Visit to an Alpaca farm

[Windpower]

These critters are really cute and gentle








this little one is only about 1 hour old

[Windpower]

Here is a little longer vid

[Redoverfarm]

Cool animal but they are like sheep.  They devistate the grass if they don't have enough grazing land to rotate.  Some farmers of the larger herds end up feeding them grain and hay. 

[Windpower]

There were about 25 'girls' on this field of about 3 acres

about one third was in grass about 6 or 9 inches the rest was browsed down to the ground

the owner said " they will browse this down to the ground but not kill it -- for some reason they only ate that grass (the tall stuff) when they get really hungry"

he had about 40 critters on about 6 acres of pasture

they are just so cute and gentle and their fur is so soft

we are thinking they would be wonderful critters for the farm ...my wife is a knitter too

some of the studs were selling for $90,000 a few years ago

now about $10,000

Now females are about $3000, plain males $1000

post bubble pricing !

they make a cute 'mewing' or humming sound too--you can hear them in the vid


*wub*

[glenn kangiser]

We get Alpaca manure from a nearby farm for our garden.  Great stuff  - won't burn the garden- in pills, but similar to horse manure in composting qualities as far as I see.  Stuff grows twice as big with it applied.

[Windpower]

We thought the same thing for the manure

they are very civilized about it too

they tend to poop and pee in one spot making clean up easy

[cordwood]

We thought the same thing for the manure

they are very civilized about it too

they tend to poop and pee in one spot making clean up easy

I would say that makes clean up HARDER!?!?!? If they would spread it around I wouldn't have to . I can smell the "Ammonia" through the monitor

I had one given to me many years ago by a guy who was trying to hike the Pacific Coast trail with one as a pack animal,..........The soft pads on their feet won't hold up to long walks on Ca. desert rocks. She went lame in White Water. It took about two weeks to heal the raw spots on her pads and I sold her at the Pedley auction for $50. She was cute,...Worthless to me but a great pet for somebody I guess. Oh and if those little pellets turn runny that soft fur is a royal PIA to get clean Don't ask me how I know

[Windpower]

actually this farm had the most un-barnyard smell ever

very fresh with no ammonia odor at all

[cordwood]

 My parents raised rabbits commercially, 300 working does, 25 bucks and thousands of bunnies! Vs.1 kid, 1 shovel, and 1 wheelbarrow so that smell is deeply embedded in my memory I guess Too bad I can't remember important stuff anymore!

[kyounge1956]

So how big are they, about 2-1/2-3 ft high at the shoulders and maybe 4-1/2-5 ft from ft to crown of head? Did the owner tell you how much wool they produce per animal?

[John Raabe]

Here are some photos of 2 critters that live about 1/2 mile from me. I sometimes help the neighbors get them in the car when they go to be clipped.



Thorzu and Duneray



This woman is a spinner and weaver who uses the fleece to make great slippers and caps



After the clipping. This fellow stands perhaps 5' tall. He seems taller than some in the earlier video.

[peternap]

Wonder what they taste like?

[Redoverfarm]

Just guessing I would say Mutton.   You can have my share Peter.

[Windpower]

I forgot to ask how much wool they produce but their fleece is very dense and comands a high price (almost 2X wool prices) because it is so soft

As far as taste -- since they are closely related to camel I would think very bad ( I tried camel once in Kenya -- not a favorite but the wart hog was waaY Good)

also at $500 for a cheap one it would be expensive eating -- he said they do eat them in Peru

This farmer transported his critters in his mini van too-- great pics John


some of them were about 5' tall if they raised their heads up -- most were a bit smaller at 4'

a very heavy one is about 180 pounds (they get fat on grass)