Alpacas are a beautiful, intelligent, fleece-producing camelid. Related to the Llama, they are ruminants that utilise their food efficiently. Alpacas are quite hardy; do not require special management, fencing or other facilities.
Alpacas have padded feet and browse lightly, making them kind to Australia’s fragile soils. Alpacas can do well on medium protein pasture, provided it contains sufficient mineral content.
Alpaca fibre is soft handling fibre with many natural colours. The fibre is lightweight, amazingly warm, with a high tensile strength. Alpaca garments hang well, keep their shape and don’t easily pill
Stud farms vary in size, from small breeders with a handful of animals to other breeders with hundreds of animals. You can begin with wethers or breeding females where you can use any one of a number of quality males available for stud services.
Alpacas attract many people from those looking for a lifestyle, farmers wanting to diversify, fibre growers, to investors adding to their portfolios.
Alpacas are environmentally friendly with a low incidence of disease. Whilst Alpacas eat pasture close to the ground, they do not tear the plant roots out.