Posted: 10/5/05
By Cynthia Scott
For some people, they are a mere curiosity. For others, alpacas are a money-making venture.
And for still others, the charming, somewhat exotic-looking creatures are, in the words of one alpaca devotee, ìa wonderful habit.î
Whatever the source of the attraction, alpacas are hot. In the past decade they have become increasingly popular in the U.S. as alternative livestock, prized primarily as breeding stock and for their much sought-after fiber.
It helps that theyíre so darn cute.
Minnesota is home to more than 75 alpaca breeders, about a dozen of them in Chisago County. One of them is Becky Mannion of Rush City, for whom alpacas are both a habit and a source of spiritual sustenance. She bought her first alpaca, a pregnant female, last year and now owns three.
Mannion first encountered alpacas at a local festival, where Sunrise River Alpacas, another breeder, had several on display.
ìI heard this ungodly noise and I thought ëwhat was that?í So I went over there and I couldnít believe these little things. I thought, ëI have to have these things in my life.í
ìThey take you somewhere youíve never been,î she says. ìThereís something very, very spiritual about them. I donít know what it is. Maybe itís some of the noises they make, maybe itís their curiosity. I think other people sense this, too.î
The noises Mannion refers to are many and varied. They frequently hum; they have an alarm call that sounds like an angry bird; they sometimes spit and emit a sound that resembles a cross between a sneeze and a cough.
Some breeders get into alpacas in order to make money. Josh and Mindi Kopp of Amador Hill Alpacas purchased their herd with the intention of getting a return on their money. They own two breeding females, a four-month-old male baby (a baby is called a cria), a herd sire and a gelding, who is a companion animal to the sire.
The Kopps did a lot of research before they made the leap into alpacas.
ìWe visited farms. We researched for a good year to make sure we were doing the right thing,î Josh said.
The Kopps have a long-range view of getting a return on their investment. They plan to sell the fiber and they expect their animals and offspring to do well in the show ring.
ìRight now the market for fiber is limited because there are a limited number of alpacas in the country. Once it becomes economically feasible to mass produce fiber, weíll find out what the fiberís really worth,î Josh said.
Maintaining alpacas from month to month is not particularly expensive, but up front costs are substantial. Mannion said it is not unusual to pay $12,000 to $25,000 for a quality breeding female or herd sire. Males, especially geldings, tend to be cheaper, although prime sires can go for as much or more than females. A gelding, which most often serves as a pet or companion animal to a herd sire, can go for as little as $500. It is absolutely essential that alpacas have companions ñ an extreme herd animal, solitary alpacas have been known to literally die of loneliness.
Last weekend, nine area breeders opened up their operations to the public for Alpacas of Minnesota Farm Tour 2005. If you missed that opportunity to learn about alpacas and talk to breeders, next weekend will bring another tour. Alpaca Matters Midwest Field Days will be held Oct. 15-16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m
Like the Alpacas of Minnesota Farm Tour, Field Days gives interested people the chance to visit alpaca farms, talk to breeders, and explore with them what is necessary to raise alpacas. Some farms will offer workshops, while others may have fiber demonstrations such as preparing fleece, carding, spinning or felting.
For a list of participating farms and their workshops, go to www.alpacamatters.com.
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