Why Alpacas?
Alpacas are small (averaging about 36" at the shoulders), gentle, and easy to maintain.
Related to the larger, more well-known llama, alpacas are favored for their valuable fiber rather than as pack animals.
There are two types of alpacas-- the huacaya, whose fluffy fiber makes him look
rather like a teddy bear, and the suri whose fiber hangs in locks and can make
him look like a walking string mop.
Alpacas are an excellent livestock choice for people who own just a small amount of land as well as those who have many acres. As many as 10 alpacas can be comfortably kept on just one acre of land. Because of their softly padded feet, and lack of upper incisors, alpacas do little damage to the land. For those who want alpacas, but do not have any place to keep them, agistment (boarding) offers many of the advantages of ownership.
Alpacas are quiet. They do not bark, neigh, bleat or moo. They can scream rather loudly (about as loud as a child) if alarmed or angry, however, the sound they most commonly make is a soft hum.
Alpacas are neat. Dung is deposited in one or two places in the yard. Alpacas themselves have no noticeable odor. When they get wet, they smell a bit like a wet dog.
Routine maintenance is easily learned and done by the owner. Toenails need regular trimming as do lower incisors and fighting teeth. Toenail trimming takes no more than a few minutes per animal. Trimming teeth takes a bit longer, and does require some instruction the first time. Worming should be done
from once per month to four times annually. Alpacas can be wormed with either paste wormers or injectable wormers. Vaccinations are done once to twice annually, and are easy to learn how to do. Alpacas rarely need veterinary attention.
Alpacas are shorn once a year to harvest their valuable fiber and to make the animal more comfortable in the hot summer months. Shearing is
sometimes done by the owner, however there is an increasing number of shearers willing to
shear alpacas for a reasonable price. Hiring a shearer is usually more profitable if a large number of animals need shearing.
Alpacas do best on clean pastures, and/or good grass hay. Supplementation with pellets is sometimes necessary with pregnant or nursing mothers.
Small, gentle, and by nature, non-aggressive, alpacas are ideal for families with children and are an excellent choice for a 4-H animal. Even young children can participate in the care of alpacas by
helping with feeding and collecting the fleece during shearing. Alpacas are also
a good choice for retirees.
Alpacas are not novelty animals. They have been a source of valuable
and luxurious fiber for everything from undergarments to rugs for 5000 years in South America. Because of their current rarity in North America, the most money is made in
the breeding of these important animals. However, as the stock increases, more money will be made from the sale of their fleeces and end-products made from their fleeces. In past years, alpaca fiber was sold primarily to handspinners. As more animals
are producing more fiber, the commercial industry is becoming a larger source of income for alpaca owners.
The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA) provides support and education for North American alpaca owners.
The Alpaca Registry Incorporated (ARI) registers new animals and maintains detailed records on all registered alpacas.
The Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America (AFCNA) and the
New England Alpaca Fiber Pool
(NEAFP) allow members a place to sell their fiber and to purchase alpaca fiber end-products for their own use or for resale. Products range from fiber processed for use by
handspinners (rovings), to yarns, to luxurious finished products in the form of sweaters, scarves, throws, blankets, and rugs.
There is also an increasing number of small mills that will process alpaca
fiber, allowing alpaca owners to use or sell the fiber from their own
animals. If showing off your animals is more your cup of tea, the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association has a
Show Association to meet the needs of the growing alpaca community.
Some people wish to own only a couple of alpacas for companionship or their own personal source of
luxury fiber. Animals that are infertile or are otherwise
unsuitable for breeding are still in short supply, but are available for much less cost than breeding-quality animals.
Why alpacas? Why not?
