BOOMERANG
Member
Anyone raise them? Is it worth it? Are they as easy to care for as they say?
Alpacas ?
- Thread starter BOOMERANG
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HoyeTractor
Gold Member, Approved Advertiser
I saw the commercials the other day. It looks like, at least to me, that it is going to be one of those things where, if you get in before everyone else you could possibly make money selling them until the market gets saturated. We had the big ostrich craze around here. Those who got in early made money until everyone else got into it. Then for a while they couldn't give them away. The market can only support so many ostriches. I do have to admit that alpacas are at least a little better looking animals than the ostrich.
Just my opinion
Just my opinion
Alpacas are easy to care for. 3 sided barn, water and food and your pretty much done. The problem is cost of the stock. The issue is who are you going to sell to? Llama's and Alpacas have two markets. Fiber market and animal resale market. Alpaca's are to expensive to make back any money using only the fiber. Resale to other breeders requires a lot of showing and smoozing, That takes time and some money.
Figure a quality female alpaca is going to cost $10000 to $2000 (yes 10 to 20 thousand), you have to sell lots of fiber at $2/ounce to make back your money. There are ads on TV and print that you can make a fortune in alpaca's. For those who got in early they might make some money, but as the seller base grows the market shrinks and value drops.
If you want wool, then llamas are reasonable cost effetive for quality fiber producing aniamls. $1000-$3000 for big name, under $1000 for put quality animals.
Figure a quality female alpaca is going to cost $10000 to $2000 (yes 10 to 20 thousand), you have to sell lots of fiber at $2/ounce to make back your money. There are ads on TV and print that you can make a fortune in alpaca's. For those who got in early they might make some money, but as the seller base grows the market shrinks and value drops.
If you want wool, then llamas are reasonable cost effetive for quality fiber producing aniamls. $1000-$3000 for big name, under $1000 for put quality animals.
EdKing
Platinum Member
Llamas are also good for protecting other stock from predators. My neighbor raises sheep and was having problems with coyotes. Since getting a llama and putting it in with the sheep, thier losses have dropped dramaticlly.
rf33
Gold Member
It sounds alot like the hype associated with ostriches. A really good rule of thumb for livestock is to only be willing to pay what the animal is worth dead. This guideline certainly has its exceptions, especially with breeding stock, but I think that you would have to be pretty darn fortunate to make enough money to cover your startup costs if a breeding pair goes for around $30,000.
cowboydoc
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You've gotten good advice. Stay away, FAR away. Only the ones that get in early are going to make money.
kcbarnes
Gold Member
Like you I also have an intrest in getting some Alpacas. So I sure do hope they go like gangbusters and saturate the market so the price drops out just like other animals have. I will just sit back and hope they come down.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
Boomerang,
I'm not sure if you are talking about raising the animals for
profit or not. But if you are beware. There was an large
report in the Wall Street Journal this week talking about how
much money was being lost by the ranchers raising Bison.
The rancher thought they would make lots of money on
Bison meat. They aint and they are selling off their herds.
If there is not money in Bison meat production I'm not sure
how one could make money selling fiber unless one is in on the
start of the market.
FYI,
Dan McCarty
I'm not sure if you are talking about raising the animals for
profit or not. But if you are beware. There was an large
report in the Wall Street Journal this week talking about how
much money was being lost by the ranchers raising Bison.
The rancher thought they would make lots of money on
Bison meat. They aint and they are selling off their herds.
If there is not money in Bison meat production I'm not sure
how one could make money selling fiber unless one is in on the
start of the market.
FYI,
Dan McCarty
Wingnut
Veteran Member
well, <font color=blue>of course</font color=blue> they're easy to raise and they can make you money .... as long as you're organizing pack tours of the Andes.
On the other hand ... if you plan to make sweaters .... hmmm .... can you buy them for a buck? Got a spare spinning wheel and some knitting machines? Got a guaranteed market for the fiber?
Some other exotic might be a better idea ... thought of Hippos? Nobodies farming them yet ... you could get in on the ground floor!
On the other hand ... if you plan to make sweaters .... hmmm .... can you buy them for a buck? Got a spare spinning wheel and some knitting machines? Got a guaranteed market for the fiber?
Some other exotic might be a better idea ... thought of Hippos? Nobodies farming them yet ... you could get in on the ground floor!
wasabi
Platinum Member
I hear gator farms make money if you are looking for a thrilling endeavor!
Wingnut
Veteran Member
<font color=blue>I hear gator farms make money if you are looking for a thrilling endeavor! </font color=blue>
but you have to make sure when you hand out the food that they don't take the hand too! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
but you have to make sure when you hand out the food that they don't take the hand too! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
DavidInNH
Gold Member
<font color=blue>thought of Hippos? Nobodies farming them yet ... you could get in on the ground floor!</font color=blue>
Well....A friend of my dad's worked for one of the exotic game ranches in the Texas Hill Country - I think it was the YO. They had a pair of Hippos. I don't remember what started the trouble, but they tranked the male and it died. The female went kind of nuts and was pushing over out-buildings and taking out sections of fences. She would just run right through the fence and the posts would come along for the ride. They finally shot her. They butchered her - involved a chain hoist and a lot of work. I'm not sure, but I heard it tastes like chicken. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif OK - I made that last bit up, but the rest is true.
David (got to get me one of those cool signatures)
Well....A friend of my dad's worked for one of the exotic game ranches in the Texas Hill Country - I think it was the YO. They had a pair of Hippos. I don't remember what started the trouble, but they tranked the male and it died. The female went kind of nuts and was pushing over out-buildings and taking out sections of fences. She would just run right through the fence and the posts would come along for the ride. They finally shot her. They butchered her - involved a chain hoist and a lot of work. I'm not sure, but I heard it tastes like chicken. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif OK - I made that last bit up, but the rest is true.
David (got to get me one of those cool signatures)
Bird
Rest in Peace
<font color=blue>I think it was the YO</font color=blue>
Nice little ranch, and apparently getting smaller all the time. When I was there in the late '70s, they told me they had sold off some land and only had 78,000 acres left in the main ranch and 18,000 at another place, but according to <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yoranch.com/RANCH/>their web site</A>, they've now down to only 40,000 acres.
Nice little ranch, and apparently getting smaller all the time. When I was there in the late '70s, they told me they had sold off some land and only had 78,000 acres left in the main ranch and 18,000 at another place, but according to <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yoranch.com/RANCH/>their web site</A>, they've now down to only 40,000 acres.
DavidInNH
Gold Member
<font color=blue>they've now down to only 40,000 acres</font color=blue>
Thats too bad. It looks like the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.king-ranch.com/index_ie.htm>King Ranch</A> is still, well, king. Its 825,000 acres and claims to be larger than Rhode Island.
David
Thats too bad. It looks like the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.king-ranch.com/index_ie.htm>King Ranch</A> is still, well, king. Its 825,000 acres and claims to be larger than Rhode Island.
David
Thanks for all the advice. I was just looking for a way to get out of mowing 10 acres. I thought maybe I could make a buck or two at the same time. From what I've read, I plan to stay clear of them. I had NO IDEA they cost that much up front !!! $10,000 will buy a lot of diesel fuel for the tractor !
Wingnut
Veteran Member
sheep!
keeps the grass mowed, "green" and cost a heck of a lot less than alpacas.
Town in Alberta where I used to work would actually hire a local sheepherder in the summer .... provided the public with a diffeent view than tractor cutting the grass along the right-of-ways and did a great job on the grass ....
keeps the grass mowed, "green" and cost a heck of a lot less than alpacas.
Town in Alberta where I used to work would actually hire a local sheepherder in the summer .... provided the public with a diffeent view than tractor cutting the grass along the right-of-ways and did a great job on the grass ....
