Below is a selection of frequently asked questions relating to alpacas and alpaca farming. If you have further questions or require more alpaca information please contact us.

Do they get on with other animals?
Alpacas are often grazed with other animals. In some countries they are used as guards for flocks of sheep or other valuable stock as they will see off marauding dogs, foxes or wolves. Once accustomed to their new environment alpacas will happily tolerate the pets of their owners. Not surprisingly there will be exceptions to this, particularly with aggressive dogs.

Do they travel?
They are content to travel. The usual way is to put them in a stock trailer where they will happily sit down and enjoy the journey.

What is their breeding rate?
Alpacas very rarely produce more than one cria ( baby alpaca)  at a time . The gestation period is 11.5 months however pregnancies that go for more than 1 year are not uncommon, it is safe to say that they can produce one cria each year from Year 3 up to about Year 15. Because they are induced ovulators they can be served at any time of the year. There is currently no artificial insemination possible so the female alpaca can be served by a stud male, under supervision two to three weeks after giving birth.

Are alpacas dangerous?
Alpacas have a wonderful nature. They are gentle, placid creatures, are very easily trained to a halter and can be handled quite safely by children. Alpacas rarely spit at humans except under extreme provocation.

How much land do I need?
Anyone with a couple of acres has enough land to keep alpacas. A stocking rate of around 3 animals per acre throughout the year is a good guide and allows for some rotation in the grazing. This number can be increased by 12 to 15 per acre during the growth periods of the grass.

What plants are harmful to alpacas?
There is an excellent article on the BAS webpage concerning plants that are toxic in one way or another, and to a greater or lesser degree, to alpacas click here to access it 

What sounds do they make?
They communicate constantly with each other by various means including body language. The sound most commonly heard by humans is a soft humming which they usually make when they are unsure of things.

How do they relate to Llamas?
Alpacas, llamas, vicunas and guanacos are all members of the South American Camelid (or camel) family. Alpacas are smaller than llamas and have their very special fleece which is of a higher quality to that produced by all the other camelids (except vicuñas, which are not farmed). Being camelids they have a very soft tread which ensures that they do little damage to fields even in the wettest weather.

What are the downsides to alpaca ownership?
The only downside is the capital cost involved in purchasing good quality breeding stock. Coupled with this is the need to buy 2 or more animals because, being essentially social, they need to be in a herd to thrive.

How much do they cost?
Alpacas of Wessex has a flexible pricing policy. We generally feel that alpacas should be available in a wide range of prices as there are increasing numbers of older animals available on the market and the price should reflect not only the quality of the animal but also the number of breeding years left.

However if you want to become an alpaca breeder then the reality is that a top quality young pregnant female, who is probably a proven mother, will command a price of around £8,000 or more if she has really desirable fibre qualities, excellent conformation and proven blood lines. Older females with fibre qualities fetch around £5,000 to £6,000 and towards the lower end of the scale we have animals for sale at £3,000 Discounted prices apply for the purchase of several animals. In a nutshell we have a deliberate policy of spreading the cost to reflect quality and we offer appreciable discounts for packages of animals.

What are the running costs?
Running costs are minimal but the annual stud fee will be about £750 (our clients however can pay a substantially reduced fee and have a range of options) and pregnant and lactating alpacas should have some supplementary feeding at about £50 per year.
 
Do alpacas need shearing ?
Alpacas are shorn once a year , usually in the spring . Shearing is the biggest maintenance required and usually takes around five to ten minutes per alpaca for an experienced shearer . When purchasing your first alpacas we will provide you with the details of a recommended shearer , or alternatively you could bring them back to us for shearing at an arranged date .

What do alpacas eat ?
Alpacas are ruminants which means that they chew there cud like a cow .They survive very well on lower protein feed with hay or pasture grass, providing that they have a balanced mineral diet.There are a number of commercial alpaca mixes on the market  these are mainly used for providing the essential vitamin and mineral content required rather than a bulk feed which is obtained through grazing .In general they are good grazers and are not fussy eaters .Getting a hold of commercial mixes is not difficult.

What fencing is most suitable for alpacas ?
Any fence will contain alpacas they are very good with fences and dont try to escape , the most commonly used fences are post and rail , 5 lines of plain strand wire or stock netting with 2 wire strands above . The most important thing to remember is the fencing is to keep predators out to keep them safe from stray dogs and stop them getting on the pasture. 

What does the alpaca owner do with the wool ?
Alpaca wool has a very soft handle as well as  having  high thermal properties and large range of natural colours. The international market for alpaca wool is enormous with demand always exceeding supply . Some alpaca owners prefer to hand spin there fleece where as others will sell it commercailly with a premiun paid for finer micron, sales to home spinners can be considerably higher.