ALPACA FACTS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
THEY'RE CUTE, BUT WHAT ELSE?
Q. They're really expensive, aren't
they?
A. At this stage of the industry's development, price is directly
related to the individual breeding potential and the potential
quality of the offspring.
For example, a gelding (castrated male) has no breeding potential
and is therefore the cheapest alpaca to by (around $500 to $1,000).
On the other hand, a high quality male with many good progeny
on the ground has a very high breeding potential and can be worth
many thousands of dollars. He fan also command a high income from
the stud services he provides.
Female prices are a reflection of quality, age, breeding history
and to which stud male she is mated. Females can be worth anything
from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.
Income from females is derived form selling the offspring. However,
breeding plans should be made so that long term depreciation of
the older breeders and increases in quality of offspring are taken
into account.
Although the average gestation is eleven and a half months, a
projection of three offspring in four years per mature female
is more realistic than expectations of one offspring every year.
Q. What do you do with an alpaca?
A. They provide an excellent investment opportunity and are the
source of luxurious fiber. The fleece, comparable to cashmere,
is known for its fineness, light weight, and luster. Alpaca textile
products are recognized worldwide. Everyone should own a soft,
warm alpaca sweater.
Q. What do alpacas do besides grow fiber?
A. They make excellent companion animals and are also show animals
with high aesthetic appeal. They have lovable dispositions. Alpacas
are easily trained to lead and are gently enough to be handled
by children. They are always a hit in a parade.
Q. What do you call an alpaca?
A. A baby is known as a cria. Weaned crias are known as weanlings
or tuis. In Spanish, the adult males are known as machos and the
females are hembras.
Q. Can you pack with an alpaca?
A. They can carry a small child or a light backpack on summer
outings, but for heavier loads the larger llama is more appropriate.
Q. Are alpacas related to llamas?
A. Alpacas are very closely related to llamas. They are both
from a group of four species known as South American Camelids.
The llama is approximately twice the size of an alpaca with banana
shaped ears and is principally used as a pack animals. Alpacas
are exclusively bred as fleece animals.
Q. Can I have an alpaca as a pet?
A. Most alpacas make very good pets if they are treated well
and the owners are realistic in their expectations. Like any livestock,
the more handling they receive as youngsters, the quieter they
are as adults. Given time, most alpacas will eat out of your hand
and training them to lead by a halter is a straightforward process.
Alpacas generally don't like being held and are particularly
sensitive to being touch on the head. They are naturally curious
and intelligent and if you let them approach you, rather than
rush at them and expect an affectionate response, the interactions
can be very rewarding.
It is possible to have a single alpaca, but it is not a pleasant
existence for the animal. Alpacas are herd animals and are instinctively
gregarious, as are other domestic livestock. They obtain security
and contentment from having at least one other alpaca for company.
For this reason, it is usually recommended that two alpacas is
the desirable minimum.
ON THEIR BEST BEHAVIOR
Q. Are alpacas dangerous?
A. Absolutely not! They are safe and pleasant to be around. They
do not bite or butt and they do not have the teeth, horns, hooves,
or claws to do serious injury.
Q. Are alpacas smart?
A. Yes, they are amazingly alert animals who quickly learn to
halter and lead. They constantly communicate with each other through
body posture, tail and ear movements, and a variety of sounds.
The sound heard most often is a soft humming, a mild expression
befitting a gentle animal.
Q. Alpacas spit, don't they?
A. Spitting is perhaps the least endearing feature of alpacas.
It is one of the few defense mechanisms an alpaca has and is quite
an effective deterrent. The material is basically regurgitated
or recently chewed grass and it brushes off when dry. It does
have a distinctive and somewhat offensive odor and it is best
to avoid being a target.
However, it is quite rare that alpacas spit at people. It is
normally used as a pecking order mechanism with other alpacas.
If a human hit occurs, it is usually because the person has not
read the signs properly when stepping between two squabbling alpacas.
Q. Do alpacas kick and bite?
A. When interacting with humans, kicking and biting is highly
individualistic. Alpacas are usually sensitive around the hind
legs and will instinctively kick backwards if they sense a threat
from the rear.
Most alpacas do not kick at humans, but there are individuals
that can be quickly identified as being prone to kicking. This
is more evident in a pregnant female that wants to deter the advances
of an amorous male.
Fortunately, because the foot is a soft pad, injuries to humans
are minimal. Most alpacas respond very well to desensitization
of the hind legs if they receive good handling as youngsters.
Alpacas that bite people are extremely rare and it is not a general
problem. If it does occur it tends to be an attention seeking
behavior by spoilt pets rather than an attack.
Q. Can I run alpacas with other livestock?
A. Alpacas can bond well with other types of animals. Naturally,
alpacas and large aggressive dogs are not a good combination,
but there are many cases of quiet dogs mixing well with alpacas.
Individual alpacas have been very successfully run with sheep
and goats to act at fox guards. The alpacas tend to bond with
the foster herd and they are naturally aggressive toward foxes.
If running with different livestock, alpacas will pick up the
internal parasites associated with the other animals and should
be put on the same worming regime.
Because of the risk of the alpacas being kicked, caution should
be used if running them with cattle or horses.
THE CARE AND FEEDING OF ALPACAS
Q. Are alpacas easy to care for?
A. They are small and easy to maintain, rarely overeat and require
no extraordinary care. They should have basic shelter for protection
against heat and foul weather. They do not challenge fences. They
simply need shearing, worming, and vaccinations.
Q. What do alpacas eat?
A. They are ruminants, which means they chew cud like a cow or
deer. They survive well on different kinds of low protein hay
or pasture grass, providing it has a balanced mineral content.
Because alpacas evolved in harsh conditions, they utilize their
food more efficiently than other ruminants. They cost about as
much per month to feed as a dog.
Although they can survive very harsh conditions, alpacas do best
on good quality pasture and benefit from having access to plant
material with long fibers such as hay.
There are a number of commercial alpaca mixes available, but
these are best thought of as supplying vitamins and minerals rather
than the bulk feed which is obtained through grazing.
One important rule to remember is to introduce any changes to
the diet gradually over a period of a couple of weeks. This way
the microbes in the gut have time to adjust to any feed changes.
Q. What sort of diseases to alpacas
get?
A. Compared with other livestock, alpacas are relatively disease
free. Because of their dry fleece and naturally clean breech,
fly strike is not an issue with alpacas. Vaccination programs
vary by geography on veterinarian's advice.
When buying alpacas for breeding purposes it is advisable to
arrange a veterinary check to ensure you are buying a healthy
animal.
Some gardens contain a number of plants that are toxic to most
livestock (oleander, rhododendron, laburmum, etc.). Care should
be taken when fencing off gardens that such plants do not overhang
into alpaca areas. There is a history of calamities with other
livestock that have inadvertently been fed prunings form such
plants. Local nurseries can provide good advice on poisonous plants
or check with your county extension agent.
Although some people think alpacas don't drink huge amounts,
they do need to have ready access to good quality, fresh drinking
water.
Q. How much acreage does it take to
raise alpacas?
A. They are an ideal small acreage livestock. You can comfortable
stock between five and ten animals per acre. This makes the alpaca
ideal for people who have only a few acres and who want the pleasure
of a small herd and a healthy investment return.
Q. How do you transport alpacas?
A. They are stress resistant, load and travel calmly and can
be transported in the family mini van, station wagon, utility
vehicle, or horse trailer. Some breeders have been known to transport
their alpacas in small planes. Once enroute, the alpaca lies down
and enjoys the ride.
Q. What sort of fencing do alpacas need?
A. Any fencing the keeps sheep contained is satisfactory, preferably
without barbed wire. Alpacas do not jump fences.
Electric fencing is not necessary, but it may be used. Advice
on the correct height settings of the hot wires is best sought
from an alpaca breeder who has experience with alpacas and electric
fencing. If you live in an area known to have problem dogs it
can be worthwhile to increase the height of perimeter fencing.
Dog attacks are not common, but when they occur they have disastrous
consequences.
Apart from the boundary fences, the most important structure
is a small yard or pen to catch the alpacas. Some alpacas will
allow themselves to be caught in an open paddock, but even the
friendliest ones tend to step just out of reach when you most
need to catch them (e.g. shearing time).
The yard need not be elaborate and often the easiest and cheapest
one to construct is to place 8 to 10 foot gates at right angles
to each other inside the corner of the paddock. If the alpacas
get used to being fed in this area it also makes it very easy
to catch them.
FIBER AND SHEARING
Q. How often do you shear alpacas?
A. Alpacas are shorn once a year, usually in spring. Shearing
is the biggest maintenance required and usually takes around five
to ten minutes per animal for an experienced alpaca shearer.
If you are purchasing your first alpacas, ask the vendors for
the name of a recommended shearer, or ask if you can bring the
alpacas back to the property on their shearing day.
A very small percentage of alpacas are shorn standing up, the
preferred method of shearing is to lay the animals on their side
and restrain their legs with a tether at each end. This protects
the shearer and the alpaca from being accidentally cut. One side
of the animal is shorn and it is then rolled over and shorn on
the other side. Depending on the density of the fleece, alpacas
cut anywhere between 3 and 10 pounds of fleece. Some of the high
quality stud males will cut higher weights.
Q. What do you do with the fleece?
A. Alpaca fiber is highly prized for it very soft feel (handle),
its high thermal properties, its durability and its variety of
natural colors.
It is processed into high quality fashion garments such as suits,
jackets, skirts, and coats. Sweaters knitted from alpaca fleece
are soft, light and warm. Because of its natural warmth, it is
also used as a continental quilt filling. Coarser fiber can be
used to make car seat covers.
The international market for alpaca product is enormous with
demand always exceeding supply.
You can join the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association's (AOBA)
fiber co-op Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America (AFCNA).
The co-op is made up of shareholders that are alpaca breeders.
A few alpaca owners prefer to home spin their fiber. Commercial
prices depend on quality with a premium paid for finer micron
fiber. Sales to home spinners can be considerably higher.
BREEDING AND BIRTHING
Q. At what age do alpacas start breeding?
A. Females become sexually mature at around 12 to 18 months of
age and once they reach 90 - 100 pounds in weight. Males can display
sexual interest from a few weeks of age but are not sexually active
or fertile until 18 months to 3 years of age. (There will be individuals
that fall outside this age range.)
Alpacas do not have a breeding season and providing they are
receptive, females can be mated at any time of the year. Like
rabbits and cats, female alpacas are "induced ovulators"
which means it is the act of mating that causes them to ovulate.
Alpacas mate in the "cush" (prone) position and if
a female is not receptive (already pregnant) she will refuse to
sit down and probably spit at the male. This rejection response,
known as a "spit-off," is used in the management of
the female to regularly monitor the progress of her pregnancy.
Q. How long is gestation?
A. The average gestation period is 11.5 months, but pregnancies
that go for over a year are not uncommon.
Births are generally trouble-free and most occur before the middle
of the day. Cria should be 12 - 20 pounds at birth and most will
be on their feet and nursing within 2 to 3 hours. The mothers
are often very protective and the cria will stay with its mother
until weaning at 5 to 6 months of age.
Females are usually re-mated 2 to 6 weeks after giving birth.
Q. Do every alpacas have twins?
A. Twinning in alpacas is extremely rare (approximately 0.0001%
of births) and should not form any part of a breeding plan.
Q. How do I get started if I want to
breed alpacas?
A. There are a number of things to consider before launching
into the breeding industry.
It is best to talk to as many experienced breeders as possible.
You will gain lots of useful information from people who have
already done the legwork.
If you are serious it is advisable to develop a business plan,
please contact us at info@alpacas-4-sale.com
To be able to register your offspring you will need to become
a member of the Alpaca Registry, Inc and apply for herd registration.
The registry office can send you the appropriate forms. Join
the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA).
Some people have bought a couple of geldings to begin with and
once they feel confident that alpacas really are extremely easy
to manage, they then take the next step to start a breeding herd.
For most breeders, they simply want to get going as soon as possible
and enjoy the experience as they learn along the way.
Visit the
Alpaca Journal for thoughts and commentary on the alpaca
industry.
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