Cornerstoneacres
Exploring the pasture
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2011
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Okay Alpaca enthusiasts, here is my situation followed by a couple of questions. I currently own/breed/raise meat goats. I have two fiber goats I bought this past summer to begin working with fiber. I also have a pair of Great Pyrenees guardian dogs. We also have horses, pgs, chickens etc but not really relevant (I don't think) to this question. Due a drought this summer leading to highly inflated hay prices around here, a friend of a friend is looking to sell her entire alpaca herd. I was offered three (intact) 2-3 year old males at no charge (I would only take two). I am not totally concerned with having SUPER quality fiber at this time (and wouldn't know it anyway even if it jumped up and bit me) since I am just begiinning. I have done research into alpaca care and I do have the facilities to safely contain and house them.
1) We wether our own goats (even at a bit larger size, although maybe not at quite 150#) - is castrating alpaca the "same" or due to the age at which alpaca are neutered, do I have to have a vet do this? I did call the vet and the price in our area is $100 per animal plus our $80 farm call. I can find geldings available about the same distance away for under $140.
2) My husband is totally NOT convinced that they would be anything other than an "ugly goat" out in the pasture eating up his hay. Are there any convincing reasons to own an alpaca gelding? (other than "I want one"?)
3) Are there any issues keeping goats, guardian dogs and alpaca together? A few of my does are around 200-250#, some are only about 75#. I would be housing the alpaca with my does - with the ability to put them(alpaca) into their own small pen when needed. The goats have two barns with only goat sized doors in them, there is a 3-1/2 sided lean-to that has an alpaca sized door in it.
1) We wether our own goats (even at a bit larger size, although maybe not at quite 150#) - is castrating alpaca the "same" or due to the age at which alpaca are neutered, do I have to have a vet do this? I did call the vet and the price in our area is $100 per animal plus our $80 farm call. I can find geldings available about the same distance away for under $140.
2) My husband is totally NOT convinced that they would be anything other than an "ugly goat" out in the pasture eating up his hay. Are there any convincing reasons to own an alpaca gelding? (other than "I want one"?)
3) Are there any issues keeping goats, guardian dogs and alpaca together? A few of my does are around 200-250#, some are only about 75#. I would be housing the alpaca with my does - with the ability to put them(alpaca) into their own small pen when needed. The goats have two barns with only goat sized doors in them, there is a 3-1/2 sided lean-to that has an alpaca sized door in it.