Why raise Alpacas? Click Here for a short Movie
What type of shelter/housing?
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| © Rosemarie Mogerman and Alma Park Alpacas all rights reserved. |
What type of shelter/housing do alpacas need?
Alpacas are native to the mountains of South America and they live in a
climate that is between 30F - 80F. Depending on where you live in the
country will determine exactly what type of housing you will need. In
central New Jersey, we can get into the single digits in the winter and
100s in the summer, so we have extremes on both ends of the scale.
Winter - Winter on alpacas can be tough when it gets below freezing
(32F). Some of the older animals that no longer grow dense coats and
the girls who have had many babies and do not have a long staple length,
may need to be blanketed (in my herd - it is about 3% of adults that fall
into this category). Crias can be especially venerable and this is why we
never breed for December - February births. If the cria is born and
we are not around to warm it up, it will surely freeze to death in under
an hour in freezing weather. A three sided shelter protecting the
animals from the prevailing winds in necessary in this type of climate.
In colder climates, it may be necessary to put straw down inside the
shelter so they can preserve body heat and keep their bellies warm.
Automatic waterers are especially useful in this type of weather so the
animals have fresh water (which is not freezing). In my experience, the
alpacas drink more water in the winter than in either spring or fall.
Summer - summer can be dangerous for alpacas as they are prone to
heat stress. Measures need to be taken to help them keep cool. A
three sided shelter can provide shade for the animals. Cross
ventilation in the barn or shelter is preferred. Ample shade from
trees etc are also very much appreciated by the alpacas and they will
spend a large part of a hot day laying in whatever shade is available.
They prefer to be outside and their bellies slightly elevated so that
they can catch any breezes. If it is too hot for you, it is probably much
to hot for them (since they are wearing a fur coat). The like to get wet
and prefer to have bellies and underarms sprayed. They also like to
stand over a water sprinkler. It is not a good idea to wet their backs
as it tends to make them hotter. A good rule of thumb to see how hot
it is for the alpacas is this chart developed by Dr. Norm Evans.
Heat Index for alpacas formula = Temperature(F) + Humidity
Alpacas are native to the mountains of South America and they live in a
climate that is between 30F - 80F. Depending on where you live in the
country will determine exactly what type of housing you will need. In
central New Jersey, we can get into the single digits in the winter and
100s in the summer, so we have extremes on both ends of the scale.
Winter - Winter on alpacas can be tough when it gets below freezing
(32F). Some of the older animals that no longer grow dense coats and
the girls who have had many babies and do not have a long staple length,
may need to be blanketed (in my herd - it is about 3% of adults that fall
into this category). Crias can be especially venerable and this is why we
never breed for December - February births. If the cria is born and
we are not around to warm it up, it will surely freeze to death in under
an hour in freezing weather. A three sided shelter protecting the
animals from the prevailing winds in necessary in this type of climate.
In colder climates, it may be necessary to put straw down inside the
shelter so they can preserve body heat and keep their bellies warm.
Automatic waterers are especially useful in this type of weather so the
animals have fresh water (which is not freezing). In my experience, the
alpacas drink more water in the winter than in either spring or fall.
Summer - summer can be dangerous for alpacas as they are prone to
heat stress. Measures need to be taken to help them keep cool. A
three sided shelter can provide shade for the animals. Cross
ventilation in the barn or shelter is preferred. Ample shade from
trees etc are also very much appreciated by the alpacas and they will
spend a large part of a hot day laying in whatever shade is available.
They prefer to be outside and their bellies slightly elevated so that
they can catch any breezes. If it is too hot for you, it is probably much
to hot for them (since they are wearing a fur coat). The like to get wet
and prefer to have bellies and underarms sprayed. They also like to
stand over a water sprinkler. It is not a good idea to wet their backs
as it tends to make them hotter. A good rule of thumb to see how hot
it is for the alpacas is this chart developed by Dr. Norm Evans.
Heat Index for alpacas formula = Temperature(F) + Humidity
| A simple 3 sided shelter split in 1/2 to accommodate 2 fields (Click pic for larger pic) |
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