Be warned, alpacas are adorable and absolutely habit-forming. Talk to many breeders and they will admit to ‘love at first sight’.

What is an Alpaca?
Alpacas are a domesticated member of the Camelid family which includes camels and llamas as well as the wild vicuna and guanaco. They have large expressive eyes, a short triangular muzzle and a luxurious fiber that comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns – more than any other livestock. They are herd animals and will become depressed if not kept with at least two other alpacas of the same sex.

Are They Dangerous?
No, they are safe and pleasant to be around. They seem intrigued and drawn to children. Their only natural defense is flight but they can kick out a hind leg when startled. The good news is they have padded feet and it usually surprises you instead of causing any damage.

Do they Spit?
Yes they do but usually not at people. Most times it's aimed at another alpaca and we just happen to get in the way! More often than not, it's just a puff of air, but if they really want to get a point across to a herdmate, they only have to do it once!

Are They Easy To Care For?
Yes, compared to other livestock. They are relatively small and easy to handle. They are hardy and typically have few health care issues. Depending on your geographic location, there are deworming protocols that need to be addressed. A deworming and vaccination schedule should be developed under the guidance of a veterinarian specific to your area. Their natural tendency to use a communal dung pile makes it easy to collect and thereby reducing the need for continual chemical intervention.

What Do They Eat?
Alpacas are browsers and grazers. They are a ruminant, which means they chew cud like a cow. The difference is they are extremely efficient utilizers of poor forage. They will do best on low protein hay and pasture grass. They do require specific amounts of easily supplied minerals and vitamins. Most breeders offer these free-choice as well as feeding them a small amount of pellets. It costs more a day to feed the family dog than it does to feed an alpaca.

What Facilities are Required for Them?
Alpacas are ideal as small acreage livestock. 5 to 7 alpacas can be kept on an acre of grassy pasture. Since they are raised for their fleece, the cleaner of debris the pasture is, the cleaner and more valuable the fleece will be. They need basic shelter available to them year round. In moderate climates, a three-sided shed is all that is necessary. In winter, they need protection from wind chill and in summer, some type of shade is essential. Fresh, clean water is vital to their well-being. We find no difference in cold tolerance between huacaya and suri. They are both very tolerant of cold but cannot handle the damp and a draft free environment is needed during these times. Alpacas do not challenge fences. In our location, we use 5 foot woven no-climb fencing as a perimeter fence. Gates on the perimeter need to be predator proof also. Our biggest challenge is neighborhood dogs and coyote. So it is a priority to keep predators out.

What Are They Good For?
In the US, Alpacas are raised for their fiber. It is a luxury fiber that is softer than cashmere. It has incredible thermal properties and unlike sheep wool, there is no lanolin so most folks that can’t wear wool find wearing alpaca a divine pleasure. Huacaya fiber with it’s crimpy characteristic lends itself to knitwear products. Suri fiber with its’ luster and smooth silky feel works best in worsted applications or lace yarn.

Why Are They So Valuable?
Alpacas are extremely rare in the United States. The original importers were careful to import high quality instead of large mediocre quantity. The US Registry worked very closely with the Importers and developed stringent screening criteria. The Registry has restricted the import of any alpaca not currently registered. What this means is that if the alpaca has not been DNA registered into the US Registry, their offspring cannot be registered.

Alpaca reproduce slowly and usually only have one cria per year. Many breeders retain their production, building their herds. Supply and demand have keep the prices steady since they were first brought into the US.

Who Buys These Things?
Everybody. For some, raising alpaca is a source of income, for other a way to defer taxable income for retirement. Some owners don’t actually handle the daily activities. Instead, they agist or board their animals. If treated like a business, this option also enjoys tax benefits. Many of the breeders are families where everyone can be responsible for the day to day duties associated with caring for animals. There are farms with over a thousand animals and farms with two or three. Most folks start out small and grow to a comfortable size with time.

How Do I Get Started?
First visit as many farms as you can to learn and get hands-on experience before you buy. This helps gives you an understanding of what to expect when you bring them home for the first time. Whoever you do decide to buy from should be willing to offer support and advice for as long and as often as you need it. Ask for references and check them out. If you can attend an alpaca show, most breeders will gladly show you their alpacas after they have been in the ring. The opportunity to view the best a breeder has to offer under one roof is priceless.