Facts For Alpaca Breeding

Alpaca breeding can be compared in some instances to other grazing animals. Since they are exotic animals not native to the United States, it is best to research prior to breeding to ensure success and avoid trauma and injury to the animals.

These docile, long necked camelids (members of the mammal family that includes the alpacas, camels, llamas, vicuna and guanacos) are native to South America and are quite at home with cold temperatures and mountainous or rocky terrain. When taken from their native habitat, they should be monitored in warm summer months to ensure they do not get heat exhaustion that can cause impotency and death. They must have shade, fans, and/or air conditioning and plenty of extra water during warmer months.

The types are divided by the difference in their fiber. Huacayas are common and have soft, fluffy, thick fleece with a cotton ball appearance. Less common Suris have a longer, dangling, dreadlock appearance to their fiber. They make up less than 10% of the worldwide population of alpacas.

Females are induced ovulators, meaning they simply need to be placed in the presence of a male and hear his sounds and witness his actions to ovulate and be ready to mate. This sets them apart from other animals that have specific breeding seasons. Even so, most breeders prefer to schedule mating so the young appear in the spring. Problems can arise if the farmer does not have sufficient space to separate mature males and females to prevent unwanted mating.

Males may try to mate at younger than three years, but generally do not impregnate a female until after that age. Females should not be bred until being over a year old to prevent trauma or damage that could render the female unable to bear future young.

For different reasons, different methods of breeding are used, depending on the amount of accuracy needed in the sire and calculation of due dates of the young. Artificial insemination is an option, although not often used. If the alpacas are tame and halter broken, they can be hand bred, which consists of being held during the process of mating. This ensures the sire and date of impregnation. Pen breeding is common and less time consuming for the handler as a male and one or more females are placed in a pen and observed until mating has completed. Paddock or pasture breeding is the most natural, but does not allow for any control by the handler for exact sire and exact date of impregnation and is not commonly used when specific bloodlines are being maintained.

It would be best for new farmers to consult a professional for advice on alpaca breeding before attempting it the first time.

By: Alan Stables

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Alan Stables organized the International Alpaca Congress in Madrid in 2010, and is well versed in alpaca farming . Alan has also written an ebook on how to start a successful alpaca farm, covering topics such as how to choose your foundation alpacas to how to make alpaca farms profitable.