For many new entrants to the alpaca industry a major allure is the thought of breeding these beautiful, intelligent and easily-handled animals. The challenging question that new breeders must ask themselves is “Why do I want to breed alpacas?” This leads to other vital questions – “Huacaya, suri, or both?”; “White, coloured, or a bit of everything?”; “How much do I need to spend?”; “How many should I buy?”

For some people purchasing alpacas, the initial reason is as a small-scale hobby farm. However for many of these people, as they begin to breed and learn more about their alpacas, their focus changes and they use their knowledge to improve the quality of their stock – whether for fibre production, for stud breeding, or with an eye to winning show ribbons.

This book is a basic guide to some of the skills and practices of alpaca production. This guide covers information on alpaca production including health, breeding and farming, nutritional needs and breeding to improve fleece.

Table of contents:

·      The Australian Alpaca industry in Australia

·      Alpaca breeds

·      Farming alpacas

·      Farming alpacas as a breeding enterprise

·      Farming alpacas for meat production

·      Alpacas as guardian animals

·      Alpacas as pets on small acreages

·      Farm infrastructure

·      The digestive system and how it works

·      Alpaca nutrition

·      Pasture and land management

·      Breeding to improve fleece

·      Fleece assessment

·      Preparation of fleece for processing

·      The genetics of alpaca breeding

·      Purchasing decisions

·      Health problems and preparing for the vet

·      Digestive disorders and dental conditions

·      Vitamin and mineral deficiencies

·      Poisoning and liver disease

·      Parasite worms, fluke and ticks

·      Extremes of heat and cold

·      Injuries

·      Pregnancy, birthing and neonatal problems

·      Biosecurity, record keeping and transport

·      Alpaca shows

·      Management planner