Farm Blog

A few weeks ago we took some video of our "farm hands" helping us out during feeding time.  I think you'll really enjoy it! Aren't they cute?  Oh, and so are the kids :-)

Hidden deep in the protective ranges of the Andes Mountains live the curious and beautiful alpaca.  They are hardy, versatile, and highly valued for their exquisite fiber.  There are approximately 3.5 million alpaca world wide today, but this wasn’t always true.  In their nearly 6000 years of domesticated history, alpacas have been cherished by the Incas, decimated by the Conquistadores, revived by the Peruvian people, slaughtered by terrorists, and finally exported into America, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Japan.  Their history is much like the Andes Mountains they call home; surrounded by lush green valleys and rugged mountain passages.  Steady, as their feet traverse these dangerous cliffs, so have they made it through the ages and overcome near decimation, not once but twice.

By 3500 B.C. pre-Incan civilizations were beginning to realize the value of this elegant, humming creature.  These ancient people began to gather the alpaca and use them for clothing and food.  These were the ancestors of one of the greatest civilizations that the world has ever seen and many would argue that it was built on the backbone of this small but resilient creature.  

Legend says that Manco Capac founded the Incan Empire in 1200 A.D at the city of Cuzco when the unification of the western coast of South America occurred, resulting in the Incan Empire.  This civilization spread an amazing 2,500 miles at the height of their glory, holding the alpaca as its greatest possession.  Robes were made for royalty and nobility and armies were paid for their service with alpaca fleece.  A person’s wealth was determined by the quantity and quality of alpaca he owned.  Some even suggest that history was written in knotted tapestries using yarn made from alpaca fiber.  The Inca were the first to perfect the breed by selectively breeding animals for color and fiber quality.  It is assumed that white was the most valued because it is the dominant color today.

It is not known how many alpaca lived at this time, but by 1527 civil war and the smallpox epidemic had made the empire weak, which made the arrival of Francisco Pizarro and the conquistadores in 1529 all the more devastating.  The Spanish were able to defeat the Incan royal army with only 108 men, 27 horses, and one cannon.  They saw the alpacas as useless and slaughtered them, leaving them to rot in fields.  The Incas’ cherished herds, that were separated by color, were now 90% destroyed.  

As the destruction of this empire continued, a few Inca with their most prized alpaca were able to retreat to a stronghold deep in the Andes Mountains.  This place was called Vilcabamba or “Sacred Valley.”  The alpaca were kept safe in this fertile valley for 36 years until 1572 when the Spanish discovered the stronghold and killed the last Incan ruler, Tupac Amaru.  

As the destruction of this empire continued, a few Inca with their most prized alpaca were able to retreat to a stronghold deep in the Andes Mountains.  This place was called Vilcabamba or “Sacred Valley.”  The alpaca were kept safe in this fertile valley for 36 years until 1572 when the Spanish discovered the stronghold and killed the last Incan ruler, Tupac Amaru.  

The future of the alpaca was again at stake.  The Spanish could not see the value of these majestic creatures and viewed them as competition for grazing grounds for their sheep. The alpaca was killed for its meat.  

It wasn’t until the early to mid 1800’s that the alpaca was restored to its rightful place as a provider of fine fiber for the elite.  Sir Titus Salt of London was a textile entrepreneur who found alpaca fiber to be much stronger and softer than the commonly used sheep wool of the day.  Many told Sir Titus that he was crazy for “even touching the stuff.”  Despite these comments, Sir Titus began making fine cloth from alpaca fiber in his mills and used it to make elegant dresses for the upper class ladies.  It was because of this mans foresight and the beautiful fiber produced by the alpaca that Sir Titus became one of the wealthiest men in Yorkshire, England, in under 10 years following the first produced alpaca garment.

The alpaca industry was gaining popularity and the export of its fiber became a major source of income for the people of Peru.  By 1980, however, the alpaca would have to overcome another treacherous assault inflicted on them by the same people that once cherished them.  Terrorist organizations made up of the Peruvian communist party wanted to establish a communist regime.  They created a blood bath of terror, killing farmers and their livestock, knowing full well the value of alpaca to the Peruvian people.

Alpaca numbers were beginning to drop dramatically again and something would have to change soon in order to preserve this long time staple of Peru.  The neighboring countries of Chili and Bolivia had begun exporting alpacas in 1983, but it was still illegal in Peru.  By 1990 a new President was elected, President Alberto Fujimori, who is credited with crushing the violence of the Peruvian terrorist groups.  He saw the value in the export of this resilient animal and made it legal to export Peruvian alpacas in 1991.  

America saw its first Peruvian alpacas in 1993; since then the Peruvian bloodlines have become the most prized.  Some believe that the Peruvian alpacas have been kept the most pure (meaning without Vicuna, Guanaco, or Llama blood) amidst all the fighting and turmoil.  Others believe the alpaca of the Inca was far superior to our alpacas today, but we believe the alpacas of today have been made stronger and more resilient as they fought near extinction throughout history.

Alpacas are a livestock animal so is raised like goats and sheep.  They are a herd animal so they will thrive better within a herd.  Each will have its own personality and treated gentle will become very friendly.  They are one of the easiest livestock animals to raise.  They are safe to have around children because they don’t have the teeth, horns, or claws to do damage.  Most alpacas are timid and gentle and they don’t usually challenge fences.  They are from the Andes mountains so they can withstand harsh winter climates.  It falls below freezing 300 days a year in the Andes.  They have a community dung pile so it is easy to keep the barnyard clean.

Alpacas are a good investment.  A breeding female produces one cria a year so your herd will increase rapidly.  In today’s market you can purchase a good breeding female with good bloodlines for $10,000.  Watch for a good package deal for the best prices.  A nice herdsire can be purchased for $3,000 to $10,000.  After you purchase your first alpacas you may want to grow your herd for 3-5 years before you start marketing.  This gives you time to grow and develop your herd, get experience in the show ring, join alpaca organizations, volunteer at the shows, get established in the alpaca community and learn all you can from other alpaca breeders.

Adult alpacas weigh from 150-200 lbs, adult llamas weigh from 300-400 lbs.  Alpacas are bred for their superior fiber and llamas are bred to be used as a guard or pack animal, they can carry 70-100 lbs along mountain trails.  Llamas sell for $200-$20,000 and alpacas sell for $500-$500,000.

Alpacas eat a fraction of what a horse will eat.  I am feeding 20 alpacas right now.  Sixteen are adult or young adult and four are under six months old and I am feeding about a bail a day.

Alpacas are very smart and easy to care for.  Once you establish a schedule of chores, they go with the flow and cooperate well.  They are very alert and aware of everything going on around them.  They are easy to halter train and learn quickly.  They communicate with each other through body posture, tail and ear movements, and different sounds.  Their most common sound is a soft humming noise.

It is a good idea to have a good guard dog for your alpacas.  They seem to be less nervous when they have a guard watching out for them and you will sleep better at night.

You can enjoy a small alpaca herd with less than two acres of land.  A three sided loafing shed for shelter and shade is all they need for housing.

It is best to have a consistent schedule and stick to it, if at all possible.  I try to be in the barnyard by 8:00 am.  The first thing I do is get everyone out of the barn and clean up the barn.  If there is hay thrown around I clean it up and put it back in feeders and then I clean up any beans from the night before.  I fill all feeders with hay, a small amount of alfalfa, and sprinkle in some alpaca pellets.  I keep free choice minerals in all pens so the alpacas take what they need.  I have six feeders for about nine alpacas.  This cuts down on spitting, fighting, and stress, and eating off each other. There have been several alpacas die in the past few months of hair balls.  We are not sure why this happens but we do discourage feeding off each other.

When I have the barn ready for feeding, I open a door where my nine alpacas (mamas and babies) are waiting and let all the mamas and babies in the barn.  Micky, our guard llama has to wait for about 15 minutes to get in the barn while I pull a cart with hay to the other pens.  Molly, our guard dog, will be waiting to get to the back pasture so I get my hands on her and give her thyroid and glucosamine pills and then I let her to the back.  I fill hay and give clean water to our five junior herdsires (Rocky, Samson, Bentley, Twister, and DoDah).  I then fill hay and water for our two young pregnant females (Aspen and Isabella) that live next to the herdsires.  I then feed Challenger, Cuda, and Soleil, three of our working herdsires.  I then feed our other guard dog, Snow, in a separate area because the alpacas will eat her food and that is not good for them.  If I feed them at the same time they concentrate on their own food.

I now take hay and water to Oliver, our herdsire that lives alone because he is so big.  I then go back to the barn and let Micky in so she can eat.  By now all the mamas have eaten the pellets and alfalfa.  They have fresh food in their bellies and don’t fight with Micky when she comes in to eat.  If I let her in first she will dominate and run everyone off.  This whole chore thing is like a well oiled machine.  If you stay with an established sequence that works for your animals, you can eliminate a lot of stress in the barn yard.  From time to time you have to change the sequence a little to accommodate new babies, weaning cria, late term females, etc.  Everything just has to evolve to different levels of care and the alpacas will adjust to that.  It’s all about them getting used to the way you operate and you getting used to the way they operate.  Developing trust is important in the way you care for the alpaca; then when there is an emergency and you have to give a shot or other medical treatment things go a little smoother.

I now go from pen to pen and clean up all the beans and take it to the back.  I like to spend about two hours in the morning with the alpacas.  I take my time and enjoy watching them in their little family community.  I pay attention and watch each animal.  I watch for anything unusual and try to be proactive in their care.  When we have a new cria I weigh it every day for 3-4 weeks and then weekly for 2-3 months.  This is the only way you can know they are gaining weight.  With their heavy fiber you may not notice if they are not gaining weight.

I also pay attention to the bean pile you can tell a lot about herd health at the bean pile.  This is another reason to clean every day so you can keep a watch out for worms, loose beans, etc.

If I have a baby due I will watch out my back window throughout the day, especially if we are having bad weather.

On an average day I am done with chores by 10:00 am and then I get on with my day.  I return to the barnyard about 4:00 pm and check water and hay and just walk through and check on everyone.  Then at dusk I return to the barnyard and turn on lights and radios and give more hay if needed.  Feed the dogs, gather eggs, and lock up chickens.  Depending on the time of year, if we have a baby in cold weather I will put the mama and baby in the barn at night.  I don’t like to risk baby getting wet and cold at night.  Again, once you are into a schedule the alpacas know what to expect and follow your lead, usually.  It is important to spend time with the alpacas and get to know them so they can learn to trust you and you learn what to expect from them.  This is an important part of being their sheppard.

We have cameras in the barn so we can watch from the house if we have an alpaca that is sick or due to have a baby.  Time outside with the alpacas is very therapeutic and rewarding.  Evaluating a herdsire’s conformation and fiber and choosing a female that can be complemented with this breeding and then waiting for the cria to be born is very rewarding.

We go to the feed store at the first of every month and purchase our dog food and feed supplements for the alpacas.  We order our free choice minerals from Stillwater twice a year.  We fill our barn with hay in the summer and fall, enough for the year.  We participate in all the local alpaca shows:  National Western Stock Show, Extravaganza, GWAS, Estes Wool Market, Fall Fest.  Usually, one out of state competition per year.  It is important to show your alpaca and get a judges comments.  Show time is also a good time to meet other breeders and plan on how you can improve your bloodlines.