..:: Breeding on a Budget ::..
All new or intending breeders have a budget! However the size of the budget can vary enormously, from a few thousand to tens of thousands. This page is dedicated to those people who have a limited budget. If you have a larger budget, we suggest you read "The Better Value route to Breeding"
There are many articles written on the "ideal" alpaca, particularly in relation to the purchase of your first animals. Unfortunately many would-be alpaca owners simply cannot afford the prices such an animal would command.
However, at this point in time in New Zealand, it is still possible to purchase lower priced females with poor fleece or conformation, and by judicious choice of sires, improve the quality of your stock, until after 4-5 generations "great-grandma" has very little influence on the resulting generations.In just two generations, you can significantly improve the quality of your “line” and breed a high quality alpaca
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Other "budget" methods of acquiring alpacas can be the purchase of elderly females - with proper nutrition a hembra can continue to raise cria until she is in her late teens - such females are often ideal for the beginner as they are experienced in giving birth and mothering their cria. However breeding from older females does involve supplementary feeding on a daily basis during the latter part of the pregnancy and lactation periods., but many consider that a very viable option for getting into he alpaca industry.
Do not be tempted to sacrifice health or serious genetic faults in return for a lower price. Nor should you look at a female with reproductive problems, no matter what her price.
It is often possible to purchase a pregnant female from $4000. You will need to team her with a wether, or another alternative may be to agist (board) your sole female with another breeder until she has at least 1 adult (over 18 months) offspring to keep her company. Agisting fees start from around $7/week.
Don't be tempted to purchase a maiden (female who has never been pregnant) or a female pregnant with her first cria. Such females are often cheaper, but they are not for the beginner. Learn what to expect from a normal mating, pregnancy and birth with an experienced female before taking on the risks associated with an inexperienced mother. That "good buy" maiden may turn out to be infertile, and you have totally lost your investment. That first- time mother may have birthing problems - will you recognise them or know what to do? What if your first time mother fails to feed her cria? This is a problem that is not uncommon in first-time mothers. Wait until you have had some experience as a breeder before you start purchasing maidens - and once you have that experience, maidens then become an ideal way to increase the size of your herd - if you are willing to take the fertility risk.
However, having acquired your "base" stock, the judicious selection of suitable sires is paramount.
For most people starting out, the small size of the female herd dictates purchasing the services of a stud male belonging to an established breeder. Stud fees can vary widely, and while premium stud males may deserve the stud fee charged, if you own a poor quality female, paying $1000 or more for a stud fee may not be economic, as if a male cria is born as a result, its value as a wether may be much less than the stud fee paid.
It may well be that a medium quality stud male may give you the initial improvement you desire, for a stud fee that will enable you to recover most of your costs in the event of a male cria. Such stud fees start around $800 - allowing you to recoup most of your expenses.
It is absolutely vital when following such a programme that the stud used is always better than the female being mated. In this way each succeeding generation is a better quality than its female parent.
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