Any information about llamas/alpacas?

Question

I am interested in possible getting an alpaca or llama. I was wondering if anyone knew any helpful information they could share with me. Like how much money estimated it is to take care of them. With food, vet care, dentistry, how to take care of their fur and all that.

Also I was wondering if you didn't fence them in if they would stay in the yard or not.

Also I live in Maine so there will be snowfall what will I do in the winter. I do have barn but I wouldn't want him kept in all the time.

Answer 1

Me and my wife breeds alpacas, but we're in Norway so we don't know your prices for food, dentistry, veterinary visits and so on.

But the alpaca is really easy to keep. It needs about 1kg of hay per day. If you have good pastures, you can replace that with about 1000 square meters per animal. In Maine I'm guessing the winter can be a little like here in Norway, so feeding in winter should be hay, alfalfa and lucern pellets (concentrated feed).

Vet care usually is just vaccinations. I'll suggest one vet visit a month, but the alpaca/llama are really healthy animals and needs very little vet care. Same goes for dentistry. The teeth can be taken care of by yourself or, like we do here, by the people who shear the animals each year.

If you don't fence them in they will probably wander off looking for food. I would fence them in. They don't need much fencing to keep them in, but the fences are mostly for keeping other animals out. Like dogs and other predators.

They can stay out all year round, but should have a place to go into when they need shelter. This can be just a simple stall. One room and open door. Our alpacas are out all year long, even if the temperature goes below -25C. They are used to temperatures changing from +25C to -30C during a 24h period in the Andes, so they adjust easily.

I feel the llama is a bit too big and strong. The alpaca is easier to handle.