My Introduction to the World of Raising Alpacas

Alpaca farms have sprung up in many parts of the country and I was invited last summer to a place in Central Ohio that has been raising these friendly little animals for several years.

For those of you not familiar with the alpaca, these look like a much smaller version of a llama. They stand about 3 ft tall to the shoulder and have a long neck like the llama does, but the thing that stuck me is they have an incredibly soft coat. Carl, the owner of Berger Alpaca Farm told me the coat of the alpaca is shorn once a year like a person would shear a sheep. The main purpose of raising alpacas is to harvest the coat, which is highly prized by the textile industry for winter coats and sweaters. The individual hairs of the alpaca are hollow, so they insulate extremely well. According to the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, there are roughly 100,000 alpacas currently in the U.S.

I learned alpacas are herd animals, this means they are very social and do not like to be alone. Normally, they are purchased in pairs to provide "company" to each other. The alpacas I was introduced to were very friendly and inquisitive animals who seem to have a curiosity about anything new, particularly me! They were clustered in a group of 8 and if one came closer, the whole group moved in to see what the new thing was. They do not spook easily like a horse does when something new is around and I believe these animals would make a great pet.

Carl, the owner of this alpaca breeding operation explained that alpacas are very easy to raise with a minimum of effort, much like raising sheep. But, due to their breed originating in the cooler, thin air of the Andes in South American, they do not handle hot, humid areas of the country well and must be kept in a well-ventilated pen when kept in a barn.

This was one of the reasons for my visit as alpacas are easy prey for predators. Roving packs of dogs, coyotes, bobcats and the like can take a toll on a very expensive animal as docile as the alpaca is. Carl was interested in a pen that would provide excellent ventilation and serve to protect his alpacas from these predators.

With this information, I approached CMI Horse Stalls and Equipment with the idea of developing an animal pen designed for alpacas. They have begun manufacturing of a modular alpaca pen that is easy to setup and move as needed. The design of the alpaca pen is exactly what Carl had in mind with protection of the animal and full ventilation to keep the little critters cool.

If you have considered raising alpacas, I would urge you to visit CMI Horse Stalls and Equipment and view their new alpaca pens.