Category: Caring For Alpacas

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AlpacaCam

It was apparent that with pregnant females due soon and me having a full time job I would need camera’s in the barn so I could keep an eye on them while I was in the office.  That way if I see someone in labor I could quick pack up and drive home to assist if need be. 

The biggest problem with cameras is they are expensive!  A system can run you easily $1-4,000!  Yeah, ok this is a working farm and every dollar spent is a dollar of profit lost.  Keep in mind that the IRS frowns upon hobby farms.

So, when I went shopping for a camera system I wanted to find something that fit my budget and still gave me the functions and features I wanted.  What I ended up finding was the IP Video 9100A (Plus).  It’s a very small video server that lets you plug in up to 4 RCA composite video cameras.  This made me very excited.  Why?  Because composite video cameras are considered to be old hat and are very inexpensive now days thanks to everyone switching to wireless cameras.  Even better I happened to have a lorex sg6183W  camera that my father-in-law gave us a few months back that would work.  Free is good! 

It turns out that with this product you have to be computer savvy.  Actually, not too savvy just competent.  Directions are nonexistent and as long as you’re the type of person who can think outside of the box and have enough networking background it really sets up quickly.   For us it was actually as easy as plugging it in, making sure it had the updated firmware, setting up a port forward and viola, we had video. 

I can’t wait to get a few more cameras so I can watch the girls no matter where they are not just in the run-in.

 Here’s a photo from the camera to see what our view looks like.  My only complaint is that the infrared is pathetic.  I think I might pick up an IR flashlight that will help light up the area at night better.

While I’m watching my fiber grow you should check out what other folks are doing with it on Fiber Arts Friday!

AlpacaCam
AlpacaCam
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Alpaca and her Pool

My prego girl Bella protecting her kiddie pool even from me. If I got to close to it this morning she’d prance up and down the fence and make gastly noises at me. Thankfully she didn’t spit.
alpacapool

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How much does it cost to care for an alpaca?


When writing a business plan for your new alpaca adventures the ultimate question is what does it cost to care for an alpaca per year?   The truth is a lot more than what you’re really thinking about but we’ll get into that later.  What most folks want to know is the bare bones after the big one time purchases.   

The following numbers are based on what it cost me to care for 1 alpaca in 2008. A few things about our farm; animals are on full pasture for 6 months of the year and on hay for the winter. Our water buckets are heated in winter and fans are on 24/7 in the summer.  The numbers were broken down to literal cost per head.  For example:  If I bought a box of 100 syringes for $20 but only used 14 syringes on 1 animal that year the cost per head = $3.

Cost per head per year in Western NY for 2008:

Hay: $38.50
Grain: $30
Minerals: $4
Wormer: $24
Rabies: $20
CD&T: $2
Syringes: $3
Vet Misc: $30
Heated Water (electric): $20
Summer Fans (electric): $10
Shearing: $25
Teeth: $10
——————–
Total: $216.50

Sounds like you could make a profit on that right?  I know what you’re thinking.  Alright! All I have to do is sell 1 female alpaca and poof massive profit!  It’s time to think a bit harder before you get too excited.  Remember you have to think of your start up costs too.  Cost of the livestock, property, buildings, fencing, electric, trash, water, equipment, gas, marketing, fiber processing, show fees, travel, and the list just goes on and on and on.   Don’t panic!  It’s not that bad since anything farm related has a nice tax benefit to it.   Also, the # of animals you have depends on your cost per head.  The more animals you have the lower cost per head.  It’s always much more expensive to care for 1-2 animals than it is 20-30.  The Vet charges per visit not per head!  You’re also running fans, heating water, buying supplies that expire before you can use them, etc for 1 animal or 20.   Right now our cost per head is pretty high since we only have 8 alpacas so all of my expenses are divided by 8.   Some of the larger farms I’ve talked to claim they have managed to get their cost per head down to $65-75.   Efficiency is the key.

The best thing to do before your first purchase is to be prepared.  On farm visits ask tons of questions and write down everything!  Talk to accountants, and constantly reference your business plan to make you stay on course.  Alpaca ownership can be very rewarding and comfortably profitable.  Like with any new business it does take time to settle in and make a profit.  The best thing about alpaca ranching is you can easily keep a full time job while managing your foundation herd until the investment starts to turn a profit.  Many alpaca farms I visited still keep that full time day job and the ones that opted to fully give up the rat race managed to leave in 3-5 years.

See Our Other Posts!
 Starting an Alpaca Farm: New Buyers Guide
Agisting Vs Farm Ownership
Alpaca and Taxes

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Adding Zinc to Your Alpaca’s Diet:

There are several articles out there about zinc deficiencies in alpacas.  Some make a big deal out of it while others say that hardly any alpacas have an issue with low zinc levels.   Some say some skin problems or the lack of hair on the nose of a black alpaca can be attributed to a zinc deficiency while others state it’s itching and flies or mites.

I’m not here to give medical advice but would like to let you know what method I use to make sure my alpacas have a low dose of zinc in their diets.  Better yet, it’s probably the cheapest supplement program you’ll hear of I’m sure.

What’s my solution? I use Galvanized Carriage Bolts.  A Galvanized bolt has a zinc coating and when submerged, the zinc slowly dilutes into the water.    I like this method because all alpacas will drink water so you’re sure they are getting a low zinc dose with it. 

I use (2) ½” carriage bolts per 5 gallons.  Depending on how often you have to fill/change your water, the bolts should last 6 months to a year.  You’ll know when it’s time to change out your bolts because the zinc coating on them will no longer be visible.