The Fun of Raising Alpacas

Watching alpacas play at sunset, running, jumping, neck wrestling, racing with glee will just warm your heart. Feeling the special interaction of a new mom cuddling her newborn to nurse. The excitement that alpacas show just after being sheared because they are five to ten pounds lighter in fleece, remind me of a spring board of energy being released. Plus the many more things that they all do, make Alpacas just fun to be around.

At Alpacas of the Southwest we just love being in the alpaca business. Alpacas are a South American animal that is raised for their amazing soft, hypoallergenic fiber. The fiber is used in soft luxurious clothing prodcts. Scarfs, sweaters, socks, yarns, goves, and many more products. Alpaca is 3 times warmer than wool, stronger than wool, and wicks moisture away reducing odor and dirt retention. Many garments made from alpaca become heirlooms that are handed from one generation to the next. Some alpaca products found in South America are thousands of years old. Aplaca fiber products in Incan times were worn only by royalty and the fiber was used as money in trade for goods. It was stored in valults and protected.

The USA alpaca herd is growing as breeders are discovering the general tax benefits. A 2010 tax extension allows ranchers to write-off the entire cost of buying their breeding alpacas, if the animals are raised for profit. Plus they deduct expenses like feed, veterinarian care and other related costs of raising alpacas. In other words, if you have an outside income and are paying 40% income tax and pay $10,000 for a breeding alpaca and write-off the whole thing, you will pay $4,000 less in taxes that year. Meaning the final cost of that Alpaca is $6,000. The amount you save will be determined by the tax bracket you are in. This, however, is not why we got into the alpaca business. This is just a business tax deduction that is no different than manufacturers writing off the cost of new equipment. These tax laws are intended to stimulate the economic recovery.

We raise and sell breeding stock in many colors from white to black and have fiber pets too. Alpacas range in price from $600 each for fiber pets to $12,000 for breeding animals each depending on rarity of color, fiber quality and blood lines. Females start at $4,500 and up. We offer financing with 25% down with no interest for 2 years. We also have boarding for customers and stud service with females brought here. We have studs for alpaca breeders looking to bring new blood lines to their alpacas.

We use all of our Alpaca fiber for products or sell it as raw fleece to hand spinners. We have a full line of fiber products for sale from yarns, gloves, scarfs, sweaters, and socks the best in the world for comfort and healty skin. Hats, rugs that can be custom made to order, and other related products. We have an open Farm Day in September where people can get up and close and personal with alpacas and see the fiber products. In April, we have Shearing Day and invite people who have an interest in alpacas to come help or watch. We are also open year round for people to come out and visit our store on site and see the alpacas. We consult and help other breeders and just love talking alpaca too. Call Alpacas of the Southwest located 12 miles east of Kingman, Arizona, for more information at 928-225-1450, Anna or Ron.

This was an article that appeared in the 2011 Home and Garden Expo magazine.