Alpacas can be a great investment, with their entire purchase price being tax deductible over a 5 year period.  Alpacas are in the camelid family.  They are smaller than llamas and about as tall as humans.  Their disposition is sweeter than that of camels and llamas and can be quite friendly and receptive to humans if handled as a well loved pet.   

                  Alpacas are owned for a number of reasons.  Some want the financial advantages and own alpacas as silent partners.  Others want to produce or dye their own yarns.  And others just want a delightful pet.  All 3 qualify for good reasons to own alpacas.

                  Alpacas are fairly easy to take care of, however, there are a few guidelines that should be followed to keep your alpaca healthy and happy.  They need a specific diet of certain grasses, oats and hay, but these are easy to obtain if you talk to an established alpaca breeder.  They need enough space to romp and play and should have shade from a barn or shed to stay cool.  They must be sheared once a year to stay cool in warmer climates and this is a service which can be contracted for.  An alpaca generally lives about 20 years and can give birth about once a year to a single offspring (twins are very rare) called a “cria” (cree-uh).  They should be fenced in a safe manner to keep out predators such as wolves and even large dogs which might see the gentle herd animal as dinner.  And they should be vet examined each year and enjoy the company of other alpacas. 

                 Although alpacas and camelids existed in the southwest US before the ice ages, they seem to have migrated southward around that time and are now known to come from the Andes mountains and surrounding countries of Peru, Bolivia and Chile.  You can no longer import these animals from South America.  Pet quality alpacas generally cost around $500 to $2000 US dollars.  Fiber quality alpacas can be purchased for $5000-$20,000 and show quality alpacas are generally in the $30,000 to $75,000 dollar range, but can go up to over a million dollars.  Due to the slow reproductive cycle of alpacas and the increasing demand for alpaca fiber, it is believed that the market for alpacas in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe will stay strong for at least another 10 years.  The market for top quality alpacas will most likely continue to rise even if the general market becomes saturated. 

               An average alpacas will produced somewhere between 5 and 10 pounds of fiber a year, and current market price runs from $5 to $40 per pound for raw fiber.  Yarn and finished products can demand much higher prices. 

                 Alpacas are much easier and more fun to handle than larger camelids.  They are curious and playful and will look you in the eye and give you a kiss.  Though camels and llamas are known to be temperamental and may spit, this behavior is extremely rare in alpacas and generally only when severely agitated.  Alpacas are not used a food source in the US nor can they carry large loads like their larger cousins.  But they can be a far greater investment in many ways and are a great way to retire if you desire the pastoral life of a ranch.  For further information, please contact Lisa Hering or go to www.lisahering.com and click on "Alpacas".

Meet Exotica....she's a beautiful, show stopping, ribbon winning alpaca.  Her thick fleece in the photo above shows her extra fine quality.  The density makes her fleece warm, the unusually high luster makes it beautiful and gives it a silky feel, and the fine crimp makes it strong.