Posted on 03/08/2017 5:51:19 PM PST by GRRRRR
My Lady Jean and have a nice little ranch near Denver. On our tender little 35 acres, we have ten alpacas.
They belong to the Camelid family, llamas, vicuña and the true humpty humpers. They're cute too, so Lady Jean is happy.
We're expecting a baby "cria" in May. Our first breeding try.
We have all females except one old gelded male, Andy. You don't keep the boys and girls together as the boys will go through a fence if he gets the right wink!
We have two years of fleece, they get shorn once a year and yield around 3 to 5 lbs of quality fleece and can get $5/ounce of top quality! We're not there yet.
This year, we took in three geriatric 'pacas, all over 20 years old. The owner was moving and couldn't take them, so instead of putt them down we too 'em. They are so happy here and are eating like pigs! They can live well into their 20's.
Anyone out there have these fascinating, docile and animals too?
G
I’ve got a great alpaca sweater. Highly recommended!
The live ones do sound fun though....
Are you raising them just for the wool and meat?
I have a seventeen year old miniature llama, does that count? ;)
Bless you for taking in the old ones.Every living creature deserves a full and happy life.
I don’t have the animals, I did attend a ballon festival in Reading Township NJ many years ago and bought an alpaca sea shell shaped wall hanging/rug. Very soft fur and I still have it.
A woman FReeper had llamas or alpacas. She might turn up if you keep asking.
Except for mosquitos.
Mosquitos deserve never to be born/hatched.
Same for cone-nosed kissing bugs.
Just fleece.
Not much interested in eating them. Seen Alpaca jerky and it’s big in Australia.
What do they taste like? Do you get milk? Can you make cheese and butter?
Well,you got me there.I need to be more specific in the future.
But my intent was good.
Yea, the jerky sounds good... but I haven’t had it.
Do you sell them privately for meat? Something in the 60lb range (dressed) for our smoker? Do you ship?
Two weeks ago, my neighbor who has properties scattered around inherited a 4hr old baby blonde goat girl. His neighbor in Conroe, TX got a Llama who murdered 5 goats in ten minutes, including this baby’s mother and twin.
Still don’t know what to make of it. Bottle-feeding and burping this baby really got me to questioning: Alpacs are smaller Llama, so if you have any other livestock you may want to investigate that.
Two weeks ago, my neighbor who has properties scattered around inherited a 4hr old baby blonde goat girl. His neighbor in Conroe, TX got a Llama who murdered 5 goats in ten minutes, including this baby’s mother and twin.
Still don’t know what to make of it. Bottle-feeding and burping this baby really got me to questioning: Alpacs are smaller Llama, so if you have any other livestock you may want to investigate that.
Careful, they spit.
Good question, I have no idea. They do suckle their cria for about a year.
I don’t think they produce milk in a cow like manner. Will need to check!
A Llama can easily kill a human.A friend had several that she used as guards to protect her other stock.I never trusted them.
“Same for cone-nosed kissing bugs.”
Those things are HORRIBLE!
We’re a no kill property. Except for coyotes!
Now, if the electricity goes off and stays off, then they get put on the menu. After we make our way through the 100 head of beefs next door!
No, but I always wanted to!
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