Alpacas
Who buys Alpacas?
There are many people that would like to own a hobby farm, but do not want the responsilbity of high maintenance and manhours into farming.
These animals really do not need alot of maintence, and as some hobby farmers still maintain full time employment, they just generally need to be checked a couple of times daily to make sure they are ok, is sufficient.
There are now many full time breeders such as ourselves that are running this as a business, and these farms are concentrating on fibre and animal improvement.
They run large herds, and are financially viable.
They supply local, interstate, and international breeders, with herd improvers.
There is also a market place for our males that are not used for stud work.
We sell young males as pets just at weaning age, and then we will sell, older males as guard animals for sheep, dairy herds, or cattle farms, goats, free range hens, you name it and they will bond with the animal they are with, and look after them and protect them from preditors.
These really are the perfect animal.
How long do they live for?
They can live up to 20 -25 years old, and the females are productive for most of that time.
They really do not get sick often, and have less problems than other livestock, they do not get Bloat, fly strike, or foot rot.
They are very easy to herd, and handle, and can be cared for by one person.
It has been great for us, as Raelene until recently has been able to look after, breed, maintain and care for the herd by herself, and contribute towards the family income.
It also meant that when Rob came home from a hard days work, he too was not tied down to farm chores.
He could relax, and enjoy his free time.
How often are they shorn?
They are shorn once yearly, and a good quality alpaca will average approx 5 kgs per year, 2/3rds of that being Firsts, and the remainder will be seconds.
An average alpaca will shear up to 3 kgs a year, 1/2 being first and the remainder seconds.
The best fleece is of course the baby or cria fleece, and is often classed as royal fibre, as this will also be the finest fleece an alpaca will produce.
As they get older, and especially when the females start producing year after year, their microns will go up, year by year, often levelling out about 6 years old.
They are not shorn like sheep, we do have to hovk them out (we place cuffs around their hocks and stretch them out, (not too tight though), as they are not like sheep and will not lie there, they have very quick reactions, and they need to be contained, so that they do not jump when being shorn which can cause injuries to both the animal, the shearer or handlers.
Generally, there are three people to shear, one being the shear, an assistant who will help hold and turn the alpaca and assist to put the alpaca in the shearing position.
He will also talk to the alpaca while they are being shorn, and will assist the shearer if needed.
Then there is a person to pick up the fleece, the fleece is shorn in pieces, and separated at time of shearing, where later on it is classed for the mill.
Ring and make an appointment and come and see how easy it is to farm alpacas.
Be warned though, you will fall in love with them, and want to take one home.
Looking forward to seeing you....Raelene, Rob & Elyse
Alpacas are very easy to care for,
and they really do love cuddles and lots of attention.
But they do not worry if you do not have the time.
They really do just are happy grazing in your paddocks.
They produce one offspring on the average every year, and they do deliver in the daylight hours, generally between 6am and 4pm.
They do not have long births and often a female will not show signs she is in labor.
Alpacas are enduced ovulators, so that means they evulate after they have been with a male. They do not have a season, and they are fairly easy to fall pregnant, and really do not have a lot of problems with fertility or medically.
They can be insured, which is a great safeguard for those just entering the industry.
They have soft pads on their feet like a dog, that does not damage the land.
They do belong to the camel family, and so they do re utilise their feed, and so they are a very economical to feed.
They can live on poor land as well as improved pasture.
They do require worming, generally twice a year, and we like to innoculate them also with 5 in 1, and Vitamin A d & E, at the same time.
They have two digits on each foot, and their toe nails and these need trimming generally twice a year.
Their stocking rate is generally 2.5 times that of sheep per acre.
They respect fences, and generally do not damage trees. Alpacas do their dung in one pile and they generally do not eat around their dung piles.
They are non offensive, do not smell, and do not make a lot of noise, and are very gentle in nature.
you can be assured the alpaca will not hurt you.
They are bred for their luxurious fibre
The fibre is not a wool, but a hair, which is non allergenic, and is not flammible, soft to the handle, and very light weight. It has high tensile strength, and genetically fine, comes in 27 different colours, and approx 300 different shades.
Alpaca fibre can be dyed, and blended with other fibres.
Alpaca when made into material will drape which fashion designers love.
Alpacas are the Perfect animal to own,
Alpacas do spit, but this is a defense mechanisim, so if they feel threatened they will then spit, (but as they are very submissive animals, they still generally do not), They are quite reliable and predictable, and so if you have their trust, they will go anywhere you want them to go.
The females will also spit if they are pregnant, to any advancing male, and generally if they are being handled, especially late pregnant.
Once you own alpacas, you will never be without one, as they are just beautiful animals
What do you do with the fibre?
We have processed our fibre ourselves, but at the time with four teenagers and a herd of over 200 at that time, running a tourism farm, and entertaining busloads of people, i just did not have enough time to market the fibre myself.
This is always an option, and there are a few places where you can get this processed.
There are also some breeders that will spin and knith garmets also.
We ourselves, produce oin an average 1 1/2 ton of fleece a year, and so we sen this off to the fibre company run by the association, we do get a good income from our fleece, and we are often shown how our fleece has turned up.
One year, waiting for our fleece, we shorn one week, sent the fleece in the next, and invited the following week, where our fleece had already been scoured, and ready to be milled, and within two weeks there were garments in the shop of David Jones, some being worn by models in a fashion parade, before Christmas, David Jones commenting most of the stock was sold prior to Xmas.
This is not bad, since we shear generally the first or second week in November
The Fibre company has gained many marketplaces for Australian fibre, (considered some of the best in the world), and we in Australia still do not produce enough fleece to meet marketplace demands.
All details are accurate at time of posting on this site.
