The Poultry Keeper

tracey061196

Hi

I am thinking of purchasing 3 - 4 Alpacas to roam with my sheep and keep them as pets.

Does anyone have any knowledge of them Confused

I have spoken to my local vet who said if need be he would check any over for me and i have spoke to a few breeders. There seems to be such a wide variety of them from age to price. I would look at purchasing males and the prices vary from £300 - £1200 each.

I would look to have the short fleece rather than the long haired ones.

Can anyone help and advice they have??

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 1986 Location: norfolk

Do you get Country Smallholder magazine? They have regular features. There's an alpaca farm just up the road from me. Love their teddy bear faces! Sorry, don't know a lot more about them.

tracey061196 · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:56 pm Post subject:

Hi again

Yeh i do have the mag, i went on the the British Alpaca Website and emailed all the local breeders to myself (somerset). I have looked at 2 lots so far, and im looking at another lot on Sunday nr Crewkerne.

There are so many things about them to look out for, e.g is all ok with Feet / Teeth / Mouth / Fleece / etc etc.

The males range from about £350- £1200 each and the females anything from £2,500 - £30,000 which i think is LOADS of money.

Bhindi · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:16 pm Post subject:

Well I'm most envious, I would dearly love to have some, I did a lot of research on them a while ago, & I was reading a magazine about them, and about a couple in Perth Australia, who have this amazing setup and then I saw the family name 'Wheeler', and it only turned out to be my Aunt & Uncle who are somewhat estranged from my side of the family, who run probably the largest Alpaca ranch in Aus. & possibly almost the world. Somewhat gob smacked and very jealous was I. Damn my father who ruined the family ties.. You only have to Google Windsong Valley, and automaticly Alpaca info comes up!! (thats the setup in Perth)

Toft farm, which is quite a well known setup is very nearby to me here, I sometimes think about getting some of there's and paying them to have keep them in their field, but I would want them where I could see them all the while. Besides there very useful to keep the foxes at bay too.

I just have to keep dreaming..

I don't know where I got this picture from, but I adore this one

debcat · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:32 pm Post subject:

Bhindi, it's a small world, I've got family near there as well Smile

Bit further south now although they used to live just outside Perth, one day hopefully I'll go visit

Bhindi · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:35 pm Post subject:

Ive lived in Perth twice. First time I was about 5, and that was only for about 2 years. 2nd time was I emigrated at the age of 18. Stayed out there for about 8 years that time. Ive been back 3 times since to see my brother who's still there, but here is definitely home for me now.

Your right it is a VERY small world nowadays.

CP · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:58 am Post subject:

I have also heard that they're good for keeping foxes away. Wink

Don't know any more about them though.

tracey061196 · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:38 pm Post subject:

Well, i have 5 alpcas on there way.

I have purchased 3 castrated males which are coming up to 2 years old, 1 black, 1 white, 1 white and fawn. 2 females 1 white and 1 brown and white, the brown and white one is pregnant and due 26th of july.

I will be putting them first in a field of their own and then i will introduce my 8 sheep.

They are so called very good for protecting chickens and livestock from dogs and foxes.

I will send photos when they arrive.

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 1986 Location: norfolk

How exciting! Please post piccies, I'm very envious!

tracey061196 · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:53 pm Post subject:

Yeh pics will be on here when they arrive.

I have the girls coming friday as Bella the pregnant female only has a few weeks left to go till she gives birth and should be settled in time. The boys are being castrated this week and need to stay on the farm so the breeder can keep an eye on them just to make sure they are ok.

I am very interested in them as i could watch them for hours, they make a Humming noise to each other, and unfortunatly they can spit at each other Shocked

Theirs names are Bella, Maya, Barnaby, Shane, and Orlando

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1406 Location: Manchester

Bhindi · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:04 am Post subject:

Im pleased for you, I would so dearly love to have some, and that humming is lovely. I think they have to be quite stressed to spit, and as they are such laid back animals I doubt if you will ever see them do it.

If I could just buy my neighbours gardens, I could have enough space for 2.. god i wish.

tracey061196 · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:21 am Post subject:

Well they've arrived.

I thought that i may only have the girls on friday but the boys came to. Maya one of the females still has her baby with her and will be staying with me until October some time as she is only 2 months old then she will be going back to the seller.

They are so nice and peaceful to watch, they are quite shy at the moment and i go in the field everyday and stand there for awhile just so they will get to know me. This morning i went in the field, and sat on a bucket within about 10 mins they were walking over to me.

I will take some pics later and put them on her.

Bradders · Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 962 Location: Cambridgeshire

Me and Spana want some Alpacas but Spanas OH won't let us. Sad

tracey061196 · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:29 pm Post subject:

They are really cute animals and always have their eyes on something, they never take their eyes off of me when i walk in the field.

Well lets hope this works, this is a picture of Bella who is pregnant and due next month. They have all be sheard apart from Barnaby the black one.

and this one is of Maya and her cria, the cria is 2 months old