Time and again I hear of people who purchased an alpaca, because they fell in love with their face. This is all fine and dandy if you plan on raising alpacas for pet quality. The truth of the matter is that most alpaca ranchers coming into the industry are trying to make a profitable business from their herd. If this is you, then please take the time to do your research on each alpaca you are planning to purchase. This can be the difference in a sales price of $20k versus $12k.

To begin with do you know what makes an alpaca quality? This is measured in different characteristics. Start with its physical appearance. You should be able to place the alpaca in an imaginary box if it is proportionate. This means that the neck and legs should be 1/3 the length of its body. Next you will need to check to see if the legs are straight. Examples to look out for are cow-hocked legs (knees touching) or sickle hocked. Examine the tail. Is it straight or crooked? One of the hardest things to correct is a crooked tail. This can take generations. Is the anatomy of the alpaca intact and proportionate to the size of the alpaca? How do the toenails look? Part of herd management will be the need to trim toenails. Look at the teeth of the alpaca. If the alpaca does not have a correct bite then chances are you will have to cut their teeth sometime down the line. Do not get scared this is done all the time and I am sure you will be able to handle it. Make sure the alpaca looks like an alpaca and not a llama. Example: Are the ears speared shape or banana shaped like a llama? These are some things to consider about the physical appearance.

Next you will want to check the fiber characteristics. Not only does the alpaca need to be fine (soft), crimpy, and lustrous to win in the show ring, but it also needs to have the lock structure. Imagine you are looking at a rug. The fibers are clumped together to create each individual lock. Then all the locks create your rug. The same can be said with alpacas. Fibers will clump together to create your lock structure. With this said, I would certainly select an alpaca whose fiber is not of show quality if the alpaca is physically sound. Fiber is one of the easiest traits to improve within one breeding.

Lastly, learn the demeanor of the alpaca you are considering to purchase. Do they have a bad attitude or are they easy to manage. Consider that you will be doing herd management on them and you do not want to have to be chasing a kicking alpaca that is also spitting green slime at you. No fault of the alpaca as they were not raised to be our domesticated pets. There instincts are to flee, as they are prey animals. However, there are many ranches that take the time to assure that their alpacas are at least manageable for the new customers.

Now you can do this research on your own, but if you are weary and want a little help from an expert there are plenty of alpaca consultants in the field. You can also ask a camelid vet to do an examination on the alpaca of choice to assure it is healthy and the anatomy is intact. Remember that there is no perfect alpaca out there. We are all trying to improve the alpacas we have. No matter which one you buy there will be something that needs to be improved upon.

Alpacas are not cheap, so why not approach the purchase of your alpaca like you would a new home.