Looking after your herd

Accommodation

If breeding alpacas, bear in mind that it will be necessary to divide a large area of land. A weaning paddock will be needed, preferably out of sight of other paddocks, and accommodation for maturing males. Stud males need to kept away from females except for breeding purposes.

Calculate on keeping alpaca 5 to 12 per acre, depending on the quality of grass on your land and whether or not you intend to make your own hay and keep them in over winter. You will need enough paddocks to allow for periodic 'resting' of land for grass growth recovery.

Ordinary stock fences, hedges or walls are adequate. If putting up fences for alpaca, the cheapest is pig netting with a strand of plain wire above it, the most expensive post and rail. Alpacas love 'going places' - don't ever leave a gate open or they will be away!

Field shelters are a good idea if only to protect the feed and hay from the weather. The alpacas may or may not use it for shelter. A 14' x 10', 3 sided non-permanent shelter is entirely adequate for 7 or 8 fully grown alpacas.

You will need a feed shed - preferably accessible by motor vehicle. A holding yard is useful, a simple 'chute' is often an asset and if you are likely to take your alpacas anywhere it is useful to be able to load into the trailer from the end of the chute.

Water

Fresh water to paddocks is essential. Buckets are adequate but a piped supply is preferable. A river or stream is OK and they may well enjoy it, but it might be inadvisable to put females about to give birth into such a field in case the newborn calf rolls into the water.