What can you do with non-breeding alpacas?

[dianneS]

I have a few alpaca farms around me that often thin out their herds and sell gelded males and non-breeding females.

I assume that their fiber quality can't be too great if they sell them for only a few hundred dollars.

Do these types of alpacas serve any purpose other than pets? Can you still sell or use their fleece for something?

 

[MrsCountryChick]

Yes they can be used as fibre animals. And even a lessor quality of fibre that an alpaca produces can still have their fibre used for items that aren't as close to the body, like gloves, hats, scarfs, etc. And even blankets can be made from a lower than average range micron count fibre.

But when it comes to raising & breeding alpacas there will be times when a breeder has to 'make room in the barn' & the extra animals are sold to make room for new crias or new breeding females. And if they geld a male he can be a quailty pet & find a better home than if they sold him as a intact male. & as a breeder you can't have years & years go by using the same herdsire, so stud males are changed from time to time. If they're not a breeding male for thier females, or a breeding male they're studing out for stud services, they usually either geld them as their farm gelding or geld them & sell them. Although some do sell them as studs also.

The fact they're gelded saves you money. And they'll be able to be placed with other males without squables as they aren't studs. Good Luck if you're looking into a 'fibre herd'. Just because they can't be bred doesn't mean you can't raise the animals themselves for their fibre. Alpacas are Wonderful Animals! But I'm a bit biased, lol.

 

[dianneS]

That's great to hear!

I have goats right now, that are only pets, they don't produce anything, they're just weed eaters!

I have chickens that give me eggs, but I don't really have any animals that produce anything. It would be neat to have a few alpacas for fiber, even if it doesn't produce much profit, at least they produce something!

Can alpacas be kept with horses?

 

[ksalvagno]

Depends on the horse and the alpaca. Most people don't. There are extra vaccines that you would need to give the alpacas that normally aren't given. I can't remember what they are right now.

 

[MrsCountryChick]

We have dairy goats, so ours produce milk & are our "green lawnmowers", lol. Some people tie goats out perminately, I don't care for that as to their safety if a loose dog came around, etc. I wouldn't want them to get hurt or anything. But even tho they have a pasture, when I'm home & their outside I do tie them out to eat high grass not in their pasture. & Boy do they Love the weeds. When possible from about noon til 4pm I have them tied out eating. I even heard on the news how the Google company decided to "go green" & pastured in some of their property with goats to keep the grass down, heard the promo but missed the full story on the news. :/

Sadly I heard of a couple that had 2 horses & they uneducatedly got a Llama to protect the horses from wild predators (they live in Virginia or West Virginia) & they said thier Llama eats the horse feed last cuz the horses push to get theirs first. Llamas eat a supplimental Llama feed not a buffet of horse feed. Some people! Nice to know you're looking into the animals before getting them. As everyone isn't a Great animal owner to look into the animal's care first. Good Luck!

 

[ksalvagno]

You would definitely want to feed them separately and house them in the barn separately.

 

[dianneS]

You would definitely want to feed them separately and house them in the barn separately.

Could they be housed with goats?

 

[ksalvagno]

There are people that do house alpacas with goats, mainly just pet alpacas. Goats have a higher probability of having lice and they can pass it on to llamas or alpacas. It has happened. Supposedly lice is species specific but there are proven cases of llamas having lice that were guards for goats. The other thing would be if a goat rams them on a regular basis. They could do some damage. I know there are alpacas and goats happily living together out there though.

 

[sayyadina]

Horses are big enough to accidentally kill an alpaca, and goats can carry diseases that can kill alpacas. Sheep & cows aren't a good idea either. Johne's diease, Caseous lymphadenitis & BVD are the 3 diseases of concern. I know of an alpaca farm that was completely wiped out when they bought some goats that carries either Johne's or CL.

Non-breeding alpacas can be used for fiber, pets & light packing. Because they're smaller, they can't carry as much as a llama. I have an extremely smart girl who'd make an excellent packing alpaca, since she leads great & loves to explore. There are also performance classes at shows that involve leading an alpaca through obstacles. They can be lawnmowers, too.

Alpacas can get West Nile & EEE, so horses kept near alpacas should be vaccinated for both, because the vaccines are safe & effective in horses.

 

[jsjones1117]

Our alpacas are around goats and miniature horses, of which they get along great. We have a pygmy goat who thinks he is an alpaca. The alpaca that he buddied up with slept with and loved on just recently passed away and he is having a hard time with mourning and all. The poor little thing is usually wild as a march hare. When we loaded up the other alpacas for the vet visit he jumped in the trailer and went too. Sometimes when we were taking them he would run behind the trailer in the pasture til he got tired. He doesnt like to be seperated from them. I have been told by numerous people not to put them together, but in our case he makes a great "guard dog" and loves them very much. The horses do not bother the pacas and vice versa. It is basically a case of you have to watch and pay attention. Some horses and goats would however be to aggressive.
We have cows around and I make sure my pacas get bovine vaccinations. My vet reccommended this and they seem to do great.