Alpacas - Frequently asked questions
Alpaca lifestyles - August 2006
HOOD RIVER - Standing in the green grass, with Mount Hood's white snowcapped peak on the horizon, it's hard for Marcus and Cathryn Whitman to imagine life any other way: the peace, the quiet - the alpacas.
Like thousands of other Americans, they ditched their former lives for the bucolic experience of
raising the easygoing shaggy animals.
A relative of the llama, alpacas originated in South America and were first introduced to the
United States in 1984. They were initially popular in the Northwest, primarily among llama farmers
wanting to diversify. But the alpaca has since generated a ``Green Acres''-like following among
nonagricultural types nationwide looking for a tax-friendly business and lower-stress lifestyle.
``For not knowing what an alpaca was six years ago, it's now everything,'' Cathryn said.
The Whitmans wanted to make a change after weathering a few too many hurricanes working as dive
instructors and yacht captains in the U.S. Virgin Islands. At their accountant's suggestion, they
looked into farming for the tax breaks.
They picked the alpacas because they ``didn't want to raise something that we had to kill, or that
would kill us'' Cathryn said.
Cathryn works for a diving magazine from her home, but Marcus works full-time on the alpaca
business. After six years running Good Fortune Farms, they were able to pay off the debt incurred
to start it. The Whitmans now have more than 30 alpacas, a shearing business and an alpaca store on
their property.
The animals look like a cross between a teddy bear and a llama. Owners say they are easy to care
for: Their annual food costs rival those of some dogs and they can fit in the back of an SUV. And,
they say, the animals are adorable.
The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association said the animals are an easy entry into an agricultural
lifestyle.
Membership in the association spiked after Sept. 11, 2001, when some people opted for a simpler
life, and it has continued rising steadily since then. The association now has more than 4,000
members, primarily in Western states. But interest has grown nationwide - the largest presence of
alpacas in the nation is in Ohio.
The animals only have one offspring per year. Imports from South America are limited and a national registry used for breeding and lineage tracking are closed to imports, further driving interest in breeding. The sale of a non-breeding alpaca can be a few hundred dollars, but the high-end breeding stock, with top appearance and lineage, can sell for as much as $100,000, according to the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.
The alpacas' soft fiber, which resembles cashmere, is sold - but the market is small. There is
limited demand, and there are no large-scale processing facilities.
``We would never tell anybody it's a get rich quick scheme,'' said Bob Black, who runs Black Acre
Alpacas with his wife Val from their home in Beaverton.
The price of alpacas increased roughly 50 to 80 percent over four years, depending on breed,
Sexton's study found. But the market for fiber remains limited.
Alpaca advocates adamantly defend the breed's financial future. Alpaca farming is still news and
prices in any livestock industry will change in the long run, said Jerry Miller, spokesman for the
Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.
"This is not a flash in the pan,'' Miller said. "This is a long, steady increase over a number of
years.''
2. Different types of alpacas
3. The Alpaca Family
4. How big are Alpacas
5. The alpacas temperment
6. The alpacas lifespan
7. Feeding requirements
8. Grazing requirements for alpacas
9. Alpaca hygiene
10. Farming requirements barns/shelter
11. Fencing requirements
12. Alpaca breeding
13. Veterinary care of alpacas
14. Shearing Aplacas
15. Alpaca fibre characteristics
16. Fibre selling.
