Typical Care Schedule and Supplies

Each farm operates differently, but these are the routine care tasks we perform throughout the
year and some of the supplies we find the most useful to have on hand.
    Useful supplies

 Tack
  •   Halters
  •   Leads

First Aid kit
  •   Digital thermometer
  •   Gauze
  •   Stop bleed
  •    Alcohol/iodine
  •    Kaopectate
  •    Metamucil
  •    Flex-wrap- for injuries and wrapping tails during
    breedings
  •    Penicillin
  •   Triple antibiotic ointment

 Other
  •   Heat Lamp or hair dryer (for cria born in cold
    weather)
  •   Towels
  •   Fans
  •   Fly traps
  •   Measuring cup for food
  •   Livestock scale
  •   Shears or Livestock clippers
  •   Hoof snippers, toenail clippers
  •   Wormers (corid, panacur, dectomax)
  •   CD&T- annual vaccinations
  •   Insect repellent
  •   Syringes and needles
  •   Water buckets
  •   Food dishes     
  •   Rake, shovel, hoe for dung clean up    
  •   Alpaca feed
  •   Hay

                       Routine Care Schedule

                 Daily, ongoing
  •    Fill water buckets; wash if necessary          
  •    Feed hay, grain, minerals as needed
  •    Observe alpacas (ongoing)
  •    Dung clean-up (as needed)
  •    Halter training

                 Weekly
  •    Fiber inspection, picking, grooming
  •    Pasture inspection, debris removal (as needed)
  •    Record cria weights

                 Monthly
  •    Hands-on inspection
  •    Record adult weights
  •    Frame/body score
  •    Foot inspection, trim toenails if necessary
  •    Dental inspection, trim teeth if necessary
  •    Worm according to program
  •    Mow dung piles if needed

               Seasonally
  •    Inspect shelters
  •    Test pasture, water, hay

                Annually
  •    Shearing in spring
  •    Vaccinations according to schedule
  •    Begin insect control program in spring
Bell-E-Acres Alpacas
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Alpaca History   

Alpacas have been domesticated for thousands of years.  They are camelids,
related to camels and more closely to llamas.Their wild ancestor is the vicuna.
They originate in the South American countries of Peru, Ecuador, Chile and
Bolivia and were valued by the Incas as providers of the 'fiber of the gods'.  In
fact, the Incas reserved alpaca fiber for the exclusive use of the royal family.

The South American countries continue to raise by far the largest number of
alpacas.  The industry has spread world-wide, however and now alpaca farms
can be found on most continents.  The US imported alpacas[insert dates] but
now relies on careful breeding practices to continuously improve the stock
currently in the country.  Records and databases are being developed by
AOBA and ARI as new alpacas are registered, DNA tested, and genealogy
recorded.
Phone:864-859-9335
Email:  belleacresalpaca@yahoo.com