FOXES present a constant drag on sheep farmers’ productivity and their control is a perennial problem.
Shooting is one approach but it is labour-intensive and sleep-depriving.
Maremma dogs are a possibility but they need daily feeding and are suitable only for smaller flocks.
Poisoning with sodium fluoroacetate, better known as ‘1080’, has kilometres of red-tape and compliance associated with its use in Victoria – a major off-put.
All of this points to alpacas, or Vicugna pacos, to give them their scientific moniker.
These are one of four South American camelids, the others being llamas, vicuñas and guanacos.
Alpacas were introduced to Australia, for their wool, in the 1980s and their protective behaviour towards sheep became apparent and they have become well established as flock guardians on both sides of the Tasman.
Alpaca terminology
FEMALE alpacas are called ‘hembras’ and males, as decidedly un-woke ‘machos’.
Castrated males are referred to as ‘wethers’ in Australia, the Spanish ‘macho capado’ being a bit of a mouthful.
Infant alpacas are known as ‘crias’, coming close to how some human babies are described.
Key facts
ALPACAS are pseudo-ruminants, having three stomachs.
Being members of the camel family, alpacas do not have hoofs but pads and toenails, which do need trimming.
The amount of food an alpaca needs is similar to a sheep. i.e. one dry sheep equivalent (dse = 1) per dry hembra or wether.
Hembras average about 60-80 kilograms body weight compared with a merino ewe at 45-50kg.
Thus, alpacas are roughly 37 per cent more efficient at extracting energy and protein from low quality feed.
This is because the digestion process is slower in an alpaca, taking 63 hours for food to pass through the alimentary canal compared with 41 hours for sheep. (50 per cent longer than sheep and twice as long as cattle).
A dry hembra or wether weighing 65kg needs about 7 MJ (megajoules) of ME (metabolisable energy) per day.
Alpacas are very good at maintaining a nitrogen balance because they can recycle urea in their saliva.
They also extract more urea from their stomachs than other ruminants and they excrete less nitrogen in their urine.
Mature alpacas can survive on 7.5 per head crude protein, while sheep and cattle require at least 12 per head protein in their diet.
Hembras in late pregnancy need one and a half times the energy (dse = 1.5) and lactating hembras twice that (dse = 2) with 12-14 per cent protein while weaned crias need twice as much energy and 16 per cent protein.
In their native Andes, alpacas eat grasses and forbs (rushes and sedges) rather than legumes.
Pure lucerne hay with 20-25 per cent protein is much too rich for them.
For example, on improved pastures, sheep will eat at least 2.5 times more legumes than alpacas.
Wool fibre fineness, on nutritious pastures, can blow out even more for alpacas than merinos, increasing by up to 5-10 microns.
Furthermore, the density of crias’ fleeces is strongly related to the nutrition of its mother in the last trimester of pregnancy and during the first three months after birth.
Alpaca wool information
ALPACA wool is varied in colour.
While many alpacas are white, various shades of fleece wool occur.
The official alpaca colour chart extends to 22 colours including fawn, black, beige and several greys having silver and rose tints.
Individual fleeces can contain several hues.
Fibre diameter is typically in the range of 18 to 30 microns with fleece weights being from 2 to 5 kilograms.
There are two strains of alpaca, the Huacaya with a denser crimpy fibre while the Suri breed has a longer silky fibre.
Huacaya have the heavier fleece and Suri, generally, the more valuable.
Alpacas need shearing every year, preferably in late spring; an experienced alpaca shearer is preferred for the task.
The alpaca, lying on its side, is gently secured to a low shearing table and shorn on one side before being flipped for the remainder of the fleece to be cut.
Wool prices vary widely with workaday fleeces fetching $10 to $20 per kilogram while some of the finest wool can top $100.
Breeding
ALPACAS have a gestation period of about 49 weeks.
Although hembras can be joined annually, a rest every few years is recommended.
A single cria is usually carried and twins are rare.
10 to 20 hembras per macho is a normal ratio range although a very ‘macho’ macho might manage more – up to 30.
Hembras reach sexual maturity at 12 months but many breeders prefer to wait until they are 18 months old before joining.
Machos attain maturity at between two and three years of age.
Protection of sheep
WHERE alpacas are to be run with sheep as flock guardians, two or more wethers are recommended.
Breeders emphasise that alpacas are social animals and on no account should be run without at least one other alpaca in the same paddock.
Entire machos are unsuitable as flock guardians because of their hormonally influenced behaviour.
Fortunately, wethers maintain their protective behaviour despite being eunuchs, however, they require socialisation with sheep before being turned out with them.
Alpacas will see off foxes and are reported as coping with single dogs although not packs.
Their protective behaviour has been closely studied by Dr Paige Matthews at the University of New England (UNE).
Her findings were:
1. Alpacas have a strong attraction and preference towards lambs compared to adult sheep and other novel stimuli.
2. Both male and female alpacas responded positively towards lamb stimuli.
3. The results from the study indicate why alpacas could make successful guardian animals.
The science has confirmed the value of alpacas.
Ref: Matthews et al. Applied Animal Behaviour Science: Volume 267 October 2023, 106057; view at bit.ly/3A9Q1n7
Buying alpacas
THE price of alpacas is somewhat varied.
The highest price ever paid for an alpaca in Australia was $265,000, for a stud macho named ‘Ambersun’s Waterloo Sunset’.
This sale occurred in 2017 at the Australian Alpaca Association National Show and Sale.
At the working farm level, a young breeding female will probably cost about $2000 and a pair of young guardian wethers around $1000 (i.e. $500 each) – quite a bit cheaper than the record.
Alpaca spits and calls
AS you are probably aware, alpacas are a bit different.
Alpacas can spit up to about 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 metres) with passable accuracy.
However, the distance and force vary depending on the situation and how agitated the alpaca is.
When they are really upset, the spit can travel quite far and may be more forceful, but in most cases, they are just trying to warn off a rival or show displeasure, and the spit might not go as far.
Most spitting incidents are directed at other alpacas, but occasionally, people standing nearby might get caught in the crossfire!
Another area of differentiation from sheep and cattle is the variety of sounds which alpacas make, all having their own meaning.
These include:
1. Humming: Alpacas hum softly when they are curious, content, or communicating with other alpacas. This is their most typical and frequent sound.
2. Grumbling or clucking: Alpacas may make a clucking or grumbling noise when they are annoyed or trying to assert dominance.
3. Alarm call: If alpacas sense danger, they emit a high-pitched, almost shrieking sound to alert the rest of the herd.
4. Screaming: When an alpaca feels extremely threatened or is frightened, it may let out a loud scream.
5. Snorting: Alpacas sometimes snort when they are irritated or want to express displeasure, often accompanied by spitting.
6. Orgling: This is the unique sound that machos make during mating. The noise is a sort of guttural, rhythmic, almost musical sound, which is thought to play a role in stimulating the female during the mating process. This alpaca-erotic sound is quite distinct from the usual humming or grumbling that alpacas make in other situations.
In sum, alpacas are fascinating, useful animals which are far more entertaining than sheep who don’t hum, spit or scream and certainly don’t orgle.
A bit bland by comparison.
