Keeping Alpacas
Alpacas are domesticated animals & are members of the Camelid family, along with the llama and the still wild guanaco & vicuna; there are two types - the dense, crimpy fleeced Huacaya and the elegant, silky fleeced Suri which is rarer and accounts for only about 5% of the alpaca population. They have a lifespan of 15-20 years so will give their owners much pleasure and an annual fleece crop for many years.
Alpacas originate in South America, with the majority of animals coming from Peru, a significant number from Chile and a few from Bolivia; the UK herd is relatively small at approaching 15,000 animals and this, thanks in the most part, to large imports from Australia and Peru by big breeders.
Because of the small national herd, the UK fleece industry is still in its infancy; however, there is real innovation in the development of markets for this wonderful fibre and many opportunities for the enterprising breeder to contribute to the growth of the industry – after all, producing exceptional fibre is what the alpaca does best!
Health & Husbandry
As alpacas are preyed upon in their natural environment, they are very stoic and hardy animals, rarely showing illness until it is serious; for this reason, it is important to know your animals when they are well, so that you can more quickly spot any changes in their behaviour. Alpacas should be checked twice a day – turn over a bucket, take a seat & some time out to relax with these beautiful, intelligent & calm creatures – you’ll be glad you did! Despite the list below, alpacas are relatively easy to care for!
Foot Care
Keep a regular check on toenails and trim as necessary to prevent discomfort for your alpacas. Each animal differs in its need for foot trimming so it is a good idea to check every 8 weeks. Alpacas have soft pads so are very gentle on the land.
Teeth
If the teeth protrude beyond the palate, it can be difficult for your alpaca to graze properly and the teeth will need trimming back; your vet can do this for you with clippers or dental wire or if the shearer is due, this is a task quite often done at shearing time.
Adult males have fighting teeth which need to be removed at around 4 years old to stop them injuring each other.
Abscesses are not uncommon in alpacas, so checking teeth regularly and watching for signs of ‘drooling’ is important.
Condition Scoring
It is a good idea to 'condition score' your alpacas once a month by feeling along the spine about 8 inches from the neck; if the spine feels sharp, your animal could be underweight and should be checked to find out the cause – it might be that teeth trimming or worming is needed, or just an extra ration of food away from the other animals.
If you can’t feel the spine very well, your animal might be overweight, which can cause problems with fertility or birthing and general fitness.
Vaccinations
Suggested clostridial vaccinations are Lambivac, Heptavac P, Ovivac or Ovivac P. Your vet will be able to help you decide which one to use, though none of these products are licensed for use with alpacas in the UK.
Cria should be vaccinated at 2 weeks and then 4 weeks with a 2ml dose of Lambivac, followed by an annual booster staring at 6 months.
Do not vaccinate a pregnant female within 1 month of her due date; the best time is when she is ‘open’ and just ahead of her next mating.
Worming
After checking faecal samples, your vet will advise which products to use; there are a variety of injections and drenches available, the choice of which and the dose will depend on local conditions and whether or not your alpacas are grazed alongside other animals.
Grazing & Paddocks
Alpacas are very efficient grazers and stocking rates will differ according to your location and the weather; up to 10 an acre is fine as long as there is enough land to rotate and rest the grass and prevent a build up of pests and disease. 5/6 to an acre is a normal stocking rate.
In our experience, alpacas graze the land more evenly when in paddocks or small fields but we try to balance this with their love of roaming and meandering!! Ad-lib hay should be available all year round as alpacas are browsers and enjoy a variety of plants.
Before putting alpacas out to graze, the land should be checked for dangerous objects, poisonous plants & hedging such as ragwort, privet and laurel.
Clean water should be available at all times – alpacas love water and quite often paddle in the water containers so they should be checked regularly. They are also quite fussy about clean water and will often not drink stale or contaminated supplies.
Fencing
Standard stock fencing topped with 2 rows of plain wire or a rail is adequate as alpacas rarely challenge fencing; an alternative is post and rail either close or with sheep wire securely fixed. Barbed wire should not be used as it can cause injury, particularly to the eyes and nose, when the animals rub up against it or try to scratch.
A catch pen in each field is a very useful idea. Even better, is a central area of catch pens, shelter and storage – it saves time, arguments and makes training and routine husbandry much easier! Pens can be made from fencing materials, though it is best to avoid netting to prevent animals catching their feet and legs; cattle hurdles are a good alternative as is close post & rail fencing.
Shelter
Alpacas are very hardy animals but appreciate shelter from the worst of the weather in the winter and shade from the sun in the summer. A three sided shelter, protected from the prevailing winter wind is best.
Fleece
Alpaca fleece comes in 22 different natural colours and animals will need to be sheared once a year if an huacaya or every two years if a suri; there are several shearers who travel the UK and most provide an excellent service, including teeth & toenail trimming and vaccinations if required – see if your chosen breeder can recommend one.
Mating & Birthing
Females - females are usually ready to be mated from about 18 months, dependant on how well grown they are. Alpacas are induced ovulators so can be mated at any time of the year, which means that breeders can manage birthing times so that cria are ideally born in spring and summer when the grass is plentiful and full of nutrients. Winter & autumn births are fine, though mother & cria need more careful management of their nutritional needs.
Birthing - average gestation is 335-355 days resulting in the birth of a single cria; twins are rare and their survival even more so. Most births are straightforward, needing no intervention and most happen in the morning, though it is quite common for animals to birth later in the day. A cria born late in the day might well be healthy, but it is important to make sure that it is warm, dry & feeding and a good idea is to provide a sheltered area with light to make sure that the cria gets the essential colostrum from Mum during the night.
Males – reach sexual maturity at around two and a half years of age, though there are exceptions and young males, once weaned, should not be left with females. Equally, weanling males should not be put with mature adult males as they are likely to be severely bullied. A gelding male (wether), who has not been used as a stud male, is therefore an excellent & versatile investment as he can take care of weanlings and immature males and then can be returned to run with females and protect young cria.
