Any Alpaca gurus here??

[secuono]

I will be getting a trio this week.

They'll be in the chicken/garden separate from everyone else for at least to the end of sheep breeding season. 150x180ft, good size yard with grass, a shed I can clear out to make it their shelter or make a temp one between the pinetrees.

Anyone know how my horses may react??

Can alpaca be in hot wire or only woven fencing?

There is one gelding & two females.

Any info on deworming for meningeal worm, has to be dewormed on a schedule or no?

What about cria care? The females were seen being bred in June, I know it's 11mo. Any special care or vetting for that? Any outwardly signs I could see now or soon?

I've been researching these fluffs on and off for years, so if I think of anything else, I'll post here.

Teaser pics!

 

[secuono]

Anyone?

 

[secuono]

Alpacas are home!

 

[secuono]

 

[Hens and Roos]

congrats!

 

[Bruce]

Just saw this. @luvmypets has a number of alpacas, she may be able to help.

I don't know how your horses will react but the people across the road and down 1 property have 3 horses and 2 intact alpacas all in the same pasture. Their animals are in hotwire - 3 wide tapes and a wire across the top, their black alpaca doesn't respect it. The grass is greener you know and he pushes between the tapes. But he doesn't go much past the fence. You might want to have closer spacing if you go with hotwire only.

One SHOULD use ivermectin (every 45 days I think) for meningeal worm during the times of year that snails and slugs are about ... if you have deer in/near your fields. Mine were wormed when they belonged to their prior owners but I can't touch them, STILL need to trim their nails so I've not done it. Lady across the road doesn't do hers. We DO have deer here, MAYBE they happen not to be carrying the parasite? Or maybe they aren't pooping near the fence where a snail or slug might cross over into the pasture.

I can't help with cria other than I gather they can be fairly delicate.

They are SUPPOSED to like carrots and apples for treats. Mine don't. But they do seem to like the sweet feed.

Those are pretty animals

Looks like the horses aren't real concerned!

 

[secuono]

Silver mini freaked out, baby gelding didn't care and soon left to eat. Other two had nothing else to do, so they sniffed the new guys.



I have since heard to use dectomax? Does it not matter which you use?

The LGDs keep deer out, but still possible some come by. Someone told me to deworm every 6wks all year long. ?

Male LGD had a cow about them, but the alpaca still wanted to make friends.

 

[Bruce]

BTW for the first couple of months, my boys had 2x4 welded wire 4' high on the north side, crappy falling down chicken wire 3' to 4' high on the west and south sides enclosing < 1/2 acre which includes a farm pond. The East side was mostly the 2 barns. They didn't go over even though I'm sure they could clear the 3' if they wanted to. I put up all new fencing and they now have a combination of fencing enclosing 1 acre (still including the pond behind the big barn):

• the welded wire on the north with hotwire on the OUTSIDE to keep predators out. I had the hot wire up first because I ran into water and ledge where I was going to stretch field fence and needed wood posts. I moved the 2x4 to the inside of the new fence to keep the chickens away from the hotwire
• 4' sheep and goat on the west
• cattle panels on the south and the "dogleg" near the little barn.
• 4' sheep and goat on the east going toward the barns.

All are topped with a ground wire at 4.5' then a hot wire at 5' (for predators)



Another BTW, if they are humming they are anxious. Yours might the first day or so. Mine did but I haven't heard them hum for over a year (got them mid Oct last year).

A 3rd BTW They sound something like a donkey braying when they alert. Mine have alerted on:

• cats
• deer
• turkeys

And those things can be a goodly distance away, alpacas have really good eyesight. I had to get binoculars to see a cat walking in the field right at the edge of the woods. That is a good 400' from where the boys were. I couldn't see the cat when I stopped looking through the binoculars. Something was REALLY bothering them a month or so back, I never figured out what. But they stayed very close to the barn for a week.

 

[Bruce]

The LGDs will figure out these are new additions to their job. Just tell them "these are yours now" Must be the alpacas are used to dogs if they weren't concerned.

You only need to worm for meningeal when snails/slugs can live out in the field. They are a NECESSARY intermediate host for the parasite. If it doesn't get cold enough where you are to kill them off, then yes you should do it year round. I don't know if decomax is better or not.

The deer do NOT have to come into the pasture with the animals, the snails/slugs can travel from outside to inside. The alpacas eat them if infected snails/slugs climb up the grass blades, it isn't an intentional part of their diet.

 

[secuono]