Alpaca Myth vs.Truth

This page includes some answers to some common questions often asked by visitors to our farm and interested parties who stop to talk to us at Farm Markets and other events.

Please keep in mind that each and every farm is different. The following information is supplied as a direct result of building our farm from the ground up. When we decided to investigate alpacas we asked "what is an alpaca" ? That's how much we knew about these creatures. Here are some of the answers we received to our questions as we visited many farms before making the decision to purchase our first alpaca.

ALPACA - Myth vs. Truth Alpacas are easy to care for. - TRUE if your comparing them to dairy or other livestock farming. FALSE if your comparing them to sitting on the back porch relaxing with a beverage. Alpacas, like any other livestock, require your work and care. You will need to go to the barn every day. You will need to provide fresh water, quality grass hay and supplemental feed and minerals. You will also need to scrap up the alpaca poop a minimum of once a day. This will help with parasite control. Obviously the number of alpacas you have dictates the amount of poop you scrap. Each alpaca will poop approx. 2-4 lbs. each day.

Alpacas poop in 1 spot in the pasture. TRUE however there will be multiple spots. FALSE if you believe they will never make a spot in the barn. You can expect 3-4 areas that the alpacas will poop in. It is TRUE that they will utilize the same areas each time. If you shut your alpacas in the barn for any reason they will poop there. From then on plan to scrap this area every day so your barn stays clean.

I can buy a alpaca and immediately start making money. -FALSE do not plan for this. Plan to own your alpacas, market your farm, attend festivals and shows and then you MAY sell your first alpaca. Many people who enter into the alpaca business think they will be rich and this is just not true. In this respect alpaca farming is like any other farming, the more you put into it the more you will get out of it. We consider ourselves to be successful in many respects. We work hard at it and we believe that alpaca farming is a much easier way to farm and make a living than other types however, you still have to work at it.

If you build it they will come ! - FALSE do not expect people to break down your door just because you own alpacas. Our farm is very busy and we consider our business part time at this point. We market our farm at festivals, farm markets, on the internet and local advertising. This brings people to our farm. We live off the beaten path so it is rare that people will just drive by and stop because we have alpacas in the pasture. When this occurs we always invite them in for a visit regardless of if we are busy or not. Be friendly, market your farm, operate ethically and build a customer base. This is what it takes to be successful. Also, my success and your success may be measured on different levels. As I stated at the beginning, every farm is different. Find you own niche.

Alpacas are calm animals that make great pets. TRUE alpacas are calm animals until you attempt to hold them then, they think your going to eat them because they are prey animals and the fight or flight syndrom is engrained into them so they can survive. So you will need to work with your alpacas and reassure them that you are not a predator but rather a different creature that treats them with respect and care. Once you gain this you will be able to handle the alpacas with minimal effort. Not all alpacas are the same however the majority can be made to accept human contact as a good thing instead of as a potential predator. FALSE if you want a pet we recommend you purchase a dog. If you want a gentle livestock animals that you can care for without being afraid of the animal injuring you then alpacas make great LIVESTOCK pets. Don't expect your alpaca to fetch a ball !