Husbandry & Diet

Well-kept alpacas are among the most trouble-free livestock a farmer can own. They are disease-resistant, efficient feeders, gentle on land, undemanding of infrastructure, and — at the right stocking density — capable of producing valuable fiber almost indefinitely. Poorly kept alpacas, by contrast, suffer from problems that are almost always preventable. This chapter covers what the animal actually needs.

Social needs come first

Before pasture, before shelter, before feed — the first requirement of an alpaca is other alpacas. An alpaca alone is a stressed alpaca. They are herd animals at the deepest behavioral level; solitary confinement causes them to lose weight, stop ruminating normally, and develop behavioral tics. The minimum working group is three. Two can coexist but lose one and the survivor will not thrive. Three means that if one animal is away for shearing, sale, or veterinary care, the remaining pair can keep each other company until the third returns.

Males and females should normally be separated except during controlled breeding. A male left with females will attempt to mate continuously, stressing the females and producing unplanned crias. A castrated male (a gelding) can live happily with either group.

Pasture and stocking rates

Alpacas are more efficient grazers than sheep by a noticeable margin. A rule of thumb for good-quality temperate pasture is 5 to 8 alpacas per hectare (about 2 to 3 per acre), though the sustainable number depends heavily on rainfall, grass species, and topography. In the high Andean altiplano — sparse ichu grass, thin soil, low rainfall — actual stocking rates are closer to 1 to 2 animals per hectare.

What they eat in pasture

Alpacas prefer short, soft grasses and leafy forbs. They avoid very coarse stems when softer material is available. They are not browsers in the goat sense — they do not strip bark or eat tough woody vegetation — and they largely ignore weeds that sheep would devour. This gentler palate is an advantage for pasture longevity but means alpacas will not "clean up" an overgrown paddock.

Rotation

Rotational grazing is the single most effective management intervention. Moving the herd between two or three paddocks every 3 to 6 weeks allows grass to recover, breaks parasite life cycles, and improves fiber quality by giving the animals fresh, clean forage at each move.

Toxic plants

Plants that should be removed from alpaca pastures include bracken fern, yew, oleander, rhododendron and azalea, foxglove, lupins in seed, ragwort, laburnum, and several nightshades. Any new pasture should be walked by someone who can identify these before alpacas are moved in.

Diet and feeding

A healthy adult alpaca needs roughly 1.5 to 2% of its body weight in dry matter per day — substantially less than a sheep of comparable size. On good pasture most of this comes from grazing. In winter, drought, or late pregnancy, supplementary hay is essential.

Hay

Quality grass hay is the backbone of alpaca winter feed. Timothy, orchard grass, meadow hay, or brome are all appropriate. Avoid pure alfalfa as a sole ration: it is too high in protein and calcium for maintenance feeding and can cause mineral imbalances. A small proportion of alfalfa mixed with grass hay is fine for pregnant or lactating females.

Concentrates

Commercial camelid pellets, or a simple barley-oat mix, can be fed as a supplement — but sparingly. Alpacas do not require grain in the way horses or dairy cattle do. A handful per animal per day is a reasonable maximum for adults in moderate condition. Over-supplementation leads to obesity, fiber coarsening, and metabolic problems.

Minerals

A free-choice camelid mineral mix should always be available. Alpacas have specific requirements for selenium, vitamin E, and zinc that standard sheep or cattle licks do not meet. In selenium-deficient regions — which includes much of the northwestern United States, Europe, New Zealand, and southern Chile — selenium supplementation is not optional.

Body condition scoring

Alpaca condition cannot be judged from a distance because the fleece hides everything. Score monthly by feeling along the topline: run a hand from the withers down the spine. A body condition score of 3 (on a 1–5 scale, where 3 means you can feel the spine but not see it, with a small muscle padding) is the target. Below 2 the animal is thin; above 4 it is overweight.

Water

Alpacas drink less than most livestock — often only 2 to 4 litres per day in cool weather — but they must have constant access to clean water. They are fussy about it. Stagnant troughs, algae-filled tanks, or water tainted by droppings will be refused, and the animal will simply stop drinking. Check troughs daily, scrub weekly. In freezing climates, heated or frost-free waterers are worth the investment.

Shelter and fencing

Shelter

Alpacas are extraordinarily cold-hardy — their native climate regularly sees nights well below freezing at 4,000 m. They are considerably less heat-tolerant. In temperate climates, a three-sided shed open to the south (northern hemisphere) or north (southern hemisphere) is usually enough: it must block prevailing wind and driving rain, but full enclosure is unnecessary and can cause respiratory problems. Plan for roughly 4 m² of covered space per animal.

Heat is a greater threat than cold. At sustained temperatures above 28–30 °C (82–86 °F), alpacas are at serious risk of heat stress. Measures include: a daily hose-down of the belly and legs (never the fleece itself); electric fans in the barn; sprinklers; and, crucially, shearing in late spring so the animals enter summer with a short fleece.

Fencing

Alpacas are not escape artists in the way goats are. A 1.2 m (4 ft) smooth-wire or woven-wire fence is sufficient to contain a well-handled herd. Barbed wire should be avoided — it damages fleece and can cause serious skin injuries during shearing-time panics. Electric fencing works well for internal divisions between paddocks.

Predator protection

Depending on the region, alpacas may be vulnerable to dogs, coyotes, wolves, pumas, or condors (for crias). A livestock guardian dog, a resident donkey, or a guard llama can all deter predators. For regions with large predators, night housing is essential.

Shearing

Shearing is the single most important annual event in an alpaca's life for fiber production, and the single most stressful for the animal. It must be done.

A fleece left on for two years becomes matted, coarse to the eye, and dangerously prone to overheating the animal in summer. It also dramatically reduces the fiber's commercial value — the best Peruvian fiber comes from annual shearings of roughly 10 to 15 cm of growth, staple length that matches what modern mills are designed to process.

Timing

Shear in late spring, before sustained heat begins. In the Andes this means October through December; in the northern hemisphere, typically April through June. The fleece then has the whole summer to begin regrowing before winter returns.

Technique

Most commercial shearing is done with the animal gently restrained on a shearing table or on the ground with forelegs and hind legs held by rope. A skilled shearer removes the fleece in a single connected blanket where possible, working from the belly outward. A full alpaca shearing takes 10 to 15 minutes per animal in experienced hands. The fleece is immediately divided into three grades at the shearing floor: the prime blanket, the second-quality neck and shoulder, and the coarse leg and belly pieces.

Handling and routine care

Alpacas are not naturally inclined to be touched. A young alpaca handled well during its first year — accustomed to halter, to hoof-lifting, to brushing — will be manageable for life. One neglected in that window will remain flighty forever. Invest the time early.

Routine care tasks include: monthly body condition checks, toenail trimming every 3 to 6 months, vaccination on a veterinarian-designed schedule (clostridial diseases are the most common vaccine), annual shearing, and parasite management — on which see the health chapter. A simple tagging or microchipping system is also essential in any herd of more than a few animals.

The annual calendar in a Peruvian herd

Farmers in the northern hemisphere can invert this calendar: the cycle is the same, shifted six months.

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