Great Tips On Starting An Alpaca Farm
When we first starting thinking about starting an alpaca farm, the first thing we did was find a mentor. They taught us everything that we need to know and still answer questions to this day. That, my friends, is your first tip. Find a great mentor and learn as much as you can from them! Alpacas are some of the most unique and most amazing farm animals in you can find. They prefer colder climates but easily adapt to the warmer summer climates across North America. As long as you acknowledge extreme temperatures and adjust for them, with sprinklers or jackets, they will do just fine. These great animals belong to the camelid family and originate from the Andes Mountains. Now they are breed in farms all over the globe for their luxurious wool. They are frequently mistaken for baby llamas but their are numerous differences between llama's and alpacas, including size and ear shape. If [...]
Alpaca Facts and FAQ
Is An Alpaca A Good Pet? What do Alpacas Eat? Do Alpacas Need to Be Fenced In?? Do Alpacas Need Shelter? How Much Room Does An Alpaca Need? How Much Do Alpacas Weigh? How Much Does An Alpaca Cost? Do Alpacas Spit? Is An Alpaca A Good Pet? It depends on your definition of a pet. If you are looking for an animal that hangs out in the backyard without needing much care other than a feeding twice a day, than yes. They will be perfectly happy with you feeding them, going to work, and then feeding them again when you get home. If you are looking for a pet that is going to come running to be pet when you pull in the driveway, then you don’t want an Alpaca. Alpacas are prey animals and are used to running away from anything that is not an Alpaca. [...]
Raising Alpacas For Profit And Fun
The Alpaca industry is booming in The United States at the moment. With a cutoff of new animals coming in and a relatively slow reproduction rate, large companies are not interested in spending the time. This makes raising alpacas for profit the perfect business venture for small business entrepreneurs. Alpaca’s are one of the only farm animals that can pay for their own care every year, if you do it right. They produce a large amount of wool that is highly sought after and can be sold at a premium. This can pay for the feed, housing, and medical bills of keeping the animal healthy and happy. We have been raising alpacas for several years now and we wouldn't change it for the world! Many Alpaca breeders become addicted to Alpacas because of the profit potential and friendly nature of the animal. They are shy in nature but will sometimes [...]
How To Care For An Alpaca Cria
A Cria is a baby Alpaca or an Alpaca that is less than one year old. If you have ever had an Alpaca Cria on your farm, you will know how much care they need. From wondering away from the pack to getting stuck in places that the large alpacas wouldn’t even think about going. It's a lot like taking care of an toddler when they first learn to walk! Your Cria will typically arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Mothers do not want to welcome their young by dropping them into the hottest part of the day. If your Alpaca Cria arrives outside of that window, it tends to point to a complication. That is not a rule, just an observance we have made in our experience. The fun is just beginning when they get out into the scary world. You will need to make [...]
Picking The Right Alpaca Herdsire
icking the right Alpaca herdsire for this generation of your herd can make or break the entire generation at your farm. Choosing a champion Alpaca as your main herdsire can take your herd to the next level instantly. On the opposite spectrum, choosing the wrong one can send you in a downward spiral FAST. What is a Herdsire? A Herdsire is a male Alpaca that you keep primarily for Sir’ing your farm. He is meant to be the daddy to as many females as possible to produce high quality Cria’s and expand the herd. Most large farms have a handful of herdsire’s so that they can continually expand without crossing bloodlines. If your herdsire produces quality offspring that other breeders will even pay a stud fee to have your herdsire breed with their females. A herdsire should be one of, if not the, best quality male you have on your [...]