Alpacas

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cuttman

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I am hoping this topic is ok to discuss on this board as I didn't see where it would fit elsewhere. My question is I have about 15 head of beef cattle and was thinking about getting some alpacas to raise and see if I would be interested in them for a small business. I have plenty of room and enough pasture to separate both animals and raise orchard grass hay now. Has anybody else done this or neighbors or family involved with these animals. I could go to the alpaca sites, but they are there to sell their industry. Hoping to get some opinions and input from you folks. Thanks for your time.
 
I've seen some of the ads about them on TV but never followed up on it. I'm sure if you found a market you could make some money but have no idea what the initial capital outlay would be.
 
cuttman":1kmbyydf said:
I am hoping this topic is ok to discuss on this board as I didn't see where it would fit elsewhere. My question is I have about 15 head of beef cattle and was thinking about getting some alpacas to raise and see if I would be interested in them for a small business. I have plenty of room and enough pasture to separate both animals and raise orchard grass hay now. Has anybody else done this or neighbors or family involved with these animals. I could go to the alpaca sites, but they are there to sell their industry. Hoping to get some opinions and input from you folks. Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...
The only successful alpaca farmers are the ones selling them to other people to get them started in the business
kinda like the Emu, Ostrich and and other exotic breeds that fklourish for awhile

I knew a man in the Emu business he made out like a bandit they would have sales every month there at first and he would sell emu for 10-40,000 dollars it seemed then they would let a few go for 4-5000
I aksed him one time what he actually had invested in the Emu's and he said anywhere from 400-800 pr hd
heck he was selling fertilized emu eggs for $500-$1000 to folks who couldn't afford the $5k Emu's
in reality the rafters bought the 10-40k emu's and that sucked in the buyers for the 4-5k emus after about 18 months he got out and the people who bought the emu's had some big birds worth whatever they could get out of them which wasn't much
Llamas were the same way and I am sure the Alpaca's will be also
 
ALACOWMAN":4ydkkr7m said:
i remember when the emu market crashed, those at the bottom of the emu pyarmid... turning their birds loose...
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Yeah, some in one of my pastures. Have you ever seen how even calm cows go absolutley nuts when they see them things running amongst them
 
Males should be a gift or no more than $100 if they are registered. Nice females are still worth up to $300. They are a total niche market and with a lot of fads only the seed stock people ever really made out. I can remember buying a few for $2000 when the first got popular. (Don't worry I never kept one, always for customers.) They are cute and friendly though, but so is about any animal if cared for.
We have a neighbor that does felting with alpaca wool and sheep wool. They have enough wool stacked in there shed that would last fruit of the loom a few years of sock production.
Buy more cows!
 
The people behind my house raised Alpacas. They said they sold one for $10,000. Bought a van and delivered it somewhere in Colorado. They said they got $10/ounce for the hair or something like that but it doesn't weigh anything and seems they had a big pile of it in the garage. Yes they do spit. Yes they do stink. When the family had to move I bought all their land and their home and bulldozed down the fences so no one will ever be able to have those stinking alpacas in my backyard ever again. Its been about six years now and the grass is finally beginning to grow again. BTW - I don't like the nasty spitting stinking animals.
 
Not so much suckered, I like to think of it as an education. Never really cheated anyone but have educated a few.
 
ALACOWMAN":3ukxxlwv said:
i remember when the emu market crashed, those at the bottom of the emu pyarmid... turning their birds loose...
Click to expand...

Pyramid being the operative work. same for alpacas. Based on the greater fool theory. "i know i am a fool for buying them, but plan on finding a bigger fool to sell them to"
 
dun":2s7e7rok said:
ALACOWMAN":2s7e7rok said:
i remember when the emu market crashed, those at the bottom of the emu pyarmid... turning their birds loose...
Click to expand...
Yeah, some in one of my pastures. Have you ever seen how even calm cows go absolutley nuts when they see them things running amongst them
Click to expand...

Yep...pushing a group of holsteins down the fence toward a corral one day....dang emu stood up in the ditch all of a sudden and we dang near had a stampede...right over me !!!! It was one of many that had been turned loose into the wild.
 
hrstrader":3lxu9iqt said:
Not so much suckered, I like to think of it as an education. Never really cheated anyone but have educated a few.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the "school" had pretty high tuition.
 
Douglas":2wvqfpy5 said:
ALACOWMAN":2wvqfpy5 said:
i remember when the emu market crashed, those at the bottom of the emu pyarmid... turning their birds loose...
Click to expand...

Pyramid being the operative work. same for alpacas. Based on the greater fool theory. "i know i am a fool for buying them, but plan on finding a bigger fool to sell them to"
Click to expand...

Mary Kay has made a billion with her pyramid. Same for some of the others who got in early.
 
Alpacas, emus, ostriches...just another pyramid scheme...lol.

Do they taste like chicken?

IMO, anything that has to be groomed, sheared, etc., is a lot of work waiting to happen. At least with cattle, you don't have to give them a haircut and figure out what to do with their hair (or offspring)... :lol:
 

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