Tips For New Alpaca Owners
- Visit as many farms as you can. Check out their barn and pasture layouts, even fencing. No farms will be alike. Take note of the alpacas attitude and demeanor. Make sure to ask alot of questions and take notes. There are no stupid questions. We were all new at on time.
- Subscribe to the Alpacas Magazine. This is a great magazine with lots of information, especially for new breeders. Also ask other alpaca owners for other resources such as websites and books.
- Develop a philosophy and niche for your farm. Form a business plan to help with long term goals, you can always change them as time goes on. Will you be raising alpacas for breeding, showing, or pets? If breeding and showing, focus on confirmation and fiber quality. For pets, focus on animal disposition, dont settle for an obvious problem.
- Be sure to have several pastures. As your herd grows, you will need to seperate males and females. Also the ablility to alternate pastures for health and growth. Even when you bring in a new animal, it should be quarantined from your herd. So extra space is needed.
- If you decided to purchase 2 or 3 alpacas, think about purchasing a bred female(s). In most cases, there are great males within driving distance for breeding purposes. Dont limit your gene pool by constricing males for your breeding program.
- Find a good vet. Try to include your vet in your purchasing decisions. Some buyers also like to have a pre-purchase exam to check bite, teeth, eyes, legs, topline, heart, lungs, reproductive organs, and all over confirmation of the alpaca.
- Find a good source of hay. You will need approximately one bale of hay per alpaca per day in the winter time, less in the summer if you have pasture. The dry matter protein of your hay should be between 12%-14%, not much higher or lower.
- It is recommended to feed a supplement, especially in the winter. There are many types of feed programs that might work for your herd. Talk to other alpaca farms and your vet.