Alpacas—a Gift from the Gods

Alpacas were a gift from the gods to the people who live in the high Andes of Peru. In the ancient myths of Peru, the god Pachacamac saw that the people had little food to eat, or clothes to wear, and so gave them the alpaca. Today in Peru the alpaca herders have a saying that they look after the alpacas and the alpacas look after them.

In recent years people all over the world are discovering this gift from the gods. Alpacas are attractive, intelligent, inquisitive animals and, as hundreds of British people have already found, sharing their lives with these wonderful creatures is very special. When you realise that they can also produce 2 to 3 kilos of luxurious fleece every year, then it becomes obvious why they are becoming so popular. There is a growing demand for natural products, and alpaca fleece comes in 22 natural shades. It rivals cashmere.

Their natural curiosity means that alpacas will come and see what you are doing. They will always go through an open gate, even into a small catch pen, making management simple. So many people, with experience of other classes of stock, have been astonished by how easy to handle they are. Rounding up by calling, herding through gates and working with them in yards becomes a pleasure. At the end of the day just sitting among the alpacas in the paddock is a lovely experience, and watching the crias (young) race around in the evening twilight is sheer delight!

There are many ways to start in alpacas, from gelded males, which cost from £500 to £900 each, to breeding females, costing from £2,000 to £9,000 each. Selective breeding of these animals is in its early days, and that makes it all the more interesting owning and breeding these animals. The opportunity to create and develop your own herd through the use of males from superior bloodlines, which are increasingly available in the UK, brings quick results and you soon develop a sense of pride in what you have worked for.

Whilst the initial outlay may seem high and warrant a long term commitment—they live for 15 to 20 years—their long productive life and that of their offspring rapidly increases your breeding capacity. Gelded males for fibre herds or field pets are developing markets, to say nothing of the craft opportunities that open up if you want to work with one of the world's “noble fibres”.

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