A common question we are asked is "Are alpacas hard to care for?"  My usual response is that they are easier (and cheaper) to take care of than our family dog.  Because of their minimal needs, alpacas require very little care.
 
DAILY CARE
Alpacas are ruminants, so having pasture grass and/or a good supply of grass hay available is necessary.   Alpacas prefer to graze in an open pasture than to be closed in a stall.

A feed supplement called pellets is given to the animals daily to be sure they are getting the nutrients they need. The alpacas are given between one half and one cup per day depending on their needs. Males and weanlings receive one half a cup while females in the last half on pregnancy and lactating moms are given a full cup.

Granular mineral salts should be available to your alpacas.  Salt blocks are used successfully by some farms, but many alpacas will not lick a salt block. Because our soil is selenium deficient, we offer our animals a mineral salt with a high selenium content. Mineral salts can be purchased at farm supply stores.
 

CLEANING PASTURES
Pastures should be cleaned every couple of days. This helps in lessening the spread of parasites. The alpacas are very helpful with this task since they have communal dung piles. These piles will be scattered in several places in the pasture.  You can even decide where you want a dung pile to be by placing some fresh droppings in a new spot.  This works well when opening up a new pasture.

Once the pastures are cleaned the ‘paca-poop makes great fertilizer. This fertilizer can be placed directly on plants because it is not "hot" and won't burn your plants.  ‘Paca-poop is coveted by gardeners and is often referred to as "black gold".
 

FACILITIES
Alpacas require only a three sided shelter giving protection from the sun in the summer and wind in the winter.  We place rubber mats on the floors of our shelters for comfort and cleanliness, but this is not a requirement.


FENCING
Fencing needs to be put up with the thought of keeping predators out more than to keep alpacas in.  Because alpacas can injure themselves by sticking their necks through holes in box wire fencing, five foot tall 2" X 4" no climb fence is recommended. It may be necessary to add hot wire to fences depending on the predators in your area.  Barbed wire should always be avoided. Alpacas have big beautiful eyes that are easily damaged on the barbs.
 

VETERINARY CARE
Alpacas should be wormed, vaccinated and have their toe nails trimmed. We do this every six months. Worming may be suggested more often in other parts of the country.
 

SHEARING
Shearing needs to be done once a year. This is usually done in the spring before the hot weather. Shearing can be done by the farm or professional shearers can be hired to come to the ranch.