Alpaca Farming For Beginners
Alpaca Farming For Beginners
How Much Money Can You Make Raising Alpacas?
Entrepreneurs should carefully consider the pros and cons of raising alpacas before fully committing to such a venture.
Think about the subsequent information. It is a well-known fact that it is never too costly to feed alpacas. This is estimated at $1 each day for one alpaca which is about the same expense for a big dog. This particular breed has three stomachs making them efficient in the absorption of food. It is a careful feeder and very earth-friendly. It can graze carefully all through the grassland. This animal prefers soft and damp ground with fresh grass. Alpacas do not require special food except during the stage of pregnancy or winter when you need to give them excellent quality hay and pellets with low-protein content.
Also Read: Can alpacas breed in captivity?
Alpaca Farming 101
A single acre of land can house five to 10 mammals of this species which is comparatively affordable than any other type of livestock. The present global market value of each head is between $8,500 and $25,000. Alpaca farming for profit depends a lot on the breeding process. You can purchase a pregnant female for $20,000 and sell the baby for $10,000 to upcoming businessmen.
The income you can derive from a female alpaca is as follows:
Sale of fleece as fiber – $500 net
Sale of male offspring – $3,500 to $8,500 or an average of $5,000
Sale of female offspring – $13,500 to $18,500 or an average of $15,000
If you count this as 15 productive years, female alpacas have a potential return of $157,000.
The maintenance expenses in raising alpacas are quite low.
Their main source of food comes from pasture grass which is about two quarts of grass daily. This is less than what the sheep or goat consumes. When meadows are undeveloped, the alpaca can subsist on six to eight ounces of grain (2X every day) and two to three bundles of hay each month. Feeding and maintenance costs will sum up to only $400 annually. There are tax deductions for your expenses which can be written off against the profits you make. You are entitled to claim at least 60 percent of these standard expenses as your business expenses. You can claim deductions on feeds, beddings, fertilizers, sprays, veterinary care and other supplies.
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Farm repairs and maintenance, fuel, oil, tires and equipment repairs can also be classified as deductions. Real estate renovation for barns, fencing, water sheds and drainage are also considered for possible deductions. This goes the same for your mortgage, acquisition of new equipment, rentals and lease. Legal and tax preparation fees, labor, advertising and insurance are also possible additional tax deductions.
The demand for alpaca products continue to go up. Breeders can actually look forward to obtain higher revenues for selling fleece and female offspring. Thus, returns come quickly and easily for the investors. It is seen as financially-rewarding much more than other related enterprises. All you need is to learn the trade from those who have gone into this business. You can also acquire pointers online by studying closely the history and details of this unique undertaking.
Can Alpacas Breed In Captivity?
Breeding camelids can be very interesting, as they are induced ovulators and unlike most of the species with which we are more familiar. They are unique to my experience, and that of most owners. There is limited space to go into all aspects of breeding here, but I would like to talk a bit about age. Females are capable of conception at quite a young age. At RCF, we always wait to breed until they are at least 18 months old, and prefer to wait until 24.
It depends on the animal and the circumstances. Waiting a bit allows the female to achieve most of her growth before facing the demands of producing a cria. Long-term prospects for the animal are greatly enhanced by waiting a few more months before breeding. We not only refuse to breed at a young age, we will not purchase females that were bred at a young age.
When we first got into the business, we were informed that males would not breed before 3 years of age. We bred our first male at 28 months and thought we were the cat’s pajamas! Now, I understand that some breeders are routinely breeding at 18 months. Hmmmmmmmm. This requires skill and knowledge on the part of the breeder, whereas if you wait until after 2 years, you can usually count on the male to do his part without your help!
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Cria Care
Crias generally nurse until about 6 months of age.Care of the newly born cria can vary considerably and is too involved to go into here. However, I would like to stress the importance of not upsetting the mom. The dam and cria need to bond with minimal interference and as little stress as possible. Occasionally we have had to supplement the mom’s colostrum with cow colostrum during the first 12 hours. But even trying to get that colostrum down must take a back seat to allowing mom and baby to bond. Typically, we find that the dams are perfectly capable of taking care of the cria. Our job is to disinfect the navel and to keep a sharp eye out that all is proceeding normally. It can be a bit nerve-wracking, but often the best thing an owner can do is to “sit on his hands”
We clear out all the other alpacas and leave mom and baby in a separate area for several hours, sometimes with an experienced female to serve as auntie. If it’s a pleasant day, you might put them in a small paddock for a little sun, preferably in view of the rest of the herd. It is always nice if the herd can meet the newcomer through the fence, as they seem to be anxious to greet and welcome the crias. These gals know how to tend their young and do a good job of it.
Growing up
Some owners wean the crias at 6 months of age. As with most livestock, weaning is stressful for all involved (including the farmer). Many alpaca owners allow for natural weaning, which often happens when crias are around 9 months old.
Alpacas are shorn once a year. Some shearers specialize in alpacas, and sheep shearers won’t necessarily do the job. Many owners learn to shear alpacas — which is considered easier than shearing sheep or angora goats.
Their toenails need to be clipped. You can get special alpaca toenail clippers, but many people simply use garden shears, or sometimes hoof nippers or nippers designed for ceramic tile.
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Camelids use communal piles of droppings. This makes it easy for farmers to collect and compost the manure. In barns, peat moss or bedding can soak up the urine. The ease of collecting droppings leads to a secondary income source — ‘paca poo.’ Because of its relatively low nitrogen level, the raw manure won’t burn plants. However, before being used on edible plants, the manure should be composted to destroy potential pathogens.
Alpacas are susceptible to many of the intestinal parasites that affect ruminants. A serious parasite is the meningeal worm, carried by whitetail deer, slugs and snails. The parasites are controlled by the same dewormers used in goats and sheep. Also, some ranchers apply diatomaceous earth (DE), a nontoxic powder, around the pellet pile. Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus, which is carried by cattle, can cause health problems and abortions in alpacas. All new breeding stock should be tested for BVD virus before coming onto the farm.
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