Cedar Ridge Alpaca Ranch
Peterborough, ON
Canada, K9J 6X2
PH: (705) 742-6791
FAX: (705) 750-1470
denise@cedarridgealpacas.com

Since we built our Ranch from scratch we will share the Do's and Don'ts that we have learned.

When purchasing Animals from a ranch it is important to check the herd listing of the seller through the CLRC Registry to verify they have the animal or animals being purchased registered in their names. There very often could be a good reason as to why it does not appear but that is the time to ask the questions as to why and verify the information is accurate. Here is the link to the CLRC Herd REGISTRY. You may search by member, animal name or microchip number. All new people coming into the Alpaca Family should learn to use this valuable resource.

• Fencing...although you may read 4 feet many places we did that and had to add electric fence above to raise height. Electric fence, we used ribbon, is a good idea anyway for keeping out predators and also for keeping the boys from trying to jump the fence to chat with the girls! The following year we changed all the fencing to 6 foot predator.
• Inside pens we constructed with outside meshed gates purchased from TSC. These worked excellent and are very strong plus cosmetically appealing.
• Good strong inside hay boxes for feeding and stainless troughs for minerals and pellets. Troughs put up a couple to stop fighting over food.
• Install ceiling fan in barn to help cool barn on those hot summer days.
• Outside hay feeders we used stainless with legs and folding roof top that keeps it dry and out of the sun.
• Straw on the pen floors but put down some shavings or saw dust where the communal dung pile is as that will absorb the moisture and make clean up much easier.
• In the outside penned in area we leveled with sand to pack down and create a smooth flat surface. Then we put a load of beach sand on the top which gives great drainage after a rain and the Alpacas love to roll in it. Also we put a small pile of beach sand in each outside pen for them to climb up on and play.
• Purchase a plastic children's swimming pool for each outside pen as it helps to cool them on hot days and they love to have a swim.
• Place a couple of night lights in your barn so when you have cria in the pen someone does not accidentally step on one.
• Make sure to build an extra pen so you may isolate Mom and Cria for the first little bit if you wish to do that. This also will act as a pen if you need to isolate an animal for health reasons.
• Split barn doors work well rather than solid as you may open the tops to allow some breezes to come in but still be able to keep your barn secure.
• Most of all have FUN !

General Alpaca Care

Alpacas are very easy to keep. First they eat a grassy hay which is easy to source and not expensive to purchase if you do not grow your own. Once a day the also get a pellet supplement which has the other supplements they require. You keep free range minerals out at all times that they help themselves to when they wish.

If pasture feeding the animals you can generally get roughly 7 to 8 animals per acre and if you supplement hay then more animals are possible.

The Alpacas will need their nails trimmed once in a while and their teeth trimmed which usually you will do at shearing time. The animals are sheared once a year. There are professional shearers experienced with Alpacas that will come to perform these chores.

Breeding and birthing is not a complicated affair and gestation for an Alpaca is approximately 11 months. Birthing as a general rule requires to intervention by you.

The animals will be dewormed 3 to 4 times a year and once a year they will get a vaccination.

This concludes basic care and the feeding time and cleanup usually takes approximately 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night. The balance of your time is used up just enjoying these magnificent creatures!