Alpacas
 

Ok so my wife has wanted alpacas since she was a kid so we bit the bullit and got 4 of them . they are fairly maintence free as they mostly eat grass and a little hay but thats about it. now the problem is I just had them shorn and now I have 12 bags of Alpaca "Fiber" and dont really know what to do with it. Any one have any ideas?

We could have it cleaned and spun but would probably cost us what it would be worth though not sure. I do understand that the fiber is sought after but by whom?

Keep in mind these are not going to make us money more of a hobby and they are great with kids so almost better then a dog.

My ex was into weaving and spinning her own yarns... she made some really nice wool scarves and blankets... If there is a weaving guild or club near you they would love to have the Alpaca wool...

If you play your cards right you could get a really nice alpaca scarf or blanket out of the deal.

When I was in Peru a few years ago I brought Alpaca and Vicuna sweaters for my (soon to be ex) my mom and my sis in law...

I only know chickens....and now 6 turkeys but... google is your friend.

alpaca fleece sales reality check

https://www.google.ca/search?aq=f&sugexp=chrome,mod=16&sourceid=chrome&i e=UTF-8&q=how+do+you+sell+alpaca+fiber

will you build mufflers for them?

Ben,
I have the same issues...almost exactly. Fist year with four alpacas. Pile of bags of fiber. it's my wife's hobby I just supply the heavy lifting. She's doing a work share day at a larger farm to learn a bit more about the ins and outs.

Look for a spinning club/group and make a deal. I know there is a market.

Alpacas are fun to look at.


KT

Dansk or OEM? Kind of funny, shear them and then knit them scarfs (mufflers) to keep the warm with their own hair.

Looks like these are pretty healthy!

http://www.alpacafarmbc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&It emid=106

Nutrient-100g Beef Pork Lamb Alpaca
Calories 210 191 156 150
Protein 20.0 29 20 23.1
Fat 15 7.5 7.7 5.7
Cholesterol 12.1 9.1 6.0
Iron 15% 9% 20%

so how is it going then for you? I go out there and work with them some. and have learned that they can be jumpy but also very friendly. It is funny to see them interact with the chickens and try to eat the chicken feed.

Ha! not so sure on that I dont do any day to day work for the business anymore so maybe that will be part of my R&D role;)

Alpaca wool is sought out by craft people. I see it for sale on eBay from time to time.

One of our llama lawnmower kids saying hummmmmmmmm howdy.

for your wool, run an ad on craigslist, but I'd first send out a sample for micron testing to see how fine it is.....



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1338487170.jpg

bad ass guys. bad ass!

I had 3 llamas pack in 225 pounds of camping gear for a 2 night hike/stay. Inflatable airm atresses, big lantern, real food, real beer. Heck only think on my back was 50 pounds of flyfishing gear float tube and waders/fins.

I've been keeping Llamas for over 16-17 years, if anyone has any questions, post 'em or send me a pm. Had 7 of them once, sold the 3 girls, have the 4 boys still. Great lawn mowers for 5 acres, and produce awesome garden "Llamalizer."

Awesome coloring. We have been toying with getting a llama as a gaurd animal maybe we should? have the room. do they have the same basic habbits as Alpacas? Poop in the same spot etc? I assume you still have to grind their teeth etc?

Very cool Ben. Please post a few pics of the critters. All good ideas above or you could also donate the fiber and enjoy a tax credit.

I always like miniature donkeys myself :D

There's two Alpaca 'ranches' within five miles of my house, I'll have to see if I can find out what they do with the shearings.
Jim

I've always liked Llamas and Alpacas. They seem like good pets too.
Until we visited a farm and for some reason one of them spat all over my wife, she was really surprised. No warning at all ! It was mostly water and hay not really gross, but a powerful shot.

There is an alpaca farm near our house on Grosse Ile, MI. Here's their FaceBook page... maybe they can help you out?

Gibraltar Bay Alpaca Farm - Agricultural Service, Business Services - Grosse Ile, MI | Facebook