Regardless of whether you have alpacas as pets or as a breeding business, the following tips will ensure the health and well-being of your alpacas as well as your enjoyment of owning them.
1. Do own more than one. Alpacas are herd animals and they feel safer with others of their kind. They are better adjusted and less stressed when they can take turns keeping guard at night.
2. Do keep them separate from other species, particularly dogs, horses and cows. Exercise caution when putting them in with goats. Goats can carry Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL) which is deadly to alpacas and they can be too rambunctious to live harmoniously with alpacas.
3. Do have adequate shelter for your area of the country. Minimally, this would include shade from the heat and walls & a roof to protect them from wind, rain, hail and snow. We have found alpacas don’t like to be completely enclosed in a building at night and are much happier if they can look outside. However, if predators are a problem they may need to be locked in.
4. Do provide adequate space for exercise and don’t overcrowd them.
5. Do keep males and females separated! Even gelded males still enjoy the act and will overbreed open females causing stress and infection in the females. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening (and quite frequently) and it simply isn’t worth the expense or the heartbreak.
6. Do have safe fencing and security from predators. Safe fencing is field fencing wire, board fences or panels specifically made for alpacas’ smaller size. Do not ever use barbed wire or hot wire on the alpacas’ side of the fence. Depending on predators in your area, focus on fencing the predators out or purchase a guard animal. Livestock guardian dogs are the most effective since they can move from area to area to guard the entire herd. If this is not a good option for you, plan on a guard llama for each pen.
7. Do provide high quality grass or hay with adequate amounts of protein. Increase the amount of protein in cold weather, for last trimester pregnant females, nursing females and crias. Alpacas do not tolerate carbs well so if giving them supplemental feed make sure it is an appropriate mix for alpacas. Provide free choice minerals at all times.
More tips will be added weekly! Stay tuned!