Soft Hearts Alpacas

05/29/2026

4-H Project Sponsorship
Help make kids dreams come true!
A Delaware County 4-Her will spend about $600 to lease an alpaca and show it at the Delaware County Fair and the Ohio State Fair. That covers the alpaca lease, boarding at Soft Hearts Farm, entry fees, transportation, show supplies, tack, training sessions and project books. While far less expensive than some other livestock projects, for some families, the project is out of reach.
We don't want to turn kids away, but we need the lease income to support the herd! One solution is to ask for sponsorships. For $550 you can sponsor an alpaca project. Your payment will be set aside to pay for a 4-Her's project. If the funding is not used, you have the option of having the money returned at the end of the year, allowing it to go towards the next year, or gifting it to the farm expenses. The 4-Her will pay $50 if they recieve a sponsorship.
As a farm sponsor, you will receive a Soft Hearts t-shirt. A sign thanking you for your sponsorship will be displayed at Delaware County Fair and the Ohio State Fair. While you will know who you are sponsoring, the sponsored project will not be identified on the signs. At the end of the Delaware County Fair, you will receive a note from the youth to tell you about their project experience. Sponsorship does not imply any relationship or other contact with the 4-Her.
Youth interested in receiving a sponsorship will not be required to provide any proof of need. Sponsored youth must agree to their name being shared with their project sponsor and to writing a note to their sponsor at the end of their project. An alpaca project sponsorship covers the cost of the alpaca lease, boarding at Soft Hearts Farm, entry fees to the Ohio State Fair, transportation for the alpaca, show supplies for the alpaca, tack, training sessions, and project books. The project sponsorship does not cover the 4-Her's club dues, club fees, transportation to shows or club meetings.
Alpacas are a wonderful introduction to livestock and large animal handling. Our 4-H youth learn husbandry and training with gentle and intelligent animals. Leasing an alpaca and training at the owner's farm makes this project accessible to urban and suburban youth. Sponsorships are not tax deductible.

05/20/2026

We are on the shearing calendar for Saturday, June 6, 2026!
First on the list so plan on early morning if you want to come out to see it done.

05/10/2026

05/10/2026

04/19/2026

The herd had lettuce and carrots sent to them by a friend! They loved it.

03/30/2026

03/30/2026

Sue Overturf and Don McFarland loved the Ohio State Fair Show. They cheered and encouraged the youth and made it fun for everyone. Soft Hearts is sponsoring awards in their honor at the 2026 Ohio State Fair.

03/29/2026

03/29/2026

Alpaca 4-H Leasing
We lease alpacas to 4-H members from May 1 to Sept 30 (minimum 153 days) for $2 a day. Boarding at our farm is an additional $1 a day. If you care for the animal on your farm, you must provide hay, grain, shelter and health needs (toenail trimming, worming, etc) according to our standards. Alpacas are herd animals, there must be at least 2 on your farm.

4-H animals boarded at Soft Hearts should be worked with for about an hour at least twice a week. During the summer, training will be scheduled early morning (6AM - 9AM) or late evening (7PM - 9PM). No training will occur over 85F. No performance training over 80F. Training at our farm 3 times a week is included in the boarding fee. A parent/guardian, or designated adult must be present to fulfill the 4-H two adult requirement.

4-Hers who lease are expected to show at the Ohio State Fair and their County Fair.

02/14/2026

Feed at dusk. Stop the calorie deficit. Save core temperature.

When livestock face overnight cold, morning feeding is the fatal mistake. Digestion generates heat. Poor timing wastes that heat. Ruminants produce 15-20% of their body heat from fermentation—feeding at sunrise means this metabolic furnace burns during warm daylight, leaving animals cold and defenseless during subzero nights.

Why morning feeding kills
- Peak digestive heat production occurs 4-6 hours after feeding
- Morning hay = heat production at 2 PM when temperatures are warmest
- By midnight (coldest hours), digestion is complete, no internal heat generation
- Core temperature drops, animal burns fat reserves just to maintain baseline
- Hypothermia risk peaks between 2-6 AM when heat production is lowest

The thermodynamics of timed feeding
- Rumen fermentation is an exothermic process, generating 1000+ BTUs per feeding
- This "digestive furnace" is most valuable during coldest hours (10 PM - 6 AM)
- Feeding at 6 PM = peak heat production at 11 PM through 2 AM (critical survival window)
- Strategic timing converts food into both nutrition AND environmental heating
- Same calories, same animal, dramatically different thermal outcome based on timing alone

Feeding protocol for subzero nights
- Primary hay feeding at 5-7 PM, never at sunrise
- Larger evening portion (60-70% of daily intake) for overnight heat production
- Morning feeding optional and minimal—animals generate heat when they need it most
- Below 0°F: add evening grain for faster fermentation heat boost
- Monitor body condition at dawn—fat reserves indicate if timing is working

In extreme cold, when you feed matters more than how much you feed. Timing saves lives.