Getting Started

For new england's alpaca farmers...small is beautiful
Author: Village Farm Alpacas
Terence and Bonnie Caller

Large dollars from small acreage provide alternative livestock option

As a livestock exhibitor at both this year's Windsor Fair and at the Common Ground Fair in Maine, our alpacas continue to be something many folks have never seen up close. Are they baby llamas&how old are these? people would ask us, as they grew captivated by our gentle and graceful alpacas in our exhibitor pen. We would explain that alpacas were originally bred in South American for their fine fiber-- and that an adult alpaca was small--perhaps 150 lb. Standing at just 36 inches at the shoulder, the animals are easy to halter and handle. Llamas, because of their much larger size, were bred as pack animals by the Peruvian and Chilean peoples of the Andes Mountains. The alpaca's small stature, wonderfully colored soft fleece and big beautiful eyes evoke the same response from most people who are meeting alpacas for the first time, They're so cute!

There are now about 4,500 alpacas in New England, up from just a few hundred in the early eighties when the first of the importation of these fiber-producing animals began. Not only are the animals small in size, but also are most farms. The majority of the New England Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (NEAOBA) 200 member farms have between 5-25 alpacas. And since you can raise 5 alpacas on one acre, the requirement for pastured land is very modest for the average New England farm. This is one of the factors driving the red- hot demand. For many alpaca farmers, Small is beautiful. There are just a few dozen large breeders in New England with over 40 animals. 

The relatively small scope of these alpaca ranching operations, when compared to other livestock businesses, is very appealing to a broad range of people. Says Dave Sanderson NEAOBA's President and owner of Parker River Alpaca Farm in Byfield, Massachusetts There has been a steady and healthy growth of both the overall alpaca herd and the number of breeders who raise them. New England now boasts of some of the finest breeding stock in the country and interest in these wonderful creatures is at an all time high. With the value of The New England herd estimated at about 50 million dollars, Sandersons group is very active providing educational and marketing resources to both inform the public and to promote the expanding industry. A list of member farms can be found on the Association's web site www.neaoba.org.

Alpacas are low impact livestock that go lightly on the land. They are environmentally friendly, having soft-padded feet and only a set of bottom grazing teeth. Clean-up chores are made easy by their use of a communal dung pile. Most alpaca farmers have little or no heavy farm machinery and most do not hire outside help. The author writes, At Village Farm Alpacas in Waldoboro, Maine, Bonnie and I have just a small John Deere ride-on mower to keep the pasture trim& and a small attachable cart to spread the composted manure and to haul out old straw bedding. The two of us can do all of the farm chores with no hired help. Only at shearing time do we bring in outside help.
Even the slightly larger farms seem to embrace the Small is Beautiful approach. Says Liz MacEachran of Kilblaan Farm in Sharon, New Hampshire, We're able to care for our herd of 40-45 alpacas with no outside help, which keeps our overhead down and our costs low. With a high individual worth for each alpaca, you do not have to own too many to have a successful farm. 

The average alpaca requires just 20 small square bales of hay per year in addition to pasture and a cup of supplemental grain mix. The animals require a simple three- sided shelter for protection from the elements, although many of New Englands alpacas are quartered in beautiful old barns or elaborately constructed new ones. Alpacas are very intelligent and can be easily handled and halter trained for transport. Many new alpaca breeders have no previous livestock experience. They look at the minimal land requirement and at the small amount of farm infrastructure such as fencing; mowers, buildings etc&and they say, Hey, I could do this! So many of New England's alpaca farms start small, with just a few bred females. As the herd multiplies, the investment grows. 

For many alpaca farmers, there is a lifestyle consideration they choose the daily rhythm and pace that ownership affords. Says Jack Dibb of Sallie's Fen Alpacas in Barrington, New Hampshire: "Nicola and I both work fulltime 'day' jobs, but the hour or so we
spend taking care of our 15-20 alpacas is always the high point of each day. We also treasure the growing network of our alpaca family, keeping in close contact with our 'kids' after they have moved to new homes." 


For the last decade, prices for alpacas have been fairly stable, with most quality bred females selling in the range of $15,000 - $20,000. Demand is fueled by the many tax benefits of alpaca ownership such as depreciation and capital gains& as well as by a very strong national association which promotes alpaca ownership in print advertising, on television, at shows and on the web. Alpaca breeders benefit from a slow and steady herd growth, which is limited by the fact that alpacas have just one birth each year with a long gestation period of eleven and a half months. In addition, the supply is also limited because the registration of alpacas is closed to new imports. Much like through-bred horses, alpacas are micro-chipped and an Alpaca Registry records each animals lineage and bloodlines. Thus, with a sound business plan and the high value of alpacas, a New England alpaca breeder can generate substantial income on small acreage. Alpacas are becoming an alternative to traditional livestock, much in the same fashion that winter hearty garlic and specialty herbs have become higher value per acre alternatives to corn and potatoes. At $9/lb for his crop, a garlic farmer reflects the same small is beautiful philosophy and approach that alpaca farmers seem to have embraced.

While sheeps wool is sold in the $4/lb range, alpaca farmers in the region report getting $40/lb for their fine fleeces and they may get 5-8 pounds per animal from each Spring shearing. Alpaca fleece is almost as fine as Cashmere, has no lanolin, is hypoallergenic for most people and is thought to be four times warmer than sheeps wool. Alpaca fiber comes in 22 natural colors that include rose gray, true black and maroon-red, so most alpaca is sold to hand spinners, knitters and weavers naturally colored although it can be dyed. Most alpaca fleece is being custom processed at mini-mills here in New England that often run just one fleece at a time cleaning, carding and spinning it into yarn. Again the small is beautiful approach applies to this growing cottage industry. New England has more mini-mills custom processing alpaca, angora, cashmere and other specialty fibers than anywhere else in the United States.

With its abundance of old fields and farmland and its farming tradition, New England is the perfect place for these hearty animals. Their incredibly warm fleece takes them through the cold New England winters and the alpacas are shorn before the heat of the summer. If you are interested in a small is beautiful alternative livestock lifestyle, you can visit nearly fifty different alpaca farms which are holding the 4th Annual Alpaca Farm Holiday Tour on both weekends of November 26th & 27th and December 3rd & 4th. Most farms will be selling luxurious alpaca sweaters, blankets, hats, vest, scarves and other apparel that will make the warmest of holiday gifts.
To find a list of farms near you as well as driving directions visit www.neaoba.org and click on Holiday Tour. 

The author Terence Callery and his wife Bonnie own Village Farm Alpacas in Waldoboro, Maine where they keep 16 alpacas and run a small farm store.

PHOTOS OF ALPACAS, ALPACA FARMS AND ALPACA FASHION CAN BE FOUND AT:
http://www.alpacainfo.com/mediacenter/photos.html

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