We get so many curious visitors to our farm each year and inevitably they ask, "what do you do with alpacas?". Well, the answer is simple: Anything!. There are several levels of alpaca ownership making them very affordable and versatile as pets or as a business. This brief article will outline the major levels of ownership and we encourage readers to contact us to learn more about an exciting adventure and life with alpacas.

Pet Alpacas

Alpacas can and do make interesting pets if they are raised with alot of human contact.  Since they are a herd animal with strong herd bonds, they cannot be kept alone. They would need to be in a small group of 2 or 3 alpacas for normal behaviour and health/welfare. In terms of temperament, they will never be as affectionate as a cat or dog, but, can show admiration for their humans in other ways. They love giving nibbles for attention or nose bumps for affection.  While they typically do not appreciate their heads patted, they do enjoy a chin scratch or neck rub.  They are timid and aloof but also curious. They love watching humans do chores and clean up after them and have been known to playfully grab a glove or tool and run off with it.  They can be trained to walk on a lead and like going for walks in groups. Unlike most other livestock, the joy of owning pet alpacas can be shared by the entire family. Kids can get safely involved in their daily care and there are many 4H clubs around the country that specialize in alpacas/fiber animals. There are even kid’s classes at most alpaca shows where the whole family can get involved and just have fun together.

In terms of care, alpacas are reasonably easy to take care of, once you know what to do. They are generally "communal poopers" which means that they poop in 1 spot, making clean up easier than other livestock. There is monthly herd health that must be practiced and most alpaca farms will educate new owners on what is involved in herd health. At Dancing Horse Farm, we have an intensive mentorship program for all new owners to learn the ropes before their new alpacas are delivered to their home. New prospective owners should also inquire in their area if there is veterinary support for alpacas before making a purchase. Since medical care can be tricky and is unique to other livestock, many general equine or livestock veterinary practitioners do not treat alpacas. 

The cost of pet alpacas can vary, but a general range would be $600-1000.00. But keep in mind that you need more than 1 to get started, and to simplify life, they would all be the same gender-typically males.

 Pet/Agriculture Tourism

There has been a surge in pet alpaca owners who also enjoy sharing their love of alpacas with the public. These owners offer farm tours, alpaca feeding and treckking as a small business and a way to offset some expenses while interacting with the community. They often will transport alpacas off the farm for birthday parties or to hospitals as therapy animals. They may even hold parties or events on their own farm. This level of ownership I see increasing year over year and is extremely satisfying while having potential for profit.

Fiber/Cottage Craft Alpacas

The next level of alpaca ownership is what we refer to as "cottage craft". This is ownership whereby you intend to work with and process the alpaca fiber into finished product yourself. Many cottage crafters may own 5 or 6 pet quality alpacas with great fiber characteristics. They shear them, and typically hand spin the fiber into yarn and then knit or crochet items themselves to sell. Cottage crafters often set up booths at local weekly or monthly farmer markets or street markets to sell their products. They even open shops on Etsy or other marketplaces online to sell yarns and garments. Cottage craft can be very profitable and is probably the most popular level of alpaca ownership today. 

The cost of alpacas suited for cottage craft should be around the same as that for pet alpacas, but again, the group should be all the same gender to simplify management. And they are typically males.

Breeding Alpacas 

When alpacas were fist imported to the US in the 1980s, the model for ownership was to buy alpacas for the purpose of breeding them to sell offspring as a serious business. I personally believe that this level of alpaca ownership is declining, as more and more people discover the other ways alpacas bring joy and enrichment to their lives. With that said, however, there are still buyers for breeding quality alpacas. These alpacas are registered with the Alpaca Owners Association in this country and may also be shown at recognized alpaca shows to increase their value as breeding stock. If anyone is interested in breeding alpacas, there are several considerations. First, it is necessary to have separate housing and pastures for boys and girls. Then a sub-division for babies and weanlings. And, likely another sub-division for young maturing males separate from breeding males. So the infrastructure can and should be more complex than what is suitable for pets or cottage craft alpacas. Since all alpacas are registered via blood DNA, it has to be known who is bred to who and when to confirm parentage. Also, genetics and certain combinations of genetics would be more appealing to other alpaca owners interested in purchasing additional stock from you. Another consideration is the age it takes alpacas to become fertile. While most females can be bred at age 2, most males may not produce ample sperm until they are 3 years old or older. For this reason, those interested in getting started with a breeding program to try to realize a profit fairly soon, probably should consider purchasing adult alpacas over babies. 

Alpacas are pregnant for a year basically, so as a business model you would need more than 2 or 3 to realize a yearly profit. Many breeders hand breed vs pasture breeding so that the day of conception is clearly known, along with the identity of parents. Owners need to become familiarized with the female alpaca ovarian cycles and breeding behaviour. Alpacas can be bred year round, but are only receptive to males when they have a mature egg growing within their ovaries that is ready to ovulate. Breeding is not for the faint of heart. It can bring immense satisfaction, joy and life fulfillment. But it can also bring heartache and financial strain. Veterinary hospital costs for a problem with birthing or a newborn baby can run into the thousands of dollars. I find that today, those farms that are breeding alpacas do it because they genuinely love raising the young, and less for any kind of profit.

The cost of breeding alpacas varies considerably depending on genetics, show awards, fiber quality. It can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Prospective buyers of seed stock should consider the experience and success of the program they are looking to purchase from, along with post-purchase support. 

Commercial Fleece Producers 

I refer to commercial fleece producers as the top of the ladder of alpaca ownership. This level of ownership involves a herd of many alpacas to sustain profitability. Typically fleece producers have anywhere from 50 to several hundred alpacas in their herd. At Dancing Horse Farm, we are commercial fleece producers, maintaining a herd of over 70. By definition, commercial fleece producers sell their fleeces directly to commercial markets. They also do most of the other levels of ownership, being breeders, attending and participating in shows, and a large majority of commercial producers also do cottage craft production of their own fiber to make items for retail in their own farm stores and local gift shops. These farms are the leaders in the industry, mentoring new owners and guiding the industry forward. A handful, including us at Dancing Horse Farm also conduct research to improve industry understanding of management and care of alpacas. We are fortunate to not only have an active research laboratory, but we publish our findings in both peer reviewed veterinary journals, and industry supported publications.  

No matter what level of alpaca ownership that seems appealing, we can encourage anyone to take the plunge and change their lives. The alpaca lifestyle is relaxing, enjoyable and rewarding. In many cases, it can also be profitable!