Alpacas are popular across the globe for many reasons and are kept by people of all ages. Not only can alpacas provide the owner a healthy financial return, they are renowned for offering a farming lifestyle that is second to none.
Throughout history, man’s fascination and love of animals has been evident in every culture and the way that animals have become domesticated and woven into the fabric of society has been well documented. Alpacas were domesticated from the vicuna around 6000 years ago and historians have revealed the dedication and love for the alpaca that the Inca empire had. Even in the modern day, alpacas are a central focus of the Peruvian family group as they provide a number of life giving products such as dung for fuel, fibre for clothing, skin for leather and meat, the primary source of protein for the Peruvian farming community. Alpacas are an integral part of Peruvian life and the love of the alpaca has be exported along with the livestock to all countries that now farm alpacas.
Whether it’s children or retired adults who are handling the stock, alpacas can be easily kept, and enjoyed. Having long been described as the aristocrats of farmed animals, alpacas are docile but intelligent animals that really engage with their owner and love routine. With the right technique and a gentle approach, alpacas can be easily handled by people of all ages and routine tasks such as toe nail cutting and vaccinations can be administered with ease. As mentioned, alpacas love routine and they have a great memory, so they remember where the gate is and are comfortably mustered. It is usual for one person to be able to bring a mob (group) of alpacas in from their paddock to carry out some inspections, breeding or routine maintenance.
When keeping livestock the experience is improved if the species works with you. Alpacas are spectacular animal that offer many qualities that reduce hassle and enhance owner experience. These traits include:
They have a low early mortality rate and live for around 20 to 25 years.As herd animals, they don’t tend to try and escape through or over fences.
Alpacas don’t need to be crutched like sheep as they are clean skinned under the tail.
Having three stomachs and evolving on the rough and pasture of the altiplano, alpacas are efficient converters of feed so they do well on native grass and improved pastures.
Their feet have a soft pad which means that alpacas spread the load on the ground so that areas don’t bog up in the winter or get eroded in the summer. While on feet, alpacas don’t suffer from footrot like sheep do, so that is yet another maintenance task that is not required.
Alpacas generally give birth between 7am and 2pm and are usually trouble free, quite different to sheep. So no staying up through the night worrying if the cria is going to be delivered safely.
The ease of breeding is one of the major attributes that allow alpacas to fit into a family regime. Being induced ovulators, it allows the owner to plan their birthing period around the abundance of feed and also periods like holidays etc. Being able to control the breeding of these wonderful animals and know the period when they will give birth is a real benefit. Here at Accoyo Europe we plan for our females to give birth from the beginning of May through to the end of July, so that the majority of the births are out of the way as the school holidays start.
One major lifestyle opportunity that alpaca farming offers is the strong possibility to gain planning permission for an agricultural dwelling (house). Alpacas, like sheep, pigs and cattle qualify for agricultural planning as government policy encourages diversification and rural enterprise whereby if a return can be made from the land, the owner can build a house (subject to conditions). To find out more about alpacas and planning permission please click here
What we love about farming alpacas is that you don’t have to slaughter them to make a profit. The alpaca industry is stud stocked based and breeders will make money from breeding for many years before we have enough fibre to satisfy commercial demand. The ease of husbandry and the lovely inquisitive nature alpacas have, combined with a strong global demand for stock means that alpacas make the ideal livestock investment for families, professional couples and people wanting to enjoy the countryside and earn a good financial return.
To find out how alpacas could fit into your lifestyle plans, pleaser give Tim and call on +44 (0)7875532827