Many owners are small breeders who want to be part of a young, new industry. Alpacas are ruminants, that is, they chew cud like a cow. They do well on low protein hay or pasture, provided it has a balanced mineral content. Supplementary feeding should be given in winter and to females in the later stages of pregnancy. Alpacas do less damage than most other farm animals as they have pads, not hooves, so that degradation of the land is minimised.
Alpacas don t over eat but browse gently, allowing faster pasture regrowth.
Their dung makes excellent fertiliser and it s conveniently dropped in areas where animals avoid grazing. They are quite at ease with people and quick to learn. They can be moved easily around a farm without the aid of a dog. They can be easily transported from place to place in anything from a horse -float to a small van.