Why Keep Alpacas

There are many different reasons for keeping alpacas including…

Enjoyment

Alpacas are delightful animals to keep. They are intelligent and friendly. They can easily be trained to walk on a leading rein, are low maintenance and generally healthy.

Many people keep alpacas purely for the enjoyment of having these exceptional creatures around.

Showing

There is an established show circuit now for the alpaca. Many of the top agricultural shows now include alpaca classes and many people who have never shown anything before are now getting pleasure from showing their alpacas in the ring and competing for a rosette or two.

Fibre

The commercial product from the alpaca is the fibre it grows. It is a hollow fibre, extremely soft and light and yet with strength and excellent thermal qualities. Alpacas are shorn annually and their fleeces can be transformed into superb luxurious garments.

At Morden Hall, most of our fibre goes to the national cooperative, British Alpaca, although we usually keep back a few fleeces for sale to craft market and to hand spinners.

Breeding

Breeding alpacas is generally straight forward if a rather lengthy exercise (the average gestation period is eleven and a half months). A healthy female can be expected to produce one cria (baby alpaca) per year for most of her adult life. The cria can be weaned from their mother at five to six months of age when the cria may be added to the herd or perhaps sold to new or existing breeders.

Grass Control

Alpacas are grazers and will help keep the grass under control in those paddocks you weren’t sure what to do with. They are the most attractive lawn mowers we have come across.