Getting Started
Whether you're looking for a change of pace through a new lifestyle endeavor, or you're
interesting in enhancing your current income stream on a part-time basis, we have the alpacas and the expertise you'll need.
When you purchase your alpacas from our herd we'll gladly provide the training and information you need to succeed, and can
board your animals for you while you build your ranch.
We look forward to helping you get started raising your own alpacas. Call us to schedule an opportunity to meet our herd,
choose your alpacas, and find out what a joy raising these delightful animals can be.
Basic Alpaca Facts:
Alpacas are very intelligent, and they are easy to raise. They also provide a potentially lucrative return on
investment and can be a source of
significant tax advantages. (link to tax advantages pdf.) Your tax advisor can provide information specific to your circumstances,
and we will be happy to share our own experience.
Caring for alpacas only requires about an hour a day for 5-7 animals. Each animal eats just a handful of hay and one cup of
supplemental pellets each day. One acre of pasture can support
5-7 alpacas. They share a common "bathroom" area, making cleanup easy. This also keeps them healthier as their potential
exposure to parasites is lowered.
Adult alpacas are approximately three feet tall at the shoulder, weigh between 125 and 170 lbs, and live up to 25 years. They
are intelligent, mild-tempered, peaceful, curious animals. They respect fences and interact well with people, and respond
well to a variety of training and
handling techniques.
It is advisable to have at least two alpaca; they have very strong herding instincts and need the company of other alpacas to survive.
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Alpacas are members of the camel family. There are two breeds: the long-locked Suri (surrey) and the wavy,
teddybear-like Huacaya (wah-KI-ya). They are native to South America, and are prized for their remarkable fleece.
Their importation into the United States has been strictly
controlled; the US borders were closed to further importation in 1998.
Alpacas come in more naturally occurring colors (need a color chart here) than any other fiber animal. Their fleece
is comparable to cashmere in softness, but it is loftier, stronger, and more resilient. Alpacas are sheared once a year;
at SunCrest we shear in the late spring so our animals stay cool through the hot summer months. Each adult alpaca produces
between 5 and 10 pounds of fiber per year. (As little as one pound is needed to make a woman’s sweater.)
The price for alpacas depends on a variety of factors including fleece quality, bloodlines, whether the animal is male or
female, breeding history, traits that offspring have demonstrated and more.
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