Who buys alpacas?
Alpaca breeders come from many walks of life. For some, alpacas are a source of income, for others a source of pleasure. Young couples with children might own three or four alpacas and enjoy caring for them. Retired couples, who have raised their kids, sold their business, and retired to the country, are often owners. The family whose members include a hand-spinner might own two or three animals for fiber production. Several large breeders are veterinarians who found the ownership of alpacas to be more rewarding than practicing veterinary medicine. Many herds are owned by families, where one spouse has a city job, and the alpaca business is managed by the other on their small acreage in the country. A large number of breeders are working couples who tend their herd in the evening after work. All of these alpaca breeders, big and small, enjoy their animals and feel good about owning an investment they can hug. Some owners don’t actually raise their animals on a day-to-day basis. They li
The market for alpacas has been moderated by the effects of relatively slow herd growth. As of early 2006, the total population of registered alpacas in North America is over 70,000. Supply will continue to be limited in the near future for a number of reasons: Alpacas reproduce slowly. A female generally breeds for the first time between 18-24 months of age, is pregnant for 11-12 months, and almost always only has one cria per year. Many breeders retain their offspring to build their herds The limited size of the national herds in each country outside of South America will restrain growth to a small degree. The U.S. alpaca registry is closed to further importation to protect our national herd, which will further moderate U.S. herd growth. Meanwhile, demand for alpacas has increased dramatically every year since their introduction outside of South America (1984). Not only are there more breeders entering the alpaca market each year in established countries such as Canada, New Zealand,
Alpaca breeders come from many walks of life. For some, alpacas are a source of income, for others a source of pleasure. Young couples with children might own three or four alpacas and enjoy caring for them. Retired couples, who have raised their kids, sold their business, and retired to the country, are often owners. The family whose members include a handspinner might own two or three animals for fiber production. Several large breeders are veterinarians who have found the ownership of alpacas to be more rewarding than practicing veterinary medicine. Many herds are owned by families where one spouse has a city job, and the alpaca business is managed by the other on their small acreage in the country. A large number of breeders are working couples who tend to their herd in the evening after work. All of these alpaca breeders, big and small, enjoy their animals and feel good about owning an investment they can hug.
Alpacas are purchased by various types of people for a wide range of reasons. Teachers, doctors, pharmacists, psychologists, bankers, business managers, accountants, real estate brokers, corporations, housewives, the young, the middle-aged, and active investment-conscious retired people are all purchasing alpacas. Some enjoy the investment potential and see alpaca farming as an exciting new vocational vehicle, some enjoy it as a second and more relaxed career, and some just enjoy the animals as pets. Alpaca breeders come from many walks of life. For some, alpacas are a source of income, for others a source of pleasure. Young couples with children might own three or four alpacas and enjoy caring for them. Retired couples, who have raised their kids, sold their business, and retired to the country, are often owners. The family whose members include a handspinner might own two or three animals for fiber production. Several large breeders are veterinarians who have found the ownership of a
Breeders come from many walks of life. Young couples with children might raise a few. Retired couples, who have raised their kids, sold their business and retired to the country are often owners. Several breeders are veterinarians who have found the ownership of alpacas to be more rewarding than practicing veterinary medicine. City dwellers who have discovered the option of boarding alpacas, thereby giving them an operational alpaca business while still retaining an urban career. The family whose members include a hand-spinner might own two or three for fiber production. A large number of breeders are working couples who tend to their herd in the evening after work. For all owners, alpacas offer a great way to diversify their financial portfolio with a commodity that is both rare and in demand worldwide.
