As a new owner, much of our initial outlay of funds was preparing our land and building a barn.

You first need to check with your county and/or neighborhood ordinances involving livestock. They may specifiy the amount of acreage you need and many neighborhoods do not allow livestock.

Our land was a thickly wooded lot when we decided to become alpaca farmers. We had to start by clearing our land, which may or may not be a step that is necessary for you.

Alpacas require certain kinds of grasses. The grass must not contain fescue. Our alpacas have a majority of orchard grass with some MaxQ mixed in. To get a good field of grass, you may want to consider taking a soil sample to your extension agent. Lime and fertilizer may be required, as it was with ours. Each year, we airate, fertilize, add lime, and spot seed our pastures to ensure a lush green field. Due to our acreage it is very important that we have a quality pasture. The quality of the pasture is a major determining factor as to how many alpacas you can have per acre. The average is 5-8 animals per acre, depending on the quality of the grass and the amount of hay you supplement with. Fortunately, alpacas are light consumers.

The exterior fencing is a very important safety feature for your alpacas. We suggest a "no climb" fencing at least 5 foot tall. This fencing is mainly to keep other animals out. Domestic dogs are a serious concern. You may want to consider have an electric tape on the outside of the fencing to further dicourage predators. However, I would not suggest electric fencing that can touch the alpacas or using barbed wire, since they both can damage the fiber. Many people also have a guard llama, a donkey, or a pyreness dog to protect their herd

You will also need interior fencing to seperate your herd. We have 4 paddocks to seperate our older males and herdsires, pregnant dams, maidens, and younger males. Interior fencing does not need to be elaborate, since the alpacas rarely challenge fencing. For our interior fencing, we use 4 foot woven wire or goat panel.

The alpacas need at least a 3 sided enclosure to protect them from the elements. In Virginia the warm summers are more of a concern than the milder winters. We have a barn with large doors to enable airflow in the summer. A shady overhang is suggested if your pasture does not many shade trees. We have a fairly large barn that has several areas that can be blocked off to gather animals for our monthly herd health day or for shearing and vet visits. We have found these small enclosed areas are extremely benefical. I would suggest looking at many barns and discussing the pros and cons of each design before designing your ownbarn.