Do you have ANY idea how much alpacas go for? You know, alpacas? Those long-necked teddy bear creatures roughly the size of a human with four long legs? Alpacas sell between $30,000 - $70,000+ not to be confused with llamas which go for a tenth of that price. I was watching this DVD on knitting the other night (how to) to improve my basic skills of the craft and was really impressed with the diversity and depth of information presented, including a little segment on the various types of fibers used for textile production. A former school teacher explained how she became a full-time alpaca farmer on her 14 acres of land, first part-time with two females and then began boarding other alpacas for folks who lived in the city. You can fit 8 alpacas on one acre of land and these South American darlings love cool air, rocky terrain, and a good stone dust pile to roll in. You know what else? They all poop in one place, like cats. Its called a communal dung pile and that means they are safe to bring inside for tea party if you like!

 

Alpacas are bred for their fiber whereas llamas, which are three times as big, are bred for their hair (which have stiff guard hairs that you have to remove, unlike alpacas), hauling things around like a donkey, and in South America- meat. :(

 

Alpaca hair- deemed "fiber", is sold for $20-60 a pound and if spun into yarn will fetch around $120-$160 a pound. First of all, the annual yield of their fiber will cover the maintenance cost of one alpaca. Second, you have a herd of female alpacas which birth one baby called a cria per year which will sell for approximately $15,000. You can choose to keep the babies (wise) and compound your herd OR sell the 1-2 year olds starting at $20,000. Females who have produced offspring at least once, sell at a starting price of $30,000 and go up from there depending on how many ribbons they have earned at the shows. Males sell for less but those that are superior and have won many ribbons are kept intact for breeding and will fetch a price up to $750,000.

 

Alpacas are DARLING creatures. They love humans, are very sociable and affectionate, have no upper teeth and never bite, padded feet, and are absolutely lovely. They are so incredibly sweet I can hardly wait to own my own alpaca herd!

 

Options are simple- buy some acreage or board them at a farm. If you live east of the Mississippi where white-tailed deer live, you must worm monthly. White-tailed deer are host to a very nasty and lethal worm called the meningeal worm and it attacks the nervous system causing paralysis and then death. You will also have to trim their hooves and shear their fiber once a year. If the land your own or board them at does not have rocky terrain and is primarily grass, you will have to trim their toenails more than once a year. They are native to mountains and are subject to heat stroke and therefore are more suited to cooler climates in America. If you live in the South, you will have to spray their bellies with water everyday in the summer and provide cool baths and big fans for them.

 

Alpacas do not like closed in or dark barns. They need lots of light and a sense of openess. A simple shelter in their field, without walls, will suffice. 99% of all alpacas live in South America with a small percentage living in the United States. The United States Alpaca Association has forbidden any more imported alpacas from being registered to encourage the growth of the American Alpaca herd which currently totals 100,000. It takes 1,000,000 alpacas to support a commercial sized fiber mill which produces finished yarn. Currenly, alpaca fiber is in VERY high demand and South America sells out every year followed by the American producers.

 

You may think that alpacas are WAY out there and that it is not for you- but, if you DO think that- you're wrong. Many alpaca farms offer creative financing which amount to about $150-$300 a month for about 4 years, almost like you are buying a car. A car depreciates. An alpaca will GIVE you over $30,000 a year in livestock and fiber. You'd be a fool not to consider owning an alpaca herd. That's right. I said it, a F-O-O-L.

 

In these tough times, everyone is losing jobs or getting their hours cut back and who the hell isn't sick of the 9-5? Its time to get self-sustained and pursue your passions. Alpacas allow you to do that. The stock market is f$cked, jobs are hard to come by unless you are going green (go Obama!), and frankly- aren't you sick of working in an office on a sunny day?

 

Alpacas provide the financial incentive to strike out on your own. Sure it is a niche market but, it is 100% all the way up. You absolutely cannot lose. It is precisely because it is so bizarre that makes the demand for alpaca fiber so consistent and insistent, year after year. America owns less than 1% of all alpacas in the world....

 

Alpacas offer the American freedom from being a slave to the job and the ability to pursue your arts. If you board your alpacas at an alpaca farm, you will quickly recoup your costs, within the first year. Alpacas are pack animals and cannot survive alone. Seriously consider the benefits of owning your own alpaca. It may be the bizarre salvation you have been praying for.