WHY INVEST IN ALPACAS?

There are pet/fiber quality alpacas that can be sold for as little as $300. These will not have registration papers and/or are neutered. There have been alpacas sold at auction where a very special herd sire was sold for over $750,000. But the median price for a herd sire quality male alpaca would likely be in the range of $5,000 and a very good quality male to about $15,000. Often two or three breeders will purchase a good quality male together and share the expenses as well as the use of the male. This is a good strategy if you can find other breeders with whom you feel comfortable entering into a business arrangement. Most new breeders will likely purchase a few bred females and continue to breed these females to improved quality herd sires until they produce their own herd sire-quality male. This is less costly than buying a top-quality herd sire but may take a little time. If you have chosen good quality females and good quality breedings, you should, in time, produce your own future herd sire — maybe several. Bred female alpacas or male alpacas who are of breeding age typically cost more than younger alpacas who may have to be maintained for a year or longer before they reach maturity. Mid-range price for good quality bred female alpacas is somewhere between $5,000 and $15,000, but this varies a great deal. There are many lower quality females who can be purchased for less, but it is not logical to think that you will get the best quality offspring out of such females. That “great bargain” female won’t look like such a bargain when you find that you cannot sell her poor quality offspring. What about a great looking young female out of two so-so parents? This is when you must remind yourself that phenotype (looks) is not always genotype (the traits that the parent will pass on to their offspring.) It may be wiser to go with a bloodline that has many members who are all of good quality. But in the end, it is suggested that one purchases the best quality alpaca that they can afford, and choose breedings to improve the females off-spring. One choice a new breeder could take would be is to consider a lower priced, older female who has already produced several cria. Many new breeders often want to buy young females because they may appear to be of a higher quality. As alpaca age, they may not have the same presence as the younger animal, but may still be a very high quality animal, and a terrific producer. It also may be wise for a new breeder to purchase a female that has already had offspring, and is a proven mom.

Since alpaca are a federally recognized form of livestock, there may even be a reduction in local real estate taxes with a change in use that livestock creates. This is something to look into at the local level.