Colorado alpaca adventures today: Alpacas are low-maintenance animals that require minimal housing needs and lower veterinary bills than many other types of livestock. They graze, not pull, plants down to the roots, so they help maintain pastures and reduce the need for supplemental feeding. Their padded feet cause less wear and tear on the ground than a horse’s hooves, making them an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional livestock. Shearing and processing the fiber is a huge source of income for alpaca ranchers. They sell raw alpaca fiber to groups that turn it into finished goods and participate in local and national alpaca shows. They may also stud their females (female herd sires) with other alpaca owners for a fee. Read even more information at where to see alpacas in Denver, Colorado.
Understanding the economics of alpaca farming before investing in these animals is important. It is also a good idea to engage an accountant or tax specialist for guidance in setting up bookkeeping systems and determining the appropriate deductibles and allowances to apply to your particular situation. Alpacas are herd animals, and they thrive in social environments. They are primarily herbivores and subsist on a diet of grasses and hay, so pasture management is an important part of their overall well-being. Regular health checkups, vaccinations, and shearing are other important aspects of their overall care.
Still, you should always remember to treat alpacas with space and respect. Alpacas don’t like being grabbed or held, and they are often particularly sensitive to being touched on the head. Instead, allow them to approach you at their own pace. This often results in a much more rewarding and affectionate response. If you’re looking for an age-appropriate experience for the entire family, you’ve met your match. Interacting with alpacas is safe for everyone from little kids to elderly members of your crew. There are no age restrictions — kids 2 and under are free.
Alpacas breed once a year, and as livestock they are often induced to breed at any time. The female alpaca has a gestation period of 242 to 345 days and gives birth to just one offspring. The birthing process can take up to seven hours, according to National Geographic (opens in new tab). The baby alpaca, called a cria, weighs 18 to 20 lbs. (8 to 9 kg) when it is born. The cria is weaned at 6 to 8 months, and females are ready to reproduce at 12 to 15 months. Males take a bit longer to mature and are ready to mate at 30 to 36 months. Alpacas live up to 20 years.
It’s a photo-worthy activity: If you’re looking for a fun experience where you can take some Instagram-worthy shots, meeting alpacas is for you. You’ll be able to stand with them, pet them, feed them, and take photos with and of them. Not only are you interacting with an animal you’ve likely never hung out with before, but you’re also doing it in an incredibly scenic state. Capture some photos of you smiling with an alpaca for all your followers and friends to enjoy. Are you looking for an educational opportunity for your kids? Come enjoy an alpaca experience that’s not only fun but also informative. This alpaca experience takes place on a fiber farm. This type of farm raises animals like alpacas, sheep, goats, llamas, angora rabbits, and more for their fleece and wool.
Do alpacas make noise? Alpacas are very quiet, docile animals that make a minimal amount of sound. They do make a humming sound as a means of communication or to express concern or stress. Most communication between alpacas is nonverbal. Occasionally you will hear a shrill “alarm call,” which usually means they have spotted something of concern nearby, and they are warning others in the herd. The concern may be a predator, or may be something they are not familiar with, like a cow or horse in a neighboring field. Male alpacas also “serenade” females during breeding with a guttural, throaty sound called “orgling.” Find even more details at meetalpacas.com.
As with all livestock, owners and visitors should use common sense and a degree of caution when working around alpacas. People working with alpacas should wear long pants and shoes or boots that have traction and cover the whole foot. Proper handling of alpacas, as well as all camelids, requires humans gaining their trust by using a calm voice and light restraint. Handling alpacas for herd husbandry is best taught to novice alpaca owners by experienced owners or experts.
Alpacas have two sets of teeth for processing food. They have molars in the back of the jaw for chewing cud. In the front, alpacas have teeth on the bottom only and a hard gum (known as a dental pad) on the top for crushing grain, grass, or hay. Unlike goats and sheep that have long tongues which can rip plants out of the ground, alpacas have short tongues and nibble only the tops of grasses and other plants. This results in less disturbance of the vegetation. Alpacas will often eat shrubs or the leaves from trees if given the opportunity. This requires monitoring to ensure they do not consume harmful products.
Adorable, docile and soft, alpacas are prized as pets and cattle around the world. There are no wild alpacas. Alpacas are domesticated versions of vicuñas, South American ruminants that live high in the Andes. Alpacas are related to llamas, which are domesticated versions of another wild Andean ruminant, the guanaco. While llamas are used as pack animals, alpacas are raised mainly for their soft wool. Guanacos and vicuñas are found throughout the Andes Mountains. They are descended from camelids that developed in North America and migrated to South America 3 million years ago, according to Phil Switzer, an alpaca breeder based in Colorado. These animals evolved into guanacos and vicuñas, and about 6,000 years ago, people in the Andes began to domesticate them. There are two breeds of alpaca, the Huacaya and the Suri. Huacaya alpacas are more common, according to Switzer.