Alpacas are members of the South American Camelid family,
along with the llama, guanaco and vicuna. They are currently
raised in the high Andean plateau area of Peru, Bolivia,
Chile.
There are two breeds of alpaca: the suri (pronounced soo-ree),
which has a lustrous fine fiber that hangs in long twisted
locks like mohair, and the huacaya (pronounced wah-ky-ah),
whose fleece has a sheep-like crimp that enhances its use
in spinning.
The suri has recently been introduced into the
United States and the current domestic population is small.
The North American alpaca herd is largely made up of huacayas.
The world population of alpaca is approximately 90% huacaya
and 10% suri. |
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Alpaca management is not complicated or difficult. Occasional
grooming, trimming of toenails and teeth, as well as the
annual or bi-annual shearing comprise the major husbandry.
Vaccination against tetanus, rabies (in endemic areas), clostridial
organisms, and parasite control are advised for health maintenance.
New breeders should seek the advice of their local veterinarian
when planning a care program.
Alpacas are ruminants. They have three stomachs and require
pasture and good quality hay. Exceptionally efficient as
converters of hay or grass, they are grazers and browsers
who will pick daintily as they wander through the pasture.
In winter and in the last stages of pregnancy, supplementary
feeding may be advisable. Alpacas take readily to good quality
hay and low protein pellets.
Alpacas are easy to transport, generally choosing to sit
down whilst traveling. They travel equally well in a horse
trailer, truck or even a cargo van.
When preparing your farm for alpacas, it’s a good idea
to pasture and soil test through your local Extension Agent
and find out about the best pasture to grow as well as weed
control. |
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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 as 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 de-worming regime. |
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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.
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. |
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The most important thing about fencing for alpacas is safety
against predators. Any fence will confine alpacas since they
do not challenge fences. The important thing is to keep dogs,
foxes and coyotes out of the pasture.
Standard 2" x 4" square farm fence, four feet
high is adequate. "New Zealand " deer fence is
good fencing for alpacas. It can be purchased in heights
of 5 or 6 feet and is woven wire with smaller squares at
the bottom.
The terrain is a consideration. The woven wire fences
work better on flat ground and the electric wire does better
on steep or uneven terrain. One tip that works well on
all fences: lay a strand of barbed wire on the ground,
attached to the posts, on the outside perimeter of the
fence. This keeps dogs from digging their way under the
fence. |
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| Alpacas are primarily fiber producing animals, so they
need to be shorn once per year, preferably in the early spring.
Normal sheep-shearing equipment can be used for shearing
alpacas. Because alpaca fiber is virtually grease-free and
very dense, electric shears should be oiled to avoid overheating.
Many breeders shear with hand shears. |
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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 able or fertile until 24 months to 3 years of age. (There
will be individuals that fall outside these age ranges.)
Alpacas do not have a breeding season and provided 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 maintenance of her pregnancy.
A healthy female alpaca can produce one cria per year.
The gestation period is approximately 11 months. They seldom
if ever have twins. Birth rates are high, with the alpaca
enjoying a productive life of around 20 years.
Carefully selected stud males and high quality females
produce genetically superior babies. Birthing is remarkably
quick and trouble-free. Alpacas almost always produce a
single offspring and usually give birth in daylight hours.
Two weeks later, the female is ready to be bred again.
Thus, she will spend most of her productive life pregnant.
This is less arduous than it sounds, because the fetus
remains small for most of the gestation period.
Alpacas are devoted and protective mothers. The baby alpaca,
or cria, will suckle from its mother until weaning at about
five or six months. |
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The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association is a strong
vibrant breed association that promotes the US alpaca industry
and organizes the largest alpaca show system in the world.
The alpaca industry had the foresight in 1989 to create one
of the most sophisticated animal registries in existence,
the Alpaca Registry, Inc. Virtually all of the alpacas in
North America are registered. The registry protects the existing
gene pool and helps ensure that each breeder s investment
is also protected from cross breeding with llamas and guanacos.
Parentage must be established for purposes of registering
alpaca offspring. Each baby is blood typed to prove its dam
and sire. The ARI maintains the alpaca blood type data bank.
This bank contains the blood type of each registered alpaca
and guards against the registration of an animal as an alpaca,
if in fact, its parents were not registered alpacas. |
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Alpacas are an ideal small acreage livestock. You can comfortably
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
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. Find someone
you trust who will mentor you into the alpaca business.
If you are serious it is advisable to develop a business
plan. Attend our seminar “Thrive
or Survive in the Alpaca Business”.
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 buy a couple of geldings to begin with and
once they feel confident that alpacas really are extremely
easy to manage, they 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. |
