Alpaca Ownership and Lifestyle

Alpaca owners come in all sizes and shapes. For many who desire a rural and more relaxed lifestyle, the opportunity to have these gentle livestock as their primary income is most desirous. For others there is the option of growing their alpaca business part time while maintaining other careers.

One need not have vast land holdings to own Alpacas. The owner who decides to raise their Alpacas at home can do so on relatively small acreage. Often the animals are purchased and boarded with experienced Alpaca breeders. This arrangement is referred to as “agistment”.

The Alpaca is clean, gentle, intelligent and inquisitive, and disease resistant. They are considered a “modified ruminant” and make efficient use of inexpensive, low protein feed mostly consisting of grass hays and grains. Even cleaning up after your animals is easily done as they prefer a communal dung pile of small “beans”.