Animal Science: Golden Spirit Alpaca Ranch

I was able to attend an amazing tour at the Golden Spirit Alpaca Ranch. After learning about alpacas we were given a tour of the ranch that included opportunities to feed, pet, and take photos.

Golden Spirit Alpaca Ranch is owned and operated by Brenda and Frank Crum. The Ranch started in 2006 and now houses 210 alpacas who are raised for their fleece. The alpaca is part of the camelid family, along with camels, llamas, vicuñas, and guanacos. The llama is descended from the guanaco and the alpaca is from the vicuña. Originally from South America, the alpaca is prized for its fur which is semi-hollow, water resistant, lightweight, and soft. Recent archaeological evidence shows the camelids came over the European land bridge migrating south until they ended up in the Andes. Almost driven to the point of extinction by the Conquistadors, alpacas and their fur are now the major industry in Peru.

Golden Spirit focuses on breeding. They do stud service, boarding, fleece, finished products, 'adoptions', straight sells, compost, and showings. Mostly it's breeding. They keep the males separate, as most animal breeders do, and as a herd mentality, they have their herd queen who eat first, are more dominant, and lead the herd around. The little girls are weaned slowly for a few hours each day, but the mothers will eventually kick them out while the males need to be separated as soon as possible so there is no inbreeding. I fed all three, the females, males, and little 7-11 month old girls. The females and girls were gentle and the males eating habits were a bit more aggressive, but I couldn't tell if their teeth had just been filed or if they were more 'nibbly'.

As part of the monthly vet checks where the alpacas are weighed, checked for abscesses, and have their fecal matter checked, they also file down their hooves and teeth. Alpacas only have four bottom teeth, which they use like a scoop along with a split upper lip to nibble grass and hay with. We fed them grain pellets, which they are given 1/2-1 cup of a day as a supplement to the pasture grazing and hay. The hay is placed in off-the-ground bin feeders in their open, covered pens.

While they don't need a barn, a shelter during inclement weather and a place to go that's secure is preferred. Alpaca are prey animals and need a secure area, so chain link fencing is necessary as is some form of guard animal. Golden Spirit employs a llama named Simon to do the job. At almost seven times the weight of the 150 lb alpacas, Simon is a formidable, anti-social animal who does his job well. Alpacas don't spit or bite, but llamas do. Alpacas will spit at each other but it's mainly for a show of dominance during feeding. Being in Florida with our hot, muggy weather fans and water are required to keep the alpacas cool. Their hooves are split like a cows, but they have an extra padding that makes it so they don't rip up the turf like cows.

There are two breeds of alpaca: Huacaya (which makes up about 90% of the general population) and the Suri (which makes up the other 10%). The Huacaya are the fluffy ones with the top knot, which Golden Spirit leaves when they do their annual shearing in March (once it's warm enough where the animals don't get cold and sick after being shaved) so that they can easily identify the type of fleece the animal has. They don't breed for specific looks, but for conformity of color and quality. They shear in three zones: neck, legs, and blanket (which is the back, shoulder, and belly). The blanket is the best quality and the prime fleece. The neck is shorter and used for hand knitters. The legs are courser so it's used for products like rugs.

Suri after shearing

Huacaya

The alpaca is a 'litter box' animal, meaning it defecates in the same spot away from it's living area. Nutrient dense, the poop is extremely valuable as compost because it breaks down quickly and doesn't burn the plants.