How to Get Started
This is where you can start your life in the wonderful world of alpacas. We will add more questions and answers as we get them. Please feel free to email us any questions you may have.
What kind of alpaca should I get?
What qualities do I look for in an alpaca?
What if I don't know anything about raising livestock?
Is there anything I should look for in a vet?
What is involved in daily care?
What kind of ranch infrastructure do I need?
What about guard dogs or guard llamas?
How do you tell if an alpaca is sick?
What are some good reference books?
What are some alpaca organizations?
What are alpacas? Alpacas are camelids related to the camel and llama. They originally came from Peru, Bolivia and Chile. There are two kinds. Huacaya (pronounced wah-ki-yah) and Suri (pronounced Sur-ee). Huacaya look like teddy bears and Suri's have dreadlocks.
What kind of alpaca should I get? This totally depends on your personal preference. They are both beautiful animals. There are more haucayas in the U.S. than Suri.
What qualities do I look for in an alpaca? There are many different things to look for. Concerning the fleece, there should be crimp (waviness), long staple, (length of each fiber) which will vary depending on when the animal was last shorn.
How can I purchase an alpaca? There are many ways to acquire an alpaca. Cash always talks the loudest. Financing is also available from most breeders. Our policy is for at least 20% down, 0% interest for one year and then 6% thereafter with the balance paid off by two years. Possession is after 50% of the purchase price is paid and ARI (registration) transfer after total pay off.
Can I start with only one? This depends on whether or not you will have your own physical farm/ranch. If you have a place you will need at least two animals. Alpacas are herd animals and get highly stressed if they are alone without other alpacas. If you are going to agist (board) the animal then you can start with one.
What if I don't know anything about raising livestock? That's OK, you can learn. We started with absolutely zero ranching experience or knowledge. It has been a steep learning curve for the last four years, but it has been pleasurable. Purchasing from a farm/ranch that gives customer support is always good. The internet is a great source for information and we will always be here to help in any way we can.
Is there anything I should look for in a vet? If you can find a vet that has experience in camelids that would be best. Otherwise (and most likely) you need to find a vet that is willing to learn and/or call someone who knows about camelids. Here in central Wyoming we are lucky in that we are only four hours away from Colorado State University Veterinarian school. Our vet has had to call CSU for advice. Eventually you will learn quite a bit about the medical portion of owning and caring for alpacas.
How can I mitigate vet costs? As mentioned in the previous question over time you will learn how to give shots, deworm, draw blood, trim teeth, trim toenails, care for newborns or a sick animal, etc.
What is involved in daily care? This is one of the best parts of raising alpacas. There is very little you need to do on a daily basis. We give our females a cup of grain pellets in the morning and then all animals get fresh hay in the evening. How often you clean up poop piles depends on how many animals you have. We currently have 26 and we clean up poop piles twice a week. Alpacas use communal poop piles so even clean up is fairly easy. You will also have to keep water fresh.
Are alpacas easy to handle? Alpacas are very easy to handle mainly due to their small size. They prefer not to be touched, but when we need to tend to one of them they don't struggle once they're caught. The more you handle and train them to lead and the more there are in a herd are all factors in making handling easier.
What kind of ranch infrastructure do I need? Fencing and shelter are the basics. We have enclosed our fields with 2" by 4" fencing to keep small animals out more than to keep the alpacas in. Alpacas come from the harsh conditions of the altiplano in Peru, Chile, and Bolivia so they are able to handle severe conditions. Here in central Wyoming we have summers that easily reach 100F and winters can go to -30F. They need protection from the wind and moisture. Other items you will need to begin with would be water tubs, hay wagons/feeders, halters, leads, toenail clippers, medical supplies, hay storage, grain bowls, wheelbarrow, shovel, and rake. Things that would probably come a little later would be a scale for the animals, a chute, portable fencing, show supplies, website, business cards, pamphlets, etc... This is just a partial list.
Are alpacas messy? Compared to other livestock alpacas are very clean. They poop in a communal poop pile which makes clean-up a breeze.
Are alpacas noisy? Not at all. The main sound they make is a hum. Sometimes the males can get a bit noisy when they are feeling their oats and need to establish whose dominant, but otherwise it's just a lot of humming.
Do alpacas fight? Sometimes the females will spit at each other over food. The males will fight occasionally to decide whose in charge.
How much space do I need? If you have excellent acreage you can put about 10 animals per acre. Alpacas are very easy on the land with their padded feet and their method of grazing which is to nip off the grass at about 1/4 inch instead of pulling it out by the roots.
What about guard dogs or guard llamas? This is a personal choice by you. Some ranches have guard dogs some have guard llamas. We have a guard llama. One dog breed a lot of ranches have is the Great Pyrenees. Guard dogs have to come from good bloodlines free of hereditary defects. Know what you are buying because caring for dogs with defeats can run into lots of expense.
Can I insure alpacas? Yes, you can. You can insure them for 100% of their value. We use Wilkins Livestock Insurers out of Nebraska. Initially, we insured all our females because we were taking them off the ranch for breeding. As we grew, we only insured the pregnant females and any animals attending shows. Now we've grown enough to carry a herd reduction policy that covers all our animals. We have had to use the insurance on one occasion and were glad to have it.
How do you tell if an alpaca is sick? There are many signs that an alpaca may not be feeling well; not chewing their cud, have diarrhea, have seizures, a temperature over 103.5, and are unable to rise, etc. As you become familiar with your animal's behavior you will be able to detect when something's not right.
How are breedings done? Alpacas are induced ovulators. They are like cats. Once you introduce them to a male they will ovulate and be ready for breeding. This is very handy for the breeder in that you can control when you have crias. We want ours during the late spring, summer or early fall. We will put the female in a small pen and bring in the male. The female should kush and allow the males to mount her from the rear. We then leave them for about 30 minutes. One week later, we will behavior test her. Again we will put her in a pen and bring the male over to her. If she took the first time she will spit at the male and/or run from him. About a month, later we will have progesterone test to verify pregnancy and another month later we will get an ultrasound done. If she didn't take the first week she will again kush and allow the male to breed her.
Who shears them? Up until 2008, we had Gene Jolly come out of Nebraska to do our shearing. For the last two years, he has taught Paul how to do it, so now we can do it ourselves. Sometimes neighboring ranches will coordinate the shearer's visit to do all the local animals and then split the cost (i.e. the hotel and travel expenses). Currently it cost about $40.00 per animal. When you do shear them you need to have at least four adult helpers to assist the shearer.
When do you shear? We shear here in central Wyoming in early June. This makes the animal a bit more comfortable for the summer and gives it plenty of time to grow it's fleece back before winter sets in.
What happens to the fleece? When we shear the animal we put the best fleece called firsts (the sides and back, also called the blanket) into a bag and then the seconds (lower neck, belly and upper leg fleece) into another bag. We then sort through the fleece and pick out any large pieces of vegetation (about the size of a clipped thumbnail). The cleaner your fleece when you send it to the processor to be made into yarn or roving the cleaner your yarn will be. If you can sell it raw that's even better. Processing cost money and the further along you take fleece process the more it costs.
What are some good reference books?
1. Caring for Lamas and Alpacas by Clare Hoffman, DVM
2. Alpaca Field Manual by C. Norman Evans, DVM
3. Llama and Alpaca Neonatal Care by B. B. Smith, DVM, K. I. Timm, DVM, P.O. Long, DVM
4. The Camelid Companion by Marty Mcgee Bennett
5. The Complete Alpaca Book by Eric Hoffman
6. Ideal Alpacas From Myth to Reality by Mike Safley
What are some alpaca organizations?
1. AOBA-Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association- www.alpacaowners.com
2. ARI- Alpaca Registry-www.alpacaregistry.com
3. AN-Alpaca Nation- www.alpacanation.com
4. ABR-Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies
5. YABA-Yellowstone Alpaca Breeders Association