1. Find a Veterinarian before you bring your alpacas home!  That was the toughest thing I had to do and caused me several problems.  (If you live in an area that already has several alpaca farms, this shouldn't be a big problem for you.)  We were blessed in that we had no medical emergencies during the time we had no Vet (or after we found a Vet).  However, we did have nutritional problems and while Auburn University was only a phone call away, they wanted to talk to my Vet about setting up a herd management program.  I did have a Vet at this point, but he was extremely busy, and they could never get in touch with each other.  Consequently, I never got the nutritional advice I needed.

Try to find one who would enjoy working with alpacas.  It makes a huge difference!

2.  Budget for the obvious things like a shelter of some kind, fences and pasture, if you don't already have them.  But don't forget :

• Insurance on your alpacas
• Transport Fees
• Veterinarian Bills
• Feed
• Education - including books, tapes and magazines
• Membership Fees - AOBA, ARI, etc.
• Stud Fees
• Worm Medicine, Needles, Syringes
• Halters, Lead Ropes, Buckets, Feed Bins, Toenail Clippers
• Soil Test, Hay Analysis
• Fiber test

3.  Buy Dr. Evans Field Manual

4.  Check with your Extension agent about poisonous plants in your area. Familiarize yourself with the poisonous plants in your area of the country, and check your pastures carefully for them.  Your County Extension Office should have valuable information available either free or at a low cost.  Ours had a helpful little booklet by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System entitled "Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern United States" for $4.95.

Another book available from various suppliers of alpaca products is "Field Guide to Plants Poisonous to Livestock - Western U.S."

Wilted Black Cherry tree leaves are extremely toxic to livestock.  Bracken fern, laurel, buttercup, lantana, oleander, locust, chinaberry tree, Chinese tallowtree (popcorn tree), pigweed, sneezeweed, and milkweed are some other poisonous plants that are listed for the Southeast.


5. A good alpaca training video will help you tremendously in handling your
alpacas so you don't learn the hard way.

6. Have a means of transport in case you need to take the alpacas to the Vet.