How to Breed Alpacas
Many people breed alpacas for the sheer enjoyment of having a herd around. Be cautious, however, if you intend to breed these intelligent, sociable animals for profit; it often costs more to feed an alpaca than you will ever make from its fleece.
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Instructions
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Choose breeding animals wisely. Alpacas that are to be companion animals should be bred for temperament. Choose animals bred for fiber mainly for the superiority of their fleece, but consider all aspects of the breed standards when choosing mama and papa alpacas.
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Buy your breeding stock from a reputable breeder, but know a few things about alpacas, too, before making the transaction.
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Decide if you want to own an intact male alpaca or use a stud service. You'll need to keep an intact male separate from young alpacas and pregnant females, so the decision to keep one may depend on your facilities.
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Wait until the females are ready to breed. They are usually mature enough between 12 and 18 months old, but since they are "induced ovulators," they don't have estrus cycles, and it may be difficult to tell if a female is ready.
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Plan for babies, or "crias" to be born in the early spring; baby will be happy because it's not too cold, and mama will be happy because she's not too pregnant and hot. Alpaca gestation is approximately 11 and ½ months.
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Hand-breed, pen-breed or pasture breed your alpacas, depending on the availability of a male, your time commitment and your facilities.
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Wean the babies at 5 to 6 months of age or 60 pounds if you need to for sale, or let the female wean the cria herself. Females can be re-mated 2 to 6 weeks after they give birth.
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Tips & Warnings
Most births will take place on the pasture without any human intervention. Keep a close eye on the herd, though, for signs of dystocia when the due dates are near.
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Comments
View all 6 Comments-
delainie
Apr 18, 2008
Aw... heck, I'll write an article myself... it will be easier that way :o) -
delainie
Apr 18, 2008
Aw... heck, I'll write an article myself... it will be easier that way :o)
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delainie
Apr 18, 2008
are handleable. Choose bloodlines that have not produced blue eyes or congenital defects such as Choanal Atresia (CA - a boney growth in the nasal cavity of the cria which blocks breathing and warrants euthanasia by the vet if the cria does not die within a few hours of being born). There are no breed standards in the alpaca industry, so people breed for what is the "in thing" for the show judges that year. Step 2 : Reputable breeders are a little hard to come by. Know ALOT about alpacas and genetics before looking around. Leave your check book at home for the first 6 months to 1 year of farm visits and shows! Step 4: Females are ready to breed at the age of two, but it is not uncommon to take up to the age of four to conceive. Only those females of Bolivian Heritage should be bred at 110 pounds or 1 year of age to avoid fatty accumulations around the udders and reproductive organ
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delainie
Apr 18, 2008
are handleable. Choose bloodlines that have not produced blue eyes or congenital defects such as Choanal Atresia (CA - a boney growth in the nasal cavity of the cria which blocks breathing and warrants euthanasia by the vet if the cria does not die within a few hours of being born). There are no breed standards in the alpaca industry, so people breed for what is the "in thing" for the show judges that year. Step 2 : Reputable breeders are a little hard to come by. Know ALOT about alpacas and genetics before looking around. Leave your check book at home for the first 6 months to 1 year of farm visits and shows! Step 4: Females are ready to breed at the age of two, but it is not uncommon to take up to the age of four to conceive. Only those females of Bolivian Heritage should be bred at 110 pounds or 1 year of age to avoid fatty accumulations around the udders and reproductive organ
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delainie
Apr 18, 2008
There is quite a bit of not-so-accurate information in this brief description about alpacas. We have been breeding alpacas for 8 years, and have been in the industry for 12. Please correct the information you have posted... Step 1. Alpacas are never bred specifically to be companion animals. They cost too much for that. Companion animals - read: non-breeding quality males - are gleded and used as companions for other males such as weanling males and studs in a pen. NEVER put a gelding in with the females as a "companion"... they will still breed the female, and even though pregnancy may not result (unless there is a testicle that had not descended or they have an extra one that had not been removed), a uterine infection may result. If not caught early, the female will go sterile. Temperament does breed through. A good, even tempered stud is desireable to produce crias that are han
