The ease and relative low cost of caring for alpacas is a large consideration for many people entering the industry. Their smaller size, hardy nature and gentle disposition make their care much less of a chore than most other livestock.
You need good fences to enclose your animals. The alpacas are very easy to contain but predators, especially dogs, offer a real threat to the welfare of your herd.
Our herd comes up to the smaller barn pasture area each night and we close them in. We have a combination of non-climbable fencing, page wire lined with stucco wire (so the babies can't put their heads through and small dogs can't get in and run the herd) and electric fencing to ensure their safety. Early on we had one incident of dogs trying to dig under the fence so we now have barbed wire along the ground on the outside of our perimiter fences.
Alpacas require a clean, dry shelter to protect them from harsh weather, both cold and hot, but it doesn't have to be anything fancy. A three-sided building with a sloped ceiling to allow rain to run off is quite acceptable and usually preferable for these animals. They don't like to be cooped up. If you already have a barn, like we did when we bought our property, the alpacas seem to readily accept these more deluxe accommodations, however we always ensure easy access to the outside.
It is advisable to have a place where you can put an ailing alpaca or one close to birthing during inclement weather. Since these animals are induced ovulators they can birth at all times of the year including in the middle of a huge snowstorm.
We have a stall-sized area at the far end of our barn with a grazing area adjoining. We can see this pen quite readily from our kitchen so can keep an eye on the moms-to-be in the "maternity ward".
The stall has a good cushion of hay and we hope that the moms will go inside to birth. So far the first two crias born on our ranch were dropped on the lovely clean hay, however the last one, a white female, was dropped in the dirt right beside the poop pile. The mom was not too pleased with me moving her baby to a clean place but I just couldn't stand to look at this struggling new-born rolling around in the dirt.
Since growing alpacas require extra rations you need to rig up a creep for them to access unlimited quantities of grain and hay. We have a little platform in the corner of the barn with an opening just large enough for crias and weanlings (the moms try to get in on occassion but to no avail). We always have grain and hay in the creep and the younguns wander in and out as their appetites demand.
Alpacas require clean drinking water and good quality low-protein grass hay or they can be put out to pasture. Most breeders feed a supplement by way of llama pellets to ensure that their animals receive all the nutrients they need. We feed about one half coffee can per adult animal per day.
Routine health care includes trimming toenails, worming, vaccinations, sometimes teeth trimming, inspecting ears for mites or infection and regularly checking the condition of each animal, including weight.
Small breeders often use a hands-on technique to assess the condition of their alpacas. They feel the ridge of the back bone which gives an indication of any weight problems &emdash; too fat or too thin.
The alpaca foot is padded underneath with two toes. In their native environment of South America where it is quite rocky, their toenails tend to wear down, however in this country we need to keep on top of nail trimming. If the nails are allowed to grow too long they can cause lameness.
Once every month we check our herd and single out the animals who need a toenail trim or any other special attention. Due to the larger size of the llamas we usually need a restraining shute for their trims. The alpacas, however, can be handled quite easily with one person holding the head and the other doing the trimming.
Most of our alpacas protest somewhat when they are handled and we have one suri who really does not like it. She becomes so overwrought that we worry for her health and safety, especially during the latter stage of pregnancy. We are actively searching for ways to calm her down when we need to deal with her and have had suggestions ranging from classical music to aroma therapy. If anyone has any ideas please let us know.
When our crias are born we make a point of imprinting them and we continue to stoke and inspect them all over when they are weighed. We have been told that doing this will help them to accept toenail trimming and other health procedures without too much trauma.
Last but certainly not least is the need for manure removal. Alpacas tend to use a common dung pile which offers a great advantage in the control of disease. Although manure removal is relatively easy, it is still a boring never-ending job which must be done every day for optimum herd health.
We employ our fifteen year old daughter to muck out the barn and the surrounding pasture everyday. This arrangement works well for everybody.
Alpacas use of a common dung is generally a wonderful advantage. On the odd occasion, however, it can prove to be a nightmare.
During the really hot spell last summer one of the girls decided she liked the coolness of the barn to relieve herself. As we found out it only takes one "dump" to start a new community poop pile on the sandy floor. All our efforts to break this habit of manuring in the barn have met with no success. If anyone can offer advice on ways to stop this unacceptable habit we would be most grateful to hear from them.