Alpacas have only been in the U.S. since the 1980s. We are always improving on our ways of doing things and always have our eyes and ears open to new recommendations from fellow breeders and researchers. You will be given lots of information and recommendations as you meet fellow breeders in the industry. You will have to decide for yourself what your herd management plan will consist of. As you find what works successfully for you, please share what you learn with fellow breeders. The information we are giving is what we are doing on our farm. Again, this is merely a recommendation from us and by no means implies it is the only way of doing things. You will hear lots of different opinions, especially on worming. This is what we do at Buck Ridge Farm:.
- Give lots of attention to your animals. Halter train them. This will make your maintenance a lot easier on you. Animals that receive your attention and have your hands on them routinely, will learn to be trusting of you. This makes shots and shearing and toenail trimming much less stressful for you and your alpaca.
- Water. Make sure your animals always have clean, fresh, cool water to drink. Keep buckets filled and clean routinely. Make sure buckets are accessible to smaller animals. In the winter, you will have to dump the ice buildup and replenish often or use coil heaters. We use automatic heated waterers. Initially, there is some setup that involves running electrical and plumbing. However, I can honestly say that it is well worth it. Not only for your own convenience, but for the health and safety of your animals. They always have a supply available, so you do not ever have to worry about them going dry or the water freezing. When you weigh the costs, place value on your time, your back, the cost of an animal dying from heat stress and dehydration should for some unfortunate reason, you are unavailable to check their water or buckets get turned over.
- Hay. Orchard Grass hay. We have it available at all times. If the pasture gets heat stressed, we put it out in the pasture. I don’t like barn potatoes, so it at least gives them incentive to take a walk out in the pasture. They will pick through to the tastier parts. In the winter, let the remnants lay. It makes for warm bedding. Ask around and find you a supplier with good quality hay. Do not give pure alfalfa or you will have problems such as bloating. I found that it has been unreliable when suppliers say “it’s only a percentage of alfalfa-say10%”. Some people will tell you what you want to hear to move their product. I do treat moms occasionally with a little alfalfa. They like the taste and I hear for nursing moms that the extra protein is ok. However, I regulate their consumption. I purchase pure bales of alfalfa and only take a small amount and blend it with the orchard grass. Ideally, your pasture should be orchard grass. Inevitably weed seeds comes. Pastures may have to be reworked occasionally. If you are new to farming, enlist in the help of a local farmer. Feedings and grazing is all about balance and what your pasture, hay and feed has to offer. This will vary farm to farm. I know farms that have super rich pasture and regulate how much time their animals can spend grazing. Other farms, such as ours, leave it open all day. Monitor your animals. Weigh them routinely. Check their body score. Check their dung piles for abnormalities. Watch your animals and if they seem to be uncomfortable or having difficulties with bowel movements.
- Feed. We lean in favor of the Norm Evans Alpaca Maintenance. This is the one with the cracked corn and molasses. Price it out from different vendors. I’ve found it vary by as much as $4.00 per bag. This is a significant difference when you have several animals. Again, you will hear different opinions on this. Keep in mind the quality of your pasture and your hay. Monitor your animals by checking weights and body scores. Adjust your feeding appropriately. We give feed twice per day at the same time. This is a good routine to get your alpacas into. They come running! It’s also a good way to know you can easily corral them if you need to. We give small and large animals at least 3 cups per day and in the winter when the pasture is sparse, 4. Bred females get 4. In addition we add mineral supplements at the evening feeding. 1 Tablespoon sprinkled on feed. People call this “free choice”. I don’t because that’s not an option when you put it on the feed. Though it tends to sift to the bottom of the feed bin-then it becomes “free choice”. I put it on the feed to ensure they get some regardless. Then it’s up to them. The bins are always empty and they all are very healthy. Norm Evans has a mineral supplement. Our supplier is www.custommilling.com . Mineral supplement is recommended if you live in a selenium deficient area. Selenium deficiency can cause health problems and physical abnormalities.
- Bedding and housing. NO WOOD CHIPS! This gets tangled in the fleece and you will never get it out-ruining your fiber! We use rock dust. You can get this in bulk rather inexpensively from any rock quarry. The trucking is the bulk of the expense. If you have your own dump truck, all the better. It’s easy to handle, easy to rake; it allows urine to filter down away from the animals. It packs for a nice level surface. It’s easy on the alpacas padded feet. In the summer, we wet ours down a couple times a day and it makes for a cool resting place for our alpacas. The rock dust is used under our pavilion. Our animals spend 98% of their time either under the pavilion or in the pasture. With our climate, it is seldom necessary to put them inside the barn. In the winter, we merely tarp the sides of the pavilion and this deems to be proficient. Our barn is used mainly for medical maintenance, shearing, and newborn crias and moms in cooler weather. As well, we have it organized as an efficient and clean work area for ourselves where we store medicines, feed, and equipment. We spend a good part of the spring in the barn on “baby watch”, so we took it a step further and put in a cot and a television, a water fountain, a frig and a table. Our farm office is located upstairs. In addition there is an apartment above for our herdsman. We have a concrete floor in our barn. This is ok since our animals do not spend a majority of their time in their. That may be difficult on their legs if it were constant. Though we do have 2” rubber matting in each stall. We like it for our purposes because it makes for a clean environment and we can sterilize the floors so it makes for a nice medical maintenance area. We keep the hay in a separate hay storage building. One because of my own allergies, but also for a safety factor. With our records and living area above the barn and animals under the connecting pavilion, a fire would be a concern. As well, all fuel is stored in a separate fuel building away from the barn and animals and hay. We do have a loafing shed in our front pasture with a lean- to shelter off the back of it. This gives the animals out front protection from the weather and keeps their feed and hay dry. For breeders just starting out, this works fine for small herds. You do not have to go into a huge expense for an elaborate barn.
- Transportation. There will be times that you may need to transport your animals. For medical emergencies or for breeding or for sales. We purchased a mini horse trailer. It’s great for up to 5 alpacas. The slats are low on the sides to give adequate air flow. Alpacas will cush down when you move them in a vehicle. We love our trailer. It was not a huge expense. It is small and easy to handle. It pulls easily behind the pickup truck. For long distances especially in hot weather, we enlist the services of transporters with air conditioned trailers. It’s well worth it. To transport across the country coast to coast they charge about $500.00 per animal. Always transport alpacas in a minimum of two. They can become stressed by themselves. A gelding makes for a good transport buddy.
- Vaccinations. Your vet will have to do some of the vaccinations such as the rabies injections. Alpacas need a rabies vaccination once per year. Rabies has been more prevalent in our area this year. Check with your locality on the threat in your area. Minimize the risk-VACCINATE! As well, meningeal worms are a big threat to alpacas-especially in areas with large populations of deer. Alpacas need to be vaccinated about monthly for worms. The vaccines need to be alternated so that the worms do not build up resistance. Again, this is an area where you will be given lots of different theories and recommendations. We alternate between Ivomec and Dectomax and Panacur. We do Panacur each quarter. Keep your eyes and ears open for any new products. There is a generic for Ivomec that is much less expensive. Some breeders say “no shots while pregnant” or “no shots in first or third trimesters”. Well, we keep alpaca females pregnant most of the time; therefore they would not receive protection as needed most of the time. We decided the protection of the mother and decreasing the risk of worms spreading was our first concern. So we stay away from shots in the breeding month and in the delivery month. The rest of the year, the bred females receive their shots as the rest of the herd does. We order worming meds from www.valleyvet.com .Make sure you use Luer –lock syringes. The animals may jump and you do not want a loose needle stuck in your animal. BE SAFE. Pay a little more and have piece of mind and safety for yourself and your animal. Invest in a sharps container for used syringes. Use 6ml (ml is the same as cc) disposable syringes. We order syringes from www.jefferspet.com . C, D, and Tetanus vaccines need to be given to cria at 30 days and 90 days and then yearly. This is a combination shot. Your vet can give them, but if you are doing your own worming, you can do these too. Have your vet show you how the first time or two. You’ll then find you are able to do this yourself and save yourself some money.
- Shearing. PLEASE MAKE SURE THEY ARE SHEARED BEFORE THE HEAT COMES! Alpaca fleece is as warm as wool. Imagine having a 5” wool coat on in the heat! Heat stress will kill your alpaca QUICKLY! This is your responsibility as an owner. Please do not put it off or neglect it. PLAN for shearing. Shearers get booked early. Make sure you have a spot on their calendar or if you are skillful, learn to shear yourself. If you really want to have some fun with your alpacas, on hot days, get out the water hose and hose their bellies. They’ll do a little dance for you and if they are especially grateful, you will even get a kiss!
Again, SPEND TIME ADMIST YOUR HERD. Each alpaca has its own personality. Watch their mannerisms. You will get to know them and be able to recognize any needs or abnormalities. This will allow you to address situations early and therefore protect the health of you animals. They do communicate to you. You will find yourself humming back in no time.
Medications To Have On Hand
As a responsible owner, have medications on site in the event that you need them. Always check with your vet prior to using medications for the first time. Know the weights of your animals so that dosages are proper for each individual animal. These medications and dosages listed are what we use on our farm. Please check with your vet for their recommendation for the needs of your farm specifically.
Ivomec and Dectomax 1cc/70 lbs
CD&T Annual Vaccine cria and adult 2cc in muscle
Banamine 1cc/100lbs
Bo-Se (Vitamin B and Selenium) for selenium deficient areas
Cria: ½ cc
Adult 1cc
Rabies-given by vet
Panacur paste 250/adult 125/babies
Naxcel antibiotic see vet for dosage
Antibiotic eye ointment
Zinc Oxide for skin irritations
Iodine for cria navels
Corrid for coccidian- see vet for dosage
Bounce Back for heat stressed animals
Pepto Bismol extra strength 6cc/dose
Sulcrafate for ulcers
Cria:1/2 tab 3x per day-dissolve as a paste
Adult: 2 tabs twice per day-dissolve to a paste
Probiotic
Fly Rid
Betadine
Blu Kote- seals wounds
Blood Stop- in case you nick when trimming
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