Why I Regret Getting Alpacas

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MORE ABOUT ME

I'm Anne of All Trades. In NASHVILLE, I have a woodworking, blacksmithing and fabrication shop, a selection of furry friends, and an organic farm. Whether you've got the knowledge, tools, time or space to do the things you've always wanted to do, everything is "figureoutable."

I became "Anne of All Trades" out of necessity. With no background in farming or making things, I wanted to learn to raise my own food, fix things when they break and build the things I need.

8 years ago I got my first pet, planted my first seed and picked up my first tool.

My goal is to learn and share traditional techniques and skills while showing my peers how to get from where they are to where they want to go, how to do the things they are passionate about, and what can be done TODAY to engage their own community and grow deep roots.

Whether it's carving spoons, making my own hand tools, restoring my antique truck or growing heirloom tomatoes, the farm and workshop definitely keep me busy and support - whether financially through Patreon, through shopping my affiliate links, through buying merchandise, plans or project videos, or even just liking, commenting, and sharing my content with others helps me GREATLY to keep producing quality content to share.

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[AnneofAllTrades]

Let’s talk $$$!
An average shearing yields 4-10 lbs of fiber. Alpacas are sheared once a year. Alpaca fiber is valued at $2/ounce as opposed to $0.11/ounce for merino sheep’s wool. Alpaca wool is stronger, softer, more eco-friendly, and offers 85% greater wicking capability than merino sheep’s wool. It is also hypoallergenic and antimicrobial. So assuming you get a 5 pound fleece from your annual shearing, at $2/ounce, the raw fleece is worth $160. It costs $32 to shear.

There isn’t a huge market for raw fleeces, so most folks will want to have their fiber spun into yarn. It costs $30 to ship the fiber to the mill, $50 to wash, dry and pick the fleece, $140 to mill into yarn, and, with a 30% loss of fiber during the milling process, that 5 lb fleece will yield about 3.5 lbs of yarn. The mill will ship it back for $20, but most mills are currently at a 1 year wait time for milling services. Since alpaca yarn goes for about $125/pound for finished yarn, the total value minus expenses for the year’s fiber, processed into yarn will be $437.50-32-30-50-140-20= $165.50

Monthly shots are $5, feed and minerals comes out to about $20, so it costs about $300/year, assuming there’s no veterinary costs. So you’re at $-134.50/alpaca/year, not including labor. Not the wisest financial choice 😅 but there is where you make the decision: is there other value beyond the fiber? For me, yes. I process some of the fiber myself as a fun, non-monetized hobby. Considering what I *could* be spending on other activities, I’d say an annual cost of $134.50/year isn’t too shabby. But there’s where it really helps to have the numbers: if I didn’t enjoy spinning, and they were miserable to keep, at least I would know they were a cost, not a profit, financially speaking, to the farm, and could easily justify getting rid of them.

I think a lot of farmers get in over their heads when they don’t know the real numbers. Keeping chickens for selling eggs, for example, is almost always a losing game, financially speaking, for small farmers- unless you’re running more than 300 birds, the numbers I’ve run have my costs being about $12 a dozen if I’m getting paid less than minimum wage, and most folks aren’t able to fetch that kind of price, but still feed their chickens every day, proud to sell their eggs for $5-7 a dozen, thinking they’re making money. That’s exactly why I don’t sell eggs. I raise what my family eats and have a little extra to barter and trade goodwill with our neighbors, and that’s plenty.

So much of farming on a small scale is about doing things for the love of them, not the profit. Don’t get me wrong, small-scale farming can be really profitable, but operations have to stay really lean, and you’ve gotta do a lot of the same thing every day, and I’m just not into that, which is why I still work full time and do this stuff in the mornings, evenings, and weekends before/after work. Knowing the financials of every endeavor really helps me pick and choose what is and isn’t worth it: some things like dairy, beef, and baby goats bring in enough $ to pay for all the rest of the farming endeavors, while some things, like the alpacas, are just for the joy of watching those little llama pops running around the yard and using my homemade spinning wheel by candlelight by the fire on cold winter nights.

[glenbriggs]

My wife thanks you for talking me out of getting Alpacas.

[kahae]

I've had alpacas for 25 years. Something that takes a lot of stress out of handling them is having a race (narrow fenced passageway) leading to a yard with a well-designed little "crush" with gate at either end. I shear them in the crush and it's very useful if they have to be given shots or, once, when one got an eye infection and I had to administer eye drops daily. One thing I leaned that resolved a lot of potential health issues: they will self-medicate given the chance and this removed the need for regular shots at least in my climate which is sub-alpine. They have access to a wide range of plants and shrubs and like to nibble a little bit of this, a little bit of that. But yes, like all animals, they die eventually and that can be heart-breaking. They're not ideally suited to small blocks of land.They like variety, grazing a different place each day or two. But they're very special animals with a sort of presence I haven't found in other farm animals. And each one has its own character. Some of the males can be a handful, others are a real delight. Part of life's diversity and challenge.

[francisfischer]

I've had alpacas for over 30 years. And THEY are ANGELS!!!! Absolute ANGELS!!!!

[KPVFarmer]

“They are constantly inventing new ways to die” 😂 Beautiful animals and so cuddly looking!

[noogman]

I have no Alpacas but this was really educating and relaxing to watch. Thank you so much.

[excapeplan]

Poor babies 😢
You’re such a good compassionate soul. I just love your spirit.

[backpacker]

Alpaca wool is also VERY antimicrobial. I wear a lot of it, and unless I sweat a TON, I can easily wear the same pair of socks 3-4 days without any foot funk. A teeshirt will last a week without washing. One of the things they tell you when you buy Alpaca wool clothes is not to wash it nearly as often as you think you need to.

[bobchannell]

Thank you for talking about the difficulties of keeping Alpacas. My wife desperately wanted to get Alpacas because she saw how cute they were in farm magazine advertisements. We didn't have a farm though, which is why we never got any. Thank goodness for that. Just taking care of our cats and dogs over the years was enough for us. We never did get a farm. We bought a house in the suburbs and just kept the cats and dogs.

[dreadnought]

I love your honesty, I hope this helps other farmer's make good decisions.

[c.a.]

THANK YOU, So much for your honesty❣️It's so important to educate people on the importance of not impulsive purchases!
Everything has its pros & cons, and you're one of the most fair and honest people that can keep others from heartbreaking mistakes.
Please keep it up😇! Invaluable and priceless information about genuine animal husbandry,
Great job, ma'am! 🥰🤗

[Chopperdoll]

Wow! Such honesty. The his will help so many people get everything in line before bringing a couple home. Our neighbor has 2, we will continue just visiting with them 😊

[TheSirGoreaxe]

I supper appreciate your dedication to your alpacas. I'm heart broken over how many people took in dogs during the pandemic then decided that after a one to two years to send them to the pound because they didn't want to care for them anymore. That is so devastating to a dog to be left like that.

[davidwilken]

When we had Lamas and Alpacas, I would hum as I walked up to them. It helped most of the time when I tried to catch them.

[nanciguestrdphd]

All my rescue Alpacas have been sweet and I have never seen an Alpaca spit?? I know Llamas do! We didn't see any disease, but I agree more work than most people understand!

[CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you Anne. Extremely informative. We were thinking about getting them but this is giving us much more food for thought.

[lilo]

I'm so sorry for the loss of John :( It apparent that you love them so very much! Thank goodness you're so hands-o with them!!! I stumbled upon your page while looking for "tiny home ideas."

[bonnielong]

If you decide to get alpacas, buy from a reputable breeder who will help and guide you after the sale. Many of the issues presented in this video don’t have to be issues. I’ve owned and bred alpacas for over 10 years now and there are many other breeders out there like me who are willing to help new owners.

[MrLeedebt]

Great video....honesty and down-to-earth stuff.

[susanphillips]

I feel ya. This, is one heck of a great video. My best to you and your animals