Alpaca Husbandry

You and Your Veterinarian
You and Your Veterinarian
Overall, alpacas are healthy creatures. Keep them safe, and many alpacas will never have to see a veterinarian. However, we have had the occasional dystocia, broken leg or some other... Read more...
To Grain or Not to Grain?
To Grain or Not to Grain?
There is some controversy among alpaca producers about the feeding of grain. Apparently there is some question regarding whether or not it can be digested by alpacas. Or maybe some... Read more...
Making the Most of Trade Shows & Local Markets
Making the Most of Trade Shows & Local Markets
Yes, for the most part trade shows can feel like a lot of work without necessarily a full payback.  However, its up to you to get the most out of... Read more...
Preparing Your Fleece - From Skin to Skein
Preparing Your Fleece - From Skin to Skein
The most successful alpaca breeders are those who have developed a formal marketing program for their livestock.  When it comes to fiber produce by their livestock each year, however, few... Read more...
Where Does All That Baby Alpaca Fiber Come From?
Where Does All That Baby Alpaca Fiber Come From?
When I was first getting into alpacas, I kept on seeing tags on almost every article of clothing as being "Made from Baby Alpaca".  I was amazed at how many... Read more...
Alpaca Pneumonia
Alpaca Pneumonia
The trick about alpacas is that they are very stoic - they can look fine and then they can just go downhill quickly and die.  It can be extremely frustrating... Read more...
Composting Alpaca Manure
Composting Alpaca Manure
Composting is an essential part of degrading manure.  Composting reduces the volume of the non-composted material by 70-80% - and all you need to do is let it "cook".  The... Read more...
Alpaca Emac - A Lethal Parasite
Alpaca Emac - A Lethal Parasite
Eimeria Macusaniensis ( commonly called Emac ) is a type of coccidia seen only in alpacas. There are four types of coccidia seen in alpacas. Emac is rarely seen or identified... Read more...
infected alpaca tooth x-ray
An In-Depth Look at an Alpaca Tooth Abscess
Tooth abscess, also known as dental abscess and root abscess, is a condition in which pus is collected in the tissues surrounding a tooth, due to a bacterial infection. It... Read more...
Alpaca Tooth Abscess
Alpaca Tooth Abscess
Alpaca Tooth Abscess On occasion, you will begin to see a bulge on the lower jaw of an alpaca.  Usually it starts the size of a marble and can grow... Read more...
Cria Milk Substitute Comparisons
Cria Milk Substitute Comparisons
 On occasion, we have had to feed our cria using a milk substitute. Sometimes the mother was not producing enough milk, was completely absent or the cria was too sick to... Read more...
A Checklist for Hosting An Event Open to the Public
A Checklist for Hosting An Event Open to the Public
Once again we held our open house the public.  We average about 600 people per year at our farm, inviting the public to see the babies, view all of our... Read more...