On this page, you'll find frequently asked questions by alpaca breeders and owners wanting to sell their herd of alpacas for a myriad of very good reasons. If your question is not found here and answered to your satisfaction, please don't hesitate to contact The Secret Meadow directly via email, or the form provided on this page. Thank you for considering placement of your alpacas here, in the private, buyer-screened, password protected environment of The Secret Meadow...
In participating in The Secret Meadow program will my animals have to be boarded at the Close-Knit Alpacas farm?
No, they do not.
Boarding is a separate service which is only occasionally available and subject to the customary fees associated with boarding or agisting alpacas.
Sometimes a Seller will have the need for this additional service and, in those cases, provided there is room on the farm at that particular time, the animals may be transported to the farm in Woodhull, New York for boarding until they are sold.
This is NOT a requirement for marketing and sales representation. Your animals may stay with you, or be boarded at the qualifying farm of your choosing.
Are Buyers or Potential Buyers put in direct contact with us, the Sellers?
Thanks to the success of the Buyer Qualification Form and Interview process, Buyers are not restricted from contacting the Sellers directly at anytime. It is most common, though, for Buyers to direct all communications relating to their due diligence process and negotiations for final agreement of price and terms, to the Agent. After all such business matters are concluded, most Buyers and Sellers are then quite anxious to meet each other directly.
Never are Buyers kept from Sellers. In fact, the first and last names, farm names and general locations of the Sellers are posted on the listings for the animals, so that the Buyers can know more about the history and environments of the animals they are considering buying. This is part of proper and thorough disclosure, and is something Buyers truly do appreciate. Occasionally, a Seller will not want their farm name or moniker "out there" in the mainstream marketplace letting people know they have alpacas being sold within The Secret Meadow at, perhaps, below true value or market prices. In these cases, the names may not be publicized outside of The Secret Meadow, but the information WILL be provided to any buyer who inquires about the farm and Sellers of any of the alpacas in The Secret Meadow.
Are crias a part of the Agreement for representation? How does this go?
Crias that are "on the ground" at the time of signing of the Agreement, are counted as part of the head count for representation (see answer to the question regarding payment schedule for participation). This is true unless the Seller specifically excludes the cria at the outset of the relationship and onset of the term for Representation.
Crias that are "in utero" at the time of signing are NOT counted toward the signing fee head-count, but ARE a part of the Agreement for representation. The Agent (Wren Owens) will be marketing the dams along with the genetics they are carrying via the crias, so when the crias are born, the Agent will offer them at dams' sides (unless otherwise omitted at the time the representation Agreement is signed and prior to the birth of the crias).
Crias born during the term of the Agreement will receive their own separate listings no later than four months after their dates of birth.
If I am not ready to place ALL of my alpacas, how many can I put into The Secret Meadow?
Ten or more, but if you have seven and a boarder has three that are all on the same farm, you may combine them to make a herd of ten that is available for sale, and both owners enter the same contract together.
How long a term are my alpacas in The Secret Meadow? Can I get a shorter term?
The shared objective of both Sellers and the agent (Wren Owens for The Secret Meadow of Close-Knit Alpacas) is, of course, to move the animals as quickly as possible, but quick sales do not always happen. It can take weeks, months or the entire year...sometimes into a second year, before an entire herd of 12 or more is sold and placed in new, qualifying homes. The Contract is for a one year term, but if you need a shorter one, different arrangements can be worked out. If this interests you or if you have special circumstances that require a shorter term, please make a note of that on the Seller Inquiry Form.
Is representation Exclusive when I sign on for The Secret Meadow program?
Yes, the relationship is an exclusive one. You may still work to sell your alpacas, as well, but you agree to work in tandem with your agent, and whenever any alpaca named in the agreement sells, by the agent's direct or indirect efforts, or by your own, the agent receives the agreed compensation based on the sale price of the animal(s).
Will my alpacas have listings and visibility on just one website/place, or on several or all the Close-Knit Alpacas websites and sales lists (including The Secret Meadow, of course)?
The alpacas you sign up with the program will have individual listings which will appear on no fewer than two to six different websites at any given time. These listing pages are sometimes rotated to keep them fresh and at the top of search engines.
Listings of your alpacas in "Secret Meadow Collections" (packages) are also created, made up solely of your animals, and some are also made up in combination with animals from other participating breeding programs. This offers Buyers opportunities for optimum value and genetic diversity.
What is the compensation to the agent, Wren Owens and Close-Knit Alpacas?
There is an initial and annually renewable signing/marketing fee paid at the outset of the term. There is also a commission payable upon sales and this percentage amount can vary based on the individual situation and Agreement ultimately structured between the parties. This will be determined via the interview.
The fee schedule is as follows:
First block of up to 10 alpacas - $1500
Second block of up to 10 additional alpacas - + $1000
Third & each subsequent block of up to 10 additional alpacas - + $750/block
This fee is payable at signing of the Agreement; however, if a Seller would like to pay this in installments over up to three months, they may for a flat finance charge of 10%.
Will my alpacas' listings be regularly updated so search engines will find them more quickly? If so, about how often can I trust that this updating is being done?
The listings for the animals and the various Secret Meadow and Close-Knit Alpacas Collections are regularly updated in order to keep them fresh and up at the top of various search engines.
Updates are made as often as necessary and practical, and this ranges between every seven days to every ten to fourteen days, and no less than once per month. Of course, whenever any changes to the status of your animals' occur, or any other changes occur (i.e. to your own circumstances) changes are made to reflect these changes, regardless of when the last update was performed.
What, if any, Guarantees are offered me if I decide to become a participant in The Secret Meadow program?
There can be no guarantee of sales of the alpacas or any farm equipment you may enter into The Secret Meadow; however, the agent (Wren Owens) conducting all the marketing and sales has over seven years experience in alpaca sales and marketing and has logged over 650 sales involving individual, group, huacaya, suri and mixed herd sales across the U.S.
You do receive a promise and guarantee within the Exclusive Authorization to Represent Seller Agreement and verbally, as well, that the "Broker" will do all possible and to her very best ability to thoroughly represent your animals and attract buyers for your animals and perhaps equipment (if you've submitted any items for sale in The Shed of The Secret Meadow).
This is a full-time endeavor conducted on a daily basis, with the exception of one day taken off per week for personal time. You will see and have evidence of this activity easily seen on the world wide web and via periodic and strategically released email blasts to a mailing list of "opt-in" people who have requested to receive mailings from Close-Knit Alpacas and/or The Secret Meadow.
What, other than the signed Agreement and up front signing/marketing fees, are required of me as a Seller participating in The Secret Meadow program?
There will be a good deal of initial "homework" for you - the Seller - at the outset.
You will receive a list of necessary items to gather together and mail to the Agent (Wren Owens) or deliver to her email box or a shared and private Drop Box that will be created for use by you and the Agent exclusively and accessed online. You will be asked to get these things to the Agent within three weeks of signing of the Agreement, and the Agent further agrees to get the listings for all your animals up and on the web within three weeks of the date of receipt of the necessary items and information.
This method of information exchange and timeline commitment ensures that everyone involved is properly motivated to get the important, initial work completed within a timely manner, so that the Agent can make the most of the time allowed for the job to be done - the moving and sales of your animals to good and qualified homes, farms and breeding programs.
Is there anything else that will be asked of me as a Seller participating in The Secret Meadow program?
A promise that you will keep your animals' health and breeding records up to date and available.
Assurance that you will notify the Agent whenever anything changes to the status or health of any of the animals signed to the program.
Agreement that you will provide up to date images of the animals to ensure they are always current.
Agreement that you will not undercut your Agent, or ever post prices on any publication or website that are obviously and determined by the Agent to be "below true value" or "below current market" prices or are lower than the pricing you have authorized the Agent to sell your animal(s) for.
The designation of "Level 3 Agent"with the Alpaca Registry to Wren Owens for the specific animals you are signing to The Secret Meadow program. This enables her to not only access all information needed to fully represent and market your animals, it also allows her to conclude and finalize sales, even effectuate ARI certificate transfers in the event payment in full has been received from the Buyer(s) and you, for any reason, are not available to perform these final and closing tasks yourself.
