Practical demonstrations and hands-on knowledge from Hensting Alpacas, keeping and breeding alpacas in Hampshire since 2009. Watch on our YouTube channel, and read the working guidance below for each topic.
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Subscribe to our channelThe daily and routine husbandry that keeps a herd well
Look over the whole herd first thing and again before dark, feed, water and general demeanour. Problems can develop fast overnight, so evening checks matter as much as morning ones. During birthing season or illness, increase how often you look in.
Fleece hides weight beautifully, so you must use your hands, not your eyes. Feel along the spine and over the last ribs to judge fat and muscle cover. Score on a simple scale (many use 1–5 or 1–10, with the middle being ideal) at least monthly, and write it down, the trend over time tells you far more than any single number.
Trim toenails on average two to three times a year, though animals grow at different rates. Lift each foot to check, nails that look fine from above can still be longer than the pad underneath, and if left they twist and deform the toes.
Take regular faecal samples and worm only when counts are high, rather than dosing on a fixed schedule, which just breeds resistance. Poo-pick paddocks regularly to break the parasite cycle. Watch especially for coccidiosis, liver fluke and Haemonchus, which can be fatal if missed.
In the UK the core vaccination is against clostridial diseases (including tetanus and pulpy kidney), usually an annual booster. Agree a programme with a camelid-experienced vet, and vaccinate cria as advised.
Why hands, not eyes: alpacas are experts at hiding illness. A full fleece can conceal serious weight loss, so regular hands-on condition scoring is often the earliest warning you'll get that something is wrong.
A grass-based diet, tuned for the UK climate
Grass in season, with good hay or haylage available year-round and fed more heavily over winter or when grazing is poor. Alpacas eat roughly 1.5% of their body weight in forage daily. Quality of hay matters more than quantity.
Offer a camelid-specific mineral supplement. Crucially for the UK, alpacas need vitamin D support through the darker months, our low winter light means they can't make enough themselves, and cria are especially vulnerable to deficiency.
Pregnant and lactating females, growing cria and older animals may need supplementary hard feed. Don't over-do it, obesity brings its own problems, from heat stress to birthing difficulties.
Constant access to fresh, clean water. Check and clean troughs regularly, and keep them from freezing in winter.
Selecting matings and raising healthy young
Choose a stud that complements the female's strengths and corrects her weaknesses, in fineness, density, crimp and conformation. With good selection, each cria should aim to surpass its dam.
Gestation runs around 11 to 11.5 months. Most births happen in daylight hours, a survival trait from the Andes. Increase your checks as the due date nears and have a birthing kit and your vet's number ready.
Watch that the cria stands, finds the teat and takes colostrum quickly, and confirm the dam passes the afterbirth. Weigh the cria and monitor daily gain in the early weeks, this is where problems show first.
Register pedigree cria with the British Alpaca Society. Registration underpins the animal's value and keeps the national herd's records sound.
The one unmissable job in the alpaca year
Alpacas don't shed, so annual shearing is essential for their health, it prevents heat stress in summer as much as it harvests the fleece. Most UK herds shear in late spring or early summer.
Separate the prime blanket from the coarser neck, leg and belly fibre, and skirt out short, stained and dirty pieces along with vegetable matter. Clean, well-sorted fleece is worth far more.
Shearing is the natural moment to check and trim teeth and nails while the animal is already restrained, minimising stress across the year.
Understanding what makes a fleece valuable, micron, uniformity, crimp and comfort factor, helps you shear, sort and sell well. See our full guide on What Makes a Good Fleece.
Life with alpacas through the seasons
Never keep one alone, alpacas need company and get seriously stressed without it. Keep a minimum of three, and manage males and females in separate groups where needed.
Provide dry, draft-free shelter. Alpacas cope well with UK cold, but they need protection from prolonged rain and wind, and shade in summer to avoid heat stress.
The best way to learn is hands-on. Come and meet our 40-strong herd on an alpaca walk and see daily husbandry in practice.
Subscribe on YouTube for new demonstrations, and come and see it all in person on a visit to the farm.