National Alpaca Farm Days

HomeSpun Alpacas will be celebrating National Alpaca Farm Day September 26 and 27.

Join us to learn more about alpacas and how these lovable creatures can change your life.

Alpaca fiber and products will be available for purchase.

Details to follow.

Reflections on Tubing a Cria

Teddy's mom does not produce enough milk which sometimes happens with first time moms. The predicament came when he refused a bottle. He not only refused, but was adamant in his expression of disgust of the whole thing. After trying for 4 days to get him to drink and waiting to see if his mother produced more milk, we went to the vet for help.

The vet watched the mother and cria interact and came to the same conclusion we had. They were both doing their part, but there was a shortage of milk. Sometimes the cria will only nurse on a teat or two instead of all 4 cutting its own milk consumption. Or the mother may not stand for the cria to nurse his fill. Teddy was going to all 4 teats and his mother was standing for as long as he nursed. So a bottle was attempted and refused with much fanfare.

I went home after a brief class on tubing and a weight/ounces to feed chart. And two warnings:

1. Make sure it goes in the esophagus and not the lungs: the wrong one will cause death.
2. Be sure to crimp the tube as it comes out so that the cria does not breathe in milk. This can cause pneumonia and possibly death. Every time I tube the poor guy, I am super aware of it going down the left.

So here we are 2 1/2 months later and I can tube a wiggly cria by myself. I can pour 12 ounces into the tube and not spill much. Teddy is healthy and growing. It is such a relief and joy to see him playing with the other crias.

A feeding every three hours 6 am until 9pm sounds okay until you realize that, unlike a human baby, you can't take this one with you. So I plan outings around his feedings.

Teddy is weighed every day to ensure that he is getting enough milk. While the chart is handy, it is not always on the mark. Right now, for instance, he is drinking 84 ounces at 29 pounds and only making a gain of 0.2 or 0.3 a day. The chart says he would be 35 pounds to get this much milk. When he stalls, I add more milk in small amounts, or if it looks to be a large amount, I add an extra feeding. If you feed too much, the excess can cause problems and make the cria ill. You don't want to fill the stomach more than half full. This week he is getting fed every two hours in the morning and every three in the afternoon/evening.

I used the feeding syringes when I first started. That was great when he only had 4 ounces at a feeding. Now I pour into the feeding syringe (sans plunger) with a drinking bottle. Makes it easier to control the flow and wiggle factor. I am looking for an empty mustard/condiment container to feed with. I had purchased these for fiber dyeing, but can't find them right now. The tip fits into the feeding tube directly making the whole process easier.

I have a skill I never wanted to learn, but it is a valuable one. If a cria needs colostrum, I can tube it, if the cria refuses the bottle.

Alpaca Business Plan Part 8 - Financials

Here is the hard part. What do you want to count for and against your alpaca business? That is completely up to you and your accountant. However, I would like to suggest some areas to discuss.

Animal expenses:

Vet visits
CDT
worming
pellets
minerals
hay
fiber testing
ARI registration
Stud fees
Microchips
Tools ( shovels, rakes, etc)
Supplies (1st aid, feed and water buckets etc)
halters and leads
sharpening service
membership in associations
books, videos, and seminars
alpaca purchases
alpaca insurance

If you look at the IRS publication 225 ( Farmer's Tax Guide) you get a feel for the sections.

Income from a purely alpaca standpoint would be from breeding, and selling of animals. If you branch out, then there are many income ideas: fiber, seminars, books, herd sitting, agistment are just a few.

Alpaca Business Plan Part 7, Farm Information

The farm information section is where you detail the accomodations you have made for the alpacas.

Where do you buy your hay?
Who is your vet?
What kind of pastures do you have? What kind of grass is in the pastures?
What kind of fencing do the pastures have?
What kind of shelter is available?
What is their water source?
How will you manage the manure?
Who will do the daily labor?
Do you need insurance?
What kind of pellet/mineral mix are you using?

These are the same kind of questions that people ask new buyers to ensure a good home. I am sure there are more I could ask, but that covers the basics. If you think I left one out, please let me know.

HomeSpun Alpacas has ~3 acres in pasture. It is currently divided into 4 pastures, but we rearrange as needed. The pastures are fenced in with 2x4 horse fence, woven. The pasture provides the majority of feed, but we buy about 2 ton Orchard grass hay for 16 alpaca from the local feed store.

We provide 3 sided shelters in each pasture for the alpacas. There are trough feeders in the shelters to feed pellets in. The pellets are provided by Puget Sound Nutrition Group. Dr Waltner provides the makeup for our area. The water is provided in buckets in the pasture from a well on the propery.

We have 2 vets, husband and wife. Puget Sound Vet Clinic. They have a nice hospital facility and do make farm calls.

I do all the daily labor. My husband and son help on the weekends and nights as needed.

The manure is composted and used in our garden. We have not outgrown the compost output yet.