Alpacas: The Only Stock I Invest in Is Livestock!

Ari was the first cria (baby alpaca) born to our ranch, TenderFoot Alpacas. He was the offspring of Lucky, shown here eating from a child's hand.

Ari was a proud young male as demonstrated by his stance. He took fourth place ribbons in the two shows he was in.

He was our initial ROI (return on investment) since Lucky was already carrying him when we bought her.

Oh, by the way, when we bought Lucky, not only was she carrying an unborn cria (Ari), but she also came with a FREE re-breeding. That produced our first girl, Camille. Lucky was "bred up" to MMR Grand Champion Goldstar, who added lustrous crimp to Lucky's charming personality to produce a gentle, beautiful blonde baby.

Just a side note on Goldstar. Alpacas cannot be bred by artificial insemination like some livestock. The females are self-ovulating and must be "romanced' into the mood for mating by the male. He serenades her with his soft humming and chortling while massaging her back and shoulders. If he is good enough at courting her, she will "kush" and allow him to mount her.

Goldstar was so good at singing to the ladies that he was frequently employed to get them in the mood for another male to breed. Boy, talk about your little four-legged soap opera..

She's not as "filled out" as usual after delivering a cria and being shorn, but Belle is a large girl with a good coat and personality. She was bred to a champion sire named Da Vinci and also came with a re-breeding to another champion.

We had been interested in Belle for some time when she came up for sale and were able to make a manageable deal with her owners. It's a good time to mention that, although cash talks in this business like any other, you often do not have to pay cash up front for individual alpacas or package deals. Many breeders will offer financing at reasonable terms.

Alpacas and llamas are both members of the camelid family (along with camels, vicunas, & guanacos), but they are distinct species. Llamas are primarily used as pack animals, while alpacas are the source of the rarest and most luxurious fiber found anywhere.

Dahlee is Belle's cria from Da Vinci. She represents the best that both parents had to offer. Dahlee was sold in a package with her mother which included re-breeding to Champion Alliance and produced Ellie.

And when the girls started coming afer Ari & Bannor, they just kept on coming.

Belle + Alliance = Elegant! Ain't she a beauty?

Keep in mind that while we were reaching our goals, the buyers of Belle got Dahlee & Ellie in the package. And the folks that sold Belle to us got what they wanted from the deal, too.

You CAN create Win-Win-Win transactions in this business.

We did it mostly by trial and error, but there are resources out there to show you the way.

Click Here! for details on a proven game plan for success in the alpaca business.

After Belle had Ellie, Lucky delivered a beautiful white girl, & her new owners named her Bianca. Here she is in the pen with Mama.

At this writing:

Lucky has had three crias so far, & she's just reaching her prime.

Belle has had two and is being bred again.

There are so many optional, flexible ways to successfully invest in alpacas, it is almost impossible to list and classify them all--but I'll try to make a dent in it!

1. Decide what direction(s) you want to take with your alpaca investment. The ultimate market product of this business is the fiber and textile goods produced
from it.

The alpaca industry in America is thriving while it is striving to become the premium source for alpaca fiber on a global scale. Because an estimated national herd count of 1/2 to 1 million alpacas is necessary to satisfy that market, focus for nearly the last quarter century has been building the numbers. That is why the highest return on Investment is through BREEDING & SELLING.

Click Here! for access to a strategic plan for maximizing your investment.

Some owners have begun to direct more (primary or secondary) attention to the fiber end of the business, The mechanics of getting domestic fiber through the mills and textile industry into consumer hands are still being perfected, but co-ops and marketing strategies are evolving rapidly.

A few enterprising individuals have established their own network and facilities to have their fiber spun and woven into specialty products. They then sell them at high end specialty shops in upscale or tourist areas.

Until such time as the domestic supply gains the consistency to meet the demand of the global market, some folks order their alpaca products from the traditional sources in South America.

2. How much you invest and how deeply you are involved is also very flexible.

Do you own or have access to a couple of acres? (Or a couple of hundred or thousand?) It is widely advised that you can keep 6 to 10 alpacas per acre. I personally would not want more than 4 or 5 per acre and no less than 2 acres total to start. Alpacas are very low maintenance and require only a minimal food and time investment.

Oh! You DON'T have a place to keep alpacas. Neither did we. I agisted (boarded) our alpacas. Agisting can be negotiated at a reasonable fixed daily or monthly rate per animal. And as a legitimate business expense, it is also 100% tax deductible.

You may or may not get involved with associations and shows (like the one shown above). Decide what works for you.