Islandlife Farms: Alpaca Info

Raising Alpacas

Below is a brief list of topics and comments for each; these have been taken from our frequently asked questions.

Alpaca Registries:

There are 2 registries in Canada for alpacas. Animals are registered with CLAA (Canadian Llama and Alpaca Association) and/or ARI (The American Registry). Animals in Canada may be Canadian or dual (both US and Canadian) registered. Dual registered animals are usually more expensive because of the options for selling them to both Canadian and US buyers. Canadian only registered animals are attractive as they have often shown to be of top quality, with very fine dense fleeces.

Predator Control:

It's important to find out what predators may be present in your area, since the alpacas only main defence is to run. Here on the island, we have cougars, bears, and the most dangerous being domesticated dogs. In order for us to rest assured, we have 3 lines of defence should danger present itself. We've erected a 6' 3" perimeter deer fence, enclosing the 5 acres, to deter cougars and bears and to keep dogs out. Secondly, we employed the services of a guard llama. When alerted, she will sound an alarm call and the alpacas will file in behind her. The herd size, headed up by our 350 lb llama, is enough to scare off most predators. And last but not least, we have a Hungarian Komondor, a livestock guard dog (LGD) that lives with the herd 24/7. Obtained as a puppy at 8 weeks old, she is now 8 months old and effectively demonstrates her guarding instincts.

Farm Infrastructure:

Alpacas need little in the way of structures, just a roof and 3 sides for shelter from rain, snow and cold winds. We've found the more fields the better to accommodate various alpaca groups. With expectant moms, young males, and mature males, cross-fencing is the key to keeping everyone happy and in their respective fields. Any alpaca owner will tell you, gates, gates, gates; you can never have too many.

Daily Requirements:

Once your ranch has been setup, there are very few daily requirements. We offer free-choice hay, clean water, and a grain ration once a day. Dung removal is made easy because the alpacas all visit the same area. We also like to check in on them in the afternoon to make sure they are all humming along.

Alpaca Fibre:

Alpacas are sheared once a year in the spring, and we have since sent our sorted fibre away to be processed and made into various fibre products. For an alpaca owner, while the summer cria season winds down, the fleece sales increase over the winter holiday season. Alpaca fleece can be sold raw (straight from the animal); made into rovings, yarn, or felt; or further processed into scarves, hats, sweaters, socks, blankets, duvets, and even fine suit fabric.

Alpaca Shearing:

We shear in early May. This is strategically planned so that by the time warm summer weather comes around, the alpacas have just a short coat, and have time to grow sufficient fibre to keep them warm over the winter. In the summer, alpacas are prone to heat stress, which can easily be managed here by shearing and providing them with adequate shade. In the very hot weather (30C+), however, we offer them an underbelly shower from the hose. Those who like it, like it a lot, and will come running to enjoy the gentle spray. Others will settle down onto the wet grass. It's best to cool just their undersides, where there's little fibre and their organs are closest to the skin.

Shearing Day:

For an alpaca breeder, this is one of the most exciting and demanding days of the year. From our experience this year, it takes about 5 people to have a small herd efficiently sheared. It’s also a good idea to work with other local alpaca farms to bring in a traveling professional shearer and to help out at each others’ farms.

Shearing DIY:

There's always the option of shearing yourself, with electric or hand shears. This takes some skill, patience and practice, and the blades are often expensive requiring skillful sharpening. It may be quite rewarding, however, to spend the time with each animal and have your very own shorn fleeces.

Fibre Sorting:

Sorting involves separating long from short fibre sections, and removing any major debris or uncharacteristic bits. Depending on your interest and attention to detail, it can take just hours to many days to sort just a few fleeces.

Fibre Samples (Histograms)

After shearing, samples may be sent to a fibre testing lab to be analyzed. The lab produces a histogram, which is a report of the characteristics of each fibre sample. This helps alpaca owners to determine the grade (or fineness) of the fibre, as well as the fibre quality of each animal.

Fibre Uses:

Very fine fibre can be used for articles that are close to the skin, and more robust fibre can be used for stronger articles such as socks or felt. Raw fibre is often advertised by colour and grade and sold by the ounce.

Fibre Quantity and Quality:

Each animal is different, and has it's own set of qualities. We've found that males tend to produce the most fibre (5-12 lbs), and females may produce less fibre (3-10 lbs.) while putting their resources into their crias and milk production. The age of the animal often has an effect on how fine the fibre is and how much is produced. Generally speaking, crias produce the finest fleeces, and while still very fine, 2-3 year olds produce the highest fleece weights.

IslandLife Farms: Canadian and U.S. Registered Alpacas from Vancouver Island Canada.