Alpaca Farming

Alpaca farming has grown in popularity in the last few years as many farmers seek new ways to make the most of their land and have looked at alpaca breeding as a new way to maximize the returns from their land.


Http://AlpacaFarmingHq.com aims to assist farmers, alpaca breeders and farmers generally to decide whether alpaca farming would be a viable venture for theme and whether the many alpaca farms that have sprung up are happy with their diversification.

 

Raising alpacas

Before you decide whether raising alpacas is for you or not there are a number of fundamentals you will need to be aware of.

Firstly, marginal farmland is ideal for raising alpacas-there is no necessity for prime farmland. You will need some supplemental feeding though and alpaca farming fits in well to a diversified farming operation.

 

There are about 20,000 alpacas in the United States currently and there are four types of lama-the llama, guanaco, vicuna and llama.

Alpacas are generally used for fiber production and alpaca sweaters, scarves and hats are in strong demand in the marketplace fetching premium prices. Alpaca farming will demand a significant investment at the outset because breeding stock is expensive.

 

You will need to find out before you start your alpaca raising operation requires a permit or licence in your state and your farm will need to be zoned for livestock.

 

Types of alpaca

There are 2 types of alpaca-the huacaya and the suri with the former being the most popular and common. A female alpaca could set you back from $10,000 to $30,000 with a male costing up to $60,000.

The main source of income from alpacas is from fiber production and they will produce up to 8 pounds of fleece per year. You can get up to $40 for raw yarn and up to $160 for finished yarn-these prices are per pound.

 

The advantages of alpaca fiber for alpaca sweaters are that it is warm, lightweight, strong and soft.

 

Alpaca breeding

Alpaca breeding and rearing will require similar practices to sheep farming and alpacas will eat shrubs, forbs, grasses and trees. You can put between 5 and 10 alpacas on an acre of land and using pastures will see the best returns and of course a plentiful supply of water. One thing you will need to look out for with alpaca pastures is poisonous plants which can make your alpacas sick or even kill them. (Check out the Alpaca registry)

Alpaca fencing

Alpaca fencing will need to be at least 5 foot high with no barbed wire and you may need to make your alpaca fencing dog proof as roaming dogs can kill or cause considerable distress to them. You will need a chute or small catch pen to allow for trimming toenails and tending to injured animals or administering shots or vaccines.

 

Alpaca shelter

Alpacas do not like dark sheds so use something like a 3 sided shelter to shelter them from bad weather and make sure you have large windows or doors.

 

Alpacas will need yearly vaccinations and deworming and you should make contact with local alpaca associations in your area to make sure that there is assistance and expertise available close to you if needed.

 

Alpaca reproduction

Alpacas produce one offspring, a cria, after a gestation of about 350 days and birthing is usually straightforward and hassle free.

 

Elsewhere on http://AlpacaFarmingHq.com we will be looking at alpaca farms, alpaca farms for sale, alpaca sweaters and other clothing, alpacas for sale, alpaca shows, alpaca hats and other relevant alpaca facts related to alpacas and alpaca farming.