom. Preference has all the earmarks of a good foundation breeder herself. Since we lost our Mokkuro we had hoped to have a Maelstrom cria for our 2024 but Promise slipped her pregnancy late in the year. So, we have her on the sales list our extremely low - for her ridiculously low - herd reduction sales price. She is 12 years old but she is still a good foundation dam and an easy keeper .