About Alpacas (So Why Farm Alpacas?) Q & A

So Why Farm Alpacas?

Alpacas have been domesticated for thousands of years and are native to South American countries of Peru, Chile and Bolivia. They form part of a group known as Camilids together with Llamas, Guanacos and Vicuñas, but are the most worthy fibre-bearing animal of the group.

The demands for this luxurious fibre is increasing dramatically as the clothes industries realise its full potential.

Australia who is approximately 10 years ahead of us here in the UK has in excess of 100,000 Alpacas, whereas we as a comparison have only around 17,000 at this present time.

There are two types of Alpaca—the Huacaya, which are the cuddliest looking of the two and the Suri, which have a long dreadlock look.

There are 22 recognized Alpaca colours ranging from white through to various fawns, browns, blacks and greys, with the majority being bred white, due to the versatility of the white wool. However there is a growing demand for the darker “natural colours” in the clothing industry now, which is encouraging to breeders of the coloured animals. Altogether the future of the Alpaca and that of the Alpaca industry is positive with the demands for Alpacas and Alpaca based products steadily increasing.

The last 150 years have seen the majority of Alpaca breeders in Peru selectively breeding towards the white and fawn, causing the number of coloured Alpacas to fall to a low level leaving the quality of the fibre poor. Therefore breeding high quality coloured Alpacas is a challenge and something we are passionate about.

Care

Alpacas are excellent herd animals especially where acreage is small. It is recommended that 5 to 6 Alpacas can live and graze comfortably on one acre and should never be kept as a single animal. They grow about 1 metre to their shoulder and average between 60–80kg in weight when matured.

Wintering out is usual, but they must have access to a shelter from the extreme weather conditions. Hay should be available at all times and a small amount of supplement feed offered, especially during winter, during lactation and the final stages of pregnancy.

Alpacas are docile by nature and their natural curiosity makes then easy to handle when it’s time for treatment. It is recommended that they are wormed and vaccinated at six monthly intervals, with the trimming of toenails 2 to 3 times a year. Other basic care would be teeth trimming and is usually done while restrained for shearing once a year.

When it comes down to breeding it is recommended that the female should be around 18 months of age, but it also depends on the actual animal as some can be mated earlier depending on weight. They are induced ovulators and can be bred all year round, but between spring and early autumn are the recommended times. They make devoted mothers and the cria will suckle until weaned at around six months, which is a good time to introduce halter training.