Interest in keeping alpacas is at an all-time high in the United States.
Alpacas are known for their valuable fibers, their temperament and their cleanliness.
If you're looking to start an alpaca herd of your own, here are some tips you can use.
First, learn as much as you can about alpacas.
These animals are gentle and sweet, and are comfortable around people who are familiar to them.
They do require more space per animal per acre than other types of farm animals, so you may need to take that into consideration when making your plans.
Do not over-populate your alpaca herd! Instead, use your available space to determine how many animals you can keep.
Some people keep alpacas simply for their fibers.
This is the perfect way to learn about alpacas and how to care for them.
Non-breeding animals are less expensive than high-quality breeding ones.
If you are strictly interested in animals for fiber production, you can buy individuals for several hundred to a few thousand dollars.
If you plan to buy alpacas, you'll want to have a complete health history, breeding history, registration information and a full evaluation of a prospective choice's conformation.
If you're not confident in your ability to evaluate a potential purchase, ask an experienced breeder for advice on what to look for.
Do not rely on the seller's assurances regarding the animal.
In the long run, you'll be better served by learning how to spot the characteristics you're looking for.
If you plan to breed animals, you'll pay more for quality breeding stock.
"Proven" herdsires and dams are more expensive than unproven or junior stock.
Show champions can easily run in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Also understand that over time, fiber characteristics of an individual can change, based on diet, environment, hormones and age.
An animal that starts out at 18 microns may not always stay that way! Alpacas are herd animals, and they do not like being outside of the company of other alpacas.
For this reason, when starting a breeding herd from scratch, you may want to add some inexpensive non-breeding stock to your herd to improve your animals' overall happiness and comfort level.
Take care when housing alpacas with other animals, as they can contract illnesses from cows and sheep.
Keep cows and alpacas separate, especially if there is chance that a cow is infected with BVDV.
Also isolate your herd from wild deer as much as possible.
Alpacas are known for their valuable fibers, their temperament and their cleanliness.
If you're looking to start an alpaca herd of your own, here are some tips you can use.
First, learn as much as you can about alpacas.
These animals are gentle and sweet, and are comfortable around people who are familiar to them.
They do require more space per animal per acre than other types of farm animals, so you may need to take that into consideration when making your plans.
Do not over-populate your alpaca herd! Instead, use your available space to determine how many animals you can keep.
Some people keep alpacas simply for their fibers.
This is the perfect way to learn about alpacas and how to care for them.
Non-breeding animals are less expensive than high-quality breeding ones.
If you are strictly interested in animals for fiber production, you can buy individuals for several hundred to a few thousand dollars.
If you plan to buy alpacas, you'll want to have a complete health history, breeding history, registration information and a full evaluation of a prospective choice's conformation.
If you're not confident in your ability to evaluate a potential purchase, ask an experienced breeder for advice on what to look for.
Do not rely on the seller's assurances regarding the animal.
In the long run, you'll be better served by learning how to spot the characteristics you're looking for.
If you plan to breed animals, you'll pay more for quality breeding stock.
"Proven" herdsires and dams are more expensive than unproven or junior stock.
Show champions can easily run in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Also understand that over time, fiber characteristics of an individual can change, based on diet, environment, hormones and age.
An animal that starts out at 18 microns may not always stay that way! Alpacas are herd animals, and they do not like being outside of the company of other alpacas.
For this reason, when starting a breeding herd from scratch, you may want to add some inexpensive non-breeding stock to your herd to improve your animals' overall happiness and comfort level.
Take care when housing alpacas with other animals, as they can contract illnesses from cows and sheep.
Keep cows and alpacas separate, especially if there is chance that a cow is infected with BVDV.
Also isolate your herd from wild deer as much as possible.
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