Purchasing alpacas to protect their Merino flock from wild dogs has defied expectations and proven highly valuable for Tomingley's Amee and Shaun Dennis.
The couple aim to run 1400 Merino ewes and about 35 cows and calves on their two properties totaling about 809 hectares or 2000 acres.
But in 2019 foxes and wild dogs had a significant impact on their lamb survival rate and the decision was made to purchase herd protector alpacas.
Mr Dennis predicts their lambing rate has improved by 10 to 20 per cent since introducing alpacas, however their real value has come unexpectedly in the form of fibre flowers.
As a recognised artist, it was only a matter of time before Ms Dennis saw a potential for their coloured fleeces.
The couple purchased an additional black male and four females from a Mudgee breeder and underwent their first shearing in November.
She initially used the fibre to make jewellery but more recently experimented with an offering of fibre flowers and flowerpots that flew off the shelves.
"My husband is a little upset that I have made more money out of alpaca pots then we did when we took the trailer load of lambs to the lamb sale," she said.
"For us this (business response) is the trailer load of hay that we didn't know how we were going to pay for, it's new uniforms for our girls to start school with this year that we didn't really know how we were going to do."
Ms Dennis, who has featured in Eco Fashion Week Australia, was originally from the Northern Territory and was known for her skills as a paper maker; converting native grasses into sheets of paper and jewellery.
She initially thought alpaca fibre could be used in her paper production when combined with cereal crops.
But her novel flower idea has proven a winner and using rusty wire she has made 600 flowers and had 107 orders in a matter of days.
"We have had a conversation with friends of ours who have also got alpacas, going can we get some of your coloured fleeces? Because we are going to run out," Ms Dennis said.
"The whole plan was I just wanted to have a play with them and see what I could do with the fibre, see if I could do something a little bit differently and apparently I can.
"...the stems are rusty wire from the fences so my husband is fixing fences I have been nagging about for ages because I need more wire."
Florists and boutique shop owners from Adelaide Hills and Narromine have inquired about stocking the fibre flowers.
The potential growth of the business means the couple are already contemplating increasing their alpaca numbers.
"I come from a very unique diversified business where my family have (diversified) over 60 years in order to continue to raise families in the desert (of central Australia) and continue to run their business there," she said.
"The whole experience over the last few weeks has given us as a family something really positive and exciting to focus on and work towards when so many other things are in a holding pattern until it rains.
"My husband is busy helping, my grandmother came over from Canberra to help pack and send orders and our teenage girls are involved and happy. The whole atmosphere in our home has changed, in a good way."
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
