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B
ill Bundy unlatched the gate inside his barn. As he entered the open space of hay-covered floors, open windows and a slight scent of manure, nearly 20 alpacas emerged and flocked toward him. Rosie, a very social alpaca, nuzzled up to Bundy as the morning rain crept into the barn. This is how most of Bundy’s days begin.
Paul McKinney, sporting a baseball hat that read “Alpacaholic,” followed just behind Bundy, greeting the fluffy animals with a pet and a smile. Before this latest endeavor, Bundy and McKinney were an animal trainer and a teacher, respectively. The pair has spent the last 40 years together, the last 10 years as a married couple and the last nine years as proud alpaca caretakers at Seven Acres Alpaca Farm.
“We decided that this would be our new adventure,” said McKinney, who shared a loving look with his husband.
“If anybody had told us 20 years earlier that we would have an alpaca farm, we would have said ‘You’re crazy.’ But we’re here and we love it,” Bundy added.
Their adventure with Seven Acres — located about half an hour northwest of Syracuse — began with five female alpacas and two mentors who taught the pair the basics of raising the animals. Since then, the farm has become a popular destination for agritourism, a tranquil atmosphere for alpaca yoga and a loving home for Bundy, McKinney and their 24 alpacas.
Each alpaca has their own unique personality, Bundy and McKinney agreed. Maddie is the boss, and Rosie is the “meet-and-greeter.” Like people, some alpacas have more dominant personalities, which leads to a “boss.”
Maddie and Pearl were part of the first group of Bundy and McKinney’s alpacas — those two “rule the roost,” Bundy said.
Alpacas naturally tend toward a hierarchy, McKinney said. They fight and wrestle and chase each other until a winner or “boss” emerges. When the dynamic shifts — if an alpaca leaves or one is added to the group — typically a new boss is determined. Except for Maddie, McKinney said. Against all odds, she holds her own.
Outside of the barn, four male alpacas galloped around a fenced pasture. When they noticed Bundy with a group of visitors, they began chasing each other. The large brown alpaca flung himself at a smaller white alpaca until the two animals collapsed into a bundle of kicks and squeals.
“They’re just showing off now,” Bundy said.
Back inside, Rosie meandered her way in between Bundy and McKinney and knelt to the ground. She tucked her legs under her fluffy midsection and tilted her long neck upwards to look at the couple.
“Oh, this is a compliment,” McKinney said as Bundy patted Rosie’s head. “This is something we’ve become very cognizant of. If she does that with a visitor, that’s a sign they have a good spirit.”
An average day for the couple involves cleaning the barn, refilling water and food containers and giving each alpaca medicine if they need it. Bundy takes care of the alpacas’ needs throughout the day and McKinney tends to the garden, the lawn and their dog Missy. He also assists Bundy if he needs it.
Meghan Hendricks | Senior Staff Photographer
Seven Acres Alpaca Farm; This is Winston, one of the younger male alpacas who will be taken to the alpaca shows this year.
“In the evening, before going to bed — hi, Marty,” McKinney paused to pet his curious alpaca’s head. “Before going to bed, Bill will come out and tuck them in for the evening.”
“I leave one light on,” Bundy added.
That one light is for the alpacas’ benefit, but also for Bundy’s and McKinney’s peace of mind. Bundy installed a few cameras in the barn to check in on the alpacas throughout the night. It’s not necessary most of the time, Bundy said, unless an alpaca is pregnant.
It’s more work, time and energy, but the moment a baby alpaca is born is a beautiful experience, both men agreed. It’s a miracle witnessing the babies, called cria, get up and walk just half an hour after being born, McKinney said. But what’s even more rewarding, he said, was seeing the living, breathing being his husband helped create.
The couple’s neighbor, Lisa Hetko, has been incredibly helpful to the farm, the owners said. Though she didn’t know anything about alpacas before Bundy and McKinney moved in, Hetko has always been an animal lover. The new farm piqued her interest, and from the first time meeting the alpacas, she had fallen in love.
“Every time I walk over there, I’m grinning ear to ear. I go over there, and I could sit in the pasture for hours,” Hetko said. “Some of the senior (alpacas) will come over and nuzzle next to me or give me little kisses on the nose. They’re just so gentle and help you relax, and forget about everything that’s going on in the world.”
Hetko recalled the first alpaca birth she ever helped with. On an otherwise peaceful Friday night, she got the call: “She’s in labor!” Hetko sprinted out the door, her husband not far behind with a camera in his hand.
When they got to the barn, the mother alpaca was lying on her side, and Bundy was on the phone with the people he bought the mother from, asking for advice. Hetko made sure to prop the head up, and she and Bundy pulled the baby out. That’s the story of Josie, Hetko said.
Since its opening, Seven Acres has become a popular site for agritourism — farm tourism for both enjoyment and education. Especially during the early months of the pandemic, Bundy said, many families showed greater interest in teaching their young children where their food comes from or how their clothes are made, which led them to Bundy and McKinney’s farm.
Meghan Hendricks | Senior Staff Photographer
There are about 24 total alpacas at Seven Acres. Among the 24 there are currently 4 babies—Archie, Cassie, Marty, and Mario.
But sometimes, the alpacas themselves are enough. Over the summer and when the weather cooperates, Bundy and McKinney host yoga sessions where people can unwind in various positions while alpacas pace around them. One of the most lovely sessions, Bundy said, was with a group of young adults. That day, he looked away for a moment, and before he knew it, every animal was engaged with a person.
It’s inspiring how comforting people find the alpacas, Bundy said. The alpacas will kneel down around children and let the kids climb all over them. Their animals also have an affinity to senior groups, McKinney added.
“It just warms your heart. These animals seem to know when somebody needs a hug,” Bundy said. “They’re livestock — there’s no way around that — but they are darn cute livestock, and they seem to have a relationship with humans, much more than other animals.”
The farm, the alpacas and the life they’re living now has been a wonderful adventure, McKinney said. It’s been a real challenge for them, he said, but it’s mostly just been a lot of fun.
“I help when I can, and stay out of the way when I can,” McKinney said. “This is his passion, something he really loves to do. And I just enjoy watching him enjoy the alpacas.”
Additional reporting by Meghan Hendricks.
Published on February 15, 2024 at 1:03 am
