2023/2024 Alpaca Owners Guide

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How are alpacas different from llamas? A: While both are members of the camel (or camelid) family, llamas and alpacas are distinctly different animals. Llamas are much larger, about twice the size of an alpaca, with a weight range of 250 to 450 pounds. Alpacas weigh between 120 to 200 pounds. Llamas are primarily used for packing or for guarding herds of sheep or alpacas, whereas alpacas are primarily raised for their soft and luxurious fleece. Q: Are alpacas easy to care for? A: They are a small and relatively easy livestock to maintain. They stand about 36' high at the withers (where the neck and spine come together) and weigh between 120 to 200 pounds. Alpacas need basic shelter and protection from heat and foul weather, just like other types of livestock. Good nutrition is essential for healthy animals. Hay, minerals, and fresh clean water should be available at all times. Many alpaca owners also provide a nutritional

supplement for their alpacas. Under a veterinarian’s direction they require vaccinations, preventive medication, and deworming. Alpacas also require yearly shearing to keep them cool in the summer Alpacas do not have hooves; instead they have two toes, with hard toenails on top and a soft pad on the bottom of their feet. Their padded feet minimize the effect on the pasture. Their toenails need to be trimmed on an as-needed basis to ensure proper foot alignment and comfort. Q: What do alpacas eat? A: Alpacas mainly eat grass or hay, and not much — approximately two pounds per 125 pounds of body weight per day or approximately 1.5% of the animal’s body weight daily in hay or fresh pasture. Grass hay is recommended, and alfalfa can be fed sparingly. Many owners feed higher rates of alfalfa to alpacas that are skinny as well as in very cold temperatures.

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