Making Money With AlpacasAlpacas offer a truly exceptional livestock business experience - one that can actually make money for you. There are many opportunities for the creative business person with alpacas. Those listed here are just a few - you will no doubt have your own ideas!
Sales of Alpacas At this point our industry is in transition. We started with a focus on the creation and sale of alpaca breeding stock. There is still a need for breeding stock and new breeders as the industry is very small in North America (250,000 alpacas compared with 6 million sheep). Now (2016) we can also see a shift toward the creation of fiber products, and some farms focus solely on that for their income.
The price an alpaca sells for in the U.S. depends on its sex, color and quality. The following price ranges represent current averages* in the northwest region, including Montana:
Sales of Breedings to Alpaca SiresMany farms have herdsires for hire. Breeding fees depend on the quality of the male, the quality of his offspring, and the degree of marketing the farm has done to promote their male.
Fees range from $200 per breeding on the low end to over $3000 for a truly exceptional male. Sales of Alpaca Fiber and Finished Alpaca ProductsOriginally most fiber was sold locally to handcrafters and most products were imported from Peru for resale but with the continued development of our industry, we are now seeing alpaca fiber farms springing up and products made in North America are more common.
Prices for raw fiber are based on weight, as follows:
Finished products add value and are priced higher than raw fiber:
Sales of Alpaca-Related ServicesThere are many services which alpaca breeders need. Offering extra services can bring in additional income for your alpaca business. Do you have experience in any of the following:
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