Types of alpacas breeding

Types of alpacas breeding

Alpacas are graceful animals that can serve a variety of purposes. Breeders take care of them largely so that they can reproduce. However, there are other reasons why alpacas can be interesting. In Poland, alpaca breeding is not particularly popular, which is why it is a perfect field for people who would like to try such a business. These animals do well in our weather conditions, and they do not have excessive living requirements. The market for animal products such as wool or services such as alpacotherapy is really large.

If you are interested in alpacas and want to learn about the most popular business models for alpacas, please read this article.

Let's start with what these animals are mainly bred for. The most popular options are the broadly understood breeding and reproduction, then the sale of the fleece, alpacotherapy and the rental of reproductors. Each of these strategies brings financial benefits if properly managed.

Breeding animals for reproduction and resale is a common practice. There are two breeds of alpacas, huacaya and suri. The first of these accounts for as much as 85% of the entire world population. They differ from each other primarily in terms of the fleece. Huacaya alpacas fleece grows perpendicular to the skin, which translates into a greater volume. The annual growth of the fiber is approx. 5-10 cm. Suri alpacas have finer wool, creating spiral curls that hang down from their bodies. It is characterized by a distinct shine and greater annual growth, about 10-12 cm.

In order to breed these animals, the breeder must know that these two varieties should not be crossed with each other. Reproduction must only take place within the breed of the alpacas concerned. There are always a few parameters to follow if genetically good offspring are to be expected. First of all, it is important what stud we choose. Young cria gets the most genes from her father.

The breeder must carefully select individuals that will ensure the presence of the features desired in breeding. It should be noted whether these animals have the appropriate body weight, whether they are not sick, and what the quality of the fleece they have. In addition, less obvious things like the lack of deciduous teeth and the size of the testicles, which has a direct impact on the quality of coverage. The larger they are, the higher the probability that fertilization will take place.

Despite the necessity to select a suitable pair for reproduction, the breeder is not able to determine exactly which offspring will be born. The selection of genes during the formation of an embryo is random, just like in humans. However, it is clear that if the parents have the desired traits, the probability of having them in the offspring is very high.

Alpacas are bought by others so that they can start their own farm. Success in this field depends mainly on the breeder being able to predict which animals will be in greatest demand. The genetic line should be properly cared for to keep it at a high level. Thanks to this, the animals we obtain will be attractive to potential buyers. A breeder should sometimes buy new specimens from a different herd to add their noble qualities to the gene pool. This, in turn, will increase the unpredictability of what offspring will the breeder get. So be careful about this practice.

Another alpacas breeding strategy is to have good quality reproductors. Breeders then depend on having a male that is the best possible in terms of genetics, which translates into his appearance. Appearance and genes will have the most significant influence on whether the reproductor will be considered among other breeders.

Young alpacas can act as sperm donors after 3-4 years. So who will want to borrow areproductor? A common practice at the beginning, when cost optimization is important, is to purchase only females for breeding. In this case, the male will be hired by others so that their herd can reproduce. Also, when the goal is to obtain genetically perfect offspring, breeders often look for reproductors from other breeds. In order to introduce the desired trait, the breeder must carefully select the animals that will have offspring.

If you own a farm and develop an alpaca business, but rarely sell animals, you can make money from the products they provide. We are talking primarily about their wool, which is currently a very desirable fiber. It comes mainly from Peru, which supplies about 70% of world production. European countries have started to enter this market relatively recently, so the market for alpaca fleece is really big.

Their wool has high durability, and besides, it is several times warmer than sheep's wool. The fleece assessment starts with the thickness of the fiber. It is the more delicate the smaller its diameter - and this affects the higher price. Many factors contribute to the quality and thickness of the fleece, ranging from the obvious genetic considerations to the environmental aspects in which animals live.

Alpaca wool varies by breed, as we mentioned at the beginning of the article. Huacaya fiber will be perfect for hats, sweaters or socks, while suri for lace scarves and draped clothing.

Wool production costs can be significantly reduced if the breeder adopts the strategy of the majority of adult males in the herd. This means that it does not have female and young animals, so there is no need to organize separate runs and boxes for animals of the opposite sex. The financial burden associated with childbirth is also gone. The breeder can focus only on providing the first quality wool, taking careabout adult males.

The last strategy we will describe will be running agrotourism, including alpaca therapy. Alpacas are great for working with people because they are gentle in handling, they look beautiful and do not show aggressive behavior. For these reasons, zootherapy with their participation is gaining popularity. It is based on intercourse with these animals, which has a beneficial effect on the human nervous system. Thanks to their delicate nature and soft hair, they soothe the participants and allow them to calm down.

Alpacotherapy is recommended for people with anxiety, neurotic disorders, and more and more often also with depression. It can also be a remarkable aid in the treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer as it is effective in relaxing and reducing tension. This, in turn, is of great importance in the case of similar diseases, because it significantly reduces stress hormones, which are extremely unfavorable in excess.

Zootherapy with alpacas is also great for hyperactive children or the elderly who struggle with loneliness on a daily basis. Meetings in the pasture can be a beautiful opportunity to have intercourse with both animals and other participants of the therapy. You can look at the animals, but also look for physical contact, such as touching or hugging. This has scientifically proven health benefits.

Above, we have listed the four most common business models that alpaca farmers undertake. There are of course many more of them, you can combine them and try to act according to your own idea.