How to raise alpacas (notes for alpacas)

Alpacas are gentle, smart and humane, suitable for captivity, and are one of the important livestock in South America. What should be paid attention to when raising alpacas? The following is the content of Pokémon on how to raise alpacas. I hope you like it!

How to raise alpacas

Daily cooking

Up to 10 alpacas can be raised on one acre of grassland. They will not uproot grass or other plants, so they are considered more suitable for pasture breeding than most livestock. As long as there is a specific pasture with hay in winter, alpacas can be raised. Orchards are a good choice. In fact, most breeders will feed some feed, and pregnant alpacas or mother alpacas with calves should naturally enjoy this treatment. Feed some insecticide pills or pesticides every 30 days, and most breeders will also supplement some minerals, because these drugs can effectively ensure that the content of Cochlear Bacterium in each alpaca is moderate.

Disease prevention and control

Alpacas can only be sheared once a year. Do not dirty the alpaca wool when shearing. Before shearing, keep the alpaca in a pen without any dirt for at least 4 hours without eating or drinking. Prevent three types of pollution: one is natural pollution, the second is external pollution, and the third is pollution caused by daily care.

Natural pollution mainly refers to the colored hair on white alpacas, because these hairs cannot be dyed into light-colored textiles. Withered yellow hair is formed by long-term accumulation of lanolin and sweat gland secretions. Feces and urine pollution are also naturally formed. Careful care and feeding habits can try to avoid these problems.

External pollution is mainly caused by the living environment of alpacas, including factors such as pasture: thorny grass, grass seeds, thorns, grass stalks, small branches, bark, etc.

Choose a farm

The first step is to build an alpaca barn

First, consider preparing enough space for the alpacas and a design that suits them. The geographical location will affect the design of the barn. In the northern United States, closed barns are generally designed to prevent extremely cold and strong winds, while in the southern region, barns surrounded on three sides are more suitable for summer breezes. Alpacas can withstand cold weather, but need to find a place to cool down in hot weather. You can install the air conditioner at the innermost part of the barn, so that the cold air can be blown to every corner, which can especially help pregnant female alpacas survive the hot summer. Some alpacas even lie under the air conditioner and by the sink all day long, and come out to eat grass in the morning and evening. They are called "barn potatoes."

The stalls and doors should be designed to move the alpacas from one pasture to another, and there should be a fence that allows easy access to the alpacas for catching or vaccinating them, as long as the door is designed to be convertible to achieve dual purposes. A good size for housing 10 to 15 alpacas is about 15×20 feet. The pie-shaped design allows each fence door to reach all areas of the barn, and it is usually divided into a certain number of sections to allow for the occasional transfer of alpacas from one pasture to another. Even the most fertile pastures cannot withstand overgrazing, especially during the long winter.

Automatic drinking water systems can be used in each stall. The equipment is cheap and easy to install, so that the alpacas can always have access to sufficient water. Feed the alpacas individually with buckets, or use long troughs for group feeding. Some alpacas may eat more than others, so it may be wise to place several long troughs in a fence.

The second step is to build a fence

The fence should be able to prevent attacks from other animals and the escape of alpacas. The material for building the fence can be steel pipes or other sturdy materials. The height of the fence should be between 2.5 and 3 meters, and the interval between each steel pipe should be about 10 centimeters.

The third step is to choose a suitable grassland

This step is particularly important. Only a fertile and clean grassland can raise alpacas with high-quality alpaca wool.

Precautions for raising alpacas

Alpacas can generally only be sheared once a year. Alpaca wool that has grown for 365 days can be sheared in two or three days. The degree to which alpaca owners pay attention to shearing alpacas can reflect whether the alpaca wool is popular or not.

In 1998, the production of alpaca wool was extremely low. Because there was no sunny day. Remember: Never cut wet wool! Adequate preparation before shearing is very important for the smooth shearing of alpaca wool. The same precautions apply to large-scale shearing and personal shearing. Arrange all personnel in advance, divide the work in detail, prepare shearing machines and shearers, and prepare procedures in advance to avoid mistakes.

First of all, don't dirty the alpaca wool. Before shearing, keep the alpaca in a pen without any dirt for at least 4 hours without eating or drinking. There are usually three types of pollution methods: one is natural, the second is external pollution, and the third is dirt caused by daily care.

Dust, soil, gravel, mud, and volcanic ash are all attached mineral pollution. This dirty environment can be avoided by improving the grassland environment and setting up a suitable alpaca defecation area.

When pastures that were once used for horses, cows, or goats are used for alpacas, horse, cow, goat, and other hair that they leave behind can get caught in the wool, as can jute, sisal, debris from burlap sacks, filters, and carpet debris. So many strange things can get mixed into alpaca wool: foam, rocks, combs, toys, beer or soda cans, everything. When filters are rolled into alpaca wool, these synthetic fibers look like alpaca wool, but they cannot be dyed.

Polypropylene (plastic) is a major contaminant because it is often used in packaging, including feed bags, ropes, etc. These plastics break down and contaminate the final product of these alpaca wool products, because the content of various components in the alpaca fiber is only measured when the final product comes out.

Daily contamination is mainly caused by care, such as: paint brands, insecticides, and parasite droplets.

animal tags：