Capital Requirements

Prices for shelter, fencing and labor vary widely based on geographic location, as well as individual needs and tastes. For example, some alpaca breeders will opt for a $500 carport structure as a shelter for their animals, whereas others might spend upwards of $100,000 or more for a state-of-the-art breeding facility and showplace. Additionally, fencing could add several thousand dollars to your budget. If you manage the herd yourself, you'll require an inventory of halters, shears, toenail clippers, lead ropes, and other miscellaneous gear. These items would probably add $500 to your initial costs. Insurance is a consideration, and generally costs approximately 3.25% of the purchase price, paid each year in advance. If a person were to begin raising alpacas at his or her own ranch, a typically start-up budget might look like this (prices estimated based on typical costs in the U.S.A.):

Acquisition of one pregnant female and one young female $ 35,000

Insurance on animals, one year $ 1,100

Equipment $ 500

Small barn and fences $ 30,000

One year's feed $ 300

Veterinarian and miscellaneous reserve $ 1,100

TOTAL $ 68,000

Courtesy of the Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association, Inc.

(c)2007 Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, Inc.