alpacas

[Turkeytruff]

cool im just giving mine some alfalfa hay and letting her graze and then some grains about a cup and a half?...so do u shear urs?

We get a great local guy who has been shearing alpacas for about 30 years to come once a year and do them. He brings a table that you line them up against and then it flips gently over (when they have been strapped on humanely) and then he shears them, whilst I run around collecting the good stuff, the 2nd best stuff, and then leave the rest for the birds to feather their nests with! If I had more I would probably learn, but honestly it's worth him doing it. He also clips toenails and vaccinates, and if they needed their teeth filing down, would do that also.
As long as your grains cover the trace nutrients and minerals, that sounds fine. As we inherited these guys, we just carried on buying the alpaca pellets - they really need very little, a bag lasts for a month between 4 of them (12.99) and I like knowing they have the balance (I have no idea what they would be eating in Peru LOL

 

[littlebluefarm]

wow that's sounds really good...idk any alpaca owner here...I got mine when I bout my flock of sheep the lady gave it to me for free ) because she belongs to the sheep so i took her too ...but the next year is coming up and idk if i should just leave her be or shear her but idk how to shear or anyone who cha shear lol...so idk what to do...any idea what i should do?

 

[Turkeytruff]

wow that's sounds really good...idk any alpaca owner here...I got mine when I bout my flock of sheep the lady gave it to me for free ) because she belongs to the sheep so i took her too ...but the next year is coming up and idk if i should just leave her be or shear her but idk how to shear or anyone who cha shear lol...so idk what to do...any idea what i should do?

I would put an ad in a local craigslist under farming or any other free online ad place. I have been amazed at the people who show up with all kinds of skills or advice or they know someone who knows someone who has alpacas or...!

I just started with chickens in July and I asked about a chicken mentor LOL! And I got about 30 replies and now know some great local people with 'country skills' in all sorts of areas along with chickens. Your lady who you got her from will probably know someone or may even have done it herself. Ask her.... they do need to be sheared every spring sometime between May to June otherwise they get too hot. Also if you keep the fibre there are 2 grades of it that are worth spinning/ carding etc. If you aren't interested, again Craigslist or someone local will be I bet.... Good luck!

 

[littlebluefarm]

thanks but I don't trust online ppl too much because I don't just want random strangers to come check out my animals and ill try to look around and ill try to post up an ad on craiglist to ask for help...but thanks you have been really helpful...) and so do u spin ur own fiber?

 

[Turkeytruff]

not yet, too busy with other projects.

 

[animals1981]

wow i always wanted some do you make a decent profit on them?


How hard is it to take care of them? do you do it by yourself?

 

[littlebluefarm]

taking care of them is a piece of cake...and feeding is pretty simple u just got to do some research and see if theres any plant that are poisonous in ur area...and you have to have a plan... I didn't really plan to get an alpaca..i just got it...lucky me...so I did everything last second and now I need to know who or how im going to get her shear in the spring...and they are animals that you can make clothes and money with I believe u can sell a pound of fleece for about a hundred dollar?? Im not too sure


turkey tuff when do u plan to spin it? and do u have a machine for it yet?

 

[animals1981]

i would not trust strangers comming over my friend had a horrible experience with that lol

 

[littlebluefarm]

yes I don't I have to noe them first...or unless its an emergency....

 

[PacasNChicks]