When deciding to purchase your first alpaca, several factors should be considered, such as the purpose of buying an alpaca—whether for breeding, wool production, pet therapy, or companionship. Additionally, it is important to evaluate the costs and purchasing locations, the characteristics that interest you, and the regulatory compliance involved.
Indice
- 1 What to consider when deciding to buy your first alpaca
- 2 Breeder or owner? Who do I want to be?
- 3 What to evaluate before buying an alpaca
- 4 What does an alpaca eat?
- 5 What area do I have and how many alpacas can I have?
- 6 Do I have buildings suitable for housing alpacas?
- 7 Can I keep alpacas with other animals?
- 8 Where to buy alpacas?
- 9 How should an ideal alpaca be?
- 10 How to tell if the first alpaca I want to buy is healthy?
- 11 Buying the first Alpaca: conclusions
What to consider when deciding to buy your first alpaca
Purchasing an animal should always be a well-thought-out decision. In our case, it’s not just about which type of alpaca to buy, but more importantly, whether we are adequately prepared and aware that it is a long-term commitment. Alpacas are undoubtedly becoming very popular. More and more people own them, and many think: “I want to drop everything and raise alpacas,” but is it really an idea without drawbacks?
This article will address the most important aspects to consider when buying an alpaca.
Breeder or owner? Who do I want to be?
Buying alpacas doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a breeder. According to the law on the organization of breeding and reproduction of livestock, breeding animals is “a set of procedures aimed at improving the hereditary premises (genotype) of breeding animals, including the assessment of utility value and genetic evaluation of breeding animals, selection of individuals for mating, conducted under the conditions of proper breeding.”
Therefore, a breeder is someone who, by mating a male and a female, wishes for the offspring to be better than the parents in terms of wool quality, coloration, or body structure. Initially, it is necessary to assess whether the animal is suitable for reproduction. The first step involves verifying if the animal’s appearance is consistent with the species and breed description (to be discussed later). In the second step, the best animals “consistent with the description” are selected, and in the third phase, it is decided which exact male will become the father of the offspring.
The quality of an alpaca can be determined by testing the fiber quality (done in a laboratory), evaluating the offspring, and by its origin. Thus, one can easily imagine that not all farm animals are breeding animals.
Breeding animals means keeping the animals in conditions that satisfy all their needs (in the case of alpacas, for example, access to pasture and hay, group rearing), and it is a broader term than breeding because breeding animals are kept in adequate breeding conditions.
Not all alpaca owners need to focus on animal husbandry and thus on reproduction. You can have alpacas and not breed them, for example, if it’s our hobby, for alpaca therapy, or for agritourism.
You can also have alpacas and breed them, not following the principle that our offspring must be better than their parents. Keep in mind that breeding animals, due to their high quality, are much more expensive. It happens that someone who wants to buy an alpaca for purposes such as hobby, alpaca therapy, or agritourism does not need an animal of the highest quality in terms of fiber thickness or body structure. Instead, they might pay attention to other factors such as the animal’s character or interesting coloration.
What to evaluate before buying an alpaca
Before deciding to buy your first alpaca, you should ask yourself some questions and make some evaluations to make informed choices based on your needs, never forgetting that the most important thing is the health and well-being of the animal. It’s very important to purchase at least two alpacas since they are herd animals and suffer from loneliness.
Is there a camelid veterinarian in my area?
Alpacas are becoming increasingly popular in Italy, but there are still not many veterinarians who are familiar with the specifics and treatment of this species. It’s worth finding out where the nearest veterinarian capable of helping us in an emergency is located. There are clinics specialized in treating alpacas, which periodically visit clients to review the herd, something also worth considering.
What do I know about alpaca biology?
The alpaca is a specific species. They are so-called pseudo-ruminants, which means they ruminate like sheep, goats, or cattle, but differ from them in the structure of the digestive system. Alpacas do not have a typical estrous cycle like most animals; in them, ovulation occurs after copulation. The pregnancy lasts up to 11.5 months (about 345 days), and the alpaca calf is called a cria.
After about 6 months, the young are weaned from the mother; you should not buy alpacas younger than 6 months, as a responsible breeder will not accept such a sale. Alpacas live up to about 25 years.
They are distinguished by their specific behavior; the sounds they produce are similar to quiet moos, during courting and mating, which occurs in a crouching, not standing position, males emit characteristic gurgling sounds, and occasionally spit less than llamas.
Some individuals can also be dangerous for small predators (small dogs, cats)—driving them away from the pasture and trying to trample them with their front legs, provided it is a single intruder and not a pack of wild dogs. Alpacas in the pasture and indoors have so-called latrines, where they defecate.
What does an alpaca eat?
The basis of the diet of ruminants is rough forage, which is mainly grass (pasture) and hay, to which they should also have access to pasture. Additionally, the diet can be enriched with commercial alpaca feed mixtures, beet pulp, bran, carrots, beets.
However, it should be remembered that too many simple sugars (contained in carrots, beets) can disrupt the work of the digestive system, so it should not be exaggerated. The animals must have constant access to water.
What area do I have and how many alpacas can I have?
How many alpacas can graze on a given area depends on the quality of the pasture; on average, it is assumed that there should be 10 – 15 animals per 1 hectare of pasture. If the pasture is too abundant, there will be non-eating (overgrown grass that the animals do not want to eat); if too short, everything will be very eaten.
Dividing the paddock (fenced pasture) into quarters (dividing a large pasture into several smaller ones) can help with organization, especially if you have a dozen or more animals. Of course, males and females must be kept separately. Special grass mixes for sowing for alpacas are available on the market, even a horse grass mix works well.
The fence between the quarters should not be less than 1.4 m; the outer fence – 1.7 – 2.0 m. It can be a simple mesh net. It can be a net, a forest, a wooden fence, the most important thing is that the animals cannot jump over it, or put their head/limb in to get stuck.
Do I have buildings suitable for housing alpacas?
To properly manage alpacas, it is necessary to have paddocks and boxes to protect them from the weather and atmospheric events.
Livestock buildings or barns can be easily adapted for alpacas. It is assumed that the average area for an alpaca should be about 2×2 m. It also depends on the number of animals because the larger the number of animals, the greater the total area available to them, so the area for an alpaca may be smaller.
Ventilation in the form of windows and an exhaust duct on the roof should be sufficient, although with a herd of several dozen alpacas, mechanical ventilation (with fans) facilitates the removal of gases and dirt, also accelerates the drying of animals (e.g., after rain/drizzle), which is important in the prevention of scabies.
A good material for the floor is concrete (easy to clean, does not deteriorate quickly); the floor must not be slippery (like tiles) or easily damaged (like wood). In the latrines, for example, litter can be equipped with sand. The places where the animals lie should be sprinkled with straw.
On very cold days, there should be more straw. If several groups of animals are expected, the area should be divided into boxes; it is worth having a free box (e.g., to isolate a sick animal) or a special area (for performing veterinary and grooming procedures). The height of the partitions between the boxes should be at least 1.2 m and higher for males (1.5 – 1.7 m).
Feeders are installed in the boxes (at a height slightly above the alpaca’s sternum – to avoid disturbing it by bending its head and neck), hay nets, feed gutters, and drinkers (self-filling with a constant water level or in buckets – which must be refilled) can also be used. Buckets should be hung because if left on the ground, they quickly overturn in the box and on the pasture. Additionally, natural lighting (windows or skylights) and artificial lighting (lamps) are important.
Can I keep alpacas with other animals?
There are no particular contraindications to keeping alpacas with other animals. It is important that they have time to get used to each other. The condition is one: there must be at least two alpacas and preferably more. Alpacas can feed with llamas, goats, or sheep if they accept each other.
When it comes to larger animals, it is worth being careful. Additionally, in the case of horses, there is a risk of infection with equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV), which in 2021 caused an epidemic among European horse breeders and is also dangerous for alpacas. When keeping animals together, it should be remembered that the pasture area should be appropriately larger.
Where to buy alpacas?
An extremely important issue is finding an honest alpaca seller who cares about the well-being of his animals. It is worth checking whether the owner belongs to a breeders’ association, what the opinions about the farm are.
It often happens that certain farms in the world are characterized by high-quality animals (their alpacas win shows, have a lot of experience and trust among other breeders). It is worth buying animals from them for the base herd when we want to start our own breeding. An experienced breeder will also help in selecting animals. It happens that the owner who cares about the well-being of the animals does not sell alpacas to a person who wants to buy only one animal and does not have a herd or is not sufficiently prepared to have animals.
A good breeder, even after selling the animals, will provide advice if we ask for help. Dishonest sellers can deceive the buyer, e.g., about the age of the animals, origin, or health status. Alpacas are herd animals and should never be kept individually. In the UK there was a problem of tuberculosis in the alpaca population, animals from Chile often have little contact with people before they arrive in our country. This means that it is worth finding out, reading opinions, talking to various breeders, looking at the websites of alpaca breeders’ associations, and then making a decision.
How should an ideal alpaca be?
If you are planning to start a breeding operation, the quality of your main herd is a priority. When assessing the value of the animal, several factors must be taken into account. The main direction of the use of alpacas is the production of wool of the highest quality, so it is the first factor taken into account in the choice of an animal.
The hair in the case of the Huacaya breed should be abundant and dense, growing from the body at a 90° angle. One of the organoleptic methods for assessing the quality of the fiber is the appearance of the carbuncle (how crimson the hair is). This is positively correlated with the thickness of the fiber; the more curly the hair, the thinner it is. It is also important that the hair has a uniform thickness throughout its length, as narrowing can be indicative of a previous disease and can also have a negative impact on the strength of the fiber.
Another factor is the uniformity of the hair thickness in the coat; the thinner and more uniform the coat, the better. In the Suri breed, the hair is long, silky, forms a parting in the middle of the back, and falls on both sides of the body forming curls. Here the structure of the curl and its gloss are evaluated. Alpacas can have 22 natural colors plus variations. The dominant color is white, but you can find animals from light brown to dark brown and black, as well as many spots, spots, and dots of other colors.
The body of the alpaca should fit into a square (unlike a llama, which fits into a rectangle). Correct body conformation is also an indicator of good animal quality. The conformation must be compact, without defects in the limbs (crooked limbs are not desired), the spine or tail (must be straight and attached lower than in a llama), nails must be short and regular, ears must be pear-shaped, the body must be well covered with hair, in females the udder must be well built (symmetrical, without additional nipples), in males large testicles inserted in the scrotum.
For alpacas, as ruminants, correct dentition is very important, especially when it comes to incisors. They should be uniform and terminate on the gum plate of the jaw. A common problem (hereditary) is prognathism (excessive protrusion of the jaw), whereby the incisors do not adhere as they should and grow too much. This requires their regular correction, otherwise, it limits the ability to take food. Such correction is usually carried out at the time of shearing and nail cutting. If necessary, treatments are repeated more than once a year. If the animals walk on hard surfaces (e.g., concrete), the nails may wear themselves out. All these elements have a direct impact on the health of the animals.
Genetics and character
Animals with genetic defects such as blue-eyed white alpacas unfortunately should not be bred since often animals are deaf. At this point, it is also worth raising the topic of alpaca hybridization. For many centuries they have freely interbred with llamas, which has caused many alpacas to have undesirable llama traits. These are: banana ears, humpbacked muzzle, less abundant hair coverage (muzzle and legs bald), larger body sizes than the standard, distorted body proportions, poor quality fibers. Animals with obvious traits of hybridization should not be bred.
Animals that do not meet high breeding standards can be used, for example, in recreation. This usually involves castration, as they are not considered the parents of future generations. The requirements for recreational animals are completely different. The future owner might have in mind the quality of the fiber if he intends to produce products from it, but the conformation of the body is not such an important issue (provided that there are no gross anomalies that can lead to diseases).
In recreation (agritourism, walks with alpacas, hobby care) or in pet therapy, the characteristics of the temperament and personality of the animal, as well as its upbringing and any training, are considered. Animals should accept the proximity and touch of a person. It is very important to balance your actions so that the animal is not afraid of people and feels safe in their company, but does not show symptoms of Berserk Male Syndrome (behavioral disorder due to excessive contact with people at a young age).
On the other hand, it is impossible to overload the animal with work or contact with people, as this can quickly lead to burnout. When choosing an animal for recreation, you should check how it behaves towards people and other animals (adequate upbringing and socialization) and how it reacts to some unexpected situations (appropriate temperament and personality traits). Currently, the use of alpacas in this direction is becoming increasingly popular, so some breeders focus on selecting in the direction of desired temperament traits.
How to tell if the first alpaca I want to buy is healthy?
When buying the first alpaca, attention should be paid to it being free from diseases. Unfortunately, not everything can be determined at first glance, but there are several elements that can indicate the good health and condition of the animal. In addition to a normal body shape, a healthy animal will have shiny hair (in suris this gloss is even more visible), without bald spots. The mucous membranes (e.g., gums, under the eyelids) are pink, and no secretions come out of the nostrils, eyes, or reproductive organs. The feces are in the form of balls (similar to sheep and goats). Males under about 2 years old do not yet have tusks (characteristic hooked teeth). The movement of the animal is harmonious.
The condition of an animal can be determined using the BCS (Body Condition Score) scale. In alpacas, it is done by palpation, placing the hand in the center of the spine. The best condition is 2.5 on the 5-grade scale or 5 on the 10-grade scale, i.e., a palpable spine from which you can feel the fatty tissue on the sides. If you imagine looking at the animal in cross-section, you should see a peak not too steep. Too low a condition can indicate disease, malnutrition, or a strong infestation of internal parasites. Too high a condition (overweight or obesity) predisposes to metabolic diseases, excessive load on the joints, and in females to problems during childbirth.
Scabies can be a sign of a skin disease (e.g., scabies infestation), which unfortunately is a common problem. Scabies most often attacks the ears, muzzle, groin, abdomen, genital area, and interdigital area. Initially, they are difficult to see, but over time the infested areas become dry and crusty, and the animals scratch more frequently. Animals in a herd become infected very quickly, and it is very difficult to completely eradicate scabies. One type of scabies (Sarcoptes scabiei) can be contagious to humans.
A very dangerous disease also for humans is tuberculosis. As mentioned earlier, the problem with this disease occurs in the British population of alpacas; if we find out that the animals came from the UK or were on a farm with the “English”, we should turn on the red light. Symptoms of tuberculosis in animals are weight loss, loss of appetite, aversion to exercise, and coughing. The way to diagnose the disease is a tuberculin test or serological examination. It is important to remember that tuberculosis takes years to develop, and symptoms are observed late.
Criteria to observe to assess the quality and health status of alpacas
When buying the first alpaca, it is important to assess the quality and health status of the same, if we want to summarize and group the criteria to consider, we must evaluate:
Ideal criteria:
- Good general health, readiness, and temperament
- Good conformation with similar length in the leg, body, and neck
- Straight legs from the front view
- Correctly shaped head (like a wedge with a good top knot!)
- Straight back
- Healthy feet
- Healthy teeth (alpacas do not have upper teeth, but their lower teeth should uniformly reach the upper hard palette)
- Good body score (not too overweight or underweight)
- Healthy and elastic skin
- Good fleece coverage
Things to Avoid:
- ‘U-shaped neck’ (where the neck drops before rising and along the back)
- Sickle-shaped or cow-shaped legs
- A humpbacked, wavy (inclined), or too short/long back
- Legs too close to each other (this indicates a narrow chest)
- Short or long muzzle
- Underbite or overbite of the jaw
- Skin disorders
Buying the first Alpaca: conclusions
The main use of alpacas is for wool production. Shearing is performed once a year in late spring. This is usually done by a professional shearer, with whom it is necessary to make an appointment in advance. Alpaca wool is used to make sweaters, hats, scarves, socks, quilts, and pillows. Alpaca breeders mainly focus on improving the genetic quality of their animals and sell the young after excellent parents.
However, people who are not interested in breeding can buy alpacas for recreational purposes (e.g., agritourism, organizing fashionable walks with alpacas, or simply as a hobby). The last option is the use of alpacas in therapy. For this purpose, it is necessary to have animals with particular mental predispositions and properly trained. The owner must also have the appropriate qualifications to work in this direction. Instructions for use can be combined, e.g., in breeding, animals that will not be able to reproduce (too low quality) can be castrated and – if predisposed – used for recreation.
It can be said that the ideal alpaca for everyone can mean something different. Some people are looking for an animal to start breeding, others are looking for a recreational animal, and still others for work in pet therapy. For each of these people, the priorities will be different. However, when deciding to buy the first alpaca, it is essential to remember that the main thing is that the animal is healthy, in good health, and characterized by characteristics that are important to us. It should also be remembered that buying an animal must be prepared, not only in terms of buildings or pastures, but also in terms of knowledge of this species.